Kunigunde Kreuzerin wrote:.
The following post wishs to show that Mark’s assumed source (Paul) can open the door to an interesting interpretation of Mark.
Mark 5 | Matthew 9 | Luke 8 |
24 And a great crowd followed him and thronged about him. 25 And there was a woman who had had a discharge of blood for twelve years, 26 and who had suffered much under many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was no better but rather grew worse. 27 She had heard the reports about Jesus and came up behind him in the crowd and touched his garment. 28 For she said, “If I touch even his garments, I will be made well.” 29 And immediately the flow of blood dried up, and she felt in her body that she was healed of her disease. |
19 And Jesus rose and followed him, with his disciples. 20 And behold, a woman who had suffered from a discharge of blood for twelve years came up behind him and touched the fringe of his garment, 21 for she said to herself, “If I only touch his garment, I will be made well.” 22 Jesus turned, and seeing her he said, “Take heart, daughter; your faith has made you well.” And instantly the woman was made well. |
42 As Jesus went, the people pressed around him. 43 And there was a woman who had had a discharge of blood for twelve years, and though she had spent all her living on physicians, she could not be healed by anyone. 44 She came up behind him and touched the fringe of his garment, and immediately her discharge of blood ceased. 45 And Jesus said, “Who was it that touched me?” When all denied it, Peter said, “Master, the crowds surround you and are pressing in on you!” 46 But Jesus said, “Someone touched me, for I perceive that power has gone out from me.” 47 And when the woman saw that she was not hidden, she came trembling, and falling down before him declared in the presence of all the people why she had touched him, and how she had been immediately healed. |
Interestingly, it isn’t said in Mark 5:29 that she felt in “
her” body that she is healed. It’s only “
the” body. But clearly we assume that it is her body.
Mark 5:29
... καὶ ἔγνω τῷ σώματι ὅτι ἴαται ἀπὸ τῆς μάστιγος
… and (she) knew (in) the body that (she was) heald from the affliction
JW, KK and others --
I've always been very interested in this passage and its derivatives (Assuming Mark => Matthew => Luke. YMMV). I don't find this as evidence of a Set of "Pauline" References. Rather, it gives evidence of a more "Primitive" Source, most likely Nicholas of Damascus, or suitable "Others", altho either assertion of NoD or Others leads to problems of their own.
Mark 5: 28 - 33 (RSV):
[28] For she said, "If I touch even his garments, I shall be made well."
[29] And immediately the hemorrhage ceased; and she felt in her body that she was healed of her disease.
[30] And Jesus, perceiving in himself that power had gone forth from him, immediately turned about in the crowd, and said, "Who touched my garments?"
[31] And his disciples said to him, "You see the crowd pressing around you, and yet you say, `Who touched me?'"
[32] And he looked around to see who had done it.
[33] But the woman, knowing what had been done to her, came in fear and trembling and fell down before him, and told him the whole truth.
Follow the Trail:
1. "Discharge of Blood": In all three Passages.
Then:
2. "Many Physicians": Mark and Luke
3. "12 years": IN ALL THREE
4. "for she said...": Mark, "for she said TO HERSELF...": Matthew
The next statements give a Primacy Statement that points to some other idea than "Pauline Material":
5a. "If I touch his garments...": Mark and Matthew, "...came up...and...": Luke
5b. "from behind": In all three passages
6. "Who touched my garments?" ONLY IN MARK!
The Disciples in Mark state that Jesus was concerned with "WHO TOUCHED ME?". Matthew makes note of Jesus' notice of the Woman. Luke repeats the "Who touched me...?", only it is now from the mouth of Jesus. I take this, therefore, as a Symbolic Story that has been smoothed in Matthew and Luke to hide the Original Point of the Story, that point being that it is the focus on the GARMENTS that is important and not the Jesus Miracle Story. That this is a more correct reading is implied by the Lukan addition. "...the power has gone out of me...". Why? Jesus is UNCLEAN. [[Edit: Got ahead of myself. Compare Luke with Mark...]]
Leviticus 15: 25 - 28 (RSV):
[25] "If a woman has a discharge of blood for many days, not at the time of her impurity, or if she has a discharge beyond the time of her impurity, all the days of the discharge she shall continue in uncleanness; as in the days of her impurity, she shall be unclean.
[26] Every bed on which she lies, all the days of her discharge, shall be to her as the bed of her impurity; and everything on which she sits shall be unclean, as in the uncleanness of her impurity.
[27] And whoever touches these things shall be unclean, and shall wash his clothes, and bathe himself in water, and be unclean until the evening.
[28] But if she is cleansed of her discharge, she shall count for herself seven days, and after that she shall be clean.
This is not Pauline. It is from another time and is concerned with another Subject. The Priesthood. The Nation. Something that occurred with the Priesthood that rendered the Nation Unclean for 12 years.
CW