Discovering the Real Jesus (part 4 of 6): Textual Comparisons (II)

by **samirisaoui** Thu Nov 07, 2013 4:03 am

Description: The withered fig tree and the sick women; some differences between the Gospel of Mark and the Gospel of Matthew.
By I. Damiel
Published on 21 Jul 2008 - Last modified on 27 Jul 2008
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Category: Articles > Comparative Religion > Jesus

The Withered Fig Tree (Mark 11: 12-25, Matthew 21: 12-22)

Mark 11: 12-25

Matthew 21: 12-22

¹²The next day as they were leaving Bethany, Jesus was hungry. ¹³Seeing in the distance a fig tree in leaf, he went to find out if it had any fruit. When he reached it, he found nothing but leaves, because it was not the season for figs.  ¹⁴Then he said to the tree, “May no one ever eat fruit from you again.” And his disciples heard him say it.

¹⁵On reaching Jerusalem, Jesus entered the temple area and began driving out those who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves, ¹⁶and would not allow anyone to carry merchandise through the temple courts.  ¹⁷And as he taught them, he said, “Is it not written:
   ” ‘My house will be called
      a house of prayer for all nations’? But you have made it ‘a den of robbers.’”

¹⁸The chief priests and the teachers of the law heard this and began looking for a way to kill him, for they feared him, because the whole crowd was amazed at his teaching.
¹⁹When evening came, theywent out of the city.
The Withered Fig Tree
²⁰In the morning, as they went along, they saw the fig tree withered from the roots.  ²¹Peter remembered and said to Jesus, “Rabbi, look! The fig tree you cursed has withered!”

²²”Have faith in God,” Jesus answered.  ²³”I tell you the truth, if anyone says to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart but believes that what he says will happen, it will be done for him.  ²⁴Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.  ²⁵And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive him, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins.”

¹²Jesus entered the temple area and drove out all who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves.  ¹³”It is written,” he said to them, “‘My house will be called a house of prayer,’ but you are making it a ‘den of robbers.’“

    ¹⁴The blind and the lame came to him at the temple, and he healed them.  ¹⁵But when the chief priests and the teachers of the law saw the wonderful things he did and the children shouting in the temple area, “Hosanna to the Son of David,” they were indignant.

¹⁶“Do you hear what these children are saying?” they asked him.
“Yes,” replied Jesus, “have you never read,
“‘From the lips of children and infants
      you have ordained praise’?”

¹⁷And he left them and went out of the city to Bethany, where he spent the night.

The Fig Tree Withers
¹⁸Early in the morning, as he was on his way back to the city, he was hungry.  ¹⁹Seeing a fig tree by the road, he went up to it but found nothing on it except leaves. Then he said to it,“May you never bear fruit again!” Immediately the tree withered.
²⁰When the disciples saw this, they were amazed.  “How did the fig tree wither so quickly?” they asked.
²¹Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, if you have faith and do not doubt, not only can you do what was done to the fig tree, but also you can say to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and it will be done.  ²²If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer.”

In Mark’s version, Jesus seeing in a distance a fig tree went over to looking for fruit. Since it was still not the right season, no food was found on the tree. Jesus after making this understandable human error still curses the good tree. As for Matthew, he deletes the information about it not being the right season, since this would imply that Jesus destroyed a tree for no justifiable reason. Matthew leaves the reader to think that the tree was barren and therefore deserved to be destroyed.
Furthermore, in Mark the disciples notice that the tree has withered away the following day. Yet, in Matthew, the tree withers away immediately demonstrating the power of Jesus and the amazement of the disciples. Moreover, Matthew makes other significant changes to the passage, so for example, where Mark mentions “a house of prayer for all nations”, Matthew omits “all nation” to satisfy his Jewish readership.
Sick Woman (Mark 5: 24-35, Matthew 9:20-23)

Mark 5: 24-35

Matthew 9:20-23

A large crowd followed and pressed around him. ²⁵And a woman was there who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years. ²⁶She had suffered a great deal under the care of many doctors and had spent all she had, yet instead of getting better she grew worse. ²⁷When she heard about Jesus, she came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak, ²⁸because she thought, “If I just touch his clothes, I will be healed.” ²⁹Immediately her bleeding stopped and she felt in her body that she was freed from her suffering.
³⁰At once Jesus realized that power had gone out from him. He turned around in the crowd and asked, “Who touched my clothes?”
³¹”You see the people crowding against you,” his disciples answered, “and yet you can ask, ‘Who touched me?’ “
³²But Jesus kept looking around to see who had done it. ³³Then the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell at his feet and, trembling with fear, told him the whole truth. ³⁴He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering.”

²⁰Just then a woman who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years came up behind him and touched the edge of his cloak. ²¹She said to herself, “If I only touch his cloak, I will be healed.”
²²Jesus turned and saw her. “Take heart, daughter,” he said, “your faith has healed you.” And the woman was healed from that moment.

In Mark, the woman touches Jesus’ cloak and is cured. Jesus felt the power going out of him and realized that someone had touched him but he did not know where the power went and who had touched him. Whilst the woman was already cured, in Mark, Jesus was still trying to figure out what had happened.
In Matthew, Jesus is far more powerful. He immediately knew who touched him and the woman was healed only after Jesus spoke, as if the healing power awaited Jesus’ command.

Discovering the Real Jesus (part 5 of 6): Textual Comparisons (III)

Description: Peter’s Confessions and Jesus’ rejection at Nazareth; some differences between the Gospel of Mark and the Gospel of Matthew.
By I. Damiel
Published on 28 Jul 2008 - Last modified on 28 Jul 2008
Viewed: 10998 (daily average: 6) - Rating: 4.3 out of 5 - Rated by: 6
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Category: Articles > Comparative Religion > Jesus

Peter’s Confession (Mark 8: 27-30, Matthew 16: 13-17)

Mark 8: 27-30

Matthew 16: 13-17

²⁷Jesus and his disciples went on to the villages around Caesarea Philippi. On the way he asked them, “Who do people say I am?”
²⁸They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, one of the prophets.”
^29“But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?”
Peter answered, “You are the Christ.”
³⁰Jesus warned them not to tell anyone about him.

¹³When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say the Son of Man is?”
¹⁴They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”
¹⁵“But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?”
¹⁶Simon Peter answered, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”

What did Peter actually say?
Mark: “You are the Christ”.
Matthew: “You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God”.
Many Bible notes and commentaries acknowledge that here Matthew has added the additional phrase into the mouth of Jesus. (New Jerusalem Bible, pg 34)
Jesus’ Rejection at Nazareth (Mark 6: 1-6, Matthew 13: 53-58)

Mark 6: 1-6

Matthew 13: 53-58

¹Jesus left there and went to his hometown, accompanied by his disciples. ²When the Sabbath came, he began to teach in the synagogue, and many who heard him were amazed.
“Where did this man get these things?” they asked. “What's this wisdom that has been given him, that he even does miracles! ³Isn't this the carpenter? Isn't this Mary's son and the brother of James, Joseph, Judas and Simon? Aren't his sisters here with us?” And they took offense at him.
⁴Jesus said to them, “Only in his hometown, among his relatives and in his own house is a prophet without honor.” ⁵He could not do any miracles there, except lay his hands on a few sick people and heal them. ⁶And he was amazed at their lack of faith.

⁵³When Jesus had finished these parables, he moved on from there.
⁵⁴Coming to his hometown, he began teaching the people in their synagogue, and they were amazed. “Where did this man get this wisdom and these miraculous powers?” they asked. ⁵⁵“Isn't this the carpenter's son? Isn't his mother's name Mary, and aren't his brothers James, Joseph, Simon and Judas? ⁵⁶Aren't all his sisters with us? Where then did this man get all these things?” ⁵⁷And they took offense at him.
But Jesus said to them, “Only in his hometown and in his own house is a prophet without honor.”
⁵⁸And he did not do many miracles there because of their lack of faith.

As you can see, Mark’s version depicts Jesus as being powerless in the face of unbelief and was unable to do any miracles. Matthew changes the Mark’s version to eliminate this problem.
Mark: “He could not do any mighty work there…”
Matthew: “He did not do many miracles there…”
Scholars have also suggested that Matthew wanted to avoid the description of Jesus as a carpenter and therefore changed it, due to the general negative attitudes towards manual labor, which were characteristic among the elite of the Greco-Roman world.
Jesus Heals Many (Mark 1: 32-34, Matthew 8: 16-17)

Mark 1: 32-34	Matthew 8: 16-17
³²That evening after sunset the people brought to Jesus all the sick and demon-possessed. ³³The whole town gathered at the door, ³⁴and Jesushealed many who had various diseases. He also drove out many demons, but he would not let the demons speak because they knew who he was.	¹⁶When evening came, many who were demon-possessed were brought to him, and he drove out the spirits with a word and healed all the sick. ¹⁷This was to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet Isaiah: “He took up our infirmities and carried our diseases.”

In Mark Jesus heals many, but in Matthew he heals all!
Jesus’ Mother and Brothers (Mark 3: 31-35, Matthew 12:46-50)

Mark 3: 31-35

Matthew 12:46-50

³¹Then Jesus' mother and brothers arrived. Standing outside, they sent someone in to call him. ³²A crowd was sitting around him, and they told him, “Your mother and brothers are outside looking for you.”
³³“Who are my mother and my brothers?” he asked.
³⁴Then he looked at those seated in a circle around him and said, “Here are my mother and my brothers! ³⁵Whoever does God's will is my brother and sister and mother.”

⁴⁶While Jesus was still talking to the crowd, his mother and brothers stood outside, wanting to speak to him. ⁴⁷Someone told him, “Your mother and brothers are standing outside, wanting to speak to you.”
⁴⁸He replied to him, “Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?” ⁴⁹Pointing to his disciples, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers. ⁵⁰For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.”

Here, Matthew changes “God” to “Father” in Jesus’ speech in order to support later developing ideas about Jesus and God.
Walking on Water (Mark 6: 45-52, Matthew 14: 22-33)

Mark 6: 45-52

Matthew 14: 22-33

⁴⁵Immediately Jesus made his disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to Bethsaida, while he dismissed the crowd.  ⁴⁶After leaving them, he went up on a mountainside to pray.
⁴⁷When evening came, the boat was in the middle of the lake, and he was alone on land.  ⁴⁸He saw the disciples straining at the oars, because the wind was against them. About the fourth watch of the night he went out to them, walking on the lake. He was about to pass by them, ⁴⁹but when they saw him walking on the lake, they thought he was a ghost. They cried out, ⁵⁰because they all saw him and were terrified.
   Immediately he spoke to them and said, “Take courage! It is I. Don't be afraid.” ⁵¹Then he climbed into the boat with them, and the wind died down. They were completely amazed,⁵²for they had not understood about the loaves; their hearts were hardened.

Immediately Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowd.  ²³After he had dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone, ²⁴but the boat was already a considerable distance^[a] from land, buffeted by the waves because the wind was against it.
²⁵During the fourth watch of the night Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake.  ²⁶When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. “It's a ghost,” they said, and cried out in fear.
²⁷But Jesus immediately said to them: “Take courage! It is I. Don't be afraid.”
²⁸“Lord, if it's you,” Peter replied, “tell me to come to you on the water.”
²⁹“Come,” he said.
   Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus.  ³⁰But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!”
³¹Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?”
    ³²And when they climbed into the boat, the wind died down.  ³³Then those who were in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.”

Note the following changes and additions made by Matthew from Mark: Firstly, he omitted Bethsaida due to its geographical difficulty. Secondly, Peter in Matthew’s gospel addresses Jesus by the honorific title “Lord”. Thirdly, the disciples worship Jesus and finally they all confess that Jesus is the “Son of God”.
Through time, like a snowball, the more the message of Jesus was passed around, the more it got bigger and better. The above passage illustrates how Matthew modified the speech of individuals to produce the result, that Jesus is called “Lord”. Now it is true that Lord does not necessarily mean God. But in the later Christian thinking it will mean exactly that. Matthew was inadvertently setting the stage of Jesus’ promotion to Godhead.

Discovering the Real Jesus (part 6 of 6): Conclusion

Description: Conclusion and how to truly discover the true Jesus.
By I. Damiel
Published on 04 Aug 2008 - Last modified on 04 Aug 2008
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Category: Articles > Comparative Religion > Jesus

From the aforementioned discussion, another question arises. How can we trust Mark in everything that he presents about Jesus as historically accurate? It is common knowledge that the present day gospels were not written by Jesus nor at his dictation. The earliest gospel Mark was written around 65-70 AD. So there is a time gap between Jesus’ ascension and the first gospel, a gap of about 35-40 years.
As stated earlier, Mark was not an eyewitness to the life of Jesus, nor do we have clear records showing that the early church memorized the sayings of Jesus. Therefore this gap has to be viewed as considerable. During this time, the traditions of Jesus were being shaped and developed, with many different versions of the gospels being circulated in the different communities.
Furthermore, it is important to stress that the gospel writers were not merely recorders of tradition. Like the other gospel writers, Mark also edited his material. He also worked upon and reshaped the traditions that he used. Like the rest of the writers, he also was not attempting to produce a historically accurate biography of Jesus. Their concern was to present material which best served their church and reflected their understanding of Jesus rather than Jesus’ own self-understanding. In reconstructing the teaching and actions of Jesus, it is possible to take account of the modifications introduced by the later gospel writers. But the period between Jesus and the emergence of the written gospels is far more problematic.
Therefore, in attempting to discover the real historical Jesus, we will have to peel back the layers behind all of the stories that were later developed about Jesus. We have to find out who Jesus was, before the gospels were written about him. When we study the gospels, we see stories of Jesus evolving over time such that the personality of Jesus grows bigger and better. Jesus is shown to be more knowledgeable and more powerful over time, until finally after many councils and disputes, he is officially proclaimed as God in the council of Nicea in the year 325 C.E. Over the course of time, Jesus was transformed from a Jewish carpenter and Messenger of God to the second person in the holy trinity. From what he was to something he would never agree with.
Yet all is not at lost. Even today, if someone wanted to know the real historical Jesus, then they can do so. God in His infinite Mercy, has once more sent a Messenger with a pristine message, a message that was not contaminated nor tampered with.
In this final message, God tells us that Jesus was a man and a mighty messenger sent by Him, that Jesus performed miracles by God’s leave, that he was born of a virgin birth and that he would return towards the end of time.
In the Qur’an, God instructs the Christians:
“O People of the Book! Do not exceed the limits in your religion: nor say of Allah aught but the truth. The Messiah Jesus, the son of Mary, was (no more than) a Messenger of Allah and His Word which He bestowed on Mary, and a spirit created by Him; so believe in Allah and His Messengers. Say not:"Three!" Cease! it is better for you. For Allah is One God, Glory be Him (Far Exalted is He) above having a son. To Him belongs all that is in the heavens and all that is in the earth. And Allah is All-Sufficient as a Disposer of affairs.” (Quran 4:171)