In the aforementioned lecture by Richard Hays he makes an intertextual connection that I would have not noticed. In Mk. 6.45-56 we have the story of Jesus walking on the Sea. In v. 48 there is a semi-cryptic statement that Hays says has perplexed scholars. It says of Jesus as he walked by his disciples who were struggling with the storm that, “He was about to pass them by.”
Why was Jesus about to pass them? Why mention this?
In Job 9.8 God is described as the one “Who alone stretches out the heavens and tramples the waves of the sea”. It says a few more things about God and then in v. 11, “Were he to pass me, I would not see him; Were he to move past me, I would not perceive him.”
Hays connects the LXX rendering of v. 11b ἐὰν παρέλθῃ με οὐδ’ ὧς ἔγνων with the language of Mk. 6.48c καὶ ἤθελεν παρελθεῖν αὐτούς.. In both passages the passing of the main character is put in focus. In both passages the one passing is the one who tramples water. In the Job passage only God can do this.
If the Markan passage contains an intertextual echo of Job 9.11 then this presents a high Christology. Admittedly, the connection is a bit loose at first glance but I think Hays may be on to something. What do you think?
the archives near Emmaus 
Interesting, we are actually covering this chapter today in class. I will bring it up and see what everyone thinks.
That would be great. Make sure to return and let me know how the discussion went!
A scholars idea! 🙂 But the quote in Job is beyond this context. But I think I might notice Jesus walking on the water.. and maybe passing by! lol Not really an “existential” experience.
Report: there wasn’t a lot of fruitful discussion on the matter, being that no one had yet viewed the lecture. Also, many read parelthein as ‘come to’ as in Jesus came right up beside the boat (this a gloss is mentioned by BDAG, though the last #7), this would make the connection difficult .
Most were much more willing to see allusions to Moses in the previous pericope, making Jesus the 2nd Moses. But again, no one had viewed the lecture including myself. I did give a link to this article and the lecture, so hopefully some will watch and open some discussion next week. Thanks again for the timely blog.
If I remember correctly Hays mentioned the Moses allusion as well where YHWH passes before him showing him only his “hinder parts”.
By the way, which lecture is this from?
The first one, “Can the Gospels Teach Us How to Read the Old Testament?”