A Different Agenda
Mark 15:22-32
Is this the way you remember it?
Photo by Mattia Poli on Unsplash
Then they brought Jesus to the place called Golgotha (which means the place of a skull). And they offered him wine mixed with myrrh; but he did not take it. And they crucified him, and divided his clothes among them, casting lots to decide what each should take. It was nine o'clock in the morning when they crucified him. The inscription of the charge against him read, "The King of the Jews." And with him they crucified two bandits, one on his right and one on his left. Those who passed by derided him, shaking their heads and saying, "Aha! You who would destroy the temple and build it in three days, save yourself, and come down from the cross!" In the same way the chief priests, along with the scribes, were also mocking him among themselves and saying, "He saved others; he cannot save himself. Let the Messiah, the King of Israel, come down from the cross now, so that we may see and believe." Those who were crucified with him also taunted him. - Mark 15:22-32
In Matthew's Gospel, one of the bandits asks Jesus to remember him when he enters his kingdom, but here, in Mark, both bandits taunt Jesus.
Why the difference?
It is as if these two Gospel writers have different agendas in telling this story.
So, which is true?
It could be that both Gospel writers told the story the way they heard it from people who were there.
That makes sense, right? One who was standing close may have heard the one bandit ask for forgiveness, while someone farther away might have only heard shouts of derision and anger.
But we can't deny that the slight difference in the story makes a big difference in the message for us. Having Jesus be so forgiving as he was dying is powerful.
What would it be like if we didn't have Matthew's version of this story?
Having four sources instead of one gives us greater perspective. We see Jesus from several angles instead of from one. Yes, they sometimes contradict each other, and I think that is normal. First-hand accounts are often different from different people.
So, I think the message for all of us is to study all sources, all four Gospels, and any other documents as well. Why not? Just because these are the sanctioned four stories, doesn't mean we can't gain insight from other sources.
Yeah, that sounds radical, I know, but Jesus was a radical human. He was divie, but also a wild and crazy guy.
More to come...