天災人禍與基督社群身分的塑造：析讀馬可福音十一及十三章的敍事

Social Identity Formation of the Christ Group in Response to Natural and Man-made Disasters: A Narrative Criticism of Mark 11 and 13

Sin Pan HO

Both Jews and the Christ group faced many sudden changes in the first century. The situation became acute in the 60s and 70s of the Common Era. Earthquakes, famines, plagues and sudden changes in social order were not uncommon in the Mediterranean world. In the 60s and 70s, the Christ group experienced empire-wide persecutions for being accused of setting Rome on fire. Jews witnessed the destruction of both Jerusalem and their sacred temple in Jerusalem after the Jewish war for independence.

How did the Christ group respond to these natural and man-made disasters? Were their responses different from the Jews?

In this paper, I will investigate the first narrative book of the New Testament: the Gospel of Mark. Mark 11 and 13 are examined from the perspective of narrative criticism, and found that Jesus’ words and deeds towards the Second Temple were explicitly portrayed; the narrator intends the narratives to echo with the destruction of Jerusalem and the Second Temple. The narrator communicates a constructive vision of world mission resulting from natural disasters and the First Jewish Revolt to the first readers. Mark’s message is about gospel justice, but it is diametrically opposite to the theodicies in the Jewish literature. As a result, Mark’s gospel shapes the social identity of the Christ groups after 70 by making them different from the Jews and more universally embracive. Mark’s gospel decenters the cultural traditions of the existing members and focuses more on the aspects of forgiveness and faith-building of Christ’s gospel which has been already stated in Mark 1.

With regard to the present contexts in Hong Kong, this exegetical study may offer some insights to local churches concerning how to be more positive and vital in responding to the recent sudden changes in natural and political environments