Mark 15
Back to Gospel of Mark
Markings
Mark 15 by verse:
General References
Donald Juel, Messianic Exegesis, p. 93-98
Boris Pasternak, “Evil Days,” The Enduring Legacy, p. 348
The Enduring Legacy, p. 364-373
The Enduring Legacy
2 Ernesto Cardenal, from Cosmic Canticle, Divine Inspiration, p. 436
2 Henri Nouwen, Lifesigns, p. 18 f.
Lifesigns
A careful look at the gospels shows that Jesus seldom accepted the questions posed to him. He exposed them as coming from the house of fear. [list of questions including this verse] To none of these questions did Jesus give a direct answer. He gently put them aside as questions emerging from false worries. They were raised out of concern for prestige, influence, power, and control. They did not belong to the house of God. Therefore Jesus always transformed the question by his answer. He made the question new—and only then worthy of his response.
5 Elton Trueblood, The Humor of Christ, p. 73
1 And as soon as it was morning the chief priests, with the elders and scribes, and the whole council held a consultation; and they bound Jesus and led him away and delivered him to Pilate. 2 And Pilate asked him, “Are you the King of the Jews?” And he answered him, “You have said so.” 3 And the chief priests accused him of many things. 4 And Pilate again asked him, “Have you no answer to make? See how many charges they bring against you.” 5 But Jesus made no further answer, so that Pilate wondered.
15:1 και ευθεως επι το πρωι συμβουλιον ποιησαντες οι αρχιερεις μετα των πρεσβυτερων και γραμματεων και ολον το συνεδριον δησαντες τον ιησουν απηνεγκαν και παρεδωκαν τω πιλατω 15:2 και επηρωτησεν αυτον ο πιλατος συ ει ο βασιλευς των ιουδαιων ο δε αποκριθεις ειπεν αυτω συ λεγεις 15:3 και κατηγορουν αυτου οι αρχιερεις πολλα 15:4 ο δε πιλατος παλιν επηρωτησεν αυτον λεγων ουκ αποκρινη ουδεν ιδε ποσα σου καταμαρτυρουσιν 15:5 ο δε ιησους ουκετι ουδεν απεκριθη ωστε θαυμαζειν τον πιλατον
Wendell Berry, “Song in a Year of Catastrophe,” Collected Poems, p. 118
“Song in a Year of Catastrophe”
Frederick Buechner, “Barabbas,” Peculiar Treasures, p. 14
John Dominic Crossan, The Historical Jesus, p. 390 f.
Vassar Miller, “Pontius Pilate Discusses the Proceedings of the Last Judgment,” Divine Inspiration, p. 439
Fulton John Sheen, “The Cross and the Double Cross,” Lend Me Your Ears, p. 451
“The Cross and the Double Cross”
That is why the hope of the world is not in those politicians who indifferent to divinity, offer Christ and Barabbas to the mob to save their tumbling suffrage. It is not in those economists who would drive Christ from their shores, like the Gerasenes because they feared loss of profit on their swine. It is not in those educators who like other Pilates sneer, “What is truth?”—then crucify it.
6-8 John Dominic Crossan and Jonathan L. Reed, Excavating Jesus, p. 265-267
Excavating Jesus
“So the crowd came and began to ask Pilate to do for them according to his custom.” They come, in other words, for Barabbas and not against Jesus. But Pilate attempts to release Jesus instead and thereupon, at high-priestly instigation, they insist that Jesus be crucified (and Barabbas released). That arrival for Barabbas is found only in Mark. Here, Barabbas is mentioned first and Jesus only later. (p. 265)
Across those texts [Matt. 27:15-26, Luke 23:13-18, John 18:38-40], across those levels of the third layer from Mark through John, there is a steady escalation. It moves, first, from “crowd” to “crowds” to “all the people” to “the Jews.” It moves, second, from an understandable situation, in which they come to get Barabbas released and are therefore against any Pilate-proposed release of Jesus, to an ununderstandable one, in which they are against Jesus and therefore for the release of Barabbas. (p. 266)
In this parable, Mark confronts the ruined city with its fatal choice of the wrong savior, the wrong “son or the father.” You made that once and future choice, says Mark, of trusting yourselves to a violent Barabbas instead of to a nonviolent Jesus. (p. 267)
12-14 David Rosenberg, (from “Lamentations 3”), A Poet’s Bible, p. 71
6 Now at the feast he used to release for them one prisoner for whom they asked. 7 And among the rebels in prison, who had committed murder in the insurrection, there was a man called Barabbas. 8 And the crowd came up and began to ask Pilate to do as he was wont to do for them. 9 And he answered them, “Do you want me to release for you the King of the Jews?” 10 For he perceived that it was out of envy that the chief priests had delivered him up. 11 But the chief priests stirred up the crowd to have him release for them Barabbas instead. 12 And Pilate again said to them, “Then what shall I do with the man whom you call the King of the Jews?” 13 And they cried out again, “Crucify him.” 14 And Pilate said to them, “Why, what evil has he done?” But they shouted all the more, “Crucify him.” 15 So Pilate, wishing to satisfy the crowd, released for them Barabbas; and having scourged Jesus, he delivered him to be crucified.
15:6 κατα δε εορτην απελυεν αυτοις ενα δεσμιον ονπερ ητουντο 15:7 ην δε ο λεγομενος βαραββας μετα των συστασιαστων δεδεμενος οιτινες εν τη στασει φονον πεποιηκεισαν 15:8 και αναβοησας ο οχλος ηρξατο αιτεισθαι καθως αει εποιει αυτοις 15:9 ο δε πιλατος απεκριθη αυτοις λεγων θελετε απολυσω υμιν τον βασιλεα των ιουδαιων 15:10 εγινωσκεν γαρ οτι δια φθονον παραδεδωκεισαν αυτον οι αρχιερεις 15:11 οι δε αρχιερεις ανεσεισαν τον οχλον ινα μαλλον τον βαραββαν απολυση αυτοις 15:12 ο δε πιλατος αποκριθεις παλιν ειπεν αυτοις τι ουν θελετε ποιησω ον λεγετε βασιλεα των ιουδαιων 15:13 οι δε παλιν εκραξαν σταυρωσον αυτον 15:14 ο δε πιλατος ελεγεν αυτοις τι γαρ κακον εποιησεν οι δε περισσοτερως εκραξαν σταυρωσον αυτον 15:15 ο δε πιλατος βουλομενος τω οχλω το ικανον ποιησαι απελυσεν αυτοις τον βαραββαν και παρεδωκεν τον ιησουν φραγελλωσας ινα σταυρωθη
16-17 Andrew Marvell, “The Coronet,” Divine Inspiration, p. 441
16-17 R. S. Thomas, “In a Country Church,” Divine Inspiration, p. 442
17 Gerald Manley Hopkins, “New Readings (I),” The Plough, p. 35
“New Readings (I)”
Although the letter said
On thistles that men look not grapes to gather,
I read the story rather
How the soldiers platting thorns around Christ’s head
Grapes grew and drops of wine were shed.
Though when the sower sowed,
The wingèd fowls took part, part fell in thorn,
And never turned to corn,
Part found no root upon the flinty road
Christ at all hazards fruit hath shewed.
From wastes of rock He brings
Food for five thousand: on thorns He shed
Grains from His drooping Head;
And would not have that legion of winged things
Bear him to Heaven on easeful wings.
18-19 Anna Akhmatove, “The One People Once Called,” Divine Inspiration, p. 446
18-19 Kahlil Gibran, “Claudius: A Roman Sentinel,” Divine Inspiration, p. 444
20 Denise Levertov, “Salvator Mundi: Via Crucis,” Divine Inspiration, p. 448
16 And the soldiers led him away inside the palace (that is, the praetorium); and they called together the whole battalion. 17 And they clothed him in a purple cloak, and plaiting a crown of thorns they put it on him. 18 And they began to salute him, “Hail, King of the Jews!” 19 And they struck his head with a reed, and spat upon him, and they knelt down in homage to him. 20 And when they had mocked him, they stripped him of the purple cloak, and put his own clothes on him. And they led him out to crucify him.
15:16 οι δε στρατιωται απηγαγον αυτον εσω της αυλης ο εστιν πραιτωριον και συγκαλουσιν ολην την σπειραν 15:17 και ενδυουσιν αυτον πορφυραν και περιτιθεασιν αυτω πλεξαντες ακανθινον στεφανον 15:18 και ηρξαντο ασπαζεσθαι αυτον χαιρε ο βασιλευς των ιουδαιων 15:19 και ετυπτον αυτου την κεφαλην καλαμω και ενεπτυον αυτω και τιθεντες τα γονατα προσεκυνουν αυτω 15:20 και οτε ενεπαιξαν αυτω εξεδυσαν αυτον την πορφυραν και ενεδυσαν αυτον τα ιματια τα ιδια και εξαγουσιν αυτον ινα σταυρωσωσιν αυτον
Hans-Ruedi Weber, “The Hour of Truth,” Experiments with Bible Study, p. 191
21 Romans 16:13
24 Psalm 22:18
27 Mark 10:35-40
28 Isaiah 53:12
29 Psalm 22:7, 109:25; Mark 14:58; John 2:19
21 Countee Cullen, “Simon the Cyrenian Speaks,” The Black Poets, p. 99
25-32 Denise Levertov, “Standoff,” Breathing the Water, p. 67
“Standoff”
Assail God’s hearing with gull-screech knifeblades.
Cozen the saints to plead our cause, claiming
grace abounding.
God crucified on the resolve not to displume
our unused wings
hears: nailed palms
cannot beat off the flames of insistent sound,
strident or plaintive,
nor reach to annul freedom—
nor would God renege.
Our shoulders ache. The abyss
gapes at us.
When shall we
dare to fly?
25-32 W. B. Yeats, “To A Shade,” Selected Poems and Plays, p. 41
“To A Shade”
A man
Of your own passionate serving kind who had brought
In his full hands what had they only known
Had given their children’s children loftier thought
Sweeter emotion working in their veins
Like gentle blood, has been driven from the place
And insult heaped upon him for his pains
And for his open-handedness, disgrace;
Your enemy and old foul mouth had set
The pack upon him.
29-30 Paul Zimmer, “The Day Zimmer Lost Religion,” Divine Inspiration, p. 464
31-32 George Herbert, “The Sacrifice,” The Selected Poetry of George Herbert, p. 69
“The Sacrifice”
31-32 J. Barrie Shepherd, “The Last Miracle,” The Moveable Feast, p. 50
“The Last Miracle”
Were you perhaps bewildered
having hoped despite defiant words
for at least one late and minor miracle
on your own behalf, considering all the rest?
Or dare we yet believe what was written
that your concern was even at the end to shield
to plead the cause of all who wield the whips
and crushing hammers of this crucifying world?
31 Fulton John Sheen, “The Cross and the Double Cross,” Lend Me Your Ears, p. 450
“The Cross and the Double Cross”
Of course he could not save himself. No man can save himself who saves another. The rain cannot save itself if it is to bud the greenery; the sun cannot save itself if it is to light the world; the seed cannot save itself if it is to make the harvest; a mother cannot save herself if she is to save her child; a soldier cannot save himself it he is to save his country. It was not weakness which made Christ hang on the cross; it was obedience to the law of sacrifice, of love. For how could he save us if he ever saved himself?
21 And they compelled a passer-by, Simon of Cyrene, who was coming in from the country, the father of Alexander and Rufus, to carry his cross. 22 And they brought him to the place called Golgotha (which means the place of a skull). 23 And they offered him wine mingled with myrrh; but he did not take it. 24 And they crucified him, and divided his garments among them, casting lots for them, to decide what each should take. 25 And it was the third hour, when they crucified him. 26 And the inscription of the charge against him read, “The King of the Jews.” 27 And with him they crucified two robbers, one on his right and one on his left. 29 And those who passed by derided him, wagging their heads, and saying, “Aha! You who would destroy the temple and build it in three days, 30 save yourself, and come down from the cross!” 31 So also the chief priests mocked him to one another with the scribes, saying, “He saved others; he cannot save himself. 32 Let the Christ, the King of Israel, come down now from the cross, that we may see and believe.” Those who were crucified with him also reviled him.
15:21 και αγγαρευουσιν παραγοντα τινα σιμωνα κυρηναιον ερχομενον απ αγρου τον πατερα αλεξανδρου και ρουφου ινα αρη τον σταυρον αυτου 15:22 και φερουσιν αυτον επι γολγοθα τοπον ο εστιν μεθερμηνευομενον κρανιου τοπος 15:23 και εδιδουν αυτω πιειν εσμυρνισμενον οινον ο δε ουκ ελαβεν 15:24 και σταυρωσαντες αυτον διαμεριζονται τα ιματια αυτου βαλλοντες κληρον επ αυτα τις τι αρη 15:25 ην δε ωρα τριτη και εσταυρωσαν αυτον 15:26 και ην η επιγραφη της αιτιας αυτου επιγεγραμμενη ο βασιλευς των ιουδαιων 15:27 και συν αυτω σταυρουσιν δυο ληστας ενα εκ δεξιων και ενα εξ ευωνυμων αυτου 15:28 και επληρωθη η γραφη η λεγουσα και μετα ανομων ελογισθη 15:29 και οι παραπορευομενοι εβλασφημουν αυτον κινουντες τας κεφαλας αυτων και λεγοντες ουα ο καταλυων τον ναον και εν τρισιν ημεραις οικοδομων 15:30 σωσον σεαυτον και καταβα απο του σταυρου 15:31 ομοιως και οι αρχιερεις εμπαιζοντες προς αλληλους μετα των γραμματεων ελεγον αλλους εσωσεν εαυτον ου δυναται σωσαι 15:32 ο χριστος ο βασιλευς του ισραηλ καταβατω νυν απο του σταυρου ινα ιδωμεν και πιστευσωμεν [αυτω] και οι συνεσταυρωμενοι αυτω ωνειδιζον αυτον
“What the Centurion Saw,” April 10 (Good Friday), El Estero Presbyterian Church, Monterey, CA
Hans-Ruedi Weber, “The Hour of Truth,” Experiments with Bible Study, p. 191
34 Psalm 22:1; Lamentations 5:20
36 Psalm 69:21
38 Exodus 26:31-33; Isaiah 6:4, 64:1; Mark 1:10
40-41 Luke 8:2-3
33 Federico García Lorca, “Crucifixion,” Divine Inspiration, p. 481
34 Christoph Blumhardt, Thy Kingdom Come, p. 65, 219
Thy Kingdom Come
Correctly understood, that is not faithlessness but sympathy with the world. (p. 65)
The Savior himself joined the poor; and certainly he was rich with the gifts of God. Yet ultimately he was the poorest of the poor and was forced to cry out, “My God, why have you forsaken me?”
In this cry lies our way to God and God’s way to us. (p. 219)
34 Walter Brueggemann, Journey to the Common Good, p. 275
Journey to the Common Good
34 John Donne, “Devotions: Now This Bell Tolling …,” Classics of Western Spirituality, p. 275
“Devotions: Now This Bell Tolling …”
34 Dag Hammarskjöld, Markings, p. 151
Markings
34 Stanley Hauerwas, “The Silence of Words,” Minding the Web, p. 174
"The Silence of Words"
34 Gerald Janzen, Interpretation (April 1983), p. 181
Interpretation
If Heschel is right in interpreting the prophetic experience as a participation in the divine pathos, are Jeremiah’s complaints evidence of such participation? … Is it possible that only in the blackness of [Jeremiah’s] own sense of isolation from both people and Yahweh can Jeremiah enter most deeply into an incomprehensible fellowship with God in suffering for the people? And is not the depth of such suffering and the refusal to heal it lightly (15:18a; cf. 6:14) the measure of Jeremiah’s loyalty both to the people and to Yahweh?
34 Gabriela Mistral, “Nocturne,” Divine Inspiration, p. 484
34 Malcolm Muggeridge, Jesus: The Man who Lives, p. 145
34 Jaroslav Pelikan, The Illustrated Jesus through the Centuries, p. 21
34 Oscar Romero, The Violence of Love, p. 158
34 Rabindranath Tagore, “The Son of Man,” Divine Inspiration, p. 486
34 Barbara Brown Taylor, An Altar in the World, p. 166
An Altar in the World
34 Morris West, A View from the Ridge, p. 3
A View from the Ridge
We are conceived without consent, wrenched whimpering into an alien universe with our death sentence already written on the palms of our hands: a cancer will eat our guts, a fanatic with a sword will cut off our heads, a drunken fool will mow us down with an automobile. Sentence once passed, there may be deferment, but there is no mitigation, no commutation, no amnesty.
If I have understood nothing else in the gospel narratives, I have grasped always the tragedy of Christ’s deathwatch on the Mount of Olives and his cry of utter heartbreak just before the end: “My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?”
34 Elie Wiesel, quoted in Leadership (Fall 1983), p. 143
Leadership
37 Edward Schillebeeckx, “God As A Loud Cry,” God Among Us, p. 73-77
38 Mary Oliver, “Work,” The Leaf and the Cloud, p. 15
"Work"
38 David Ulansey, “Heavens Torn Open,” Bible Review (August 1991), p. 32-37
“Heavens Torn Open”
The first-century Jewish historian Josephus described the appearance of the outer veil of the Temple in great detail. According to Josephus, it was a gigantic curtain, 80 feet high, a “Babylonian tapestry with embroidery of blue and fine linen, of scarlet also and purple wrought with marvelous skill. Nor was this mixture of materials without mystic meaning: it typified the universe” (The Jewish Wars 5.212-214).
Then Josephus tells us what was pictured on this curtain: “On this tapestry was portrayed a panorama of the heavens …” (p. 37)
39 John Dominic Crossan, The Historical Jesus, p. 389
The Historical Jesus
It was not salvific miracle but exemplary death that counted. Mark had therefore to negate completely both the visible resurrection and the subsequent Roman confession from the Cross Gospel. He did it by retrojecting both back into preceding sections of his Gospel. Jesus’ resurrection- ascension accompanied by two heavenly beings was rewritten as his transfiguration accompanied by Elijah and Moses in Mark 9:2-8.
39 Geoffrey Hill, “A Song of Degrees,” Canaan, p. 67
33 And when the sixth hour had come, there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour. 34 And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?” which means, “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?” 35 And some of the bystanders hearing it said, “Behold, he is calling Elijah.” 36 And one ran and, filling a sponge full of vinegar, put it on a reed and gave it to him to drink, saying, “Wait, let us see whether Elijah will come to take him down.” 37 And Jesus uttered a loud cry, and breathed his last. 38 And the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. 39 And when the centurion, who stood facing him, saw that he thus breathed his last, he said, “Truly this man was the Son of God!” 40 There were also women looking on from afar, among whom were Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James the younger and of Joses, and Salome, 41 who, when he was in Galilee, followed him, and ministered to him; and also many other women who came up with him to Jerusalem.
15:33 γενομενης δε ωρας εκτης σκοτος εγενετο εφ ολην την γην εως ωρας ενατης 15:34 και τη ωρα τη ενατη εβοησεν ο ιησους φωνη μεγαλη λεγων ελωι ελωι λιμα σαβαχθανι ο εστιν μεθερμηνευομενον ο θεος μου ο θεος μου εις τι με εγκατελιπες 15:35 και τινες των παρεστηκοτων ακουσαντες ελεγον ιδου ηλιαν φωνει 15:36 δραμων δε εις και γεμισας σπογγον οξους περιθεις τε καλαμω εποτιζεν αυτον λεγων αφετε ιδωμεν ει ερχεται ηλιας καθελειν αυτον 15:37 ο δε ιησους αφεις φωνην μεγαλην εξεπνευσεν 15:38 και το καταπετασμα του ναου εσχισθη εις δυο απο ανωθεν εως κατω 15:39 ιδων δε ο κεντυριων ο παρεστηκως εξ εναντιας αυτου οτι ουτως κραξας εξεπνευσεν ειπεν αληθως ο ανθρωπος ουτος υιος ην θεου 15:40 ησαν δε και γυναικες απο μακροθεν θεωρουσαι εν αις ην και μαρια η μαγδαληνη και μαρια η του ιακωβου του μικρου και ιωση μητηρ και σαλωμη 15:41 αι και οτε ην εν τη γαλιλαια ηκολουθουν αυτω και διηκονουν αυτω και αλλαι πολλαι αι συναναβασαι αυτω εις ιεροσολυμα
42 And when evening had come, since it was the day of Preparation, that is, the day before the sabbath, 43 Joseph of Arimathea, a respected member of the council, who was also himself looking for the kingdom of God, took courage and went to Pilate, and asked for the body of Jesus. 44 And Pilate wondered if he were already dead; and summoning the centurion, he asked him whether he was already dead. 45 And when he learned from the centurion that he was dead, he granted the body to Joseph. 46 And he bought a linen shroud, and taking him down, wrapped him in the linen shroud, and laid him in a tomb which had been hewn out of the rock; and he rolled a stone against the door of the tomb. 47 Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses saw where he was laid.
15:42 και ηδη οψιας γενομενης επει ην παρασκευη ο εστιν προσαββατον 15:43 ηλθεν ιωσηφ ο απο αριμαθαιας ευσχημων βουλευτης ος και αυτος ην προσδεχομενος την βασιλειαν του θεου τολμησας εισηλθεν προς πιλατον και ητησατο το σωμα του ιησου 15:44 ο δε πιλατος εθαυμασεν ει ηδη τεθνηκεν και προσκαλεσαμενος τον κεντυριωνα επηρωτησεν αυτον ει παλαι απεθανεν 15:45 και γνους απο του κεντυριωνος εδωρησατο το σωμα τω ιωσηφ 15:46 και αγορασας σινδονα και καθελων αυτον ενειλησεν τη σινδονι και κατεθηκεν αυτον εν μνημειω ο ην λελατομημενον εκ πετρας και προσεκυλισεν λιθον επι την θυραν του μνημειου 15:47 η δε μαρια η μαγδαληνη και μαρια ιωση εθεωρουν που τιθεται