Beig Human

Celebrated on February 2nd and known originally as the Feast of the Purification of the Blessed Virgin, the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord is a relatively ancient celebration. We know that the Church at Jerusalem was observing the feast as early as the first half of the fourth century, and likely earlier.
According to Jewish law, the firstborn male child belonged to God, and the parents had to "buy him back" on the 40th day after his birth, by offering a sacrifice of "a pair of turtledoves, or two young pigeons" (Luke 2:24) in the temple (thus the "presentation" of the child). On that same day, the mother would be ritually purified (thus the "purification").

Why do we do anything?
It is a question that we rarely consider.
Our body is an interconnected mass of bone, tissue, nerves, vessels and organs. What gives it life?
What makes a new born baby gasp for it’s first breath?
What is lost when a dying man breathes his last?

The ancients used the word “spirit” to describe the animating force present in all living things – an invisible, elusive power, portrayed as a breath or wind. However, the word refers to that which does not just give life, but also that which shapes it.

In their energy, enthusiasm and readiness to explore new possibilities, spirited children shape their life but, as parents know, they can make themselves vulnerable, they can be frustratingly unreliable and they can push boundaries too far.

As we get older, experience blunts our sense of invulnerability and sharpens our sense of what is important and new possibilities become fewer as the choices we make limit the opportunities available.

And Spirit is gradually, though not completely, superseded by Faith – not necessarily religious or spiritual Faith but the everyday common or garden Faith – the Faith that, among a myriad of other chores, gets clothes washed, rooms tidied and dinners cooked.

The Faith that gets things done because they have to be done. That Faith as Commitment – to Work , Family and Community.

Unlike Spirit, Faith is reliable. It does not push boundaries but informs and guides our relationships with others.

Spirit and Faith are, of course, antagonistic. While Spirit is radical, Faith is conservative. While Spirit is the engine of Change, Faith is the Force of Continuity.

Both Faith and Spirit find expression. It is Reason that predominantly interprets and justifies Faith while it is Behaviour that predominantly gives physical expression to Spirit.

Faith, Spirit, Reason and Behaviour can be considered as “aspects of being”, and while Faith, Spirit and Reason are “aspects of being” of the psyche, or mind, Behaviour is an “aspect of being of the body”.

This is what we all share in common. This is what it is to be human.

In the Gospel of Mark, during the passage on the Transfiguration (chapter 9, verse 5), Peter is portrayed as energetic:
“Rabbi”, he said, “it is wonderful to be here; so let us make three tents, one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah”.

He is portrayed as enthusiastic (chapter 11, verse 21):
“Look Rabbi, the fig tree you cursed has withered away”.

He is portrayed as ready to explore new possibilities (chapter 8, verse 29):
Peter spoke up and said to him: “You are the Christ”.

He is portrayed as vulnerable (chapter 10, verse 28):
“What about us”, he asked him, “we have left everything and followed you”.

He is also portrayed as unreliable when following his declaration: “Even if all lose faith, I will not” (chapter 14, verse 29), he denies Jesus three times (chapter 14, verses 66 – 72).

Finally, he is portrayed as pushing boundaries too far when he remonstrates with Jesus (chapter 8, verses 32 – 33), leading to Jesus’ declaration:
“Get behind me Satan! For you are not on the side of God, but of men.”

The name Peter means “Rock” but this portrayal is anything but “rock-like”. Indeed, it is tempting to see Peter, in Mark’s Gospel, as representing the personification of Spirit.

Could there be an underlying meaning in the Gospel?
In Chapter 4, verse 11, the author seems to invite us to seek one when Jesus says to his disciples:
“The secret of the kingdom of God is given to you, but to those outside, everything comes in parables”.

Is the Gospel itself not one big parable (or allegory), designed for interpretation?

This is not such a radical suggestion. The interpretation of scripture has a long history.
In the early 1st Century, Philo of Alexandria produced interpretations of Old Testament scriptures, which, he claimed, had much in common with Greek philosophy, and had even influenced Plato.

These days, interpretation of scripture is known as “exegesis” from the Greek meaning “to lead out”.
The danger is, of course, that we read into a passage something that is not there. This is known as “eisegesis”, from the Greek meaning “to lead into”, and is the reading of one’s own ideas into the text.

If Peter represents the personification of Spirit, what of the other disciples?

Throughout, the entire Gospel, the disciple John makes just one remark by himself (chapter 9, verse 38):
“Master, we saw a man who is not one of us, casting out devils in your name; and because he was not one of us we tried to stop him”.

John provides a description of the disciples’ actions and a justification for them.

Following the previous metaphorical interpretation of Peter, it is tempting to see John, in Mark’s Gospel, as representing the personification of Reason.

John and Simon Peter are two of the four disciples called at the beginning of the Gospel (chapter 1, verses 16-20).
If Peter represents the personification of Spirit, then surely his “brother” Andrew represents the personification of Behaviour. If John represents the personification of Reason, then surely his “brother” James represents the personification of “Faith”.

After being called by Jesus, James and John left their “father”, Zebedee in their boat with the men he employed.
The Gospel was written in Greek but many scholars believe it was targeted at a Roman audience. The name Zebedee means “Gift from God” and those who were familiar with the Latin alphabet may have seen the significance of a Faith founded by Abraham coming to a natural conclusion with Zebedee.

Jesus gave James and John the name “Boanerges” or “Sons of Thunder” (chapter 3, verse 17). Could this be because Faith and Reason without Spirit is the Voice of Conviction and it is the Voice of Conviction that speaks loudest?

In the Gospel, Jesus is alone with the first four disciples on just one occasion. During the eschatological discourse that comprises chapter 13, in a discussion about the temple (verse 2), Jesus states:
“You see these great buildings? Not a single stone will be left on another. Everything will be destroyed.”
The four disciples question him privately (verse 3-4):
“Tell us, when is this going to happen and what sign will there be that all this is to be fulfilled?”
What follows is a discourse from Jesus incorporating a number of instructions aimed at Faith ( “Take care that no one deceives you?” - verse 5), Reason ( “And when they lead you away to hand you over do not worry beforehand about what to say” - verse 11), Spirit ( “Be on your guard, stay awake” - verse 33) and Behaviour (“When you see the disastrous abomination set up where it ought not to be (let the reader understand), then those in Judaea must escape to the mountains” - verse 14).

More significantly, Jesus is alone with James, Peter and John on three occasions.
Jesus takes these disciples to the house of Jairus and there he brings Jairus’ daughter back to life.
In the living death that is depression, Christ speaks to Faith, Spirit and Reason to give purpose to life.

During the transfiguration, Jesus takes these disciples to the top of a high mountain where Jesus’ clothes become dazzlingly white and Moses and Elijah appear.
After an intense spiritual experience, Christ speaks to Faith, Spirit and Reason to give meaning to that experience.

In the garden of Gethsemane, Jesus takes these three disciples so far and instructs them to keep awake while he walks on further; when he returns he finds them sleeping.
In times of distress, Christ may seem far away and nothing prepares us for grief.

Is this exegesis or eisegesis? It is for the reader to decide but it is worth contemplating and interesting to reflect.

The metaphors work only if the respective aspects of being were apparent in the disciples’ actual life or teachings.
So, read the 1st Letter of Peter and see how soon you come to the word “Spirit”.
Read the 1st Letter of James and see how soon you come to the word “Faith”.
Read the 1st Letter of John and see how soon you come to the word “Logos” or “Reason”.
With this idea established in the mind, the Gospel of Mark gains a fresh and very human perspective.

Dominick