New Testament Commentary. Copyright. 2002. Philip G. Roets STL,SSL. Page 1
MARK’S STORY: GOSPEL ACCORDING TO MARK.
GOOD NEWS: LONE CRUSADER COMES FROM NAZARETH.
Commentary by Philip G. Roets STL SSL
MARK: A CURIOUS TEENAGER!
“APOLOGIA” (Greek word for “reason/explanation”).
These notes on the gospel according to Mark start with a reference to a teenage boy who was present at the arrest of Jesus. The story is told only in Mark’s account of this arrest. Jesus was in the Garden with the eleven. Judas had come, leading the men who were to arrest Jesus. The eleven took off running out of fear. The teenage boy was in the approaching crowd. He was wearing only a linen cloth. They tried to grab hold of him for some reason but he took off and they kept his linen cloth. (Mk. 14:50-52)
No name is given to this boy. None of the other gospel writers makes mention of the incident. Many think it was Mark himself. I agree with this view. It fits the picture of what we are told about Mark later on.
Mark was a curious teenage boy. He was willing to take on big assignments, but when these same tasks demanded a lot of work he did not hesitate to leave. This happened when he went on the first missionary journey with Paul. About half way through the trip, the conditions were a little more than he had bargained for and Mark took off for home.
Mark was a cousin of Barnabas, the tall ever-constant companion of Paul. Mark showed up to go with them on the second trip. Paul said “Absolutely not! Mark didn’t complete the first trip. He will not go on the second trip!”
Barnabas was more understanding and forgiving. He pleaded for Mark. Paul said if Barnabas wanted Mark as a companion, he should take him. Paul took Luke, instead, and the two groups separated. (Acts 13: 13; 15:36-40).
Later, Mark became the companion of Peter and told the Gospel story as he heard it preached by the Peter, Prince of the Apostles. Peter was talking primarily to the Christians in Rome and its environs. The Gospel according to Mark was written in its present form before the others and may have been in existence before the death of Peter and Paul in 67 A.D.
We have another early writing called The “Didache ton Apostolon,” the “Teaching of the Apostles.” This, too, was a very short writing and was much like the “Kerygma” or “proclamation” that the new converts were to accept before they could be baptized. The “Apostles’ Creed” that most of us memorized as little children, is a summary of the teachings of the Didache. Mark’s gospel is much like this document.
“Be ready always to answer (APOLOGIA) those who ask you for the reason for the hope that is in you.” 1 PETER 3:15.
INTRODUCTION TO MARK. Mark 1:1-13.
TWO MEN, BENT ON CHANGING THE WORLD, MEET IN DESERT!
Mark tells us nothing about the origins of Jesus. He starts right off with the scene of John the Baptist at work, and Jesus coming to him at the Jordan River. For Mark, the Good News begins with Second Isaiah, the prophet at the time of Cyrus, King of the Persians, who was about to let all captives go back to their native lands. The people would still be captives, but they would be more productive in their own lands.
Additional Information:
FORERUNNER: “METANOIA” - Greek word for “change of outlook/intention.”
The description is applied to John the Baptist. He “is the summation of the prophets” who were preparing for the coming of the Messiah. He is crying out to one and all about the need to prepare the way into their hearts by penitence, penance, and a complete change of outlook and intention. This was the “metanoia” that John Baptist stressed and the dispositions that would make the people ready to accept the Messiah and his teachings.
“HOLY BREATH” : 2nd CREATION.
John was immersing the people in the waters of the Jordan to signify their readiness to change. Jesus was to immerse the people in the “Holy Breath,” the breath of “cooperation and harmony.” Jesus comes and is baptized by John and as he came out of the water, the heavens opened. The Breath, like a dove, descended on him, and a voice said, “You are my Son, the Beloved. My favor rests upon you.”
This is the NEW CREATION. We have the NEW ADAM who received the new creative breath. The symbol is the dove, sign of peace, as it was after the flood waters subsided, and Noah could prepare to leave the Ark. (Gen. 9-11).
“FORTY DAYS IN DESERT” : TESTED.
This creative breath drives Jesus out into the wilderness to stay for forty days and be tested by the adversary. He was surrounded by wild beasts and the angels took care of him. The parallel between the stay of the Israelites in the desert and Jesus in the desert is obvious.
Mark dives right into the middle of the life of Jesus. He presupposes that the people either had a good picture of the Old Testament story or that it was not essential to understanding the picture of the New Covenant and the Messiah, Jesus.
CANVASSING GALILEE. Mark 1:14-7:23.
OPENING SALVO. ABOUT FACE AND BELIEVE. “BASILEIA” - Kingship.
HERALD PROCLAIMS: KINGDOM IS HERE. Mark 1:14-15.
Mark presents the preaching style of Jesus as that of the herald who proclaims his message so that all may hear. The basic message is that the kingship (basileia) of God has arrived. Everyone is to effect a complete change of outlook (metanoia) and accept the Good News fully. Know the reason you believe and be ready to express it (apologia).
FIRST HELPERS CHOSEN. Mark 1:15-20.
The first four men chosen are all fishermen from the Lake of Galilee. They are two sets of brothers: Simon and his brother, Andrew; James and his brother, John - the Zebedee boys. Mark seems to indicate that Mr. Zebedee had a fleet of boats and fishermen to go with them, and he was the boss.
Additional information: All these chosen men were young - probably in their early twenties. Don't make them old men as much of art does. John was a young teenager, about age thirteen. The Greek word “Neaniskos,” teenager, is used to describe him.
NEXT STOP: CAPERNAUM. Mark 1:21-34.
Mark stresses that Jesus taught as a person who knew what he was talking about, and expected people to accept his authority. He backs up his teaching by curing a man who had seizures. The people were really impressed. Jesus did not just talk. He got things accomplished.
HOSTESS CURED, THEN SERVES GUESTS. Mark 1:29-31.
All five went directly to Simon’s house. His mother-in-law had taken to her bed with a fever. Jesus walked over, took her by the hand and the fever left her. She got up and became their hostess in her home.
WHOLE TOWN TURNS OUT. Mark 1:32-34.
Once the people saw what Jesus had done, they came flocking to him with all their sick. Jesus cured them but told all of them not to spread the word. He did not expect them to pay any attention to this command, but he also did not want to give a false notion of the role of Messiah. The people were expecting a magician who would overthrow the Roman authority and restore self-rule to Israel. Jesus did not want to foster this idea.
LEAVE CAPERNAUM; TRAVEL GALILEE. Mark 1:35-39.
Early in the morning, Jesus went into the uninhabited area, alone, to pray and think carefully on his plans. Simon and the other three went looking for him. When they found him, they told him everybody was looking for him. Jesus said, “Let’s go to other areas so that I can preach there too. That is why I came.” He went through Galilee, cured people and taught in their synagogues.
LEPER CURED. Mark 1:40-45.
Jesus cured a leper, told him to go show himself to the priests and then keep quiet. The man, however, went around telling everyone so that Jesus could not go openly into any town. He had to stay outside the towns and even then the people found him and flocked to him.
PARALYTIC CURED. Mark 2:1-12. “SINS ARE FORGIVEN.”
Jesus was in a house talking to the crowd. Some men had a paralyzed friend, a young man, and they wanted him cured. They couldn't carry him through the crowd so they went up on the roof of the building. They removed the cover of loosely woven stones and lowered the paralytic to the feet of Jesus. When he saw their faith, Jesus said, “Young man, your sins are forgiven.” The scribes sitting there were shaken by these words of seeming blasphemy. Jesus was claiming a power that belonged to God alone. But they said nothing out loud.
“EASIER TO SAY?”
Jesus read their thinking and said, “Which is easier to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven’, or to say, ‘Arise and walk’? But that you may know that the Son of Man has the power on earth to forgive sins, (here he turned to the paralyzed young man and) I say: ‘Young man, get up, roll up your bedding, and go home.’ The young man as told, and the crowd was surprised.
TAX COLLECTOR ACCEPTS INVITATION TO FOLLOW JESUS.
Mark. 2: 13-14.
Jesus was on the shore of the Lake of Galilee. The people came to him and he taught them. As he was walking along, he saw a tax collector, named Levi. He was at his work in the customs house. Jesus said to him, “Follow me.” Levi got up, left everything and followed Jesus.
Additional Information:
This story is told the same way in Matthew and Luke. The man called Levi
is the same as Matthew. It was quite common for men in public life to have
both a Jewish name and a Greek name. This was especially true of men who worked for the Gentiles, such as a tax collector.
TAX COLLECTORS DESPISED!
Tax collectors were a despised lot as far as the Jews were concerned. They collected the money from the Jews for the Romans. Their wages were a percentage of the money collected. The Romans did not really care how much the collector took in as long as they received their assigned amount.
WHO IS AT TABLE WITH JESUS. Mark. 2:15-17.
All the gospel writers state clearly and often that the sinners and the tax collectors were a big portion of the following of Jesus. Naturally, they invited him to eat with them and Jesus always accepted.
PHARISEES TOO GOOD FOR CROWD.
The Pharisees considered themselves above such a crowd and would have nothing to do with them. They were careful not even to brush against these people in public. They looked upon them as a contamination.
IMPRESSED BY JESUS.
The Pharisees are impressed by the content and style of Jesus’ teaching. There is no doubt they would have liked it if he had been one of their group. This was true in the beginning when they saw how popular he was. Later, as they heard Jesus publicly condemn their conduct, they were glad he did not belong to their crowd and they wanted to see him put down.
Now, following a coward’s manner of acting, they complain to the apostles rather than directly to Jesus. Jesus answers. He says that he has come to call the people who need salvation, the sinners. The Pharisees claim they are just or holy so they don’t need Jesus. This was irony or sarcasm at its worst and the Pharisees felt this worse than a simple rebuke.
WHY DOESN'T THE CRUSADER FAST? Mark. 2:18-22.
Fasting was an important action in the thinking of the Pharisees. They preached it to everyone. Many of the Jews followed their advice. Jesus did not say a word about it to his apostles and they did not observe the fasts.
REAL CHANGE - NOT RITUAL ACTS.
It was not because Jesus did not respect doing voluntary penance. However, he says explicitly, he wants a real change of conduct rather than some ritual practices that have no meaning in themselves.
WEDDING FEAST: TIME OF JOY.
Jesus takes three simple comparisons to emphasize his point. A wedding feast lasted for a full week or eight days. People who were invited were assured of food, drink, clothing, and lodging for the entire time. Naturally, they did not think of fasting at such a time and under such circumstances.
HOW TO PATCH CLOTHES.
Secondly, Jesus says a person does not patch an old cloak with a new cloth. The new cloth will be too strong for the worn cloth. It will pull away from the old cloth and the tear will be larger than before.
NEW WINE IN NEW WINESKINS.
Finally, Jesus says they never put new wine in old wine skins. The bottles used at that time were mostly made of the innards of butchered animals or from fresh animal skins. The new wine was put in these containers and, as it worked and expanded and contracted, the skins did the same. Finally, the wine was seasoned and the wineskin bottles became hardened leather. If they put new wine into these hardened bottles, the process of working and maturing would break the bottles and all would be lost.
The application of these figures of speech is so clear that Mark did not bother making it. The teaching of Jesus is so different from that which was currently propagated. He did not join with any of the official teachers. Jesus started his teaching from scratch and relied solely on his own authority to get it accepted.
RIDICULOUS REGULATIONS. Mark 2:21-28.
The Sabbath had become the symbol of the Jewish way of life by the time of Jesus. When the Sabbath came, everything was closed and absolutely no work was allowed. The Jews were even told the exact number of steps they could take on the Sabbath. They had to prepare all their food the day before because they could not prepare it on the Sabbath. Many of the observances prescribed by the Pharisees were utterly ridiculous.
The Pharisees always called on the Torah as the source of their authority. This, of course, stopped any ordinary person from objecting. Jesus now takes the very Torah itself, and tells how David and his men broke the Law publicly because they were hungry. This was such a great deed that it was recorded for posterity.