Richard Hays on the identity of Jesus and the theology of Mark

Last night in Durham’s weekly New Testament seminar we were delighted to have Richard Hays speaking on the topic of Mark’s distinctive ‘echoes’ of Scripture and how he comments on and draws a picture of the divine identity of Jesus.  Hays actually didn’t use the word ‘echoes’, though.  As you might already know, Hays has nearly phased himself out of Pauline studies and has concentrated his attention now on the use of Scripture in the Gospels.  But, he is not doing what is the usual practice, finding all the citations and comparing them and the like.  He is interested in how Scriptural intertexts are determinative for understanding the story of Jesus.

In the first part of his paper he did what Hays does – he showed how, in several passages, Mark alludes to Scripture to show that Jesus does what only God can do (like forgive sins).  This was not anything really show stopping, though Markan expert Bill Telford had some rebuttals and disagreements during Q & A time.

The second part of the paper was the real gem.  After explaining why Jesus spoke in parables, Mark goes on to recount the ‘lamp’ teaching:

Mark 4:21-23   21 He said to them, “Is a lamp brought in to be put under the bushel basket, or under the bed, and not on the lampstand?  22 For there is nothing hidden, except to be disclosed; nor is anything secret, except to come to light.  23 Let anyone with ears to hear listen!”

Hays argued that this passage is about the identity of Jesus: Jesus is the lamp (the Greek has the def. article, as Hays pointed out) and comes (the Greek has ‘come’ not ‘is’).  The key for Hays is that in 4:22 we have a purpose clause (which does not appear in Matt/Luke’s versions): nothing is hidden except in order to be disclosed.  Somehow the hiddenness is necessary for the revelation (whereas Matt/Luke seem to make it temporal where the hiddenness is first, and then the disclosure).  Hays applies this overall to the character of Mark’s way of discussing the identity of Jesus.  Mark does not just say: here is Jesus, he is included within the divine identity of God, worship him!  Mark is more circumspect and subtle for the very reason, according to Hays, that he wants to maintain the mystery of Jesus’ identity and the incomprehensibility of it.  That is why the disciples are so dull and slow to understand.  It captures the idea that we aren’t just meant to ‘get’ the punch line.  That would be too easy and irreverent in a way.  We are meant to ponder the mystery and be reverently fearful of God’s revelation of himself in Christ.

It was fundamental for Hays that Mark intentional maintains this hiddeness motif on purpose – it is not the by-product of a poor editor.  Matthew chooses to clarify, concretize, and elaborate, but that does not necessarily mean that Mark would see these things as ‘improvements’.  Such an evolutionary attitude towards the gospels has largely been set aside and Hays is advocating a thorough-going literary approach to Mark which presupposes Mark is a reasonably intelligent and clever story-teller.  Hays is working on what appears to be a lengthy book on the use of Scripture (i.e. intertextuality) in the Gospels detecting how each Evangelist has a particular hermeneutic that is at work in their story-telling.  If I remember correctly, Hays entitles his Mark chapter: Mark, herald of mysteries.

We look forward to Hays speaking again on Wednesday for the first annual CK Barrett lecture in New Testament on the use of Scripture in Luke.

Incidentally, it was a bit surreal to be in seminar yesterday with Hays speaking, Francis Watson chairing the paper, Dr. Bill Telford chiming in on problems with ascribing a divine-identity perspective to Mark’s Jesus, questions from Walter Moberly and Jimmy Dunn, and John Barclay pondering all these things, but not getting a chance to pitch in on this subject – and Richard’s wife Judy knitted during the seminar.