The Scholarly Nutshell, #1

 "Death With Honor: The Mediterranean Style Death of Jesus in Mark"

by John Pilch 

 

This is the introductory entry in a new series I've called "The Scholarly Nutshell", which will be my summaries and thoughts about scholarly articles I come across.

This first entry will cover Dr. Pilch's "Death With Honor: The Mediterranean Style Death of Jesus in Mark" published in The Biblical Theology Bulletin.

Pilch's article is concerned with interpreting the remarkable silence and endurance of Jesus towards his accusers and his crucifixion through the lens of the social sciences.  Why is it that Jesus, who all throughout his ministry showed great skill in rhetoric and insulting riposte, barely opened his mouth in the events immediately prior to his death?  And why does His remarkable silence induce the centurion at the foot of the cross to proclaim, "Surely this man was the Son of God!"

Pilch takes us through the Gospel of Mark, pinpointing the versus pertaining to Jesus' meek acceptance to extreme pain and torture.  It begins with His acceptance of what is to come:

Mark 14:36

 “Abba, Father,” he said, “everything is possible for you. Take this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will.”

Then, to Jesus' scourging, where there is no record of any comment or cry of pain:

Mark 15:16-20

¹⁶ The soldiers led Jesus away into the palace (that is, the Praetorium) and called together the whole company of soldiers. ¹⁷ They put a purple robe on him, then twisted together a crown of thorns and set it on him. ¹⁸ And they began to call out to him, “Hail, king of the Jews!” ¹⁹ Again and again they struck him on the head with a staff and spit on him. Falling on their knees, they paid homage to him. ²⁰ And when they had mocked him, they took off the purple robe and put his own clothes on him. Then they led him out to crucify him.

Then, to Jesus' actual crucifixion, wherein presumably Jesus made no remarks about his torture for a full six hours:

Mark 15:25-36

²⁵ It was nine in the morning when they crucified him. ²⁶ The written notice of the charge against him read: the king of the jews.
²⁷ They crucified two rebels with him, one on his right and one on his left.  ²⁹ Those who passed by hurled insults at him, shaking their heads and saying, “So! You who are going to destroy the temple and build it in three days, ³⁰ come down from the cross and save yourself!” ³¹ In the same way the chief priests and the teachers of the law mocked him among themselves. “He saved others,” they said, “but he can’t save himself! ³² Let this Messiah, this king of Israel, come down now from the cross, that we may see and believe.” Those crucified with him also heaped insults on him.  ³³ At noon, darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon.

 Pilch believes that the famous "last words" of Jesus where only introduced into the account by the Christian community at a later time.  It is only at the very end that Jesus lets out a loud scream before breathing His last, whereat the centurion proclaims "surely this man was the Son of God!".

Accepting punishment or suffering without complaint is extolled throughout the Bible.  The only two socially acceptable exceptions to this rule of silence is either boasting about the suffering experienced or public prayers to God in the midst of it.  See the following examples:

Isaiah 50: 6-7

⁶ I offered my back to those who beat me, my cheeks to those who pulled out my beard; I did not hide my face from mocking and spitting.  ⁷ Because the Sovereign Lord helps me, I will not be disgraced.  Therefore have I set my face like flint, and I know I will not be put to shame.

Isaiah 53: 3-12

³ He was despised and rejected by mankind,
   a man of suffering, and familiar with pain.
Like one from whom people hide their faces
    he was despised, and we held him in low esteem.

⁴ Surely he took up our pain
    and bore our suffering,
yet we considered him punished by God,
    stricken by him, and afflicted.
⁵ But he was pierced for our transgressions,
    he was crushed for our iniquities;
the punishment that brought us peace was on him,
    and by his wounds we are healed.
⁶ We all, like sheep, have gone astray,
    each of us has turned to our own way;
and the Lord has laid on him
    the iniquity of us all.

⁷ He was oppressed and afflicted,
    yet he did not open his mouth;
he was led like a lamb to the slaughter,
    and as a sheep before its shearers is silent,
    so he did not open his mouth.
⁸ By oppression and judgment he was taken away.
    Yet who of his generation protested?
For he was cut off from the land of the living;
    for the transgression of my people he was punished.
⁹ He was assigned a grave with the wicked,
    and with the rich in his death,
though he had done no violence,
    nor was any deceit in his mouth.

¹⁰ Yet it was the Lord’s will to crush him and cause him to suffer,
    and though the Lord makes his life an offering for sin,
he will see his offspring and prolong his days,
    and the will of the Lord will prosper in his hand.
¹¹ After he has suffered,
    he will see the light of life and be satisfied;
by his knowledge my righteous servant will justify many,
    and he will bear their iniquities.
¹² Therefore I will give him a portion among the great,
    and he will divide the spoils with the strong,
because he poured out his life unto death,
    and was numbered with the transgressors.
For he bore the sin of many,
    and made intercession for the transgressors.

Lamentations 1:12

Is it nothing to you, all you who pass by?  Look around and see.  Is any suffering like my suffering that was inflicted on me, that the Lord brought on me in the day of his fierce anger?

2nd Corinthians 11:24-30

²⁴ Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one. ²⁵ Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was pelted with stones, three times I was shipwrecked, I spent a night and a day in the open sea, ²⁶ I have been constantly on the move. I have been in danger from rivers, in danger from bandits, in danger from my fellow Jews, in danger from Gentiles; in danger in the city, in danger in the country, in danger at sea; and in danger from false believers. ²⁷ I have labored and toiled and have often gone without sleep; I have known hunger and thirst and have often gone without food; I have been cold and naked. ²⁸ Besides everything else, I face daily the pressure of my concern for all the churches. ²⁹ Who is weak, and I do not feel weak? Who is led into sin, and I do not inwardly burn? ³⁰ If I must boast, I will boast of the things that show my weakness.

Pilch draws upon the word of Peter Cook¹ and David McClelland² to help explain what's going on here.  Cook's "Basic Personality Structure Model" attempts to explain the personality of an adult by how he is raised.  In the Biblical world, fathers toughened their sons for the brutal and harsh world of antiquity by swaddling the infant in restrictive cloths (which Pilch says prepares the child "for a lifetime of constraint and subjection to others"), raising the child to obey orders immediately and without complaint, reinforced by frequent beatings ("If he is willing, he obeys, but if not, they straighten him, just like a bent and twisted piece of wood, with threats and blows."  Plato, Prt. 325d). 

If Cook's model explains the machismo of the Mediterranean male through the constant training undergone in childhood, McClelland explains it by the constant reinforcement of cultural ideology.  McClelland's approach, called the "Cultural Ideology Model", asserts that merely examining the childrearing tactics utilized by the parents of a child isn't enough to predict what personality the child will have in adulthood.  After all, while it isn't unheard of for an abused child to become an abusive father himself, it isn't guaranteed.  McClelland instead believes that "child-rearing does not occupy center stage in the formation of adult personality by way of its influence on infant personality except to the extent that child-rearing reflects the general norms or social structures that exert an influence upon an individual throughout a lifetime from womb to tomb."  As applied to the culture of Jesus, the omnipresence of honor and shame fits in nicely with McClelland's model.  The constant pursuit of and the preservation of one's honor in an agonistic culture will ensure one's endurance (Romans 12:12, 1 Cor 13:7, 2 Timothy 2:10, Hebrews 10:32-39, et al), obedience (John 10:18, 3:49, 14:31, Phil 2:8) and suffering without complaint (Acts 8:32-35, Psalm 38:13-14, 39:9-11, Lam 3:28-30).

Thus, even enduring the shameful death of crucifixion, Jesus retains his honor by dying manfully - that is, he obeyed His Father's order to go to the cross, endured the pain of it, and suffered without complaint.  His honorable death was noticed by the centurion, who proclaims that this man has some godlike aspect to him.  Far from being passive, Jesus was being courageous and set an example to his followers for how they should deal with the suffering.


1.  "Child Rearing versus Ideology and Social Structure as Factors in Personality Development"
2.   "Childrearing, Culture, and Mental Health: Exploring an Ethological-Evolutionary Perspective in Child Psychiatry and Preventive Mental Health with Particular Reference to Two Contrasting Approaches to Early Childrearing"

Work Cited: 

John J. Pilch, "Death with Honor: The Mediterranean Style Death of Jesus in Mark." The Biblical Theology Bulletin: A Journal of Bible and Theology 25.2 (1995): 65-70.

A Blog Resurrection

I've come back to you now, at the turn of the tide....

It's been over a year without any updates.  Why?  Well, that's simple - I'm a procrastinator.  A huge one.  If I don't keep on a schedule, I'll never get back to it.  I'm going to attempt to get back into the swing of things.

I know this blog will never get widely read; but I made it for my own benefit - as a way to simple write something, and organize my thoughts about subjects that interest me, so I ought to get back to it.

To begin with, I've noticed that some images I've posted have died somehow, so I should replace them just to keep things looking pretty.

Second, in regards to my series on honor and shame in the Gospel of Matthew, I do want to return to it; but not for awhile.  It was a little too slapdash and needs to be better organized.  Once I get a handle on things, I'll continue posting about it.

Lastly, in regards to actual content, I think I'll start a series on reviewing/summarizing/discussing scholarly articles I've read both to spread some knowledge around the Internet and to force me to actually read the bloody things that have been gathering dust on my hard drive.  I'm a procrastinator, remember.

God bless.

BOOK REVIEW: "Crucifixion" by Martin Hengel

"Crucifixion in the Ancient World and the Folly of the Message of the Cross" by Martin Hengel is a small book (originally in German) at only around 100 pages that packs a large wallop and it wasn't quite was I expected.  What I expected from the book was an examination on the social implications of crucifixion and how it relates to an honor-shame dynamic.  And while there's some nuggets like this in there, it's actually more of a historical examination of where crucifixion was practiced in the ancient world, to what degree, and why they were carried out.  But it's also a historical examination inspired by a Biblical passage, namely to explain why Paul in 1st Corinthians  1:18 said: "For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God," and in vs. 23: "but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles".  In the ancient world, the belief that a group of people would worship a god that allowed himself to be crucified was incomprehensible and idiotic.  In his work "Octavius", Minucius Felix blasts Christians for this absurdity in the following way:

To say that their ceremonies centre on a man put to death for his crime and on the fatal wood of the cross is to assign to these abandoned wretches sanctuaries which are appropriate to them and the kind of worship they deserve.

In the so-called Alexamenos graffito, an ancient mocker chiseled the following pictured of a crucified donkey with the caption "Alexamenos worships his god":

If this was a book from one of the scholars of the Context Group, we would be illuminated by Martin Hengel on exactly why a crucified person was so reviled and why the Christian Gospel was so offensive to ancient ears; but we only get tantalizing glimpses of this in "Crucifixion", however what we do get is no less useful.  Hengel devotes a little under 100 pages to examining so-called pagan parallels of crucified deities (SPOILER ALERT: none can really compare to Jesus), early church responses to overcoming this "stumbling block", how crucifixion was thought of to Roman thinkers and philosophers and how it applies to Roman citizens, how crucifixion was considered a penalty imposed mainly on slaves, and a short examination on crucifixion in Greece and Judea.

Thankfully, Martin is liberal in his quotations from ancient sources discussing crucifixion but its almost to his detriment.  Firstly, he often likes to give the citations in their original language and alphabet followed by an English translation (well, to be more precise, a German translation later translated into English for an English publication).  This is fine but its utility is limited unless you are yourself a scholar.  Secondly, Hengel likes to use the terminology relevant to this study in the original language and alphabet which is infuriating if you forget what those strange Greek characters mean in the first place!  Perhaps "Crucifixion" was meant for a scholar in the first place instead of little ol' me, but I would have liked the book to be less opaque.

This is a fine book if you want to understand the historical bedrock of crucifixions.  Martin Hengel is a Christian, but his book's main focus, however, is far from the crucifixion of Jesus (although he does speak of it) but in crucifixion in general so keep that in mind.

"The Hobbit" Movie Production Diary #6

TSWOTB: Honor and Shame in the Gospel of Matthew, Part IV

The Sermon on the Mount: The Beatitudes and Interpersonal Conflict 

Matthew 5

1 And seeing the multitudes, he went up into the mountain: and when he had sat down, his disciples came unto him 2 and he opened his mouth and taught them, saying 3 Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven 4 Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted 5 Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth 6 Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled 7 Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy 8 Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God 9 Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called sons of God 10 Blessed are they that have been persecuted for righteousness’ sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven 11 Blessed are ye when [men] shall reproach you, and persecute you, and say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake 12 Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you

Matthew 5 begins the longest recorded sermon that Jesus gave, called the Sermon on the Mount. The first 12 verses of this speech are called the Beatitudes, whose Latin root word beati comes from the Greek, (μακάριος, makarioi). The meaning of this word is recognized by many scholars as analogous to saying "how honorable is...." (See Jerome Neyrey's article, "Honoring the Dishonored: The Cultural Edge of Jesus' Beatitudes.). These conferments of honor stand in contrast to the "woes" (which can be read as "how shameful...") given by Jesus to the Pharisees in Matthew 23:13-21, here illustrated by Malina and Rohrbaugh:

Honor Attributions (Blessed are....)	Shame Attributions (Woe unto you...)
Positive	Negative
Addressed to disciples	Addressed to opponents
Opens public career of Jesus	Closes public career of Jesus
"theirs is the kingdom of heaven" (vs. 3, 10)	"you lock people out of the kingdom of heaven" (v. 13)
"hunger and thirst for righteousness: (v. 6)	"on the outside look righteous" (v. 28)
"merciful....mercy" (v. 7)	"neglected....mercy" (v. 23)
"pure in heart" (v. 8a)	impure (v.27)
"children of God" (v.9)	son of Gehenna (v. 15)
"in the same way they persecuted the prophets" (v. 12)	"descendants of those who murdered the prophets" (v.31)

With this in mind, the Beatitudes are grants of acquired honor by God to those that are, among other things, "poor in spirit". According to Neyrey, the poor (πτωχός, ptochos) mentioned here are more than just monetarily destitute - they are people bereft of any and all social support. In other words, no family. While childless widows can be considered a ptochos, the group of people Jesus is "blessing" are those who have been ostracized by their community. These are the people that can't defend their honor and are reviled and shunned. For what reason? The answer is in the climax of the Beatitudes:

Matthew 5

8 Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God 9 Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called sons of God 10 Blessed are they that have been persecuted for righteousness’ sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven 11 Blessed are ye when [men] shall reproach you, and persecute you, and say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake 12 Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you

Members of society, such as followers of Christ, who are regarded as shameful and deviant often undergo excommunication and ostracism in an effort to be shamed back into the fold. Jesus isn't telling his disciples to ignore honor, however He is telling them to hold fast to the only opinion that truly matters - God. To that end, Jesus promises to honor and vindicate those that hold fast to His teachings. Furthermore, Jesus attempts to render the opinion of hostile society moot by saying that they are descendents of the murderers of the Old Testament prophets. In other words, opponents of the Christian movement have abysmal ascribed honor inherited by blood-stained blasphemers, ergo their opinions on what constitutes honorable actions are irrelevant.

Matthew 5

13 Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost its savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out and trodden under foot of men 14 Ye are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hid 15 Neither do [men] light a lamp, and put it under the bushel, but on the stand; and it shineth unto all that are in the house 16 Even so let your light shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven 17 Think not that I came to destroy the law or the prophets: I came not to destroy, but to fulfill 18 For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass away from the law, till all things be accomplished 19 Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven 20 For I say unto you, that except your righteousness shall exceed [the righteousness] of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no wise enter into the kingdom of heaven

Jesus is exhorting His disciples to do good works which will shine (that is, become obvious) to the outside world. By doing so, God will be honored ("glorified") and so will you.

Matthew 5

21 Ye have heard that it was said to them of old time, Thou shalt not kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment 22 but I say unto you, that every one who is angry with his brother shall be in danger of the judgment; and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council; and whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of the hell of fire 23 If therefore thou art offering thy gift at the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath aught against thee 24 leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way, first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift 25 Agree with thine adversary quickly, whiles thou art with him in the way; lest haply the adversary deliver thee to the judge, and the judge deliver thee to the officer, and thou be cast into prison 26 Verily I say unto thee, Thou shalt by no means come out thence, till thou have paid the last farthing 27 Ye have heard that it was said, Thou shalt not commit adultery 28 but I say unto you, that every one that looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart 29 And if thy right eye causeth thee to stumble, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not thy whole body be cast into hell 30 And if thy right hand causeth thee to stumble, cut it off, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not thy whole body go into hell 31 It was said also, Whosoever shall put away his wife, let him give her a writing of divorcement 32 but I say unto you, that every one that putteth away his wife, saving for the cause of fornication, maketh her an adulteress: and whosoever shall marry her when she is put away committeth adultery 33 Again, ye have heard that it was said to them of old time, Thou shalt not forswear thyself, but shalt perform unto the Lord thine oaths 34 but I say unto you, Swear not at all; neither by the heaven, for it is the throne of God 35 nor by the earth, for it is the footstool of his feet; nor by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King 36 Neither shalt thou swear by thy head, for thou canst not make one hair white or black 37 But let your speech be, Yea, yea; Nay, nay: and whatsoever is more than these is of the evil [one] 38 Ye have heard that it was said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth 39 but I say unto you, Resist not him that is evil: but whosoever smiteth thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also 40 And if any man would go to law with thee, and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloke also 41 And whosoever shall compel thee to go one mile, go with him twain 42 Give to him that asketh thee, and from him that would borrow of thee turn not thou away 43 Ye have heard that it was said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy 44 but I say unto you, Love your enemies, and pray for them that persecute you 45 that ye may be sons of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sendeth rain on the just and the unjust 46 For if ye love them that love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same 47 And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more [than others]? do not even the Gentiles the same 48 Ye therefore shall be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect

In agonsitic societies where honor and shame are core values, an affront to one's honor requires seeking satisfaction - that is, attempting to restore the honor lost by taking revenge on the offending party. Seeking satisfaction can lead the other party to do the same, and so on, leading to blood feuds which in turn lead to violence and disunity in the community. Jesus here stands against this "eye for an eye" mentality when it comes to interpersonal conflicts. Instead of seeking vengeance, Jesus wants His followers to "turn the other cheek" and not respond in kind. However, this isn't a call to be passive door-mats. There are two things to consider here:

1. In honor-shame societies, if a person who is regarded as honorable is shamed unjustly, it is the social obligation for an outsider to defend him. Jesus is telling His disciples not to defend their honor by seeking satisfaction; but the implication is to let someone else defend it for them. This, of course, ties in with being a "light of the world" - a disciple of Jesus should have an established history of doing good deeds so that society will recognize their honorable character in the first place.
2. By saying to lend your cloak in addition by the coat demanded by somebody and also to go two miles instead of one (a demand given by Roman soldiers to peasants to carry their armour and supplies for them), in effect Jesus is saying to shame your challenger by overdoing it.

We'll continue this series next time.

Bibliography

• Bruce J. Malina and Richard L. Rohrbaugh, Social-Science Commentary on the Synoptic Gospels, 2nd ed. (Minneapolis: FORTRESS PRESS, 2003).
• Jerome H. Neyrey, Who is Poor in the New Testament?, http://www.nd.edu/~jneyrey1/Attitudes.html
• Jerome H. Neyrey, Honoring the Dishonored: The Cultural Edge of Jesus' Beatitudes, http://www.nd.edu/~jneyrey1/loss.html

TSWOTB - Honor and Shame in the Gospel of Matthew, Part III

The Temptation of Christ and the Inauguration of His Ministry

Matthew 4

1 Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil. 2 And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he afterward hungered. 3 And the tempter came and said unto him, If thou art the Son of God, command that these stones become bread. 4 But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God. 5 Then the devil taketh him into the holy city; and he set him on the pinnacle of the temple, 6 and saith unto him, If thou art the Son of God, cast thyself down: for it is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee: and, On their hands they shall bear thee up, Lest haply thou dash thy foot against a stone. 7 Jesus said unto him, Again it is written, Thou shalt not make trial of the Lord thy God. 8 Again, the devil taketh him unto an exceeding high mountain, and showeth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them; 9 and he said unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me. 10 Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve. 11 Then the devil leaveth him; and behold, angels came and ministered unto him.

Now here's one heck of an example of challenge and response! Previously, Matthew has been building up Jesus' ascribed honor as divine before climaxing with Yahweh's affirmation of it after His baptism. Such a ludicrously high honor, however, could not and did not remain uncontested in the first century. The first recorded instance of a challenge to Jesus' honor comes from none other than Satan himself. As a preliminary note, many translations say that Jesus was "tempted". This isn't the best translation of the Greek word here (πειράζω, peirazō) which means to test, scrutinize, or put on trial. What's being scrutinized or tested here is Jesus' honor.

Notice the way in which the Devil explicitly undermines the ascribed honor of Jesus: "If you really are the Son of God...." As I've mentioned several times before, a favorite tactic of a challenger in the social game of riposte is to call the lineage of the recipient into question. In this case, the Devil sarcastically questions Jesus' divine honor that has been established just a few verses before.

Now, here's an important point to keep in mind - if Jesus responded in His own words and under His own authority, He would have lost this honor challenge miserably and before a supernatural audience. In the Biblical world, your honor comes from your father, and any honorable son knows this. To try to rise above your father or to blaze your own trail would have brought shame not only upon yourself, but on your father and your entire family. Therefore, notice how Jesus responds. Jesus replies by quoting His Daddy.

"It is written..."

Yes, it is written and the words recorded come from the Father as told in Jewish Scriptures, specifically Deuteronomy 8:3 -

Deuteronomy 8:3

And he humbled thee, and suffered thee to hunger, and fed thee with manna, which thou knewest not, neither did thy fathers know; that he might make thee know that man doth not live by bread only, but by everything that proceedeth out of the mouth of Jehovah doth man live.

The Devil persists, and Jesus fires back Deuteronomy 6:16. Finally, the Devil demands that Jesus prostrate Himself before him (remember that such a bodily posture acknowledges a very great honor rating differential between two people), and Jesus defiantly quotes Deuteronomy 10:20. The honor challenge is thereby concluded. Jesus successfully defended His (and His Father's) status and the Devil is made to look like a first-rate shameful moron, forced to retreat with his tail between his legs. Admittedly, it should be remembered that an audience is required for a person to gain in standing (remember that the definition of honor is a claim of worth that is socially acknowledged). In this story, Jesus was alone. Yes, Jesus most definitely retained His honor before a supernatural audience in attendance; but the Matthew's implication is that the reader upon reading this story will tacitly be the audience needed for Jesus to praised on a human level.

Matthew 4

12 Now when he heard that John was delivered up, he withdrew into Galilee; 13 and leaving Nazareth, he came and dwelt in Capernaum, which is by the sea, in the borders of Zebulun and Naphtali: 14 that it might be fulfilled which was spoken through Isaiah the prophet, saying, 15 The land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, Toward the sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles, 16 The people that sat in darkness Saw a great light, And to them that sat in the region and shadow of death, To them did light spring up. 17 From that time began Jesus to preach, and to say, Repent ye; for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. 18 And walking by the sea of Galilee, he saw two brethren, Simon who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea; for they were fishers. 19 And he saith unto them, Come ye after me, and I will make you fishers of men. 20 And they straightway left the nets, and followed him. 21 And going on from thence he saw two other brethren, James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, in the boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets; and he called them. 22 And they straightway left the boat and their father, and followed him.

Once more, Matthew argues that Jesus' ministry is a fulfillment of Isaiah's prophecy, meaning that Jesus is God-ordained and honorable.

An interesting thing to note about this passage that is often overlooked is that Jesus was almost certainly a student of John the Baptist. Notice that Jesus only struck out on His own after John's arrest, and even after that, Jesus begins His ministry by repeating John's message: "Repent, for the Kingdom of God is at hand." In any case, this is also an example of the ancients' perception of limited good. Honor, like all other goods tangible and intangible, was thought to be in finite supply. Therefore, if one person gained in honor, it had to mean that someone lost some of theirs. As it relates to this story, John the Baptist's role as teacher has ended and Jesus has taken up the mantle. This means that John's honor must decrease in order for Jesus' to increase, a fact that John explicitly notes here:

John 3:29

The bride belongs to the bridegroom. The friend who attends the bridegroom waits and listens for him, and is full of joy when he hears the bridegroom's voice. That joy is mine, and it is now complete. He must become greater; I must become less.

Lastly, it's of note that when Jesus calls His disciples, they immediately respond. This shows Christ's authority as a teacher, and authority, as Bruce Malina tells us, is one of the key components of one's honor.

Matthew 4

23 And Jesus went about in all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all manner of disease and all manner of sickness among the people. 24 And the report of him went forth into all Syria: and they brought unto him all that were sick, holden with divers diseases and torments, possessed with demons, and epileptic, and palsied; and he healed them. 25 And there followed him great multitudes from Galilee and Decapolis and Jerusalem and Judaea and from beyond the Jordan.

The chapter ends with Jesus starting His teaching and healing ministry, both of which would increase Jesus' acquired honor rating. Jesus' reputation begins to grow and spread, and the ever-present mark of the Father's approval is the supernatural healings and exorcisms. Jesus' following as a teacher is apparently multitudinous therefore, as Matthew would like the reader to understand, Jesus should be given the high honors due to a great teacher.

So in summary, we've seen the following:

1. Jesus ascribed honor is first contested by the Devil, in the first recorded example of Jesus engaging in challenge and response. Jesus wins by quoting His Father from whom His honor comes.
2. Matthew again emphasizes the fact that Jesus is the fulfillment of Isaiah's prophecies.
3. Jesus demonstrates his honor as a great teacher by his huge following
4. The Patron-God of Israel is shown to approve of Jesus' audacious claims by the miraculous healings performed by Him.

Bibliography

• Bruce J. Malina and Richard L. Rohrbaugh, Social-Science Commentary on the Synoptic Gospels, 2nd ed. (Minneapolis: FORTRESS PRESS, 2003).
• Bruce J. Malina, The New Testament World: Insights from Cultural Anthropology, 3rd ed. (Louisville, Ky.: Westminster John Knox Press, 2001)
• Richard Rohrbaugh, Honor and Shame: Core Values in the Biblical World. NOTE: This is a DVD recording of a lecture given by Dr. Rohrbaugh, previously acquired by the Biblical Archaeological Society; but has since been removed from the store.

TSWOTB - Honor and Shame in the Gospel of Matthew, Part II

 King Herod, the Magi, and the early childhood of Jesus

Matthew 2

1 Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold, Wise-men from the east came to Jerusalem, saying, 2 Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we saw his star in the east, and are come to worship him. 3 And when Herod the king heard it, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. 4 And gathering together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Christ should be born. 5 And they said unto him, In Bethlehem of Judaea: for thus it is written through the prophet, 6 And thou Bethlehem, land of Judah, Art in no wise least among the princes of Judah: For out of thee shall come forth a governor, Who shall be shepherd of my people Israel. 7 Then Herod privily called the Wise-men, and learned of them exactly what time the star appeared. 8 And he sent them to Bethlehem, and said, Go and search out exactly concerning the young child; and when ye have found him, bring me word, that I also may come and worship him. 9 And they, having heard the king, went their way; and lo, the star, which they saw in the east, went before them, till it came and stood over where the young child was. 10 And when they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy. 11 And they came into the house and saw the young child with Mary his mother; and they fell down and worshipped him; and opening their treasures they offered unto him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh. 12 And being warned of God in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed into their own country another way.

Last time we talked about how the cosmic wonder in the sky during Jesus' birth was indicative of the birth of a great person in ancient thought. Matthew continues to show Jesus in a positive light by emphasizing that Jesus' birth is a fulfillment of Jewish Scriptures, specifically the prophecies of Isaiah.

Jesus' main adversary at this point is King Herod, who fears for his political safety because the star in the heavens signifies political calamity. In this story, Herod is shown in a shameful light for he hatched a plan in secret with the Wise-men of the East. In the culture at the time, honorable men did their dealings in public for all to see. Those who sought privacy were thought to be busy in shameful practices - just as Herod spoke privately with the Magi. The Magi, however, are shown to be honorable men who refused Herod's disingenuous request (vs. 12). Furthermore, God Himself granted them a vision, thus their actions are blessed by the Patron-God of Israel. Notice, therefore, what these honorable and divinely-directed men do --- they bring gifts to Jesus and prostrate themselves before Him. Bringing gifts to someone confers honor to an individual and prostrating yourself meant that you acknowledge a huge gap between the honor rating of yourself and the recipient. If the honor difference isn't so great, you might bow or kiss a person on the cheek. However, the Magi fall on their faces. Matthew's implication is clear in saying that Jesus is a very honorable and significant individual whose social worth is affirmed by others.

Matthew 2

13 Now when they were departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeareth to Joseph in a dream, saying, Arise and take the young child and his mother, and flee into Egypt, and be thou there until I tell thee: for Herod will seek the young child to destroy him. 14 And he arose and took the young child and his mother by night, and departed into Egypt; 15 and was there until the death of Herod: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying, Out of Egypt did I call my son. 16 Then Herod, when he saw that he was mocked of the Wise-men, was exceeding wroth, and sent forth, and slew all the male children that were in Bethlehem, and in all the borders thereof, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had exactly learned of the Wise-men. 17 Then was fulfilled that which was spoken through Jeremiah the prophet, saying, 18 A voice was heard in Ramah, Weeping and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children; And she would not be comforted, because they are not. 19 But when Herod was dead, behold, an angel of the Lord appeareth in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, saying, 20 Arise and take the young child and his mother, and go into the land of Israel: for they are dead that sought the young childs life. 21 And he arose and took the young child and his mother, and came into the land of Israel. 22 But when he heard that Archelaus was reigning over Judaea in the room of his father Herod, he was afraid to go thither; and being warned of God in a dream, he withdrew into the parts of Galilee, 23 and came and dwelt in a city called Nazareth; that it might be fulfilled which was spoken through the prophets, that he should be called a Nazarene.

Again, Matthew emphasizes that Jesus' birth was foretold in Scripture.

Matthew 3

1 And in those days cometh John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judaea, saying, 2 Repent ye; for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. 3 For this is he that was spoken of through Isaiah the prophet, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Make ye ready the way of the Lord, Make his paths straight. 4 Now John himself had his raiment of camels hair, and a leathern girdle about his loins; and his food was locusts and wild honey. 5 Then went out unto him Jerusalem, and all Judaea, and all the region round about the Jordan; 6 and they were baptized of him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins. 7 But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said unto them, Ye offspring of vipers, who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? 8 Bring forth therefore fruit worthy of repentance: 9 and think not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, that God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham. 10 And even now the axe lieth at the root of the trees: every tree therefore that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. 11 I indeed baptize you in water unto repentance: but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you in the Holy Spirit and in fire: 12 whose fan is in his hand, and he will thoroughly cleanse his threshing-floor; and he will gather his wheat into the garner, but the chaff he will burn up with unquenchable fire.

Here we come to our first instance of challenge and response in the Gospels. The Pharisees and Sadducees, who will be quite the thorn in Jesus' side during His ministry, come to John the Baptist and John immediately calls their lineage into question. Remember how ascribed honor came primarily from your father. By saying that the Ps&Ss are, as Rohrbaugh puts it, "snake bastards", the honor rating (and therefore the importance of their opinion) is shaken. John also implies that their actions have offended God's honor and that He will soon seek satisfaction for it (vs. 10 - remember that "seeking satisfaction" was the term used to describe the actions of a dishonored person trying to vindicate himself). On the other hand, John builds up the honor of Jesus by his extravagant claims in vs.11.

Matthew 3

13 Then cometh Jesus from Galilee to the Jordan unto John, to be baptized of him. 14 But John would have hindered him, saying, I have need to be baptized of thee, and comest thou to me? 15 But Jesus answering said unto him, Suffer it now: for thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness. Then he suffereth him. 16 And Jesus when he was baptized, went up straightway from the water: and lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending as a dove, and coming upon him; 17 and lo, a voice out of the heavens, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.

Here we have a fascinating example of God affirming the outrageous honor rating that Matthew would like the reader to confer to Jesus. After being baptised by John, the spirit of God descends and a voice from heaven (a Jewish way of saying a voice from God) acknowledges Jesus as His very own son and one who pleases Him greatly. With Yahweh's blessing, the reader can believe that Jesus' ascribed honor is indeed divine and therefore supremely high.

In summary, we've seen the following:

1. Matthew emphasizes that Jesus' birth has been foretold in Scripture, therefore Jesus can be seen as significant.
2. Jesus' adversaries are seen as shameful, therefore their opinions of Him are worthless.
3. Honorable individuals (the Magi) recognize Jesus' high social worth. The implication is that the reader should as well.
4. God affirms Jesus' divine parentage, therefore Jesus ascribed honor rating is as high as Yahweh Himself.

Bibliography

• Bruce J. Malina and Richard L. Rohrbaugh, Social-Science Commentary on the Synoptic Gospels, 2nd ed. (Minneapolis: FORTRESS PRESS, 2003).