I will use the English Standard Version of the Bible because this is what our Church uses. My material comes from three sources: (1) The Gospel of Mark: A Commentary on the Greek Text by R. T. France, (2) The Gospel of Mark: Socio-Rhetorical Commentary by Ben Witherington III, and (3) Mark 1:1-8:26 by James W. Voelz.
Any good Sunday
school lesson on Scripture deserves an introduction. One would not take up
medicine or art without an introduction to human anatomy or art history.
I.
Gospel
The opening
verse deserves comment.[1] We
read, “The beginning of the gospel of
Jesus Christ, the Son of God.” Catechesis demands we ask, what does this
mean? When Mark wrote these words, Mark did not say, “I am going to write a
gospel.” He did not use gospel to designate a literary genre, but simply
indicated the nature of his subject matter. He presented in written form the
‘good news’ about Jesus which was and is the subject of the church’s teaching
and mission. Hence, the word gospel became
necessary. Gospel was the most suitable label for this category of literature,
that is, church books about Jesus.
Now, the church was able to determine four canonical versions of this story.
II. Biography
A. A biography like no other
Was Mark a
biography? Yes and no. Mark told the story of Jesus, but in a different style
from other biographies of his time. His style and content of the story aroused
a feeling, and so, Mark was not a biography like other biographies, but a
development of the actions, sayings, and suffering of a human being on his way
through this anxious world of human beings and demons.[2]
Mark has the
capacity to shock and subvert comfortable literary expectations. While there is
no doubt that Jesus is the hero of this story, Mark portrays him as an unrecognized,
rejected, humiliated, disappointed individual, who was deserted by his closest
allies and eventually victimized by a hostile environment. This is not the
stuff of an ancient biography.
We must view
Mark as a biography based on other ancient biographies, and must examine its Jewish content, though written in
Greek, which reflected the rhetorical and biographical conventions of his time.[3] In
other words, ancient biographies, like modern ones, center on a particular
person and seek to present an adequate and accurate characterization of that
person, including information about other persons and groups of people, and
revealing his character and personality. The message of ancient biographies was
“go and do likewise” or “go and do otherwise.”
In evaluating Mark
as a biography, we must have a firm handle on its chronological and social
setting. Whatever its date, Mark was written after the beginning of the Roman Empire
and during the rise of Roman biographical tradition, following in the footsteps
of the Greek biographical tradition. Unlike Greek biographers, Roman ones added
a greater concern for the family traditions, the need for the demonstration of
public honor, and, sometimes in the latter two-thirds of the century, a focus
on the hero’s patient suffering and death under a tyrant.[4]
Finally, Mark
offered six portrayals of Jesus: (1) a man of authority, (2) a man of power,
(3) someone to be feared, (4) someone who is divine, (5) someone who is fully
human and (6) someone who is odd.[5]
B. Sources
Although Mark was
a biographer, he was more of an editor than a writer, bringing together what
was already known about Jesus.
Credited as
Peter’s Gospel, Mark also had a working relationship with Paul.[6] In Acts, we read, “When he
(Peter) realized this, he went to the house of Mary, the mother of John whose
other name was Mark, where many were gathered together and were praying.” And later,
“Barnabas
and Saul returned from Jerusalem when they had completed their service,
bringing with them John, whose other name was Mark.[7]
“And after some
days Paul said to Barnabas, “Let us return and visit the brothers in every city
where we proclaimed the word of the Lord, and see how they are.” Now Barnabas
wanted to take with them John called Mark. But Paul thought best not to take
with them one who had withdrawn from them in Pamphylia and had not gone with
them to the work. And there arose a sharp disagreement, so that they separated
from each other. Barnabas took Mark with him and sailed away to Cyprus, but
Paul chose Silas and departed, having been commended by the brothers to the
grace of the Lord. And he went through Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the
churches.[8]
This shows that Mark’s
account was not a distant evaluation by a scholarly admirer of Jesus, but the
subjective experience of one who shared closely in the stirring and profoundly
disturbing events of Jesus’ public ministry and his confrontation with the
Jerusalem establishment. It reflected those experiences as they were passed on
in the day-to-day teaching ministry of a living community of His followers,
which included Mark and Peter, the teller of those stories.[9]
C. For whom was Mark written?
We know Luke
wrote for Theophilus, but who was Mark’s audience? Primarily, he was addressing
Christians he was with to persuade, encourage, and exhort them during a
difficult time of suffering and persecution.[10]
Galilee and Judea in the 20s and 30s, like Rome in the 60s – the social setting
Mark reported on in his Gospel – are volatile for religious Jews and especially
for those in the Jesus movement. They were not seeking solitude and the
avoidance of controversy, but by being involved in a movement to radically
reform Judaism, they were a visible and openly evangelistic group.
Christian
evangelism was considered an un-Roman act that was not prohibited but was
discouraged. Early Christians refused to participate in the worship of the
emperor,[11] and
their evangelism may have led to both expulsion and conscription.[12]
Some officials formed opinions of first century Jews in Palestine based on their
political and military problems.[13]
Mark encouraged these persecuted disciples to keep the faith.
D. Discipleship
For a
first-century church leader or teacher to write about Jesus was not only to
tell the personal story of a prophet from Nazareth but also to inspire others
to play their proper part in the movement he founded. So, when we discuss Mark,
we not only discuss Christology, but also discipleship.[14] The
disciples are a central element in Mark’s story; and discipleship is the proper
outcome of a healthy Christology.[15]
III.
Style
A. Plot, theme and message
Mark was written
without a chronology. There is no indication when Jesus did or said what, but there
is a strong sense of urgency, conflict and concealment, which is referred to as
the messianic secret. That is, Jesus commanded others to keep silent about his
identity.
The theme is
that despite all the ambiguity of evidence (one must wade through the
declaration from heaven that Jesus is God’s Son and his relatives declaring him
to be crazy), it is necessary to believe that Jesus’ Word is reliable.[16]
And his message?
The reign and rule of God in Jesus Christ came in power, but hidden in humility
and lowliness. In his own words, Jesus revealed, “The Son of Man came not to be
served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” And, “After
I am raised up, I will go before you to Galilee.”[17]
James Voelz
writes, “We want to be confessors of the faith. We want to be faithful
followers in the way. We are not ashamed of the Gospel message of Christ
(8:35-38). However, it would be so much easier to endure if we could see some
proof or sign. If only we had been there when Jesus walked the earth. If only
we had been there on that Easter morn. It would be so much easier to endure.[18]
B. Structure and outline
The structural
divisions of Mark are neither clear nor obvious.[19] A
quick examination of how some chose to create breaks in the material indicates
that Mark was meant to be a drama told[20] –
perhaps in a one-act play by one performer.[21]
That said, you can review the outlines later.
In addition to
Mark taking a different rhetorical form from Paul’s letters, he included literary
devices such as sandwiches and doublets. There are at least seven sandwiches,
which we will cover in upcoming weeks. The most obvious occurs in chapter 5,
where the raising of Jairus’ daughter frames the healing of the woman with the
issue of blood (see vv. 21-24, 25-34, 35-43). The purpose of the sandwich was
to encourage the reader to read two stories in light of each other, with one
interpreting the other.[22]
Doublets or two
similar stories, such as the feeding of the multitudes and the major blocks of
his teaching in Galilee (chapter 4) and in Jerusalem during the least week of
his life (chapter 13) highlight the denseness of his disciples, who did not
learn from previous occasions, and double their culpability.[23]
CHAPTER ONE
1The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son
of God.
As we begin our
study of Mark, we could risk getting bogged down on the meaning of each word.
For an overview of Mark, it behooves us not to do so. There are three important
things in verse 1, one of which appears, two which do not.
First, the word
gospel became a technical term for a particular type of Christian literature
about Jesus Christ. Second, the phrase “according to” does not appear in any of
the four gospels. The phrase was introduced later when we had more than one
gospel in circulation. Finally, unlike Paul’s letters which opened and often
closed with his name and signature, these gospels are more anonymous.[24]
The first verse,
aka, the superscript, serves as a heading to the whole book. Although it is
verbless, we find similarities in Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Obadiah, Malachi and
Matthew.[25]
Jesus’ disciples
passed on orally the good news about Him. Mark intended to pass on the good
news about Jesus Christ in written form with a view of being read orally in
congregations.[26]
The beginning of
the preaching may have something to do with Mark 16:8 in which those who went out
of the tomb fled “for trembling and astonishment had seized them, and they said nothing
to anyone, for they were afraid.” Those who were afraid finally
did not remain silent but proclaimed the Word, the Good News.
I have some good
news for you. We are expecting our first grandson next spring. Birth
announcements are good news. Recall the media attention in August 2013 when
Prince George was born. In Jesus’ day, the birth announcement of a god was the
beginning of good news for all the subjects, for only a god could bring
world-changing and lasting good news.[27]
Prior to Jesus’
public ministry, John the Baptist attempted to reform Judaism. In citing the
prophets Isaiah (40:3) and Malachi (3:1), Mark told his original readers,
Jewish Christians seeking to reform Judaism, that this messenger would be found
not in the Jerusalem Temple, as they expected (Mal 3:1), but in the wilderness.
The setting of
the wilderness was important because this was the staging area for the
formation of Israel, and now the staging area for the reformation. It was where
God’s people learned to trust in God’s providence and protection. This new
Exodus was a new beginning – a symbol of hope and fulfillment. At the same time,
it dismissed Israel’s institutional life.
John’s clothing
and diet reinforced his prophetic image. Grasshoppers were high in protein and
ritually clean, and wild honey was not subject to the tithe. So, John assumed
an ascetic lifestyle while still conforming to Mosaic Law.
His radical
message was forgiveness without sacrifice. For him baptism was not a way but
the only way to achieve repentance. By baptizing people, John sought to
call together the repentant and restored people of God for the imminent
eschatological crisis – the end.[28]
Because John prepared
people in the wilderness, not in Jerusalem, through baptism, not sacrifice, he
shifted the center of authority. This explains why the chief priests and elders
refused to recognize the authority of John, and why he was expendable.
John’s baptism
was not the same as other Jewish ceremonial washing, nor was it the same as
later Christian baptism into the death and resurrection of Christ. The former
were performed repeatedly. Christian baptism performed only once. (Consult
handout.)
Verses
9-15
Reading the
account of Jesus’ baptism, we note the apocalyptic symbolism. After his
baptism, Jesus emerged from the water, and “saw the heavens being torn open and the
Spirit descending on him like a dove.” He heard the voice from heaven proclaim,
“You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.”
In 15:37-39, we
read: Jesus uttered a loud cry and breathed his last. And the curtain of the
temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. And when the centurion, who stood
facing him, saw that in this way he breathed his last, he said, “Truly this man
was the Son of God!”
The Temple veil
had embroidered on it a panalopy of heavenly features.[29]
The story began and ended with the rendering of heaven and the proclamation that
Jesus is the Son of God. The rendering of the Temple veil spoke to Jewish
Christians and the acknowledgement of a centurion spoke to Roman Christians.
The reference to
the dove harkened back to Genesis 1:2, where “the Spirit of God was hovering
over the face of the waters.” The emphasis was not so much on the bird,
but the hovering Spirit. Because Jesus was soon tempted by Satan, the reference
to the Spirit reminded readers that Jesus was possessed – not by Beelzebul, as
accused in 3:22 by scribes from Jerusalem, but by the Holy Spirit, who driove
him into the wilderness. Matthew and Luke wrote that the Spirit led Jesus. Mark
refered to the Spirit driving or throwing Jesus into the wilderness where he
encountered Satan and wild animals, beasts associated with the devil, and linked
his baptism to his ministry where he expeled demons.
Jewish readers
understood the parallels between the opening verses of Mark and the testing of
Israel in the wilderness, as well as the opening verses of Job, who was also
favored by God, but tested by Satan. And although Jesus, like Job, was tested
by Satan, remember that the Spirit initiated the wilderness experience and
stayed with him throughout – as angels ministered to him.
Verses
16 – 20
Before we proceed,
we ask why Jesus went into Galilee after Herod, who ruled Galilee, arrested and
beheaded John. Was Jesus naïve or did he challenge Herod by moving into his
area?[30] Maybe
he realized he would reach more people in Galilee than in the area around
Nazareth? Perhaps Jesus simply went where the people lived.
Verse 15 is a
summary verse for the rest of the chapter, and is the most basic statement of
Christian faith – repent and believe in the gospel. Repent and believe because
the reign of God has burst onto the scene. Jesus saw the reign of God in his
lifetime, and when others came under that reign there began to be a community.[31]
Hence, the need for disciples.
In verses 16-20,
Jesus called the core of his disciples. He did not wait for disciples to come
to him, which was contrary to the rabbinic system. Nor did he entice them, as
the Greeks did. Like Elijah, he called disciples to leave their work and follow
him.
Interestingly,
Jesus did not call these men to repent and believe, but recruited and trained
them to become fishers of men, a skill more difficult than fishing in the sea. Equally
interesting is the relationship between fishermen and tax collectors. Tax
collectors regularly targeted fishermen because the latter sold their product
quickly and dealt in money more often than other merchants who bartered. This
may reveal something about the relationship between disciples like Peter and
Matthew. Lastly, Mark tells us that these two groups of fishermen were
different. Andrew and Peter fished from the shore. Zebedee’s sons had boats.
Discussion and Reflection Questions
The main thing
Mark gets us to do in this opening passage is to sense the shock of the new
thing God was doing. It begins like an alarm clock ringing when you just dozed
into sleep. In what ways are we asleep in our churches, our communities and our
personal lives?
We can
summarize the Christian Gospel in this: What God said to Jesus on the day he
was baptized, He says to each of us. “You are my dear child. I am delighted
with you!” What would it mean to you to hear God say that?
To follow
Jesus, the fishermen have to cut loose from other ties and trust him and his
message (vv. 14-20). Why is it often so difficult for us to do likewise today?
Looking over
the first chapter, how does Jesus model for us different aspects of announcing
the kingdom of God?
[1] R.
T. France, The Gospel of Mark: A Commentary on the Greek Text. Grand Rapids:
William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company (2002), 4ff.
[2]
France quoting Grollenberg.
[3]
Ben Witherington III, The Gospel of Mark: A Social-Rhetorical Commentary. Grand
Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company (2001), 4.
[4]
Witherington, 5
[5]
James Voelz, Mark 1:1 – 8:26 St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House (2013), 41f.
[6]
Witherington, 25.
[7]
Acts 12:12, 25. See also 13:5, 13
[8]
Acts 15:36-41
[9]
France, 9.
[10]
Witherington, 30
[11] Ibid,
31.
[12] Ibid,
34.
[13]
Ibid, 35.
[14]
France, 23
[15]
Ibid, 28.
[16]
Voelz, 55.
[17]
Mark 10:45 and 14:28
[18]
Voelz, 61.
[19]
Ibid, 47.
[20]
France, 11.
[21]Mark's
Gospel live! by The Rev. Joseph Morris. Special to The St. Augustine Record,
March 04, 2005. http://staugustine.com/stories/030405/rel_2908740.shtml
[22]
Witherington, 37.
[23]
Ibid.
[24]
Ibid, 65.
[25]
France, 51.
[26]
Ibid, 52.
[27]
Witherington, 69f.
[28]
France, 65f.
[29]
Voelz, 129.
[30]
Voelz, 150.
[31]
Witherington, 78.
