TANGAZA COLLEGE

THE CATHOLIC UNIVERSITY OF EASTERN AFRICA

JOHN KUDJO DORBORKOE, S.V.D.

THE MESSIANIC SECRET IN THE AND ITS RAMIFICATIONS FOR OUR CHRISTIAN LIFE TODAY

- Moderator Rev. Dr. Antonio Magnante, I.M.C.

A Long Essay Submitted in Partial Fulfilment of the Requirements for the Degree of Baccalaureate in Sacred Theology

NAIROBI 2009 II

,

DEDICATION

To my parents, family, friends, teachers, and the Society of

Divine Word.

#

A 111

EPIGRAPH

"But we impart a Secret and Hidden wisdom of God, which God decreed before the ages for our glorification.

None of the rulers of this age understood this;

for if they had,

they would not have crucified the Lord of Glory."

(RSV I Corinthians 2:7-8) IV

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

First of all, my gratitude to the Triune God who is the source of my being

and the source of all inspirations. To him be glory, honour and thanksgivings for

ever.

My sincere thanks also to Fr. Antonio Magnante who agreed to supervise

this work in a comprehensive, scholarly, and friendly manner.

I wish to thank also my confreres, formators, and students of the Society of

the Divine Word for their support, prayers, and brotherhood. My gratitude also goes

to my parents, family, friends, teachers, and all the parishioners of St. Maria Gorreti

Catholic Church in Battor, Ghana for their love, concern and care.

In a special way, I thank Fr. John Mervin Noronha, Fr Narciso CeIlan,

Chester Paschal, Clement Addae-Kyei, Joseane Maria Serpa, Gabriel Ukhurebor, Sr.

Theresa, Kolia, Chris Ankah, and Fr. Freddy Fingila, who either read this script or

made some valuable suggestions.

My hearty thanks to all the parishioners of Born de Iguape, Sao Paulo

(Brazil) where I had my two-year overseas training experience. It was during

Encontros Biblicos (Bible encounter or meeting) in Brazil that I first came across the

idea of the Messianic Secret. I am really grateful to all my friends in Brazil, and to

them I say, Matto obrigado (thanks a lot).

Finally, I am grateful to all individuals, groups, organizations and institutions

who have contributed in one way or the other to bring this work to completion.

A V

DECLARATION

I, the undersigned, declare that this long essay is my original work achieved through

my personal reading, scientific research method and critical reflection. It is

submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the Baccalaureate in Sacred

Theology. It has never been submitted to any other college or university for

academic credit. All sources have been cited in full and acknowledged.

Signed..

Name of Student: John Kudjo Dorborkoe, S.V.D.

• q0(-`

This long essay has been submitted for examination with my approval as the college

supervisor.

Signed.

Name of supervisor: Rev. Dr. Antonio Magnante, I.M.C.

Date. cti° J OV MJ VI

CONTENTS

DEDICATION II EPIGRAPH III ACKNOWLEDGEMENT IV DECLARATION V CONTENTS VI ABBREVIATIONS VII GENERAL INTRODUCTION Chapter One 5 THE MESSIANIC SECRET IN THE GOSPEL OF MARK 5 1.0 Introduction 5 1.2 The Origin of the Messianic Secret 5 1.3 Injunction to Silence 9 L3.1 Silence Imposed on Those Healed 10 1.3.2 The Silencing of the Demons 11 1.3.3 Silence Imposed on the Disciples 14 1.4 Conclusion 15 Chapter Two: 17 Attempts to explain the Messianic Secret in the Gospel of Mark 17 2.0 Introduction 17 2.1 The Historical Explanation 17 2.2 The Apologetic Explanation 20 2.3 The Epiphanic Interpretation 21 2.4 The Theology of the Cross Interpretation 22 2.4.1 Is the Messianic Secret a Response to a Heresy? 24 2.5 The History of Revelation Interpretation 26 2.6 Conclusion 27 Chapter Three 29 The Implications of the Messianic Secret for our Christian life Today 29 3.0 Introduction 29 3.1 Messianic Secret and the Full Identity of Jesus 30 3.2 The Messianic Secret and the Message of the Cross 32 3.3 Messianic Secret and the Proclamation of the Good News 33 3.4 Conclusion 34 GENERAL CONCLUSION 35 BIBLIOGRAPHY 40 VII

ABBREVIATIONS

ADB FREEDMAN, D.N., ed. (1992) Anchor Dictionary Bible, New York: Doubleday. BTB Biblical Theology Bulletin CI Confer; Compare Dr. Doctor e.g. Exempli gratia; for example ed. Edited by EDB HARTMAN, L.F. S. (1963) Encyclopedic Dictionary of the Bible, New York — Toronto London: McGraw-Hill Book Company. etc Etcetera, and so on, and the alike HBC MAY, J.L., ed. (1988) Harpers Biblical Commentary, San Francisco: Harper & Row Publishers. i.e. id est - that is IMC Institutum Mission urn a Consolata Mk Mark NJBC BROWN, E.R. FITZMYER, J.A. - MURPHY, R.E., ed. (1990) The New Jerome Biblical Commentary, New Jersey: Prentice Hall. OCB METZGER, B.M. -- COOGAN, M.D., ed. (1993) The Oxford Companion to the Bible, Oxford: Oxford University Press. OT Old Testament Quelle Rev. Reverend RSV Revised Standard Version Sam. Samuel St. Saint SVD Societas Verbi Divini trans. Translation GENERAL INTRODUCTION

Background

The figure of the Messiah played a crucial role in Israel's understanding of

God's salvation plans for her future. As a result, Judaism, at that time, knew of a list of figures such as Elijah, Moses, perhaps the Son of Man, the Anointed Priest, etc. All these figures were expected to appear at the time of God's definitive intervention on behalf of Israel. But the real transition to the expectation of a

Messiah was brought about by the Old Testament idea of a king. The king was regarded, alongside the priests, and later the prophets, as the anointed (I Sam 10:1,

16:3, 2 Sam 2:4), as Yahweh's representative.'

But the title 'Messiah' in general was undefined, even unclear; hence, subject to many forms of interpretations and misinterpretations. But to some extent the

Messiahship that would be attributed to Jesus is best confined to a specifically defined idea, which is, the anointed King of the Davidic dynasty who would establish in the world the definitive reign of God.' The Messiah was mainly seen as the royal Son of David who would bring victory and prosperity to the Jewish nation and who would also set up his throne in Jerusalem.

I Cf. W. !CASPER, Jesus Christ, 104. 2 Cf. J.L. MCKENZIE, "Aspects of Old Testament Thought", NJBC, 1310. 2

However, there is neither proof that Jesus ever explicitly described himself as Messiah in the royal Davidic sense, nor evidence that he categorically rejected the title.' In :29, when Peter acknowledged Jesus as the Messiah, Jesus reacted with great reservation. But when the blind Bartimaeus in Mark 10:46, referred to Jesus as 'Son of David', Jesus did not instantly assume the title and did not rebuke him either.

Jesus is frequently depicted in the Gospel of Mark as trying to keep up an element of secrecy about himself and his work. At the wake of the twentieth century, this characteristic was referred to as the Messianic Secret. This conception of the Messianic Secret was presented in a particularly challenging form by William Wrede in his work, Das Messiasgeheimnis in den Evangelien.° Wrede put forward a radical hypothesis which was held by certain scholars including R.

Bultmann and some scholars today that Jesus never claimed to be the Messiah.

According to this hypothesis, "the tradition used by Mark invented this imposition of secrecy by Jesus, the purpose of the invention being to cover this state of affairs and to justify the later tradition creating belief in Jesus as Messiah." According to

W. Wrede, the apostles and the evangelist had to find a reason why Jesus was not commonly recognized as the Messiah, and, therefore, they pretended that, he himself had forbidden people to make his Messiahship known. In Wrede's view then, the

Evangelist wished to make it look as if belief in Jesus as the Messiah had existed prior to that apostles' belief in the resurrection.'

'Cf. J.P. MEIER, "Jesus". NJBC , 1323.

4 Cf. W. WREDE, Das Messiasgeheimnis in den Evangelien (1901) which was translated into English under the title- The Messianic Secret, (Cambridge, 1971). 5 R. BEDA, The Testimony of St. Mark, 93. 'Cf. L.F. HARTMAN, "Mark, Gospel According SC, EDB, 1454. 3

Motivation

Shocked with the conclusion drawn from Wrede theory, I set out to investigate why on earth Jesus is telling people to keep quiet? And if Jesus is really asking people to be quiet and not to announce him, then why am I here training to be a missionary? To an astonishing extent in Mark's text, every time someone recognises Jesus as the divine Son of Man, as the Messiah, Jesus tells that person to be quiet. The question is, why so much noise about Jesus while in fact Jesus is asking both human beings and demons in the Gospel of Mark not to make him known? What exactly is happening?

Aim

On a deeper level, if historical evidence is lacking to support the claim that

Jesus called himself the Messiah, then the logical implication is that the Church or

Mark invented it or was wrong to think of Jesus as Messiah. Was the title Messiah later attributed to Jesus? We could just consider Jesus' whole emphasis on secrecy a matter of mystery and be done with it and case close! But I think reasonable explanations for Jesus' insistence on silence merit consideration and attention.

Therefore the author's main purpose in this paper is to discover what the

Messianic Secret in Mark is about. In this research, we will also try to look at possible explanations and their relevance to our Christian life today. In other words, what meaning can we draw from it as far as the identity of Jesus is concerned?

Method

Since Messianic Secret is a biblical topic, the research methodology would be in line with the standard way of writing biblical essays. The work will follow the 4 requirements and the way of doing research as set by the Tangaza College as in the

Typographical Norm.'

Additionally, the author shall try to have a systematic synthesis of what many scholars have already written or said about the topic. He would also take into account the suggestions, guidelines and criticisms of the moderator.

All these would definitely include the personal insights of the author which are the fruit of critical reflection, and of the biblical insights he gained over the years of Theological studies in Tangaza College.

Content of the Study

This Long Essay has three main chapters preceded by a general introduction and summary with a general conclusion. Each chapter has a short introduction, followed by the subject matter or the body of the chapter and ends with a short conclusion. Chapter one focuses on the origin, meaning, and passages dealing with the Messianic Secret in the Gospel of Mark. In chapter two, we will focus on the modern scholarly understanding of the

Messianic Secret viewed from different angles. This will eventually lead to the best ways of interpreting the Messianic Secret today. In chapter three, we shall look at the theological message of the Messianic Secret and its

implications for our Christian life today. There will be a general conclusion which

will round up the work by a way of recapturing pertinent issues discussed. Finally, there will be a Bibliography.

7 Cf. C. OWCZAREK. - N. NDUNG'U, Typographical Norms 5

Chapter One

THE MESSIANIC SECRET IN THE GOSPEL OF MARK

1.0 Introduction

Throughout the Gospel of Mark, Jesus made every attempt to conceal his true identity as the Christ, notably after his performance of Messianic wonders.

Jesus is often depicted in the Gospel as a powerful figure who is able to silence all oppositions, that is, both humans and demons. He silenced the demon in (Mk 1:35,

3:12). He also silenced people whom he healed (cf. Mk1:43-45, 4:45) and his disciples (cf. 8:30). The demons who sought to make Jesus known are immediately silenced. Silence is also enjoined after notable miracles, following Peter's confession, and at his descent from the Mount of Transfiguration (Mk 9:9)." For example, when Peter confessed that he was the Messiah, Jesus told him and the other disciples not to tell anyone about it but to keep it a secret.

Since the main topic of investigation in this work is the Messianic Secret, in this chapter, we shall trace the theme back to its origin. We shall also try to discuss the commands or the injunction to secrecy, based on the Gospel account of Saint

Mark.

1.2 The Origin of the Messianic Secret

Biblical scholars have debated and argued out as to why Jesus chose, at some point of his ministry, to conceal his identity. Often in the Gospels, especially in

Mark, Jesus is depicted as trying to keep up an element of secrecy about himself and his work. At the wake of the twentieth century, this characteristic was

Cf. V. TAYLOR, The Gospel According to St. Mark, 122. 6 referred to as the "Messianic Secret."9 The "Messianic Secret" was first introduced by Wilhelm Wrede, a German scholar at the beginning of the twentieth century with the publication of his book entitled Das Messiasgeheimnis in den Evangelien (1901) which was translated into English under the title The

Messianic Secret, (Cambridge, 1971)."'

Before Wrede's work, most 10 century scholars were reading the Gospels, especially Mark, as almost exact transcripts of the life of Jesus." The following is the summary of the general presentation and gradual revelation of Jesus' messiahship in Mark as it appears in Heikki Rdisanen's work, The Messianic Secret which quoted H.J. Holtzmann; thus:

Jesus' messianic life begins at the baptism. Not long before Jesus' decisive journey to Jerusalem, Peter confesses him as the Messiah (8:2711). Only now have the disciples recognized the true identity of their master; an identity which he had not made known to them before. On the other hand, those who were possessed recognize Jesus from the start as the Son of God. But since Jesus did not want to reveal his secret prematurely, he forbade them to spread this knowledge abroad. Similarly, he forbade other people who were healed to make known the healing that happened. The confession of the disciples is thus epoch-making. Jesus thought it important that the correct insight should be allowed to mature within them. Yet even after their confession, the disciples still do not understand everything that they should. Jesus seems to them to be the national-political liberator. Jesus has to take great care to make it clear to them that suffering and death are a necessary part of the messianic calling. Jesus continues to keep his true identity secret from the people (8:30; 9:9). But due to his growing fame as a miracle worker, his secret cannot in the long run remain confined to the narrow circle. On the road to Jerusalem, the blind Bartimaeus greets him with a messianic form of address (10:470, and at the entry into the holy city, the crowd acclaim him as the expected king. Before the high priest he acknowledges himself explicitly as having messianic status, and he is crucified as 'the King of the Jews'.'

The above quotation depicts the way in which the Gospel of Mark was read.

As a matter of fact, it was considered as a well-ordered and self-consistent presentation of the person of Jesus over the centuries. Much of this, however, was

Cf. C.M. TUCKETr, "Messianic Secret", ADD, 797. Cf. H. RIESENFELD, "Messianic Secret", OCR, 514. " Cf. C.M. TUCKETT, "Messianic Secret", ADD, 797. 12 H. RA15ANEN, The Messianic Secret in Mark's Gospel, 39, quoting Hi. Holtzmann, Die Synoptiker 1, Tubingen 1901. 7 thrown into question by Wrede's Work. He initially "started from an assumption that was widely held in critical biblical studies, namely, that the historical Jesus was not conscious of being more than a Jewish prophet, and that his claims were in no way messianic." The bone of contention over the 'Messianic Secret' debate started when Wrede asserted that "the whole idea of this Messianic Secret was an invention of Mark, the writer of the earliest Gospel.' According to him, when

Christians of first generation went back to the public ministry of Jesus to see whether he was already a Messiah, they were "puzzled by the lack of consistency between the picture of Jesus of Nazareth that was presented by the traditions of his earthly life and their own belief in a Risen Lord." So Mark, the author of the oldest written gospel, solved this puzzle by introducing into his narrative some passages in which Jesus told the demons and human beings not to disclose his true nature. So

Wrede demonstrated that the injunctions to silence are, therefore, not historical reminiscences but an editorial device created by the evangelisti€ In other words, during his public ministry, Jesus neither identified himself as the Messiah nor was he recognized as such by anybody. In Wrede's view, it was only after the resurrection that Jesus was acknowledged as the Messiah." Wrede based his explanation to the secrecy idea on Mk 9:9, when Jesus told the three disciples, after the scene of the transfiguration, to remain silent about what they had seen until after the resurrection.

For Wrede, the narrative of Mark contains so many gaps that seem to be against an intentional record about the messianic development. For example, Mark

"H. RIESENFELD, "Messianic Secret", OCB, 514. '4 5.W. DEtANE, Jesus and the Four Gospel, 48. "H. RIESENFELD, "Messianic Secret", OCB, 514. 16 Cf. 1-1. RIESENFELD, 'Messianic Secret", OCR, 514. " Cf. F.J. MATERA, What Are They Saying About Mark, 21. 8

never explains the repeated commands to silence. He gives equally no indication as

to how the understanding of the disciples changes so suddenly after their total

incomprehension as described in 8:14 ff." Apart from the gaps, there are some

conspicuous contradictions. The secret is often revealed prematurely, in that Jesus

performs his miracles quite openly. According to Wrede, Mark had no awareness of

the idea of history attributed to him by scholars. Later, Wrede, as quoted in H.

Raisanen's, The Messianic Secret (40-41), reaches the conclusion that "Mark no

longer has a real view of the historical life ofJesus."9

The conclusion that can be drawn from Wrede's speculation was that the

time limit was intended to apply to all the elements of secrecy in Mark which

includes the whole period of Jesus' public ministry, but of which full revelation was

made only after the resurrection.2" In brief, Wrede's agenda was "to show that, contrary to conventional wisdom, the Gospel of Mark was not a reliable foundation upon which to build a life of Jesus; it presented Jesus' life as messianic when in fact

it was not?"2

It is often noted that the term 'Messianic Secret' is vague. From the point of view of Mark's theology, it would be more appropriate to talk of a 'Son of God secret?" For Mark, both 'Messiah' and 'Son of God' describe the 'supernatural nature' of Jesus; hence, a better term would be the 'secret of the person of Jesus'.

But, since the term 'Messianic Secret' has become a permanent feature in scholarly discussions, it has therefore been retained in numerous biblical studies.'

Even though the expression, Messianic Secret does not appear in the Gospel,

" Cf. H. RAISANEN, The Messianic Secret in Mark's Gospel, 40. " W. WREDE, Messianic Secret, 229, 20 Cf. C.M. Tuckett, -Messianic Secret", ABD 798. 11 F.J. MATERA, What Are They Saying About Mark, 21. 22 Cf. H. RAISANEN, The Messianic Secret in Mark's Gospel, 48. 23 Cf. H. RAISANEN, The Messianic Secret in Mark's Gospel, 48. we can say that the conception of the Messianic Secret would follow as a natural consequence from Mark's fundamental conviction that the whole career of Jesus is a fulfilment of the saving purpose of God. On one hand, he upholds the apostolic belief that Jesus is the Messiah whose coming was foretold in the Scriptures and whose divine status was revealed in all his words and works.' Thus, by resorting to the conception of the Secret, Mark is able to preserve the apostolic belief in the

Messiahship without denying the plain facts of the historical traditions.25 In other words, "Jesus, the Messiah of the Church's Gospel, was not accepted as such by his own people because his messianic nature was a divinely appointed secret, that is, something concealed from the multitude as a direct result of the Lord's deliberate intention."'

Having looked at the origin of the term 'Messianic Secret' and its use in the general theology of Mark as perceived by some authors, let us now move deeper into the issue by briefly looking at some passages in Mark where the secrecy- implied attitude of Jesus is either shown or deduced. This will lead us to explanations and syntheses of them.

1.3 Injunction to Silence

Mark records Peter's clear declaration at Caesarea Philippi that Jesus is the

Messiah (8:27). Prior to this, the master had imposed silence on the demons concerning his identity. Furthermore, he had enjoined a similar silence on those whom he had cured: they must not speak about the miracles he had performed.

Again, after the Caesarean confession, Jesus reserves to the disciples a revelation

24 Cf. TA. BURKILL, Mysterious Revelation, 69. 25 Cf. TA. BURKILL, Mysterious Revelation. 69. 26 T.A. BURKILL, Mysterious Revelation, 69. I0

which he hides from the people at large." A brief look at these events would merit

Ii further discussion.

1.3.1 Silence Imposed on Those Healed

We have four accounts, each with special characteristics, about Jesus

imploring silence about his messianic identity. When he had cured the leper (1:40-

45), Jesus immediately drove him away, saying "see that you say nothing to any

one" (1:44). But Mark (1:45) records the disobedience of the cured man who went

out, and began to publish and to spread abroad what took place, so that Jesus could

no longer openly enter the town, but remained outside in the desert. The same

pattern occurs in the story of the cure of the deaf-mute (7:31-37). The command to

silence is given to those who witness the miracle, and they disobey it.

Also after having raised the daughter of Jairus, Jesus strictly charges all

those who are with him in the room not to make it known (5:43). Similarly, after the

cure of the blind man at Bethsaida, Jesus sent him home saying, "do not even enter

the village" (8:26)."

On the account of the cleansing of a leper, Mark records that Jesus

warns the leper sternly and dismissed him saying, "see that you tell no one

anything, but go, show yourself to the priest and offer for your cleansing

what Moses prescribed" (1:43-44). The instruction given to the cleansed

leper in this passage can be interpreted simply as an indication of Jesus'

desire that the man proceeded to the priest as soon as possible.

It is also argued that the frequent disobedience to the command of Jesus to

silence should be seen in the light that his nature as someone who could not avoid

27 Cf. R. BEDA, The Testimony ofSt Mark, 90. Cf. R. BEDA, The Testimony of St. Mark, 91. 11 gaining a great reputation as a performer of miracles." Although it is not reported that the injunctions of 5:43 and 8:26 were disobeyed, it would be practically impossible to carry them out, for the little girl and the blind man could hardly be expected to spend the rest of their days in hiding. The difficulty is particularly acute in the case of the little girl. The funeral arrangements have been scheduled, the mourners have already assembled in the house (5:38b) and are aware that the child is dead when Jesus enters the room where the corpse lies."

The miracle stories, strictly speaking, are not part of the Messianic Secret.

As we have seen in most incidences of these stories, the more Jesus warns the recipients not to announce the miraculous cure, the more they go out and publicise it. The commands are often disobeyed; this is because Jesus' miraculous deeds cannot remain hidden.''

The two motives which constitute the Messianic Secret proper in the Gospel of Mark are: the silencing of the demons and the silence imposed on the disciples.

1.3.2 The Silencing of the Demons

In the first part of the Gospel (1:14-8:26), which to a greater extent covers the most part of the ministry of Jesus, the supernatural knowledge of the demons stands in remarkable contrast to the ignorance of men. As we notice straight away that on being confronted by Jesus, "the demons at once acknowledge his

Messiahship, whereas the human beings who witness his words and works are moved only to amazement or to surprised questions among themselves."" The demons on the other hand are "aware of the real nature of Jesus and by virtue of their knowledge they are able to perform a function in the first main section of the

29 T.A. BURKILL, Mysterious Revelation, 82. Cf. TA. BURXILL, Mysterious Revelation, 82. 31 Cf. H. RAISANEN, The Messianic Secret in Mark's Gospel, 243. 32 T.A. BURICILL, Mysterious Revelation, 66. 12

Gospel which corresponds to that performed by the heavenly voice in the preface."

Being endowed with supernatural insight, the demons are able to apprehend the

secret which was yet to be made known to flesh and blood." On another occasion,

Mark records that "there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit; and he

cried out, what have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to

destroy us? I know who you are, the Holy One of God. But Jesus rebuked him,

saying, be silent, and come out of him! In a summary of the activity of Jesus at

Capernaum (1:23-26), Mark further reports that when it was evening, they brought

to him all those who were ill and who were possessed and he cured many and cast

out many devils; and he did not permit them (the devils) to speak because they knew

him(1:34). In another summary, where Mark deals with activity of Jesus in Galilee

(2: 7-12), he notes "the unclean spirits, whenever they beheld him, fell down before

him and cried out, saying you are the Son of God. And he charged them strictly not

to make him known" (3: 11-12).

In these passages, Jesus strictly warned the demons or the unclean spirits not

to make him known, after he had cast them out from their victims. According to J.

Marcus, the demons identified Jesus, and, in an attempt to gain magical control

over him through disclosure of his identity, cried with a loud voice, saying,

'what have you to do with us, have you come to destroy us, I know who you

are, the holy one of God!'"

The demons were masters of the magical arts, and as we have learnt from the

Q account of the temptations (Matt. 4:11T Luke 4:1ff), the prince of the demons was

33 T.A. BURKILL, Mysterious Revelation, 66. 34 Cf. T.A. BURKILL, Mysterious Revelation, 62-63. "Cf. J. MARCUS, Mark, I-V111, 192. 13

well versed in the Scriptures." According to J.J. Pilch, this usual action by spirits

compels all Mediterranean natives to get involved in secrecy and deception, in

order to divest spirits the chance to set off harm in human life, as the

temptation was for Jesus." Even when the demons recognise Jesus and profess

his identity, Jesus shuts them down by way of defensive secrecy. Secrecy,

therefore, was seen as a "social resource which mutual opponents can use either defensively or offensively during social conflicts." The fact that Jesus' public

ministry did not measure with his birth status as an unlearned carpenter as his

neighbours wanted to know the source of his powers (Mk 6:2-3), calls for secrecy."

However, some scholars claim that the injunction to silence in its original significance has nothing to do with the idea of concealing a mystery. The verb

aw.tew (which means "to muzzle") seems to have been commonly employed in

incantations as a technical term for binding a demon and thus subduing it to the will of the exorcist.4 ' Just as an angry dog is rendered harmless when it is muzzled and can no longer bark, so also a demon's hostile power is broken when it is brought to silence.4' Even though this claim is composed of quasi-technical expressions, Jesus' command is remarkable alike for its simplicity and its brevity!' A. Fridrichsen in his work Le probleme du Miracle dans le Chrisianisme Primitif, quoted by T.A. Burkill, strongly objected to an exegesis of this kind on the ground that the demon's utterance is too elaborate to be used as a mere instrument of self-defense."

Cf. T.A. BURKILL, Mysterious Revelation, 78. "Cf. J.J. PILCH, "Secrecy in the Mediterranean World", BTBH, 152. "J.J. PILCH, "Secrecy in the Mediterranean World", BTBH, 152. CELL PILCH, "Secrecy in the Mediterranean World", BTBH, 152. 4" Cf. TA. BURKILL, Mysterious Revelation, 74. 41 Cf. TA. BURKILL, Mysterious Revelation, 74. 42 CL T.A. BURKILL, Mysterious Revelation, 74. 43 Cf. TA. BURKILL, Mysterious Revelation, 75. 14

1.3.3 Silence Imposed on the Disciples

It seems to us that the silence imposed on the disciples is of a different kind and of significance. It forms part of the special teaching reserved to them.

Throughout each Gospel, the mystery is explained to them in a special way." Thus, the parabolic teaching is clarified for them: to you it is given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God (4:11; 4:13-29; 7:17-23). Three times (8:31-32; 9:30-32; 10:33-

34) the true nature of messianic mission of Jesus is inculcated to them: the son of man must suffer, die, and rise from the dead. But silence concerning the transfiguration is imposed on Peter, James and John, until thus the Son of Man should have risen from the dead (9:9). Similarly, after the Caesarean confession,

Jesus spoke to the Twelve, and he strictly charged them to say nothing about him to anyone (8:30)."

It is important to note that the idea that points to secrecy in Mark is emphatically present in only one of the alluded passages that subscribe to secrecy, which is in Mk 8:30. In this passage, Jesus warned his disciples not to tell

anyone about him after Peter professed that he is the Messiah. The contrast between the knowledge of the demons and the ignorance of human beings is

safeguarded in the Gospel until this stage. The confession of Peter in Caesarea

Philippi is the first correct human statement about Jesus' identity in the Gospel. In

the earlier part of the Gospel, demons were the ones proclaiming Jesus'

messianic identity; but now it has been reinstated by a human witness in the

person of Peter.

" Cf. B. RIGAUX, The Testimony ofSI Mark, 92. 45 Cf. B. RIGAUX, The Testimony of Si. Mark, 92. 15

1.4 Conclusion

This chapter takes us into the whole atmosphere of the essay. We have briefly explored the concept and origin of the Messianic Secret. Now, we can define

the Messianic Secret as a phrase that refers to Jesus commanding his followers and

the demoniacs not to reveal to others that he is the Messiah in certain passages of the

New Testament, notably in the Gospel of Mark.

A critical look at Mark with regards to the injunctions to silence reveals to

some extent that either Mark or Jesus puts some incomprehension with regard to the

personhood of the Messiah. The explanation given by Wrede was that "Mark was

trying to vindicate the early Church for attributing messiahship to Jesus even though

Jesus himself never claimed it.' 46 We can say that Wrede's attempt to explain the

origin of the Messianic Secret in terms of tradition-history seems to have a positive

historical testimony. This is based on the idea that Jesus did not actually give

himself out to be Messiah." So the criticism levelled against the evangelist is that he

bridged the gap between his own beliefs and what he knew to be the historical truth

by inventing the idea of the Messianic Secret."

If such is the case, it would be fair to ask if the Messianic Secret is an

invention of the author, or did Jesus really claim the title? The answer to this

question will become evident as we proceed to the next chapter. We can say that the

evidence used by Wrede in support to the theory of the Secret is not all that

convincing and calls for more than one type of explanation. Though William Wrede

has been criticized by many scholars, his work certainly stimulated and opened the

way for later biblical scholarly investigation into the matter. It opens the way for

" S. TREYNE - H. WANSBROUGH, Mark and Matthew, 13. 47 Cf. W. WFtEDE, Messianic Secret, 230. " Cf. J.W. DRANE, Jesus and the Four Gospel, 48. 16

them to see the Gospel tradition as reflection on the beliefs of the first Christians on

Jesus quite as much as the life of Jesus." Thus, he laid the solid foundation of deep

and more meaningful interpretations, which shall be the object of our investigation

in the next chapter.

49 Cf. C.M. TUCKETT, 'Messianic Secret", ABA 798.

Ay 17

3/4 Chapter Two:

Attempts to explain the Messianic Secret in the Gospel of Mark

2.0 Introduction

We have seen in Chapter One, the historical origin of the Messianic Secret,

some secrecy passages, and have thus gained a general knowledge of the Messianic

Secret in the Gospel of Mark. The core of Wrede's argument as we have seen was

his assertion that during Jesus' public ministry, he was not recognized as the

Messiah nor did Jesus identify himself with such title. And that Jesus became a

Messiah only after resurrection. Hence, he argued that the Messianic Secret did not

derive its origin from the historical Jesus but from the early Church, which was put

into writing by Mark.

In this chapter we shall continue our discussion by concentrating on some

modem scholarly explanations in an attempt to unravel the secrecy. We shall 1 categorize them under the following sub-headings: the Historical Explanation, the

Apologetic Explanation, the Epiphatic Explanation and the Theology of the Cross.

Still under the Theology of the Cross interpretation, we shall examine whether the

Messianic Secret was a response to a heresy or not. Then we shall move on to the

History of Revelation Interpretation.

2.1 The Historical Explanation

The instantaneous response to Wrede's work was mainly negative.

Consequently, Wrede's construction was refuted with the historical argument that,

the Messianic Secret goes back to Jesus. This approach traced the Messianic Secret 18

back to the historical Jesus who wanted to avoid publicity." Those who hold this

view had variety of reasons to support their assertions.

Albert Schweitzer was among the first to criticize Wrede's interpretation of

the Messianic Secret in the Gospel of Mark. He gave the thorough-going criticism of

Wrede's and Bultinann's theory about the un-messianic, life of Jesus. Below is the

summary of Albert Schweitzer's view as it appears in Kasper Walter's work, Jesus

Christ. He said:

If we treat the life of Jesus as un-messianic then, it is no longer possible to explain why he was executed. There is little doubt that this report, which gives the ground of the sentence, is historically authentic. This means that Jesus was executed by the Romans as a would-be Messiah and political agitator. If we want to explain this as a mere misunderstanding, Jesus' career must at least have given occasion for a political and messianic interpretation. This leads into Schweitzer's second proposition: how could the community come to a belief in the Messiahship of Jesus if the life of Jesus did not contain at least messianic and eschatological indications?''

Another prominent defender of a Historical Interpretation of the Messianic

Secret is Vincent Taylor. Taylor also traced the secrecy passages back to Jesus and

insisted that the motive behind Jesus' action was that he did not want to appear as

Messiah before he had fulfilled his own mission of suffering." As a result, Jesus did

not accept the contemporary national and political misunderstanding of his person

and mission. Jesus placed things in the correct perspective when he told Peter after

the confession at Caesarea Philippi the necessity of suffering for the Son of Man,

which was not expected in the popular glorious notion of a Messiah. In other words,

Jesus may have wished to reinterpret the title 'Messiah' to avoid excessive publicity

after the miracles."

"Cf. H. RAISANEN, The Messianic Secret in Mark's Gospel, 49, quoting A. Schweitzer, The Quest of the Historical Jesus, Eng. Tr. London 19543. 51 W. KASPER, Jesus Christ, 105. 52 Cf. V. TAYLOR, The Gospel According to St. Mark, 123. 53 Cf C.M. TUCKETT, "Messianic Secret", ABD, 798.

se4 19

Erik Sjoberg and Julius Schniewind are also among those scholars who traced the Messianic Secret back to historical Jesus, although they tried to make some distinctions between the secret of Jesus and the secrecy theory of Mark." In the

views of Erik Sjobery, the idea of the secret goes back to Jesus, but it had also been

sharpened by Mark." E. Sjeberg further traced the whole idea to the OT notion of

the hidden Son of Man, which stems from Jewish apocalyptic literature. According

to him, this traditional figure is the key to the Messianic Secret. However, basing the

secrecy idea on apocalyptic image of the Son of Man is also not at all convincing.

This is because the function of the hidden Son of Man in Apocalyptic Literature is

quite different from the role of the Markan Jesus which keeps his messiahship

hidden. Julius Schniewind saw the Messianic Secret as an indirect Christology of the

historical Jesus. His main conclusion was that whether Jesus used specific titles of

himself or not, his preaching contains at least implicitly the claim that he is

bestowed with a special position."

There are still some pertinent issues unexplained by this approach. For

example, we can ask, why did Jesus silence some while he failed to silence people

like Bartimaeus? Highlighting Jesus' attitude with regard to the title Messiah and

tracing the secrecy to the historical Jesus alone cannot fully help us to find solution

to the problem raised by Mark's presentation. This is because one cannot in this

context answer Wrede's question of how the tension between hiddenness and

openness, and the particular features in connection with the secret are to be

explained."

54 Cf. H. RAisANEN, The Messianic Secret in Mark's Gospel, 50. "Cf. H. RAISANEN, The Messianic Secret in Mark's Gospel, 52. Cf. H. RAISANEN, The Messianic Secret in Mark's Gospel, 53. 57 Cf. H. RAISANEN, The Messianic Secret in Mark's Gospel, 54. 20

2.2 The Apologetic Explanation

Scholars who hold this view claim that the secrecy texts in Mark's Gospel

explain the failure of the majority of Jews to respond to Jesus' invitation. It is also

seen as the failure of the majority of Mark's contemporaries to respond to the

Christian Gospel." According to T.A Burkill, Mark is concerned with the same

problem that Paul dealt with in Romans 9-11. So with the help of the secrecy theory,

Mark is thus trying to answer the question why Jesus was rejected by the Jews."

Dibelius Martin looked at it from a broader perspective and understood the

secrecy theory as an attempt to explain why Jesus had no success." Notwithstanding

the numerous miracles and extraordinary teaching, Jesus was not truly recognized as

Messiah.

In recent times, Walter Schmithals has put forward a new version of the

apologetic theory. In it he asserts that "Mark tries to solve the historical and

theological riddle posed by the existence of a peculiar Christian group he has met.

The group was the bearer of the postulated older layer of the Q-tradition.'" The

group consisted of Galilean followers of the earthy Jesus, which had, unlike the

Jerusalem community, not been affected by the Easter events." So Mark introduced

the Messianic Secret in "historicizing way to solve the riddle of the un-messianic

Jesus tradition by a historical construction which is doubtless convincing for him."63

Even though the hypothesis of Schmithals is plausible, many scholars today

question its legitimacy. This is because it would beg the question about how the so-

called Jesus' group could be unaffected by the Easter proclamation. And even if

32 Cf. C.M. TUCKETT, "Messianic Secret", ABD, 798. 39 H. RAisANEN, The Messianic Secret in Mark's Gospel, 53, quoting I'. A BurkiII, Mysterious Revelation, 1963. " Cf. M. DIBELIUS, From Tradition to Gospe1,23Off. " Cf. H. RAISANEN, The Messianic Secret in Mark's Gospel, 58. 62 Cf. H. RAISANEN, The Messianic Secret in Mark's Gospel, 59. 63 H. RMSANEN, The Messianic Secret in Mark's Gospel, 59. 21

such group had existed, how could the Q-Group have been so significant enough to

pose such a problem for Mark and yet have its tradition taken up soon by Matthew

and Luke?"

It is important to note that the secrecy is sometimes broken and even

revealed to the Jews. Therefore, it can be said that the theory failed to explain the

points in the Gospel where the secrecy was broken (1:45; 7:36-37), and where Jesus'

commands to silence were disobeyed. H. Raisanen reminds us of an important fact

that "Jesus' final rejection by the Jewish authorities was not due to any secrecy

about who Jesus is, as it is precisely at this point that the veil of secrecy is lifted

(14:61-61).'65

2.3 The Epiphanic Interpretation

The Epiphanic Interpretation rests its foundation on instances in the Gospel of

Mark where the secret is broken. Jurgen Ebeling" sees the recurrent instances in

which the secrecy is often times leaked out as a basis for another explanation.

According to this explanation, the secrecy texts in Mark are simply literary devices

which highlight Jesus' glory and the epiphanic nature of events concerned." This

means that the accounts of the miracles show that Jesus' fame spread irresistibly

despite all attempts, even by Jesus himself, to prevent it." Jurgen Ebiling further

stressed that Mark's Gospel is, from start to finish, an account of the epiphany of the

Son of God. The main point is not the secret, but the revelation of Jesus' glory. The

secrecy theory was simply meant to serve the theology of glory.'

64 Cf. H. RAISANEN, The Messianic Secret in Mark's Gospel, 60. 65 C.M. TUCKETT, "Messianic Secret-, ADD, 798. " Cf. J. EBELING, "Messianic Secret", Monograph 1939, quoted by H. Raisanen, The Messianic Secret in Mark's Gospel, 60.

67 Cf. CM. TUCKETT, "Messianic Secret-, ABD, 798. " Cf. CM. TUCKETT, "Messianic Secret", ADD, 798. 69 Cf. Cf. H. RAISANEN, The Messianic Secret in Mark's Gospel, 60.

Is 22

But if the secrecy theory only serves to stress the irresistible success of Jesus' glory, then why should the Evangelist take all the trouble to construct this very complicated theory at all? Another limitation of this theory is that the time limit in

9:9 is not easily accommodated within the theory." The Epiphanic Interpretation as a matter of fact, generates more troubles than it tries to solve.

In the succeeding discussion, we shall examine the two most acceptable solutions which have been proposed by modem scholarship in an attempt to provide better theological interpretation of the Messianic Secret.

2.4 The Theology of the Cross Interpretation

This interpretation seems to be most popular today. It sees the theory as a

conscious expression of a specific theological thesis, namely the theology of the

Cross.' The importance of the cross and resurrection is recognized by many as the key to understanding the Messianic Secret in Mark. Many scholars argued that it

would be inconceivable that anyone could have introduced the secrecy idea into a

tradition which was already sufficiently christologically coloured!' Ironically, it did

happen. The tradition was Christological through and through, but Mark consciously

wanted to correct some of its viewpoints." Mark wishes to demonstrate that it is only

on the cross that Jesus' identity as the true 'Son of God' is not open to

misunderstanding!' Hence, it is only at the death of Jesus can any human being

come to the recognition and conclusion that he is truly the Son of God. Seeing the

way Jesus died on the cross, the centurion said, "Truly this man was the Son of

God" (15:39).

7° Cf. C.M. TucKerr, "Messianic Secret", ABD, 446. 71 Cf. H. RMSANEN, The Messianic Secret in Mark's Gospel, 62. 12Cf. H. RMSANEN, The Messianic Secret in Mark's Gospel, 62. 13 Cf. H. RAISANEN, The Messianic Secret in Mark's Gospel, 60. '4 Cf. C.M. TUCKETT, "Messianic Secret". ABD, 799. 23

It is also undisputed that the theology of the cross constitutes a central feature in Mark's overall theology. So, by the use of the secrecy theology, Mark demonstrates that being a disciple of Jesus does not mean an outwardly successful life, but carrying the cross." Mark emphasized this clearly in 8:27 and the following verses. The same objective is maintained in the second half of the Gospel (from

8:3411) in which Jesus continuously speaks of the readiness to suffer. Through the secrecy idea, Mark stresses that Christian theology is thus not a theology of glory, but rather a theology of the cross. This means that Jesus' work can only properly be

seen in the light of his Cross."

Many would argue today that the secrecy is not so much Mark's way of

imposing messianic belief on non-messianic material, but rather Mark's way of

controlling the already messianic material to conform to his overriding theology of

the cross." Thus, Jesus' true identity according to Mark can only be understood in

the light of the cross. It follows that prior to the crucifixion, Jesus' identity as 'Son

of God' might be misunderstood, and therefore any confession of this nature was

regularly suppressed."

Others would argue from the existential point of view, which means

revelation is still a possibility, as the secret of Jesus is still a secret for those without

faith. In other words, just as secrecy remains a secret for those outside the

community, so also revelation after Easter remains a possibility, which can become

a reality when one is prepared to follow Jesus on the road to the cross, in the way of

discipleship."

n Cf. H. RAISANEN, The Messianic Secret in Mark's Gospel, 61. 76 Cf. H. CONZELMANN, An Outline of the Theology of the New Testament, 139. " Cf. C.M. TUCKETT, "Messianic Secret", ABD, 798. "Cf. C.M. TUCKETT, "Messianic Secret", ABD, 798-799. 19 Cf. C.M. TUCKETT, "Messianic Secret", ABD, 799. 2.4.1 Is the Messianic Secret a Response to a Heresy?

Another important development which has attracted considerable support has

been the attempt to specify in a more detailed way the Christology that Mark is

seeking to control the secret. Some scholars have argued that Mark is opposing a

specific Christology, usually described as a theios aner Christology, which views

Jesus mainly as a great miracle worker and bearer of supernatural powers° Thus,

Mark employs the idea of the secrecy as a device to correct the wrong views about

Jesus which were current in his community.

The most extreme form of a polemical interpretation of Mark's Gospel along

these lines is offered by T.J. Weeded". According to Weeden, Mark's Gospel

contains a conflict manifested in the Christological positions espoused by two main

characters- Jesus and the disciples. In this conflict, "the disciples adamantly hold to

a theios aner Christology while Jesus represents a suffering Christology.'"2 This is

how T.J. Weeden presents the theios aner Christology of the disciples.

Jesus is characterized as the epiphany of God, the divine saviour in human form, who intervenes in human affairs to work miracles on behalf of man. He is not a deity, but superhuman i.e., a combination of divine and human. He is imbued with the power and authority of God and possesses supernatural knowledge and wisdom which he selectively reveals as divine revelation to those of his own choosing."

It is important to note that, Weeden was not talking about historical Jesus

and his disciples, but about the Jesus and the disciples who are characters within

Mark's narrative!" He believes that Peter's confession is simply wrong. This is

because Peter confesses the thetas aner Christ and Jesus silenced him because he

" Cf. C.M. TUCKETT, "Messianic Secret", ABD, 799. 'I Cf. T.J. WEEDEN, "The Heresy that Necessitated Mark's Gospel", ZNW 59 (1968) 145- 158, also quoted by F.J. Matera, What Are They Saying About Mark? 25. 82 F. J. MATERA, What Are They Saying About Mark? 25. 83 T. WEEDEN, Mark: Traditions in Conflict, 55, quoted by F.J. Matera, What Are they Saying About Mark? 24. 84 Cf. F. J. MATERA, What Are They Saying About Mark? 25.

4.4 25

does not want such a confession. The talk of suffering is what follows that puts

It things in right perspective."

Furthermore, the application of D. Goergi's interpretation of 2 Corinthians to

Mark's Gospel has led to the assertion that the Gospel of Mark seemed to be

addressing the same problem as St. Paul in I Corinthians." So Mark wishes to

oppose the 'divine-man-Christology' of certain people the way Paul has opposed

some individuals who espoused erroneous understanding of Jesus. The fact that

Mark puts the miracles of Jesus (or some of them) as well as the sayings about his

status with commands to silence means that he is passing a negative judgement on

the theios aner Christology, or, at least, warning against valuing it too highly."

This position of D. Goergi also has its weaknesses; this is because the

miracles and the commands associated with them are not part of the Messianic

Secret. The contribution of Ulrich Luz" in this regard is of tremendous value as he

separated the commands associated with miracles from the Messianic Secret. This is

because the constant violation by those who were healed shows that miracles cannot

remain a secret, even when Jesus does not want them to be known." Also miracle

stories belong to the time before Peter's confession. After the confession, when the

dominant theme has become suffering, there is already little talk of miracles."

According to Frank J. Matera "it is to the credit of the so-called school of

corrective Christology that it has emphasized the importance of Jesus' suffering and

85 Cf. T.). WEEDEN, "The Heresy that Necessitated Mark's Gospel", ZNW 59 (1968) 145ff, quoted by F.J. Matera, What Are They Saying About Mark? 25ff. " Cf. 13. GEORG', The Opponents of Paul in Second Corinthians, 170. As quoted by H. RAISANEN, The Messianic Secret in Mark's Gospel, 66. "Cf H. RAISANEN, The Messianic Secret in Mark's Gospel, 66-67. "Cf. L. ULRICH, "The Secrecy Motif and the Marcan Christology", ZNW 56 0965 quoted in Christopher Tuchett, The Messianic Secret, 75-96). " Cf F.J. MATERA, What Are They Saying About Mark? 22. Cf. H. RAISANEN, The Messianic Secret in Mark's Gospel, 67. 1--

26

death for understanding Jesus' identity?"" This approach has definitely made a

significant contribution in our attempt to explain the Messianic Secret. It shows that

no one can comprehend Jesus as the Son of God apart from his suffering and death."

However, the main weakness of this theios aner concept is that "it

unnecessarily places Son of Man and Son of God in opposition to each other?"93 As a

critical analysis of Mark reveals, the theology of suffering and a theios aner

Christology are in no way mutually exclusive for the Evangelist.

2.5 The History of Revelation Interpretation

The general consensus among many scholars today is that the Messianic

Secret represents Mark's understanding of the history of revelation. This idea

originally came from Wrede who said that the idea of secrecy expresses a binary

(two-fold) division which one could perhaps describe as one of revelatory history."

This means, earlier (in Jesus' lifetime), things were different from now (the time of

the writing of the Gospel). The period before the resurrection was an era of secrecy.

Now, after the resurrection, one is living in a new situation or dispensation, a time of

revelation. There is, therefore, a clear distinction made between the past and the

present community of Mark. It was only after the resurrection that it becomes clear

what Jesus' work means. Hence, it is the community of resurrection that can preach

Christ correctly.

As we have seen above in relation to the theology of the cross, we can

conclude that Mark shows himself as a great theologian whose thought is related to

that of Paul. Only the preaching of the Crucified and the Risen One constitutes the

full Gospel. Everything which happened before belongs to a preparatory stage,

" F.J. MATERA, What Are They Saying About Mark? 36. 92 Cf. F.J. MATERA, What Are They Saying About Mark? 36. 93 F.J. MATERA, What Are They Saying About Mark? 36. " Cf. H. RAISANEN, The Messianic Secret in Mark's Gospel, 68-69. 27 including the earthly life of Jesus. In this way, the theology of the Cross and the history of revelation explanations share certain common characteristics. Still distinctions between them can be pointed out. The Theology of the Cross

Interpretation stresses the fact that, for Mark, the secret was a matter of the past; whereas the adherents of the History of Revelation Interpretation believe the secret, for the Evangelist was something real in the present. 95

The greatest challenge to this interpretation, which was also acknowledged by its proponents, is that there are still some passages in which the secret is revealed before the resurrection (above all 14:62) where Jesus himself makes it known.' In this case, too, the interpreter or the reader has to be content with a reference to the fact that Mark's view could not be carried through consistently because of the nature of the material." As Heikki RAisanen cautions, "whoever claims to know precisely what Mark was aiming at with his secrecy theory is probably over-reaching himself."'

2.6 Conclusion

It follows from the analysis that the key offered by Wrede (9:9) cannot open all the doors. This is because the secret is revealed even before Easter. However, if we agree with Ulrich Luz that secrecy imposed after miracles are separate motif, then the publicizing of the miracles before Easter is no longer fatal to the understanding of the Messianic Secret. From the discussion, it can be concluded that the best keys to unravel the secrecy have been offered by the Theology of the Cross and the History of Revelation Interpretations. The two when put together can remove most of the difficulties with regard to the secrecy motif. In other words, the

95 Cf. H. RA1SANEN, The Messianic Secret in Mark's Gospel, 70. " Cf. H. ftAISANEN, The Messianic Secret in Mark's Gospel, 71. 97 Cf. H. RABANEN, The Messianic Secret in Mark's Gospel, 71. n F.J. MATERA, What Are They Saying About Mark? 23. 28

death and resurrection of Jesus together would constitute the decisive turning point

between hiddenness and openness. Any valid Christological confession regarding

the true identity of Jesus is only possible in the new Post-Easter situation.

After these analyses, one may pause and question, "What does the Messianic

Secret have to do with us today? In the next chapter, we shall be looking at Mark's

general theological concern with a special reference to the Messianic Secret and its

implications for our Christian life today.

.0 29

Chapter Three

The Implications of the Messianic Secret for our Christian life Today

3.0 Introduction

The Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary, defines "secrecy" as the fact

of making sure that nothing is known about something; the state of being secret.

Secrecy is, therefore, "a formal, conscious, deliberate, and calculated

concealment of information, activities, or relationship which outsiders can gain

only by espionage." In other words, it is a form of information control.

Secrecy is also a careful communication of information in that, what you

talk about and to whom you tell it are entirely your choice.' From this

perspective, secrecy is the reserve of information flow across the varied web of

social boundaries. The nature of secrecy is that, it rests on a premise of distrust.

It judges that others cannot be trusted with certain information. Chiefly, this

distrust stems from fear of how others might react to the information would be

given them, or what they might do with the information.'

Therefore, it follows that a secret remains a secret when it is not known by

people. This means, once revelation comes, the whole idea about secrecy disappears.

But this seems not to be the case when we turn to the Messianic Secret. This is

because, after 2000 years of Christianity, the figure of Jesus for the believer is not so

much different from that of the early Christians. Also, we live in an age of

" J.J. PILCH, "Secrecy in the Mediterranean World", BTB, 153 1°' Cf.J.J. PILCH, "Secrecy in the Mediterranean World", BTB, 153, I' Cf. J.J. PILCH, "Secrecy in the Mediterranean World", BTB, 153. 30 multiplicity of 'Christian denominations', each with different emphasis, the true identity of Jesus, in many instances still remains obscure.

The previous chapters have given us clear idea of what the Messianic Secret is all about. Hence, we were able to inquire why Jesus constantly wants to conceal his true identity. We have also been able to explore the various explanations offered by scholars today on the Messianic Secret. Still, it would be useless to study any aspect of the Scripture without deriving any learning for our contemporary world. Perhaps, the top-of-the-head reaction to this study about the

Messianic Secret would be indifference and a dismissive attitude. For, indeed, one would not care if Jesus was hiding his identity or not, and could thus simply say, "so what?" In any case, why was Jesus so insistent that people should not talk about his identity? In other words, how does this affect Christians today? Did it shed any light on the personality of Jesus, or has made it more chaotic? These and more other questions will be looked into in this chapter as we venture into the theological implications or relevance of the Messianic Secret in

Mark's Gospel for Christians today.

3.1 Messianic Secret and the Full Identity of Jesus

One of the greatest dangers of Christians today is to rely upon a partial

Gospel whereby one aspect of Jesus is stressed to the detriment of the other. But the

Gospel simultaneously contains a paradoxical union of both the divinity and the humanity of Jesus, his suffering and glory."'

In many charismatic congregational churches today, the reason why undue attention is put on Jesus the wonder-maker, the problem solver, the answer to all, is prosperity. This scenario is also termed as the 'Prosperity Gospel Churches',

102 Cf. M.R. MANSFIELD, Spirit & Gospel in Mark 168. 31 whereby Jesus is seen as the solution or the answer to all problems, especially economic. Hence, hardships and any kind of suffering are seen as a curse from God.

So, in order to become rich or a suffering-free person, one needs a break-through or deliverance, because suffering and hardships are seen as the works of the devil.

Many people flock to these churches looking for answers to economic, social and personal predicaments. Unfortunately, many fall prey to greedy pastors who ask them "to sow a seed"" and promise them good future while exploiting them in the present by taking away money from them, thereby making them more vulnerable and poorer than ever.

Consequently, the congregation hears and adheres only to a truncated Gospel and tends to ignore and to lose the fullness of Gospel that is needed to sustain the community for the totality of life. 'pi This mean, the full Gospel covers not only times of joy, but also times of hardships, suffering and death.

Surely, we can infer that Jesus might have feared that people would use their relationship with him to advance their own purposes. If things continue like this, how would non-Christians ever know Jesus' true identity if we, his followers, continue identifying him in nuanced ways that advanced personal and selfish interests only, instead of accurately presenting him and his priorities? In the Bible we have realized that too much is at stake in risking our basic misunderstanding of his identity and ministry if we continue to identify him only with the miracles and fail to go beyond his earthly works. One of the greatest insights from the Gospel of

John about Jesus' wonderful deeds is that, they are only signs, and that we have to go beyond these signs in order to reach the reality they signify.

I" This means one donates in cash or kind, as a sign of faith and a guarantee that prayers be answered. Cf. M.R. MANSFIELD. Spirit & Gospel in Mark, 168. 32

What happened to Jesus' early followers is constantly repeated in different forms. At the moment, it looks as if many of us are following Jesus but, the question is, for how long must this go on? In many areas in Africa today, we witness a considerable number of Christians in Church on Sundays. And when they are faced with unspeakable sufferings, or calamities, they go to witch-doctors. Some call this practice syncretism. But those who have really experienced suffering will tell you it is a popular religiosity. It could be surmised that they are means by which God reveals his healing powers to give life and healing to whoever is in need of it. As such, this practice does not contradict the Gospel. Sometimes, life presents so many hardships that the contemporary African Christian is really torn apart into two personalities. According to R.N. Rwiza, they are "divided into two personalities, one African and the other Christian."'" It is observed that during times of joy, many

African Christians may be able to live as genuine Christians. But "when they are faced with crises such as illness, suffering, misfortune, death, barrenness etc, they easily return to a divided loyalty and involve themselves in rites and beliefs that are often contrary to the teaching of the Church."'" One may ask, is the Church also doing enough to make Jesus present in the daily lives of her members?

As Christians we are called to accept the totality of the Gospel, which means that there cannot be an Easter Sunday without a Good Friday. Can our faith in Jesus

Christ really sustain us in times of challenges?

3.2 The Messianic Secret and the Message of the Cross

Another key element in our understanding of the mystery of Christ is the

Cross. Contemporary Christians should always remember that bearing witness to Jesus comes with its own package of tribulations. The Messianic Secret fits in

I" R.N. RWIZA, Formation of Christian Conscience, 104. 1°6 R.N. RWIZA, Formation of Christian Conscience, 104. 33 perfectly here because, like Peter and the rest of Jesus' disciples, most of us want everything from Jesus except the cross. And yet, we might ask, how can we truly come to know the identity of Jesus by doing away with his suffering and death?

From the historical context, we noticed that the immediate audience of Mark lived in a difficult situation. The faith to which Jesus calls is not self-evidently and socially accepted one, but "a faith that has to struggle to maintain its existence amid opposition, incomprehension, and persecution."'" The Gospel of Mark was probably written in Rome during the time of Emperor Nero who tried to blame Christians for setting fire to the city.'" It was a difficult time indeed, when many Christians suffered and died for the faith. For this reason, the Markan Jesus has to take great care in making clear to his apostles and others that suffering and death are necessary part of the Messianic calling.'" The Secret of Jesus is, therefore, revealed to a believer who is ready to follow him as a disciple, thereby taking his cross daily.

3.3 Messianic Secret and the Proclamation of the Good News

Again, Jesus did not lay claim to himself any of the titles that were accredited to him. His great humility prevented him from taking any credit over the wonderful things he has done. Such modest attitude went well in line with the practice in the Mediterranean world. He did not want to draw attention to himself, in spite of his good works. In this sense, we can say Jesus wanted to establish God's kingdom here on earth by good works and not to promote his own glory. He was always conscious not to make himself the direct object of his proclamation.

His theology points us directly to God as the object of his preaching."° Therefore, we should be able to recognize God's mighty hand in the things we achieve, by way

ID7 P. SCHMIDT, How to Read the Gospels, 124. IS Cf. J.W. DRANE, Jesus and the Four Gospel, 155-157. '° Cf. H. RAISANEN, The Messianic Secret in Mark's Gospel, 39. Cf. J.P. MEIER, "Jesus", NJBC, 1323. 34 of being humble and not showing off our deeds and taking undue honour for our works.

One may wonder why Jesus told the cleansed leper not to tell anyone about his healing, in much the same way that he told Jairus' daughter similar instruction after raising her from death, even if such directive did not seem possible at all to follow. It is most likely that if they did not publicize his miracles, Jesus free movement would not have been restricted. Thus, it can be asserted that secrecy could have been intended as a tool in Jesus' ministry."

Nevertheless, when this command was disobeyed, as the healed man could not contain himself and, subsequently, publicised the news about Jesus, such innocent disclosure of what Jesus had done must have surely closed the doors of the cities to him (Jesus). So, trying to be an enthusiastic spokesperson and telling everybody about Jesus' goodness is not enough. For without taking into consideration the proper context and the opportune time, we could create occasions for people or cultures to misunderstand God's message, or, worse, reject the Gospel.

3.4 Conclusion

We have seen that the secrecy texts are of vital importance in the understanding of Mark's Christology, Ecclesiology, and the mission of every

Christian today. Our understanding of the person of Jesus and what it means to be his disciple would surely prepare us for the challenges ahead.

Having seen the implications of the Messianic Secret for our Christian life today, which follows from our discussion in the previous chapters, one is in a better position to recapitulate the essential ideas we have seen so far, as a way of concluding our work.

Cf..1.3. PILCH. "Secrecy in the Mediterranean World", BTB, 154. 35

GENERAL CONCLUSION

Our inquiry has made us aware of the fact that the literary-critical solution proposed by W. Wrede was of more lasting value for latter biblical studies of the

Gospel of Mark. Wrede started out with the observation that the Jesus of Mark's

Gospel constantly insists on silence about his status as Messiah (Mk 3:11-12,

8:30)."2 At the same time, Jesus works miracles without any concealment. What is the solution of this contradiction? He concluded that Jesus' earthly life had no messianic features, and that it was not presented in the light of the messianic faith until after Easter. Therefore, Mark's theory of secrecy was his way of covering up the discrepancy.'''

It has also been observed that anyone who accepts the honesty of Mark can easily deduce that "the reason why Jesus did not wish in the beginning to be openly proclaimed as the Messiah was that he did not wish to encourage the wild

expectations of his contemporaries in regard to a merely political Messiah."4

The inquiry has showed that the idea of the Messiah could be traced back to

the historical teaching of Jesus, bearing in mind Mark's own way of presenting the

facts. This implies that, if Jesus had not been recognized as Messiah during his

ministry, he would not have been regarded as Messiah after the resurrection. Many

incidents in Jesus' life-miracles, baptism, temptation, and entry into Jerusalem

112 CI W. KASPER, Jesus Christ, 105. Cf. W. KASPER, Jesus Christ, 105. 114 L.F. HARTMAN, "Mark, Gospel According St.", EDB, 1454. 36 would have lost their meaning if Jesus was not claiming to be the Messiah."5 Again, we can ask, to what extent can the appearances of the Risen One make the disciples think that the crucified teacher was the Messiah?' The messianic eschatological interpretation of the resurrection experience somehow presupposes a messianic eschatological reference made by the earthly Jesus.

Those who disagree with Wrede and his followers say, it is better to interpret this whole idea of the Messianic Secret in the light of Mark's understanding of what genuine faith in Jesus entails. Accordingly, "the real content of faith of the Gospel does not concern Jesus, the miracle-worker or the one who expels demons, or even the Christ but rather Jesus the Crucified One who is risen as the Son of God."

Furthermore, there is no indication from history of tradition that the state of the Messiah in Judaism was connected with resurrection from the dead. So, it is difficult to derive the Messianic status of Jesus simply from the resurrection event.

The root must be sought in Jesus' conduct and execution."9 Also, it has been suggested over and over again that Mark is only trying to be faithful to the actual ministry of Jesus where such an attitude of secrecy would be necessary in view of the demands for a political messiah.""

Nevertheless, the analysis also presents that Jesus must have in many occasions cautioned his over-zealous followers not to confuse his Messianship with that of a purely political one. So, it is not simply a question of tactics which Jesus had used, but the circumstance in which the revelation was made, which must be

115 Cf. J.W. DRANE, Jesus and the Four Gospel, 49. II6 Cf. W. KASPER, Jesus Christ, 105-106. 112 Cf. W. KASPER, Jesus Christ, 106. 111 S. TREYNE, — H. WANSBROUGH, Mark and Matthew, 13. "1 Cf. M. HENGEL, Studies in the Gospel of Mark, 45. 120 Cf. S. TREYNE — H. WANSBROUGH, Mark and Matthew, 13. 37

taken into consideration.'2' Jesus could not have openly said who he was until he had

shown the meaning of his title by his death. In other words, Jesus was careful in

using the word, Messiah in referring to himself because he knew that it would

suggest to his hearers an earthy king and a new political state.'" Jesus most probably

had no intention of being the political Messiah. For him, being the Messiah meant

humble service and obedience to God's will.

Moreover, Jesus rejects the acclamation, which comes from the supernatural

knowledge of the demons. This is because the powers of evil (who he is in battle

with) cannot be legitimate witnesses to Jesus' divine Sonship.'" The commands to

keep quiet after healing are meant to make clear that, as a miracle worker, Jesus

wants to remain hidden.'" At the same time, Mark wants to use this theme to

demonstrate the contrast between the people and the disciples, who do not yet know

Jesus' status and the invisible world of the spirit, who from the beginning have

recognised Jesus as their Messianic Conqueror.'" Two things are communicated

here: first knowledge of Jesus' identity comes from superhuman power, either that

of the heaven (:11; 9:7) or of the demons. Secondly, proper confession of

Jesus should not be made on the basis of the miracles, but only after following him

to the cross.'"

It seems clear that the Messianic Secret proper can be found in passages

involving silencing the demons and that of the disciple. These two motifs constitute

the Messianic Secret proper; a secrecy that concerns Jesus' nature or identity, and

121 Cf. A. ROBERT - A. FEUILLET, Introduction to the New Testament, 210. ill Cf. J.W. DRANE, Jesus and the Four Gospel, 50. 123 Cf. M. MENGEL, Studies in the Gospel of Mark, 43. 124 Cf. M. HENGEL, Studies in the Gospel of Mark, 43. 125 Cf. M. HENGEL, Studies in the Gospel of Mark, 43. 12o Cf. J. DANANUE, "Mark", NBC, 985.

ed 38 the fact that he is the Son of God or the Christ must be concealed.'2' These commands to silence were in most cases not disobeyed.

We have also seen that the Messianic Secret is really relevant to our

Christian living today. The Gospel of Mark was most probably written for the new converts or catechumens who had not yet fully appreciated all that their conversion and acceptance of the Gospel involved.'28 It is also addressed to us today as we struggle to live out our faith and try to come to terms with the true identity of Jesus

Christ.

For Mark, the knowledge of Jesus and Christian living are intimately connected. Hence, Christians are to follow the way of Jesus which entails accepting him both in good and bad times, keeping in mind that there is always light at the end of the tunnel. Despair is the anti-thesis of Christian living.

While we endeavour to do our part as good citizens and Christians in lessening suffering of any kind, let us also take courage from Jesus who was willing to suffer when he had to assist the despised and neglected. Christians should be ready to sacrifice their lives for the sake of the less-privileged. Jesus has shown us the way in doing this. A contemporary Christian is called to see suffering, first and foremost, as a consequence of sin (be it social, individual or ontological), and, at the same time, evaluate it in the light of the resurrection of Jesus. Even with

unspeakable hardship, we should not forget to perceive our crosses and sufferings in the more positive context of the resurrection. Suffering does not spell doom, and

death can never be the end.

Finally, a "secret" is a piece of information that is hidden. But when we

come to the Messianic Secret in the Gospel of Mark, secrecy is not just for the sake

127 Cf. H. RAISANEN, The Messianic Secret in Mark's Gospel, 242. "Cf. S. TREYNE - H. WANSBROUGH. Mark and Matthew, 15. 39

of hiding the true identity of Jesus. It really serves a theological purpose, a kind of

silence that is imposed on all those who have a fragmented notion of Jesus' true

identity and mission. As is always the case with everything, whatever is hidden

will be made known, and every secret will be revealed at the appropriate time.

But, for now, secrecy is required in order that life may go on.'29 There is definitely

a time for everything. Hence, there is time for sharing the Gospel and a time to be

quiet, a time for secrecy and a time for revelation, a time for talking as an act of

bearing witness and a time to shut up!

-t

129 Cf. IL PILCH, "Secrecy in the Mediterranean World", BTB, 156-157. 40

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Books BEDA, R., The Testimony of St. Mark, Chicago: Franciscan Press 1966. BURKILL, TA., Mysterious Revelation. An Examination of the Philosophy of St. Mark's Gospel, New York: Cornell University Press 1963. CONZELMANN, H., An Outline of the Theology of the New Testament, English trans. London 1969. DIBELIUS, M., From Tradition to Gospel, English trans. London 1934. DRANE, J.W., Jesus and the Four Gospel, London: Lion Publishing 1979. HENGEL, M., Studies in the Gospel of Mark, London: SCM Press Ltd 1985. /CASPER, W., Jesus Christ, London: Burns & Oates 1976. MANSFIELD, MR., Spirit & Gospel in Mark, Massachusetts: Hendrickson Publishers, Inc. 1987. MARCUS, J., Mark The Anchor Bible. A New Translation with Introduction and Commentary, I-V111, New York: Doubleday 2000. MATERA, F.J., What are they saying about Mark? New York: Paulist Press 1987. RAISANEN, H., The Messianic Secret in Mark's Gospel, English trans. C. Tuchett, Edinburgh 1990. ROBERT, A FEUILLET, A., Introduction to the New Testament, New York — Rome — Paris: Desclee Company 1965. RWIZA, R.N., Formation of Christian Conscience in Modern Africa, Nairobi: St. Paul Communication 2001. SCHMIDT, P., How to Read the Gospels, Dublin: St. Paul 1993. TAYLOR, V., The Gospel According to St. Mark The Greek Text with Introduction, Notes, and Indexes, London: Macmillan & Co Ltd 1963. THOMAS, J. S., The Mighty Message of Mark, Minnesota: St. Mary College Press 1975. TREYNE, S. — WANSBROUGH, H., Mark and Matthew, London: Sheed and Ward 1971. WREDE, W., Das Messiasgeheimnis in den Evangelien, 1901; English trans. Messianic Secret, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press 1971.

Dictionaries and Commentaries

DANAHUE, J., "Mark", Harper's Bible Commentary, ed., J. L. May, San Francisco: Harper & Row Publishers 1988, 985. HARTMAN, L.F. ed., Encyclopedic Dictionary of the Bible, New York — Toronto — London: McGraw-Hill Book Company, Inc. 1963. 41

MCKENZIE, J.L., "Aspects of Old Testament Thought", in The New Jerome Biblical Commentary, ed. E.R. Brown, - J. A. Fitzrnyer, - R.E. Murphy, New Jersey: Prentice Hall 1990, 1284 - 1315. MEIER, J. P., "Jesus", in The New Jerome Biblical Commentary, ed. E.R. Brown, - J. A. Fitzmyer, - R.E. Murphy, New Jersey: Prentice Hall 1990, 1316- 1328. RIESENFELD, H., "Messianic Secret", in The Oxford Companion to the Bible, ed., B.M. Metzger - M.D. Coogan, Oxford: Oxford University Press 1993. TUCKETT, C.M., "Messianic Secret", in Anchor Bible Dictionary, IV, ed., D.N. Freedman, New York: Doubleday 1992, 797-800. WEHNIEIER, S., Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary of Current English, Oxford: Oxford University Press 2000.

Article PILCH, J.J., "Secrecy in the Mediterranean World. An Anthropological Perspective", in Biblical Theology Bulletin, IV, ed., D.M. Bossman - L.J. White, New York: Biblical Bulletin 1994, 151-157.

Bibles The African Bible. Biblical Text of the New American Bible, Nairobi: Paulines Publications Africa 1999. The Holy Bible, Revised Standard Version. An Ecumenical Edition, New York-Glasgow - London: Collins 1973. The New Revised Standard Version Bible, New York: America Bible Society 1989.

Reference Book OWCZAREK, C. - NDUNCU, N., "Typographical Norms. When Composing Texts on the Computer for Humanities, Social, Natural and Physical Science", Tangaza College — Catholic University of Eastern Africa, Nairobi: 2005.