Abstract
Mark 14:1-11 reveals a Markan subversive Christology, manifested through the anointing of the Christ by an anonymous woman and emphasized through the theme of discipleship. Within Mark’s narrative, Jesus is surely Christ, the Christ of suffering and death. The implied reader receives a hint that the unnamed woman assumes the role of prophet and anoints Jesus as the Messiah in death. The author of Mark interprets the unnamed woman’s action in the direction of a suffering and dying Messiah as a means of conveying his messianic Christology. Without this anointing passage, so rich and full, the Gospel of Mark would be deprived of a very important theological keystone.
I. Introduction
One way of gaining access to what Mark meant in describing his work as ‘the beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ’ is to look at how Mark presents the identity of Christ in his gospel. It seems, from the seven occurrences of ‘to evangelion’ in Mark, that the gospel is something to be preached (cf. 1:14; 13:10; 14:9), something to be believed in (1:15), and something to give up everything for (cf. 8:35; 10:29). 1 The very last occurrence of ‘to evangelion’ in Mark comes at the climax of the story in which Jesus is anointed by an anonymous woman at Bethany (14:3-9). Considering Mark’s overwhelming Christological interest in the passion, it is surely significant that he locates the story of the anointing woman at the opening of the passion narrative.
The anointing story of Jesus is surrounded by the conspiracies against Jesus (14.1-2; 10-11). Such gloomy stories as the Jewish leaders’ plot against Jesus’ life, and his betrayal by the disciple Judas, encircle the loving action of a woman like a shell surrounds a pearl. Jesus speaks of the woman’s behavior as he would of part of ‘the good news’ (14:9). Here Mark, whose work is full of surprises and reversals, hints that Jesus is being installed as the Christ by the anointing act of an anonymous woman. Jesus gladly accepts this as an anointing ‘beforehand for burial’ (14:8). Within the narrative of Mark, the author offers implications that the unnamed woman assumes the role of prophet and anoints Jesus as the Messiah in death.
However, Mark’s Jesus seems to confront not only the religious establishment but also the apostolic authority of the disciples. In the anointing story, Judas Iscariot is described as ‘one of the twelve’ (14:10), so he is not to be considered only as an individual. Although Mark may allow some credit to the apostolic authorities (6:13; 8:29), he severely criticizes them in many other aspects related to discipleship.
The purpose of this article is to expound Markan subversive Christology, manifested through the anointing of the Christ by an anonymous woman at Bethany and amplified through the theme of discipleship.
II. Observing the Passion Narrative
1. Narrative Setting The passion narrative in Mark generally refers to the account of the suffering and death of Jesus in chapters 14-15. It would seem that the author of Mark had a previously existing passion narrative and used it as the basis for his own narrative. One of the signs that imply the existence of an early and primitive narrative is the lack of ‘an atoning or sacrificial interpretation of Jesus’ death’ in the narrative. 2 It seems that these notions were used by the author of Mark from the other strands of tradition (10:45; 14:24).
However, the story of conspiracies to kill Jesus (14:1-2, 10-11) does not seem to constitute the introduction to a pre-Markan passion narrative. For it is shown that the author of Mark often reveals his own technique of intercalation elsewhere in his narrative (3:19b-21, 31-35; 5:21-4, 35-43; 11:12-14, 20-26; etc.). By this familiar literary technique, the author of Mark calls the reader’s attention to the main idea contained in each passage, and achieves an effect of dramatic contrast. Especially in the passage 14:1-11, the intercalation has the ironic effect of juxtaposing the plots of the Jewish authorities and Judas Iscariot with an anointing of Jesus as the Messiah, ‘the anointed one’. 3
It would seem that the narrative is also intercalated between the story of the anointing woman at Bethany (14:1-11) and the story of the women going to the tomb to anoint Jesus (16:1-8), so that the passion of the Christ (chaps. 14-15) may create a thematic effect. In other words, the story of the unnamed woman and that of the named women correspond to each other and form the inclusio of the passion narrative as the opening and the ending scene. Three features point to this: first, both are introduced by definite temporal references (14:1; 16:1); second, unnamed or named women characters play a major role in each story; third, there is a reference to the anointing of Jesus’ body for burial: ‘the anointing woman and the would-be anointing women.’ 4
Perhaps women characters are most appropriate as the apparatus of the Markan subversive narrative to illuminate the true nature of followership: ‘the first will be last, and the last first’ (10:31). This is poignantly shown through the contrast as follows.
Women as minor characters of the Gospel serve as witnesses, so much so that they become ‘the exemplars of the necessity and possibility of suffering service in the Kingdom of God that Jesus proclaims as having come near’. 5
From the viewpoint of Mark, while ‘the twelve’ increasingly manifest their fallibility in following Jesus, the women increasingly show the possibility of faithfully following Jesus (15:41). 6 Thus, within the narrative of Mark an anonymous woman and others like her assume the responsibilities of the disciples of Jesus, while the male disciples become blind and faithless. Those women witness the crucifixion (15:40-41), watch the burial (15:47), and visit the tomb (16:1-2).
2. Spatial Setting In the passion narrative the topographical references are extraordinarily specific, while for the most part of chapters 1-13, they have been general and vague. In the narrative, even a house is labeled ‘in the house of Simon the leper in Bethany’ (14:3), not just ‘in a house’ (7:17, 24; 10:10). Not only one specific house but also many regions, towns and other locations of a city (e.g., Bethany, Bethphage, Mount of Olives, Gethsemane, Golgotha) are specified. As places become increasingly specific, the narrative narrows its focus to the passion of Jesus.
At the beginning of the passion narrative, Jesus is situated at Bethany (14:3) in the Mount of Olives and anointed not in an outwardly wonderful building but in a leper’s house. The fact that the anointing of Jesus takes place not in the holy place, but in the house of a leper shows the reversal of spatial symbolism, which is typical of the author of Mark. It would seem that for the Markan Jesus, Jerusalem and its temple are no longer sacred spaces. Within the narrative of Mark, the crucifixion, burial, and resurrection of Jesus all take place outside Jerusalem. It is no wonder that Jesus predicted his post-resurrection return to Galilee, considering that he often revealed his preference for Galilee over Jerusalem. 7
3. Temporal Setting It would seem that the passion of Jesus in the Markan narrative is depicted as a temporalized event, slowing at the end of the gospel with the hourly time references. 8 According to 14:1, the first action takes place ‘two days before the Passover and the feast of Unleavened Bread’. 9 Henceforth, the narrative flows with the time sequence as follows: ‘on the first day of Unleavened Bread’ (14:12); ‘evening’ (14:17); ‘as soon as it was morning’ (15:1); ‘the third hour’ (15:25); ‘the sixth hour’ (15:33); ‘the ninth hour’ (15:34); ‘when evening had come’ (15:42); ‘when the Sabbath was past’ (16:1); ‘very early on the first day of the week’ (16:2). 10 As the specificity of temporal references increases, the focus of the narrative narrows to the passion of Jesus.
The two accounts of the women in 14:1-11 and 16:1-8 also frame the narrative within the temporal transition. As the starting point of the narrative, the temporal markers in 14:1-2 may be intended to stress the fact that the plan to arrest Jesus and put him to death has matured. On the other hand, the temporal reference in 16:1-2 may be seen as the Markan device to prepare the implied reader for the final scene of the narrative, the resurrection of Jesus. 11
It is also noteworthy how ironically the temporal settings of these two stories are set. On the one hand, the chief priests and scribes are depicted preparing for the Passover and the feast of Unleavened Bread by plotting a murder by stealth. In doing so, they themselves defile this most sacred time. Unlike the priests’ and scribes’ secret conspiracy, however, the unnamed woman shows her readiness to ‘perform a good service’ (14:6) for the Christ at Passover. On the other hand, when the Sabbath is over, and also when the priests’ and scribes’ work seems to be over, three women appear to witness what happens to the Christ on this day.
III. Structure and Content of Mark’s Anointing Story
Considering its schematic representation as a literary sandwich, it is easily noted that Mark 14:1-11 forms a well-edited unit. The story of the anointing woman in vv.3-9 is framed by stories of evil men in vv.1-2 and 10-11. This gives an effect of a striking contrast to the implied readers: an unnamed woman follower performs a good service for Jesus as a token of her devotion while, on the one side, the chief priests and scribes seek to kill him, and, on the other side, a named member of the group of male disciples called ‘the twelve’ betrays him.
A. Jewish leaders plot the arrest and death of Jesus (14:1-2) In v. 1, the Passover may indicate the festival of redemption celebrated on the 14th of the month Nisan and continuing into the early hours of the 15th. This is followed by the feast of Unleavened Bread. The combination of these two festivals is customary, although the latter actually includes the former. It seems that these two originally distinct festivals had been combined by the time of Jesus. This dating, as seen above, may well be intended to indicate that the suffering and death of Jesus has been coming near. In fact, the conspiracy to kill Jesus has been nurtured for a long time (3:6; 11:18; 12:12). 12
In v. 2, the phrase ‘not during the festival’ designates the danger of a public riot among the people that the arrest of Jesus might cause. In this sense, the real emphasis of the Jewish leaders’ conspiracy moves on to another phrase ‘by stealth’. The avoidance of a riot is really their primary concern. Thus, it is implied that they proceed to collaborate with one of the insiders, ‘the twelve’.
B. An anonymous woman prepares for the death of Jesus (14:3-9) In v. 3, the anointing takes place in Bethany on the Mount of Olives. Jesus is accommodated in Bethany (cf., 11:1f.) in the home of Simon the leper. It seems that it was a common custom in Jewish society to pour oil on the hair of guests, especially when having table fellowship. In this context, however, the anointing of Jesus looks clearly exceptional in light of the value of the perfume and its identification as nard. The anointing woman even breaks the jar and pours out everything she had.
In vv. 4-5, however, the enormous value of the ointment becomes a stumbling block to those who do not see the ‘good service’ that she has done. They are indignant at this display of extravagance. Even though it is natural for them to think in terms of provision for the poor, especially on the evening of Passover, the issue behind this extravagance is not a conflict between Jesus and the poor, but between ‘always’ and ‘not always’. For this anointing has another meaning, one which designates the imminent death of Jesus. Thus, there will be no further opportunity to do good service to Jesus: ‘for you always have the poor with you; but you will not always have me’ (v. 7).
At this juncture, in vv. 6-9, Jesus’ pronouncement designates the fact that he anticipates his suffering and death. The anonymous woman’s anointing becomes a faithful response to Jesus’ words in which he repeatedly asserted his forthcoming suffering and death (8:31; 9:31; 10:34). Jesus interprets her act as the anointing of his body before burial. It seems that Jesus saw his destiny in connection with this anointing.
Such an anointing is rich in symbolism in that it underlines the messianic character of Jesus. Through the author of Mark, the implied reader recognizes Jesus as the Christ, the anointed one, in the woman’s action of anointing Jesus’ head. This anointing looks like that of a king, as in 2 Kings 9:1-13. However, it might be more appropriately offered by a priest than by an unnamed woman and more appropriately held in the temple than in a house, let alone a leper’s house.
C. Judas, one of the twelve, plans to betray Jesus to death (vv. 10-11) In v. 10, the word ‘paradoi’ recalls two of the passion predictions (9:31; 10:33), in which it implies a ‘handing-over’. This suggests that even the betrayal is being fulfilled according to God’s plan. Judas offers the chief priests the opportunity to arrest Jesus in return for money. Since the Jewish leaders’ primary concern was for the avoidance of commotion, Judas’ offer was welcome in that he could help with arresting Jesus swiftly and without public disturbance.
Thereafter, Judas seeks out the opportune time to betray Jesus for money. This is no surprise; he was already referred to as a betrayer of Jesus earlier in the story (3:19). After this, he is featured two more times in connection with Jesus’ death, and in each case he is described as ‘one of the twelve’ (14:10, 20, 43). 13
The fact that Judas was promised money in return for handing Jesus over to the Jewish authorities shows the twelve’s high regard for earthly riches in contrast to Jesus’ disapproval (e.g., 10:25-26; 12:41-44). It is ironic that while the unnamed woman ‘gives up money for Jesus and enters the house to honor him’ (vv. 3-9), Judas, one of the twelve, gives up Jesus for money and leaves the house to betray him (vv. 10-11). Whereas the unnamed woman is rewarded with the honor ‘in remembrance of her’ (v. 9), Judas loses his: ‘It would have been better for that one not to have been born’ (v. 21).
IV. Markan Christology: ‘I am the Christ of Suffering’
In her anointing of Jesus as a messiah-king within the context of his foreshadowed death, it is uncertain whether or not this unnamed woman consciously recognizes Jesus’ suffering messiahship, for Mark’s narrative provides no clear motive for the woman’s action. It is only Jesus who justifies her deed with an explanation. In the eyes of the author of Mark, however, it is certain that Jesus is identified with the suffering Messiah (8:31; 10:38-39, 45; 12:7-8; 14:8, 24, 27, 34 ff.). The anonymous woman’s ‘prophetic sign-action’ installs Jesus as a suffering and dying Messiah. It seems appropriate to see this event as deliberately provocative to the implied reader of the narrative of Mark.
In this light, then, it would seem that the anointing of an anonymous woman is intended to recall ancient Israel’s ritual act in designating a king. Since David and his successors were made kings by the prophets’ anointment (1 Sam. 16:13; Ps. 45:7; 89:20), henceforth the royal Davidic Messiah had also been expected to be installed by prophetic anointment. Within the narrative of Mark, the implied reader receives hints that the unnamed woman has assumed the role of prophet and anoints Jesus as the Messiah in death. 14
As such, the author of Mark depicts her anointing subversively in the direction of a suffering and dying Messiah. Jesus’ anointment betrays all the expectations of the establishment with regard to the traditional Davidic anointment. 15 His coronation into the office of Messiah takes place at death, not in life. After this anointment, Jesus, admitting it as anointing for burial, proceeds to his imminent death (v.7), and the conspiracies to put him to death are set into motion. It is surely ironic that Jesus was anointed by an unnamed woman and enthroned on the cross as ‘the King of the Jews’ (15:26).
There is no doubt that Mark’s subversive gospel generates conflict, and conflict produces suffering. Mark’s Jesus is often presented as a confrontational outsider against the religious and political establishment. 16 He is frequently portrayed as a person who ‘eats with tax collectors and sinners’ (2:16), and is also regarded as the one who will destroy ‘the temple’ (14:58), who blasphemes against God (cf., 14:63), and who falsely presents himself to be ‘the King of the Jews’ (15:2, 9, 26). Further, Jesus is placed within the context of John the Baptist (1:4-15).
In this light, the suffering and death of Jesus is viewed from the Markan perspective as an inevitable stage towards divine vindication. This suffering and death has, however, no significant place in the characterization of ‘the twelve’. Disciples such as James and John receive rebukes from Jesus because of their too-eager wish for glory (10:45). While Jesus is presented as disclosing his identity at the risk of death (14:62), Peter is presented as concealing Jesus’ identity to avoid the anticipated suffering (14:66-72). In the end, Jesus’ disclosure leads to his condemnation ‘as deserving death’ (14:64), while Peter’s concealment delivers him from the same doom as that of Jesus. In the narrative of Mark, all the disciples eventually misperceive, betray, deny, forsake, and flee.
However, the anonymous woman comes to Jesus and performs an act of self-denying service. She suffers reproach for an act which seems to subvert customary observances, and experiences rejection from the male disciples. When humiliated, however, she remains silent (cf., 14:61; 15:5). And finally, she is vindicated gloriously by Jesus. Jesus speaks of the woman’s behavior as he would part of ‘the good news’ (14:9). It would seem that Mark’s Jesus is reflected as the Christ of suffering in the ‘mirror’ offered by the anonymous woman, a Christ-like figure. While ‘the twelve’ are competing with one another for glory, honor and success, Jesus sides with this unnamed woman who has done ‘what she could’ in the midst of ridicule and rejection.
Thus, in this light, it is not so difficult to comprehend Jesus being identified with the crucified Christ: ‘For the son of man also came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many’ (10:45).
V. Conclusion
The Christological core of the Markan Gospel comes at the climax of the story in which Jesus is anointed by an anonymous woman at Bethany. Mark reveals his overwhelming Christological interest in this opening episode of the passion narrative. Within the Mark’s narrative, Jesus is surely Christ, the Christ of suffering and death. The implied reader receives a hint that the unnamed woman has assumed the role of prophet and anoints Jesus as the Messiah in death. In this way, the author of Mark interprets the unnamed woman’s action in the direction of a suffering and dying Messiah as a means of conveying his messianic Christology.
It would seem that the passion of Jesus in Mark indicates Mark’s Sitz im Leben, the passion of Mark’s community. It would be from within the community that such ‘handing-over’ would come. However, just as Jesus is gloriously vindicated by the resurrection, and the unnamed woman is also vindicated by ‘a Jesus who is speaking already from the other side of the empty tomb’, 17 the Markan community anticipates their vindication as well. I have shown from a careful reading of the text that Mark 14:1-11 reveals a Markan subversive Christology, manifested through the anointing of the Christ by an anonymous woman and emphasized through the theme of discipleship. Without this anointing passage, so rich and full, the Gospel of Mark would be deprived of a very important theological keystone.
Footnotes
2
3
In connection with Jesus’ suffering and death, Judas is featured not as an individual, but as one of the twelve disciples (14:10, 20, 43).
4
Collins highlights the Markan compositional technique in understanding the relationship between two passages. She notes that ‘the appearance of the motif of anointing in chapter 16 reminds the reader of the earlier passage and encourages reflection on its significance’. The Beginning, 131.
5
E. Struthers Malbon, In the Company of Jesus, 203-4; We have the exceptional character, ‘Joseph of Arimathea, a respected member of the council, who was also himself waiting expectantly for the kingdom of God’ (15:42-46). This is also, however, one of the paradoxical aspects which Mark’s gospel has nothing against (cf. 12:32-34).
6
As for the description of the women in 16:8 as obeying the command of the angel, John R. Donahue notes that ‘these reactions of wonder and surprise accompany the revelation of God in Jesus, and they signify the power of this revelation to unsettle and change human existence’. “Jesus as the Parable of God in the Gospel of Mark,” Int 32 (1978), 381; Malbon points out that ‘amazement and fear are not signs of withdrawal but signs of engagement in the Gospel of Mark.’ Narrative Space, 166; see also E. Trocme, The Formation of the Gospel, 149-150. As such, the women’s reverent reaction cannot be taken literally to designate the fallibility of the female disciples. Moreover, it seems unlikely that the response of the women in v. 8b would continue. The implied reader sees from the outside of the narrative that the other disciples together with Peter heard the gospel of the resurrection.
7
Barton notes that the kingdom of God Jesus proclaimed (1:15) is ‘not just of a new sense of time, but also of a new sense of space.’ “Mark as Narrative,” 231.
8
Collins points out that ‘the indications of time in chapters 1-13 are even more vague than the topographical references: “after some days” in 2:1; “on the Sabbath” in 2:23; “when it was evening” in 6:47, “in those days” in 8:1….The situation changes in chapters 14-15’. The Beginning, 101.
9
In 14:1, ‘after two days’ means ‘on the next day’ in Jewish reckoning.
10
Norman Perrin notes that ‘from the “delivering up” of Jesus to the discovery of the empty tomb by the women Mark intends us to read one continuous unit of narrative.’ “The High Priest’s Question and Jesus’ Answer,” 93.
11
Collins states that the temporal reference in 16:1-2 indicates the author’s attempt to explain why the women got there at that time: first, until the Sabbath passed, they had to wait to purchase the spices (v. 1); second, they also had to wait to go to the tomb until the sunlight was available (v. 2). The Beginning, 132
12
The Passover delivers a strong message through its historic significance. In relation to this Passover, it may be implied that Jesus will enter into his passion.
13
The ‘twelve,’ since chosen by Jesus (3:13-19), are mentioned thereafter about ten times (4:10; 6:7; 9:35; 10:32; 11:11; 14:10,17,20,43; cf. also 10:41); Trocme notes that ‘the author of Mark does not regard them with any special favor and even relates episodes which show the twelve in a rather unfavorable light (9:33ff.; 10:41)’ even though it would seem that they sometimes played an important role ‘in the entourage of Jesus’. The Formation, 177.
15
See Werner H. Kelber, Mark’s Story of Jesus, 72.
16
Cf. Mark 2:1-12, 16-17, 18-22, 23-28; 3:1-6, 21-30; 6:1-6, 7:1-23; 8:14-15, 31; 10:1-12, 33-34, 42; 11:15-18, 27-33; 12:1-2, 13-17, 18-27, 28-34, 35-37, 38-40; 14:1-2, 43-50, 53-65; 15:1-15, 16-20, 21-37.
17
Barton, “Mark as Narrative,” 233.