The Eschatological Judge in “Q”
The Eschatological Judge in “Q”
In ch. 11, we noted that John the Baptist announced the coming of someone who would baptize in God’s Spirit and fire. In John’s Bible, however, only God would pour out the divine Spirit (e.g., Is 44:3; Ezek 39:29; Joel 2:28-29) and fiery end-time judgment. Whether or not John applied this image to Jesus, Q certainly did. Although Mark omits baptism in fire, he still includes baptism in the Spirit, perhaps abbreviating Q.
In ch. 11, we also noted John’s claim that he was unworthy to handle the coming one’s sandals, i.e., unworthy to be his servant. (Although this saying could be assigned to Mark rather than Q, because I believe that Mark abbreviates “Q” material for his introduction here I believe this saying predates Mark.) Because prophets were servants of God, we pointed out that such an image appears to imply some superhuman or even divine role for the coming one.
In one “Q” parable, Jesus emphasizes his eschatological role. In both Luke and Matthew, Jesus’ sermon on ethics climaxes with a parable that provides the authority for his ethics (Lk 6:47-49//Matt 7:24-27). We have already noted that parables are characteristic of Jesus’ teaching, not that of his followers; we would thus naturally deem a “Q” parable particularly reliable. In Jesus’ parable, whoever builds on his wise words will endure testing,4 whereas whoever does not will be swept away.
Jesus sounds like more than a mere sage here, especially when we consider how others may have normally told this same parable. An early-second-century teacher, not dependent on Jesus but probably dependent on a common tradition, offered a similar parable. In this parable, one who studies Torah and has good works “may be likened to” one who lays a foundation of stones and then of bricks, so that rising water or rain cannot overturn it. But one who studies Torah and has no good works is like one who builds with bricks on the bottom, so that even a small amount of water overturns it.5 The language of this example is almost as similar to Matthew’s as Luke’s version of the parable is.6 Jesus here refers to his own words in the way that Jewish teachers generally referred to God’s law.7 The label “sectarian”8 may therefore constitute an understatement!
We also encounter Jesus’ exalted role elsewhere in “Q.”9 As we noted in our chapter on Jesus’ conflicts, Jesus wished to gather his people under his wings (Matt 23:37//Lk 13:34). This claim, as we noted, recalls a biblical and early Jewish image of God sheltering his people under his wings;10 Jewish teachers also came to speak of one who converted Gentiles as bringing them under the wings of the Shekinah, the divine presence.11