By What Authority?
Stories
Scenes of Glory
Subplots of God's Long Story
Object:
Chapter 10
By What Authority?
Mark 1:21-28
"Hillel or Shammai. Hillel or Shammai." It seemed to the two hired men toiling in the boat's stern that was all they heard from their bosses anymore. One hired man hauled in the net and whispered to the other, "I liked it better when they just argued about where to fish." He looked quickly over his shoulder at his two bosses quarreling in boat's bow. "I'm ready to join the Roman legions to get away from this."
"Hillel or Shammai." Those names had split the air over Galilee's lake for two weeks. The other hired man grabbed a trash fish by the tail, swung it, mashed its head against the boat, and tossed it in the water. "If I'd known their pilgrimage to Passover would bring this, I'd have drowned them first."
All the lake's fishermen knew that Johanan and Kostai argued as much as fished. How was it possible for brothers to be inseparable, but always disagreeing? To compound their problems these fishing partners, for the first time in their lives, journeyed to Jerusalem for Passover. They spent a week there having their ideas of religion confirmed by the disciples of their favorite teachers. In person they listened to teaching they'd heard about in fragments for years.
Kostai, predictably by his gentler nature, was inspired by Hillel's disciples. No one was astonished to discover that Johanan, matching his stern disposition, was as smitten by Shammai's approach to the faith as Kostai was to Hillel's. Their three-day journey back to Galilee wasn't pleasant for anyone in the caravan. Kostai argued for Hillel's more merciful interpretation of the law and Johanan claimed Shammai's more rigid method.
As Kostai struggled now around the boatload of fish toward the hired men in the stern, Johanan took his chance to talk to Kostai's back. "Hillel the Babylonian was taught by Shemaiah. Hillel is the prince of interpreters -- reasonable, consistent, second only to Moses as the true authority in knowing God."
Johanan, a step away from the hired men, flung his head around so fast that he almost fell onto the nets. "Shammai," he shouted. "Shammai was taught by Menahem. Hillel bends the law into loops. Shammai explains the genuine intention of the holy writings." The hired men kept their heads down toward their work. They had their own opinion of Hillel and Shammai but it wasn't based on formal study.
Two days before, Peter and Andrew were casting their hand nets west of Capernaum's docks. They heard the brothers' quarrel. The names "Hillel" and "Shammai" echoed around the lake. Peter yelled over to Andrew, "Who says Galileans don't care about the finer points of Moses' law?"
On the first sabbath after Kostai and Johanan returned from Jerusalem, they were the first worshipers to show up at the synagogue for sabbath worship. After the Torah's reading, the two spoke first. They spoke most. They spoke last. Everyone in town knew just where each stood on matters of purity, blessings, acceptable reasons for divorce, tithes, and postures for reciting prayers.
On the next sabbath, so many people were gossiping about the brothers that they hardly noticed another teacher arrive in town. Most people didn't see Jesus enter the synagogue with Peter and Andrew and two of the town's other fishermen who, until the day before, had worked the lake just as hard as Johanan and Kostai.
Today the worshipers gathered as much to watch the brothers make fools of themselves as to hear the holy scriptures. Immediately after the Torah reading, Johanan was getting up to speak when Kostai, getting up also, bumped him and Johanan tumbled sideways, nearly falling onto a man's lap. Johanan was so amazed that he tried to slap Kostai while getting up again.
Before either could fully rise and face their fellow worshipers, the traveling rabbi stood. He immediately received more courteous attention than the two brothers. The longer Jesus explained the scripture, the less anyone wanted to hear Kostai or Johanan, even if they previously agreed with one of them. People were saying, "Yes, uh huh," as Jesus spoke. Others nodded their heads. Some stroked their beard or cradled their chin in their hand. Jesus didn't quote other teachers. He talked about the good news of God's coming kingdom and the need to repent -- a regular John the Baptist. Johanan looked at Kostai. Both were confused. Jesus didn't argue with anyone's viewpoint.
After Jesus' teaching, Johanan stood and braced himself against a pillar, "The teacher Shammai," he mumbled, "would say that, ah --"
Then, the unclean spirit burst through a man's voice, "What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are, the holy one of God." Jesus wouldn't debate with him, either. Jesus rebuked him, saying, "Be silent, and come out of him!" And the unclean spirit, convulsing him and crying with a loud voice, came out of him.
Kostai slowly rose and looked around at the people who were still starring at Jesus. "Well, Hillel, said --"
He stopped with a surprised look. Johanan sitting beside him was tugging at his sleeve. He was pulling his brother to sit him down. Johanan said loudly enough for everyone to hear, "Sit down and shut up. This guy knows what he's doing and what he's talking about. He really is an authority."
Kostai, without another word sat. For weeks to come, the folk around Capernaum talked as much of Johanan and Kostai's being silenced as about Jesus' casting out the demon. For one reason or the other, Jesus' fame began to spread throughout the surrounding region of Galilee. Also, fishing on the lake was a lot quieter.
Discussion Questions
1. What immediate responses do you have to the story?
2. Do you identify with a character in the story? If yes, how and why do you identify with the person? If no, why don't you identify with anyone in the story?
3. Would you like to have a conversation with a character in the story? What would you say, ask, or suggest to the person? Why?
4. How does the story bring the biblical text into a clearer focus for you?
5. How would you improve or modify the story? Why?
6. Have you dealt with rigid believers who exclude as legitimate any other religious viewpoint? What was the experience like? Have you done so yourself?
7. Have you had an experience in which you realized that Jesus' personal authority extends beyond sectarian narrowness?
8. How would you describe and explain the authority that people perceive in Jesus?
9. What further depths of meaning, symbols, connections with, or applications of the biblical faith do you find in the story?
10. Since Jesus Christ has risen from the dead and is alive among us through his Holy Spirit, what of this story would you like Christ to activate in your life?
By What Authority?
Mark 1:21-28
"Hillel or Shammai. Hillel or Shammai." It seemed to the two hired men toiling in the boat's stern that was all they heard from their bosses anymore. One hired man hauled in the net and whispered to the other, "I liked it better when they just argued about where to fish." He looked quickly over his shoulder at his two bosses quarreling in boat's bow. "I'm ready to join the Roman legions to get away from this."
"Hillel or Shammai." Those names had split the air over Galilee's lake for two weeks. The other hired man grabbed a trash fish by the tail, swung it, mashed its head against the boat, and tossed it in the water. "If I'd known their pilgrimage to Passover would bring this, I'd have drowned them first."
All the lake's fishermen knew that Johanan and Kostai argued as much as fished. How was it possible for brothers to be inseparable, but always disagreeing? To compound their problems these fishing partners, for the first time in their lives, journeyed to Jerusalem for Passover. They spent a week there having their ideas of religion confirmed by the disciples of their favorite teachers. In person they listened to teaching they'd heard about in fragments for years.
Kostai, predictably by his gentler nature, was inspired by Hillel's disciples. No one was astonished to discover that Johanan, matching his stern disposition, was as smitten by Shammai's approach to the faith as Kostai was to Hillel's. Their three-day journey back to Galilee wasn't pleasant for anyone in the caravan. Kostai argued for Hillel's more merciful interpretation of the law and Johanan claimed Shammai's more rigid method.
As Kostai struggled now around the boatload of fish toward the hired men in the stern, Johanan took his chance to talk to Kostai's back. "Hillel the Babylonian was taught by Shemaiah. Hillel is the prince of interpreters -- reasonable, consistent, second only to Moses as the true authority in knowing God."
Johanan, a step away from the hired men, flung his head around so fast that he almost fell onto the nets. "Shammai," he shouted. "Shammai was taught by Menahem. Hillel bends the law into loops. Shammai explains the genuine intention of the holy writings." The hired men kept their heads down toward their work. They had their own opinion of Hillel and Shammai but it wasn't based on formal study.
Two days before, Peter and Andrew were casting their hand nets west of Capernaum's docks. They heard the brothers' quarrel. The names "Hillel" and "Shammai" echoed around the lake. Peter yelled over to Andrew, "Who says Galileans don't care about the finer points of Moses' law?"
On the first sabbath after Kostai and Johanan returned from Jerusalem, they were the first worshipers to show up at the synagogue for sabbath worship. After the Torah's reading, the two spoke first. They spoke most. They spoke last. Everyone in town knew just where each stood on matters of purity, blessings, acceptable reasons for divorce, tithes, and postures for reciting prayers.
On the next sabbath, so many people were gossiping about the brothers that they hardly noticed another teacher arrive in town. Most people didn't see Jesus enter the synagogue with Peter and Andrew and two of the town's other fishermen who, until the day before, had worked the lake just as hard as Johanan and Kostai.
Today the worshipers gathered as much to watch the brothers make fools of themselves as to hear the holy scriptures. Immediately after the Torah reading, Johanan was getting up to speak when Kostai, getting up also, bumped him and Johanan tumbled sideways, nearly falling onto a man's lap. Johanan was so amazed that he tried to slap Kostai while getting up again.
Before either could fully rise and face their fellow worshipers, the traveling rabbi stood. He immediately received more courteous attention than the two brothers. The longer Jesus explained the scripture, the less anyone wanted to hear Kostai or Johanan, even if they previously agreed with one of them. People were saying, "Yes, uh huh," as Jesus spoke. Others nodded their heads. Some stroked their beard or cradled their chin in their hand. Jesus didn't quote other teachers. He talked about the good news of God's coming kingdom and the need to repent -- a regular John the Baptist. Johanan looked at Kostai. Both were confused. Jesus didn't argue with anyone's viewpoint.
After Jesus' teaching, Johanan stood and braced himself against a pillar, "The teacher Shammai," he mumbled, "would say that, ah --"
Then, the unclean spirit burst through a man's voice, "What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are, the holy one of God." Jesus wouldn't debate with him, either. Jesus rebuked him, saying, "Be silent, and come out of him!" And the unclean spirit, convulsing him and crying with a loud voice, came out of him.
Kostai slowly rose and looked around at the people who were still starring at Jesus. "Well, Hillel, said --"
He stopped with a surprised look. Johanan sitting beside him was tugging at his sleeve. He was pulling his brother to sit him down. Johanan said loudly enough for everyone to hear, "Sit down and shut up. This guy knows what he's doing and what he's talking about. He really is an authority."
Kostai, without another word sat. For weeks to come, the folk around Capernaum talked as much of Johanan and Kostai's being silenced as about Jesus' casting out the demon. For one reason or the other, Jesus' fame began to spread throughout the surrounding region of Galilee. Also, fishing on the lake was a lot quieter.
Discussion Questions
1. What immediate responses do you have to the story?
2. Do you identify with a character in the story? If yes, how and why do you identify with the person? If no, why don't you identify with anyone in the story?
3. Would you like to have a conversation with a character in the story? What would you say, ask, or suggest to the person? Why?
4. How does the story bring the biblical text into a clearer focus for you?
5. How would you improve or modify the story? Why?
6. Have you dealt with rigid believers who exclude as legitimate any other religious viewpoint? What was the experience like? Have you done so yourself?
7. Have you had an experience in which you realized that Jesus' personal authority extends beyond sectarian narrowness?
8. How would you describe and explain the authority that people perceive in Jesus?
9. What further depths of meaning, symbols, connections with, or applications of the biblical faith do you find in the story?
10. Since Jesus Christ has risen from the dead and is alive among us through his Holy Spirit, what of this story would you like Christ to activate in your life?
