The gospel of Mark is the earliest statement
of who Jesus is
The earliest written text I mean
It combines two strands
The Jesus who is close to the cynics and
primarily a teacher
Iconoclastic impatient and utterly convinved of
Abba's presence and power
Even Harold Bloom understands that there is something special
about the Markan treatment of Jesus
This teacher thread is intermingled with a narrative from start to finish
of an ignominious death
Had we no creeds to take the meat of this and massage it into
litmus tests miles away from the actuality
we would see that insofar as there is any explanation
it is that Jesus could do no other
just as we can do no other
Abba's way or the highway
It is the only way that insists on and validates an
unconquerable freedom within
