Jesus Remembered: Christianity in the Making, vol. 1

THE MISSION OF JESUS §12.4
have left everything in discipleship 'much more in this life 231 and in the age to
come eternal life' (Mark 10.29-30 pars.). 232 The disciples evidently anticipated
high status in the kingdom (Mark 10.35-37), and Q apparently ends with the
promise to the twelve that they will share in the judging of Israel (Matt. 19.27-
28/Luke 22.28-30). 233 The prospect evidently included the assurance of resurrection
in a heavenly mode of existence (Mark 12.24-27 pars.), 234 explicitly linked
with the theme of reward in Luke 14.12-14. It would be surprising if Jesus had
not encouraged his disciples with some such prospects of vindication and reward,
as, once again, a well-rooted theme attests. 235 Most typical is the prospect
of life after death, but also of reward following final judgment, with only one
clear allusion to recompense in this life.
Here should also be mentioned the positive hope expressed in terms of
hunger satisfied and the eschatological banquet. Those who hunger are blessed
because they will be able to eat their fill and be satisfied (chortazesthai, Matt.
5.6/Luke 6.21a/GTh 69.2). The many coming from east and west will recline in
ditions round which John built his reflections). Missing the character of oral transmission, the
Jesus Seminar conclude both that Luke 17.33 is 'the closest to what Jesus actually said', but
also that 'Mark has Christianized a secular proverb' (Funk, Five Gospels 79, 367).
231. The surprising contrast with the expectations of §12.4d suggests the unlikelihood
of the core saying (see the citation below, chapter 14 n. 240) being included subsequently
within a tradition where Jesus' forebodings were so prominent. Reimarus took the saying seriously:
the disciples had been induced by hopes of wealth and power, lands and worldly goods
to follow Jesus, had grown out of the habit of working during their time with Jesus, and sought
to maintain their position and hopes by inventing the resurrection of Jesus (Talbert, Fragments
145, 240-54).
232. 'Entry into life' is promised to those who make the necessary sacrifices (Mark 9.43,
45/Matt. 18.8-9; Matt. 7.14; 25.46), just as 'inheritance of eternal life' is promised to those sufficiently
committed (Mark 10.17-21 pars.; Luke 10.25-28).
233. See above, nn. 178, 205.
234. The passage is usually regarded as an early church formulation, but Jesus is likely to
have been closer to the Pharisees on such matters involving interpretation of Scripture, and the
hope of resurrection expressed here does not appear to have been Christianized (see Taylor,
Mark 480; Pesch, Markusevangelium 2.235; Davies and Allison, Matthew 3.222-23; J. P. Meier,
'The Debate on the Resurrection of the Dead: An Incident from the Ministry of the Historical Jesus?',
JSNT 77 [2000] 3-24; full discussion in Meier, MarginalJew 3.411-44, pointing out, inter
alia, that the use of Exod. 3.6 is unique and idiosyncratic [3.435-37; bibliography in 3.468
n. 76]). Should anastesontai (Matt. 12.41/Luke 11.32) be translated 'will be raised' (Allison, Jesus
of Nazareth 136-39) or 'will rise up' as an accuser in court (BAGD, anistemi 2b)?
235. Becker argues that the emphasis on God's graciousness (Matt. 20.1-15; Luke 15.11-
32; 18.9-14) leaves no room for the idea of reward in Jesus' teaching {Jesus 241-47, 251). But
when both themes are so well attested in the Jesus tradition, such playing off of one against the
other smacks more of dictation to the tradition than of attentive listening to the tradition. At the
same time we should recall the parable solely attested by Luke, 17.7-10; vv. 7-9 are usually attributed
to Jesus (see Hultgren, Parables 250 and n. 16; also Lüdemann, Jesus 371).
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