Fugue in E minor (BWV 548), “The Wedge”
In many ways I think Lent is when the rubber meets the road, spiritually speaking. That is, religion and spirituality are all well and good when things are going well. But it can be challenging to feel their necessity in sunny times. However, when we face adversity, pain, death — the Dark side of life, that’s when spirituality really comes into its own. Indeed, generally speaking, historically Christianity has thrived during tough times, and less so during good ones.
The two big Gospel stories covered in Lent are the Temptation, and the Journey to Jerusalem (including encounters and parables along the way). This morning’s Gospel lesson is about the Temptation. Matthew and Luke detail the three temptations, Mark only gives a summary: “And the Spirit immediately drove him out into the wilderness. He was in the wilderness forty days, tempted by Satan; and he was with the wild beasts; and the angels waited on him.”
Mark is unique in mentioning that “he was with the wild beasts.” Mark is generally terse — why would he include this detail omitted by the other Gospels?
The single Greek word translated as ‘wild beasts’ is ThĒRIA, and refers to wild animals as opposed to domesticated ones. Any animal in the wild is a ThĒRIA. Interestingly, ThĒRIA is closely related to the word THERION used in the Book of Revelation to describe the infamous Beast. Actually, there are two main Beasts in Revelation, and they’re found in chapter 13. The first Beast rises out of the sea and is often interpreted as a symbol of political or imperial power persecuting Christians. The second Beast, sometimes referred to as the False Prophet, supports the authority of the first beast and leads people to worship it.
A few other places where ThĒRIA and THERION are used:
Matthew 7:15: In this verse, Jesus warns his disciples to beware of false prophets who come to them in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are “ravenous wolves” (ThĒRIA).
Luke 10:3: Jesus instructs his disciples as he sends them out, saying, “Go your way; behold, I send you out as lambs among wolves” (ThĒRIA ).
1 Corinthians 15:32: In this passage, Paul speaks of the dangers he faces daily, including “fighting with beasts” (ThĒRIA) in Ephesus (likely the ‘two-legged’ variety).
James 3:7: James uses the term ThĒRIA to emphasize the untamed nature of various animals, comparing them to the tongue, which he describes as “a restless evil, full of deadly poison.”
2 Peter 2:12: Peter speaks of false teachers who are like “irrational animals”: ALOGA ThĒRIA, “wild animals without LOGOS”, that is, without ‘reason’, or ‘rationality’.
So, with more of a feel for the word, what is its significance in Mark 1:13? It highlights the wildness and desolation of the wilderness. And it echoes Old Testament imagery depicting the wilderness as inhabited by dangerous creatures. Also, in Jewish and early Christian thought, wild beasts symbolized spiritual forces of evil or chaos, so mentioning wild beasts suggests the broader context of spiritual warfare. And, despite the presence of wild beasts, Jesus remains unharmed and unthreatened, underscoring his divine authority and mastery over creation. And I’m sure there’s more that could be gleaned!
At any rate, Mark paints a picture with three groups of beings: Angels, Jesus the ‘Son of Humanity’, and the Wild Beasts. Heaven, Earth, and the Underworld? Just a wild imaginative thought…
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If “paradox’ is about holding opposing ideas simultaneously in our minds, this morning’s prelude is definitely a “musical paradox”. It derives its nickname “the Wedge” from the wedge-shaped fugue subject. And as fugue subjects go, this one’s on the wild and crazy side.
In this piece, Bach starts with strict fugue. Now, the ‘fugue’ is one of the most highly regimented and complex musical forms there is. Heavy on LOGOS. Meanwhile, on the other end of the spectrum, he has ‘musical fantasy’ passages — wild and free, pretty much rule-free. (ThĒRIA?) Bach combines both in this piece, alternating between ‘strict fugue’ and ‘wild fantasy’ — and sometimes both at the same time. I don’t know of another piece like it — by Bach or anyone else.