Download The Gospel of Mark – DMR Fall Trimester 1999

The Gospel of Mark – DMR
Commentary on Mark 1 (AERZ)
1:1 Mark’s purpose
Mark states up front what he is writing about: he is writing about Jesus who Mark
believes to be the Christ (the Greek for Messiah); Mark also believes that Jesus is the Son
of God; he considers this and what he will write about Jesus to be “good news” (which is
English for the Greek word “Gospel.”)
1:2-15: John the Baptist and the beginning of Jesus’ ministry
Mark starts out quoting the Hebrew Scriptures (vs.2-3) as if they are authoritative. Why?
Because Christianity is fundamentally Jewish, and therefore Christians acknowledge the
Jewish Scripture.
(vs.4-8) Mark sees John the Baptist as a person who prepared the way for Jesus’ coming.
John’s message was well received, and people from all over Judea came to him to receive
the baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. He was probably a member of the
Essenes. He looked strange, ate strange and spoke a difficult message. Nevertheless
people flocked to him. John pointed away from himself to the one who would come after
him.
(vs.9-11) Jesus is baptized by John and immediately the Spirit of God declares him God’s
son. This again is one of Mark’s central points: Jesus is God’s son.
(vs.12-13) After his baptism, Jesus goes into the wilderness. The wilderness is where the
people of Israel came to know God (see Exodus 15ff). It is where the prophet Elijah
heard the voice of God (1 Kings 19:11ff). Now Jesus was to go there to prepare for his
ministry. This ministry would include a struggle between good and evil, a struggle
illustrated by the temptations of Satan and the ministry of angels. (vs. 13)
(vs.14-15) The good news that Jesus begins to portray in verse 15 has to do with the
Kingdom of heaven drawing near. Jesus teaches, as John did before him, that the people
need to repent of their sins.
1:16-28
Jesus had charisma. He could call people out of their daily jobs and ask them to follow
him, and they would. People saw his teaching as being more powerful than the scribes
and he backed it up with deeds of power. (For a discussion on “demons” refer to the
review sheet for Chapter 3 verses 7-12.)
1:29-39
Jesus is seen as a man who had power over illness. He also was a man of prayer. After
praying he realized that he had to move on to new ministries even though there were
people in this first town who still needed him. Although he was a healer, he saw
proclaiming “the message” (vs.38) as the central part of his ministry.
1:40-45
Jesus’ popularity is getting out of hand, so that he tells a person he cures not to say
anything about the healing. These verses are the first indication that Jesus tried to down
play his ministry, the so-called “Conspiracy of Silence in the Gospel of Mark.” Jesus did
not want everyone to know all the things that he was doing; if everyone wanted to be
healed by him, he would no longer be able to move from town to town the way he needed
to. According to Mark, Jesus’ primary ministry in the first half of the Gospel dealt with
preaching and teaching. Healing was a powerful but secondary part of his ministry, and
the mobs that convened to see Jesus heal were beginning to get in the way of Jesus’
primary calling.
The Gospel of Mark – DMR (AERZ):
Commentary on Mark 2
2:1-12
Mark’s Overall Point in this passage: Jesus has powers and abilities that are normally
reserved for God: he can do miraculous healings and he also can forgive sins.
We can (and often do) act out this part of the chapter from three different perspectives:
the followers of Jesus; the Scribes (Pharisees); the paralytic and his friends. Notice the
different emotions involved and the different ways people respond.
Beginning
The Pharisees and followers of Jesus are both there to hear what Jesus has to say. They
are interested in his teaching, and they are wedged into a space that cannot accommodate
the crowd.
The paralytic and friends are starting with hope in the thought that Jesus can heal and
then quickly are frustrated by not being able to get to him.
Middle
The friends of the paralytic take action and tear a hole in the roof to get to Jesus. This
solves their major problem, but frustration may have quickly returned when Jesus seems
more interested in a discussion on the forgiveness of sins than he is in healing their
friend.
The disciples may be annoyed at the interruption to Jesus’ teaching, shocked at the
boldness of the “friends” who are tearing up the roof, angry at having the roof torn apart
and debris being tossed on them and all-and-all not pleased with this interruption.
The Scribes/Pharisees may also be annoyed at the interruption and flying debris, but their
true interest is in the theological issue: no one can forgive sins but God. When they
come to the conclusion, “It is blasphemy!” they are thinking, “Jesus is claiming for
himself abilities only possible for God. He has offended us to the very core of what we
believe.” It was common to have people stoned to death for blasphemy.
End
All conflicts are resolved by Jesus’ healing of the paralytic. The followers go from
irritation and outrage to awe and wonder. The paralytic and his friends move from
frustration to joy and thanksgiving. Mark does not explicitly say how the Pharisees
responded. They may have experienced the same awe that the people did. They also
may have moved into some frustration and eventually into a quiet rage. Jesus has
attempted to prove his ability to forgive sins by demonstrating his ability to heal.
He is going out of his way effectively to say, “I am claiming to do things only God
can do. As good and loyal Pharisees, you cannot treat me with indifference. If you
believe me, you will follow me. If you do not believe me, then you will have to move
against me. The healing is enough to silence the Pharisees, but they probably still think
they are right. As we will see, this is just the beginning of the conflict between Jesus
and the religious authorities. They get used to seeing Jesus’ healings, but it eventually
becomes clear that they are more interested in keeping their rules than they are in the
health of the people who Jesus heals.
2:13-17
Tax collectors were considered evil because they gathered money to support the Roman
Government and occupation armies. They were also often corrupt. They were
considered collaborators (People who are willing to work with the enemy for their own
benefit.). The “scribes of the Pharisees” were offended by Jesus’ willingness to talk to
such people, and even more by his willingness to enter one of their homes and eat with
them. Jesus says that he wants to heal the spiritually sick. Just as an ill person needs a
doctor, so a tax collector needs someone to heal his/her spiritual illness. The Pharisees,
however, felt that the tax collectors were not worthy of this spiritual healing.
Levi is also called Mathew, and he became a disciple of Jesus and many believe that he
wrote the Gospel which bears his name.
2:18-22
The people noticed that many religious people were fasting, and they do not understand
why Jesus is not fasting. Here Jesus points to himself and says that his disciples should
not fast because he (the bridegroom) is with them. In other words he says, “My being
here is so much a cause for celebration that you do not have to pay attention to religious
fasts.” This would be extremely conceded and even blasphemy if indeed it were not true.
Mark and Jesus’ disciples believed it to be true. The Pharisees did not.
The parable of the wineskins: (vs.21-22) The Pharisees are the old wineskins and their
teaching is old wine. Jesus brings new teaching (new wine) and the old skins (Pharisees)
cannot hold it, but they burst.
2:23-28
The Pharisees are upset with Jesus for allowing the disciples to work on the Sabbath.
Jesus tries to tell the Pharisees that they have missed the point about the Sabbath. They
have created laws that have made the Sabbath a burden for people as opposed to a day of
rest where they can grow closer to God. He tells the story of David, one of the most
important people in the Hebrew Scriptures, to illustrate his point. Since Jesus and the
Pharisees were Jews, they considered the Hebrew Scriptures the ultimate authority. Jesus
and Mark quote the Old Testament scriptures fairly frequently because they are Jews.
Again, Christianity is fundamentally Jewish.
Jesus declares himself “Lord of the Sabbath.” This is a bold statement that again would
be blasphemy (what the Pharisees believed) if it were not true (what Mark believed). The
idea of “Sabbath” was (and in many ways still is) central to the identity of the Jewish
people. This holy day of rest made the Jews special as a people. It was and is a day set
aside to commune with God. God himself is the only “Lord of the Sabbath.” Jesus again
is claiming of himself things that only God can claim. This idea would not be well
received by the Pharisees, and thus the stage is set for the conflict that opens chapter 3.
The Gospel of Mark – DMR
Commentary on Mark 3 (AERZ)
3:1-6
The conflict between Jesus and the Pharisees is coming to a head. (“They” in vs.2 refers
back to the Pharisees in 2:24.) Whereas in 2:1 the Pharisees were listening to Jesus, in
3:1 they are trying to find a way to accuse him. There is nothing subtle about what Jesus
does here. He brings the debate about what one should do during the Sabbath right out
into the open, but the Pharisees refuse to enter the debate. Notice that Jesus is not only
angry, but he is also “grieved at their harness of heart.” Mark portrays Jesus as one who
cares even for those who disagree with him.
The Pharisees go out and conspire with the Herodians. The Pharisees generally hated the
Herodians because they supported the royal family who were collaborators with the
Romans. The Pharisees now consider Jesus such a big threat that they are willing to
work with people they hate, if working with the hated Herodians would enable the
Pharisees to bring about the destruction of Jesus.
3:7-12
People possessed by demons: Mark believes that there are beings that exist in the
spiritual realm who can possess people. Our culture generally does not think in these
terms, although there are many cultures around the world that do. Although we claim to
be sophisticated and beyond believing in such things, we nevertheless spend a remarkable
amount of time seeing movies and plays and reading books that deal with the subjects of
demons, ghosts, angels and other supernatural things. (e.g. the 1999 hit “The Sixth
Sense” or other hits such as “Ghost” or “City of Angels” or “Ghost Busters” or any of the
“Halloween” flicks)
The Harpers Study Bible states: “In the New Testament [Demons] are understood as evil
spirits, opposed to God and God’s people… Demons could invade human bodies and
personalities and cause mental illness, physical disease or blindness.” (Harpers Study
Bible p.217) Harpers goes on to say, “The idea that there are evil forces in the world that
manifest themselves in various ways is still valid. How one articulates this idea may
change from one culture to another, however.” (p.218) This concept may be difficult for
us. Nevertheless, I (Mr. Zug) do believe that there is often more happening in life than
meets the eye.
Mark believed in demons. Furthermore, these verses show that he believed that the
demons were perceptive of other spiritual forces, and they were aware that Jesus was the
son of God even when the average person could not perceive this. These verses illustrate
Mark’s belief that Jesus had power over these spiritual forces, forces that often oppressed
people.
3: 13-19a
The calling of the twelve apostles: Jesus gives the twelve the same power that he has: to
proclaim the message and to cast out demons. The word apostle means “one who is sent
out.” Before they were just disciples (apprentice or pupil - literally “learner”). Now
they are not just learning; they are doing ministry in Jesus’ name.
3:19b-21, 31-35
Jesus’ family seems to have no clue why Jesus is doing what he is doing. His popularity
has gotten out of hand such that he cannot even find the time or space to eat. They seek
him out in order to try to talk some sense into him. Perhaps they were also concerned
about some of the claims he was making, such as in 2:5 and 2:28. Perhaps this is also
why people had started concluding that “He has gone out of his mind.” (3:21b)
Jesus here states that doing the will of God is more important than bloodlines. (33-35)
3: 22-30
The Scribes are unable to deny Jesus’ miracles, but they cannot tolerate his teaching (e.g.
that he is “Lord of the Sabbath” – 2:28) or his intolerance of their rules. Since they are
convinced that they have the right teaching from God, they are also convinced that this
arrogant rule-breaker named Jesus must not be of God. But he has power. Where could
he get this power? Well, maybe from the devil.
Jesus points out that his work points towards godly acts and not towards evil acts.
Therefore the Pharisees/Scribes should have been able to conclude for themselves that
Jesus’ power was from God. The fact that they are not able to acknowledge a godly act
for what it is brings Jesus to the conclusion that they are not listening to the Spirit of God.
“The unforgivable sin” is generally not thought of as a single act, for indeed we all go
against God’s will from time to time. (That indeed is what “sin” is.) Rather the
“unforgivable sin” is seen as a persistent resistance to the witness of God, and a
persistence that is never repented of.
The Gospel of Mark – DMR
Commentary on Mark 4 (AERZ)
4:1-34 The Power of Story – The Parables of Jesus
When Jesus taught the people, he often spoke in parables. Parables are stories
that are told on two levels. There is a surface level (the story taken at face value) and
there is a deeper meaning level (the story understood as a life lesson). Different people
may draw different deeper meanings from a parable. This is part of the power of a
parable, for a good parable can teach people different things depending on where they are
in life. Some people will only see the surface meaning. Nevertheless, there is something
specific that the author intends to communicate. There is therefore risk intrinsic in a
parable in that the author of the parable realizes that he or she may be misunderstood.
But when the meaning is perceived, it often affects people in a much more powerful way
than a straightforward explanation of an idea. However, by definition, a parable (unlike a
fable) does not make the deeper meaning explicate, although sometimes people will
choose to explain their intention (e.g. what Jesus does in Mark 4:14-20).
On the surface, the meaning of a parable is often difficult to see. But the power of
the parable is such that when the meaning is perceived, it can hit you like a ton of bricks.
A great Old Testament example of this is found in 2 Samuel 12. King David, a man
noted for justice and his love for God, has committed a horrible act. He has slept with,
Bathsheba, one of his men’s wives, and gotten her pregnant. He then had her husband,
Uriah the Hittite, killed so that he could marry Bathsheba, make their child legitimate,
and hopefully not get caught. So David, “a man after God’s own heart,” has committed
adultery and murder (2 Samuel 11). Nathan the prophet later comes to David and tells
him a parable about a rich man stealing a poor man’s lamb (2 Samuel 12:1-4). David,
who is by nature a man of justice, is totally sucked in by the parable, but he has no clue
about the deeper meaning. He says, “As the Lord lives, the man who has done this
deserves to die…” (2 Samuel 12:5b) David has unwontedly condemned himself with his
own words. The parable taught it’s surface lesson clearly, and David perceived the issues
of injustice. But David did not see the deeper meaning that addressed his situation with
Uriah and Bathsheba. Nathan then drives the deeper meaning home by proclaiming to
David, “You are the man!” (2 Sam 12:7a)
4:1 Jesus is scene teaching his parables to very large crowds, so much so that he has to
teach from a boat to the people who are on land.
4:2-11 The Parable of the Sower
Jesus normally bases the surface meaning of his parables on a scene from
everyday life. Here a sower is sowing his seed, and although all the seed is good, not all
of it grows into healthy plants. Why? Because of the quality of the ground on which it
falls.
4:10-12 The Purpose of Parables
Jesus’ words here sound harsh. It sounds like he is trying to keep the truth from
the people. But if this were true, he would not have even have told them parables to
begin with. On the other hand, he is talking to some who have already made up their
minds that Jesus is bad news and has to go (3:6). Some, particularly many of the scribes
and the Pharisees, have closed their minds to the possibility that Jesus is “sowing good
seed,” and therefore his words are doomed not to grow in them. No explanation is given
to them, nor do I think they would have accepted one if Jesus had tried to give it. But
maybe, just maybe, “the penny dropped” for some of these folks days or years later.
Unexplained parables can do this: they remain just a story until the heart is ready to
receive them. Then when the epiphany comes, it strikes with power. These Pharisees
probably could not have received a strait forward statement (i.e. “I’m telling you the
word of God and you are rejecting it.”). But many would carry the surface meaning of
the story with them, and maybe some time later, even years later, their spirit would be
moved so that they would received true insight. As R. Alan Cole puts it, “If truth is
temporarily hidden in parable, it is only that it may be revealed: the ultimate purpose of
the parable is thus not to conceal truth but to reveal it.” ( Tyndale New Testament
commentaries: The Gospel According to St. Mark p.93)
4:13-20 The Parable Spelled Out
Jesus realizes that many of the Pharisees and others who were following him
superficially would not perceive the deeper meaning of the parable. On the other hand,
he thinks that his more serious disciples should be able to understand what he is talking
about without an explanation (4:13). But Jesus meets them where they are at. They want
an explanation, and he gives it to them. Bottom line of the parable: the word of God is
always good. Whether or not it grows in a person depends on the person’s heart.
4:21-23 A Light and a Lampstand
Again, Jesus’ mission is to proclaim the word of God (see Mark 1:38). He has the
light, and he is going to shine it.
4:24-25 Giving Good Measure (i.e. good effort)
In light of the previous parable, one might summarize this statement by saying,
“Make sure your heart is good ground for the word of God. If it is, you will grow in
abundance. But if it is not, the word will be useless to you.”
4:26-32 Parables of the Growing Seed and the Mustard Seed
The teaching of these parables are basically the same: it is a wonderful thing to
see the kingdom of God grow in a person, inexplicably from something so small as to
seem insignificant, to something that is huge, healthy and life changing.
4:34 Now back to our story
Verse 1 and 33 are bookends, sectioning off one of Marks largest teaching
sections. Now that Mark is through with telling those parables of Jesus that he considers
relevant at this point in the narrative, he returns to the narrative itself.
4:35-41 Jesus Stills a Storm
The apostles have learned that Jesus is a healer and an extraordinarily gifted
teacher who claims great things (like the ability to forgive sins (2:5) or that he is Lord of
the Sabbath (2:28)) and that he backs these claims up with miraculous healings. But they
are not prepared for this event. The apostles (four of which are professional fishermen:
Peter, Andrew, James and John) have lost control of their boat. Although they are
experienced at sea, they also know its harshness. In their desperation they conclude that
they are going to drown (vs.38).
Meanwhile Jesus sleeps. This itself is unusual: sleeping in a small boat during a
large storm. The disciples decide to wake him (vs.38), presumably because he is the only
one in the boat who is not working. (When desperate, it does not hurt to have another set
of hands to bail!) But instead of bailing or working the lines, Jesus goes to the source of
the problem: he tells the storm to stop. And it does.
Can you imagine the shock of this event? The disciples knew that Jesus had
power over many illnesses. They did not yet know that he had power over the created
order itself. As the text says “they were filled with great awe” (vs.40). I bet they were!
It would not surprise me if they were now more terrified of Jesus than they had been of
the storm. At least the storm is something they could understand. Jesus here
demonstrates his power over the creation itself. Mark has presented one more piece of
evidence to support his purpose in writing his Gospel: to show that Jesus is the Son of
God (1:1).
The Gospel of Mark – DMR (written October 21, 1999 – revised in August 2000)
Reviewing Mark 5 (AERZ)
5:1-20
We now make a shift in Geography. Jesus, mobbed in Jewish towns, has moved
out of the Jewish community into an area dominated by Gentiles. They keep pigs,
animals that Jews considered “unclean.” They also have no anticipation of the Messiah.
Jesus is again portrayed as a person of great power and compassion. He sees the
need of this Gentile and he meets it by casting out the “Legion” of demons. Jesus is
shown as a person who is willing to have compassion for those who are not like him, in
this case, the Gentiles. Since this event shows Jesus among the Gentiles it would be
important to Mark’s audience in their attempts to understand how Gentiles fit into a
religion that is fundamentally Jewish.
The people in this account probably feared the demon-possessed man, but once
he is healed they fear the one who could defeat the demons (vs.15-17). Vs. 10 & 17 are
interesting to contrast. The demons did not want to leave the area, but Jesus is asked to
leave the region. Would the town folk have preferred the man to remain demon
possessed?
The newly healed, formerly possessed man wants to go with Jesus (vs.18). Jesus
does not let him, but rather sends him to do ministry: to tell people how God has had
mercy on him (There is a positive note on family here, for that is where he goes first.).
Thus the healing of Jesus produces ministry in Jesus’ name. The formerly possessed man
is sent out, almost like an apostle to the Gentiles.
One can also see a contrast between the end of this story (vs. 19-20) and the end
of the next one (vs. 43). Why the secrecy theme in verse 43 and not in verse 20? The
secrecy issue seems only to apply in areas where Jesus’ popularity would produce
problems. In Jewish territory Jesus is a hot item, but the Gentiles still have no idea who
he is. They are in the same position that the Jews were in at the beginning of Jesus’
ministry: they did not know Jesus and there was no need for secrecy.
In this passage, Mark also notes once more how the demon recognizes Jesus, even
through the people are slow to recognize him. Legion calls him the “Son of the Most
High” (vs.7).
The destruction of the pigs is a strange twist (vs.13). I do not remember anything
else like it in Jesus’ ministry. It certainly contains a dramatic flair, and this was not lost
on the people of the town. I am not certain that Jesus knew that the pigs would be
destroyed, but in either case clearly Jesus cared more about the man than about the pigs.
5:21-43
Back to Jewish territory and the big crowds.
Two contrasting characters are portrayed in these verses. Jairus was a leader of
the synagogue, well accepted and respected. Contrast the woman. Blood makes a person
ceremonially unclean, and therefore the woman in this story would have been an outcast.
Jairus and the woman both have deep needs, and Jairus’ need is urgent. He gets
Jesus’ attention first, a difficult job considering the crowd. His frustration must have then
grown intense when Jesus searched for the woman while Jairus’ daughter’s life hung in
the balance.
As Jesus looked for the woman, she must have been terrified. She finally has
found healing, but has she committed a great crime? She must have wondered why Jesus
insisted on searching for her. But far from wanting to judge her, Jesus was interested in
giving her peace. He was as concerned with what was happening with her spirit as he
was with the healing of her body. Verse 34 is key. Again Jesus is seen as a person of
great power and compassion. One might contrast the famous thought “Power corrupts
and absolute power corrupts absolutely.”
Now it comes time to deal with Jairus’ concern, but the desperate and frustrated
father finds his hope shattered (vs.35). His daughter has died. But Mark shows that
Jesus is not limited by our understanding, and in his compassion he comes to “heal” the
frustration and despair of Jairus and brings his daughter back to life.
How is Jesus limited? Did he really not know whom he had healed (vs.30) or is
he making a scene in order to let the woman come forward on her own? Clearly Jesus
had some limitations. The most obvious one is that he was not omnipresent (being in all
places at once). Did he have limits in his knowledge as well? Clearly Mark portrays him
as having knowledge that was above and beyond the ordinary (i.e. vs.36). From a
perspective of Christian theology, one might ask the question: if Jesus is God become
human, what portion of his divinity did he have to compromise in order to be fully human
while remaining fully God?
Peter, James and John are now seen (vs. 37) even among the twelve as Jesus’
“inner circle” and they would see things that no one else was allowed to. This becomes
increasingly evident. This is relevant particularly for Mark’s Gospel, for it is generally
held that Mark got much of his information from Peter.
Verse 41 carries an interesting side note in that Jesus is quoted in Aramaic. This
is the language Jesus would have spoken, but Mark would have written in Greek.
The Gospel of Mark – DMR
(Written November 11, 1999; Revised: August, 2000)
Commentary on Mark 6 (AERZ)
6:1-5
Jesus’ home, although not mentioned by name here, is Nazareth. This passage starts the
same as 1:21-22: Jesus goes into a town and starts to teach in a synagogue. But Jesus is
now “home.” These people knew him as a child. They are offended at the thought that
he could teach them something of value. Compare his family reaction in 3:20-21, 31-35.
Note also that Mark sees faith as somehow tied into Jesus’ ability to do miracles. Where
there is little faith, there are few miracles.
6:7-13
The apostles are now truly acting as apostles. They are now the teachers and they have
the ability to cast out demons and heal people (vs.13). As the Master has done, so the
apostles now do. The substance of their teaching concerns repentance. They are told to
take no provisions. They are to be dependent on the people they serve and by implication
the provision of God. (Compare 3:13-18)
6:14-29
As we discussed in the early lectures of the course, King Herod Antipas is King of
Galilee, an area of Israel that is North of Jerusalem. Although a King in his own right, he
served Caesar and only ruled because Caesar approved of his appointment. He is not
quite as bloodthirsty as his father, Herod the Great, but his first concern is clearly not for
his people. He is corrupt and easily manipulated. He fears prophets (vs.20), lusts after
his own step-daughter (vs. 22) and feels comfortable breaking Jewish law in order to
fulfill his personal pleasures (vs.18). He is also paranoid (vs.16) and is willing to kill for
an unjust cause (vs.27). His wife, Herodias, is angry and bloodthirsty, and she seeks
revenge for her public embarrassment (vs.19). His step-daughter enjoys the prospect of
having the power of life and death over another (vs.25). This is quite the royal family.
This chapter show quite a contrast between the way Herod wealds his power, and the way
Jesus does (6:30-44).
The crowd has warmed up to Jesus (14-16). As they try to figure out who he really is,
they pay him some wonderful compliments (see also 8:28). John the Baptist had been
extremely popular, and since their ministry’s had virtually no overlap (1:14) some had
concluded that Jesus really was John raised from the dead. Elijah was to be the herald of
the Messiah, and any prophet was to be held in high regard. But the crowds had not quite
gotten it right. That comes only with Peter’s declaration in 8:29 (a.k.a. Peter’s
confession).
6:30-44
Mark presents Jesus as a man with extraordinary knowledge and insight. Nevertheless,
there seem to be limits to his knowledge, since he does not anticipate the crowd (31-34).
For those who believe that Jesus was God incarnate (God the Son, having become a
human being and being both fully human and yet God) this passage begs the question,
“What aspects of Divinity did Jesus have to give up to become fully human?” Clearly
one thing he gave up was his omnipresence (ability to be everywhere at once), but are
there gaps in his knowledge as well? (See also the discussion on 5:21-43.) Although
Jesus might not anticipate the crowd, he nevertheless has compassion on them, and when
he sees them he assumes the role of “shepherd.”
Jesus acts here very much like a second Moses. Moses had, through the direction and
provision of God, fed the children of Israel in the dessert. When Israel had no food,
Moses instructed them about Manna, God’s gift of “bread from heaven.” Now Jesus, the
new Moses, feeds the people in the dessert (“a deserted place” 6:32).
6:45-52
Mark continues to show Jesus as a man of prayer (6:46). On the surface, this may seem
obvious. He was a faithful Jew. Of course he would have prayed a lot. But Christians
believe that he was more in touch with “God the Father” than any other person who has
ever lived. If he even needed to pray, what about us?
Jesus walks on water for a very practical reason: he had already sent the boats away and
he needed to get to the other side of the lake. He also sees the disciple “straining at the
oars” (6:48) and he might be putting himself in a position to help out if needed. Here
Mark again (see discussion of 4:35-41) sees Jesus as one who has mastery over the
created order. He can do things that should be impossible.
What did they not understood about the loaves (6:52)? They had not understood that God
had given Jesus the power to do whatever he needed to do, including walking on water or
making five loaves sufficient for thousands.
6:53-56
Although Jesus and the apostles crossed over to the other side of the lake, Gennesaret
(unlike Gerasenes in 5:1ff) is still Jewish territory. The most interesting thing about this
town is that it was not where they had intended to go. They were headed to Bethsaida
(vs.45), but they were blown substantially off course (see Map 13) (vs.48, 53). Jesus
once again has compassion on the crowd and heals their illnesses.
The Gospel of Mark – DMR
Commentary on Mark 7 (AERZ)
7:1-23
The Pharisees once again are pursuing Jesus, either just because they are curious, or
because they are looking for an opportunity to accuse him (see 3:6). In fairness, it is also
possible that this particular group of Pharisees is still trying to figure out whether or not
Jesus was a “good guy” or a “bad guy.” But Jesus has grown frustrated with them. He
does not understand their insistence on keeping the letter of the law while ignoring its
spirit. Since Mark has to explain the Jewish customs in this passage, it is clear that at
least some of those for whom he is writing are not Jews. In contrast, Jesus shows his
Jewishness by quoting the Hebrew Scriptures (vs.6-7).
In verse 18 we also see Jesus getting frustrated with his disciples. They still do not
understand Jesus’ teaching (see also 6:52). Parables are fine for a while, but eventually
his followers need to come to understand the deeper meaning. Jesus longs to see
understanding in their eyes, but he is not going to get it until Peter’s confession in 8:29.
7:24-30
Here we have the first account of a Gentile seeking out Jesus for healing. Jesus has
retreated from the crowds to a city a good ways North, the Gentile city of Tyre. He is
pursued by a Syrophoenician woman whose daughter is possessed by a demon. At first
Jesus puts her off, for he realizes that his first ministry is to the Jews. But the woman
persists . At the end of the day, Jesus is “all compassion” and he honors her request.
7:31-37
Jesus is still traveling in Gentiles territory. Mark chooses to go into detail about one
particular healing, just as he did earlier in 1:40-44. The chief similarity in the two stories
is Jesus’ insistence that they not tell anyone about the healing. Jesus had become mobbed
in Jewish towns and thus began to tell people to keep quiet about his miracles. The same
now is becoming true in Gentile territory. But as was earlier the case with the Jew who
was healed, now also with the Gentile: neither can keep their mouth shut. Those healed
and their companions announce the healings to anyone who will listen. Jesus is now
zealously proclaimed in Gentile territory. Thus, as chapter 8 opens, Jesus once again
finds himself with a crowd of eager followers who have no food.
The Gospel of Mark – DMR
Commentary on Mark 8 (AERZ)
8:1-10
We again find Jesus among a huge crowd of hungry people who have gathered to hear
him preach and heal. A second feeding occurs, but this time the majority of those fed are
Gentiles. It is natural to compare this with the former feeding (6:30-44). As Jesus had
done with the Jews, now he does with the Gentiles. He has “compassion” on the crowd
(6:34; 8:2).
The first century Jewish community instinctively would have thought of Moses when
Jesus did these miraculous feedings. Jesus is doing what Moses did: Moses presided
over God’s miraculous feeding of the children of Israel in the dessert (Exodus 16). Now
Jesus has fed the people in the dessert also, first the Jews (6:30-44) and then the Gentiles
(8:1-10). This parallel would be clear to those who were looking to see Jesus affirmed in
his ministry. But note the following verses.
8:11-13
Jesus sighs for a good reason. If miraculously feeding hungry people in the wilderness is
not a sign, what would be a sign? In fairness to the Pharisees, they might not have
witnessed these acts, for Jesus took a boat trip between the last miracle and the Pharisees
question. But that is almost beside the point. From Mark’s perspective, Jesus’ whole life
and the way that he lived it was a continual sign.
8:14-21
Jesus tells a parable to his closest disciples. He thinks that it will be easily understood,
but the disciples are clueless. Jesus is simply warning them about the subtle ways of the
Pharisees and Herod. They may not seem evil at first, but they are not working in God’s
will. The disciples, uncertain of what to make of this parable, latch on to Jesus’ use of
the word “yeast.” They think that he is talking about literal bread. Jesus signed at the
demands of the Pharisees (8:11-13), and now Jesus is exasperated at his disciples’ lack of
understanding (8:17-18). Both friend and foe have not been able to perceive what Jesus
is all about. Jesus goes on to show the disciples how foolish it was of them to take the
idea of “yeast” literally (8:19-20). Jesus has proved to the disciples that bread will not be
an issue (6:30-44; 8:1-10). If they lacked it, he could provide it. Therefore they need to
see with eyes that go beyond the mere words and into the meaning of what Jesus is
teaching.
8:22-26
This healing is done with a personal touch and a little bit of a struggle. It does not seem
to “take” the first time, but Jesus completes the healing in the end. He does it in private,
and does not let him go back into the city. Again: the “conspiracy of silence” theme.
8:27-30
These verses are the centerpiece of the whole book. After all the frustration that Jesus
had experienced with the disciples not comprehending who he was (e.g. 6:18; 7:17-21),
finally Peter gets it right. Jesus is the Christ, the Messiah. (Christ is Greek; Messiah is
Hebrew. The word means “the Anointed One.”) Peter has come to realize that Jesus is
the person that God has sent to deliver his people. Jesus is the one who was prophesized
about. He is the savior coming into the world. What Peter does not understand is what
Jesus was going to deliver his people from, nor how he was going to do it. This becomes
clear in the following verses.
Again the conspiracy of silence: Jesus does not want the disciples to go talking about his
being “the Christ.” He will do this in his own time. (e.g. 14:62)
8:31-8:33
Jesus begins to speak openly and explicitly about his death. Peter has rightfully
concluded that Jesus is the Christ. Now Jesus is going to tell them who the Christ really
is, and what he is going to do: die for the people and then rise again from the dead. This
marks a major shift in Jesus’ ministry. His ministry is no longer just teaching and
healing and casting out demons. Jesus knows that he needs to die. The conflict with the
religious authorities that has been present almost from the beginning (starting at 2:7) will
result in Jesus’ death. Jesus knows this, and he knows that it is God’s desire for him to
die for the people. From this point on, Jesus is bent and determined to die for the people,
at the right place (Jerusalem) and at the right time (at Passover). This becomes clear as
the rest of the book unfolds.
Peter, who got it absolutely right about calling Jesus the Christ, has no clue of what it
means to be the Christ. He does not think Jesus should die, and thus rebukes Jesus. Jesus
sees this rebuke as the temptation of Satan. Peter does not see things from God’s
perspective. He means well. He is well intentioned. But he does not understand God’s
will. Jesus clearly perceives God’s will, and he is willing to follow it even if it means his
own death.
Peter presumably wants Jesus to become a political Messiah and overthrow the Romans.
This was the popular notion of what the Messiah was supposed to do. Jesus hears Peter
and then sees that his other disciples are listening. Jesus then rebukes Peter harshly.
Jesus could not let this idea of Peter/Satan grow, so he had to rebuke it immediately.
8:34-9:1
This is one of Jesus’ first clear teachings that is not contained in a parable. No stories to
figure out. Jesus wants to be very clear on this point: it is better to lose your life for God
than to keep it for self. Eternal life is seen in these verses. Jesus states that a person who
wants truly to save his or her life must be willing to his or her life for the sake of Jesus
and the Gospel.
Mark proclaims that the central idea of life is to affirm Jesus (8:34, 38). If we are
ashamed of Jesus, Jesus will be ashamed of us. Life is found in following him, affirming
him, and if necessary dying for him.
The preacher in me is tempted to ask you, “So what do you think?” Was Jesus an
egomaniac? Or is what he said true? Here, far from being secretive, Jesus bursts out and
says that He is the most important thing in life. What does this say about Mark’s
theology? What is your response?
The Gospel of Mark – DMR
Commentary on Mark 9 (AERZ)
9:2-8
To transfigure: “to change in outward form or appearance; to transform.”
Mark portrays Jesus as a man of prayer, and from time to time Mark writes about Jesus
going up on a mountain to pray (1:35; 6:46). In this passage Jesus invites his closest
companions to join him: Peter, James and John. For these disciples, the speculation over
Jesus’ identity is over. Peter has identified Jesus as the Christ. Now Jesus is
transformed before them revealing his glory. Moses and Elijah then appear. Moses, the
great deliverer of Israel, represents the law. Elijah represents the prophets. The three
disciples were terrified, and Peter gets his mouth in gear without thinking through what
he is doing.
Peter wants to commemorate this moment and/or preserve it in time (build “dwellings”).
But this mountaintop meeting had a different purpose. Jesus was not to stay here on earth
revealing his glory. His purpose was to die and rise for the people, and this purpose is
affirmed here by the presence of these two great figures from the Hebrew Scriptures.
Jesus was Jewish, and Christian’s believe that salvation comes from the Jews (John 4:22).
Despite Jesus’ profound work among the Gentiles, Jesus first was the Messiah of the
Jews. The wonderful thing of course is that God made his great act of salvation work for
the Gentiles as well.
When Peter begins to babble, God shows up - Jesus’ Father claiming Jesus as his Son.
This is “sonship” not just in the sense that we are all children of God. Mark portrays
Jesus as The Unique Son of God, again demonstrating what he stated up front in 1:1. So
Peter, be quiet and “listen to him” (9:8)!
9:9-13
Coming down from their mountain top experience, the disciples have a debriefing session
with Jesus. The conspiracy of silence is still on, but only until Jesus rises from the dead.
Unfortunately the three disciples cannot figure out what “rising from the dead” is
supposed to mean.
The three ask Jesus about Elijah. Was he not suppose to return and be the herald of the
coming Messiah? (See Malachi 4:5-6, the last two verses of the Old Testament.) Jesus’
says that in effect Elijah has come, and his reference is to John the Baptist. This is made
more explicate in Mathew and Luke (Luke 1:17, Matthew 17:9-13). John came with the
“spirit and power of Elijah” (Luke 1:17).
9:14-29
While Jesus, Peter, James and John are on the mountain the other apostles run into a
situation they cannot handle. The Pharisees/scribes see the disciples’ inadequacy and
take the opportunity to point it out. The apostles have done many deeds in the name of
Jesus’, but they are still far from perfect.
The most wonderful verses in this section have to do with faith and prayer. First, the
father’s exclamation “I believe; help my unbelief!” is a type of prayer that I have both
used and recommended to others. Sometimes you trust God, but you still need to ask
God to help you out with the parts that are difficult. Secondly, there is Jesus’ statement
on prayer in 9:29. For all the skills that we have obtained through technology and all the
healing techniques we have gained through modern medicine, sometimes prayer is the
only solution that works. Jesus had given the apostles some powers, but at the end of the
day, God is the one who does the healing.
9:30-32
Jesus again stresses his coming death and resurrection, but the disciples still cannot get
their minds around it.
9:33-37
The twelve are very pumped up, and they see greatness in their future. They have missed
the point of true greatness. Jesus teaches them about humility and servanthood. His
teaching about being last in order to truly be first is radical event today. To use a child
was a truly radical idea, for children were considered unimportant, as least as far as social
status goes. Two passages that are worth comparing with this one are 10:13-16 and
10:35-45.
9:38-41
Here the apostles demonstrate a form of selfishness done in the name of ministry. It is as
if they were saying, “You can’t heal this person. Only I’m aloud to heal this person!” It
sounds foolish, but this tendency is very real. If a person gets a real and viable ministry
going, he/she will gain ownership of it (which in itself is good) but s/he sometimes comes
to the conclusion that s/he is the only one who has the right to minister in this way (This
is not good!). In response, Jesus tells the twelve that he has no problem with anybody
doing good works in his name.
9:42-50
Jesus’ bottom line in this passage: do whatever it takes not to sin, and doubly so for not
causing others to sin! This is one of those passages you should not take literally! Jesus is
using hyperbole (deliberate overstatement to make a point). I do not believe that he has
any interest in us cutting off pieces of our bodies. Historically some, in their zeal for
Christ, have done so.
Vs. 49 and 50 use the idea of salt in two different ways. There are many interpretations
of vs. 49. My spin on the verse is this: each of us has various trials, temptations and
troubles (fire) which can be used as events to build character and produce a more
seasoned life (salt). (Compare Romans 5:3-5)
Vs. 50 shows us as “salt” to the world. Salt has many useful purposes. It is a seasoning
that adds flavor. It is a preservative. It also can be seen as that which melts the ice
around one’s heart, although it is unlikely that this interpretation would have occurred to
first century Jews. Salt is good, and every person needs salt in their diet in order to live.
Jesus’ analogy does not work as well to us today as it did when he first used it. Modern
Americans use way too much salt in their diet. Therefore salt is often spoken of as a bad
thing. But for the people of Jesus’ time, it was seen as something that added flavor to
life.
The Gospel of Mark – DMR
Commentary on Mark 10 (AERZ) (Revised)
10: 1
Jesus is on the move. He has stated that he will die in Jerusalem. Now he moves south
from his home base of Capernaum in Galilee into Judea towards the Holy City.
The Gospel is moving towards its climax in Jerusalem.
10:2-12 No, he couldn’t have meant that!
With the exception of knowing that Jesus taught about divorce, you will not have
to know for a test or quiz any of the material in this section (10:2-12). However, since
Jesus’ teaching on divorce may sound strange to many in our culture, I thought a detailed
explanation would be helpful. If this does not interest you, feel free to skip to the
commentary below starting with 10:13.
The first century Pharisees were agreed on the subject of divorce: it was
permitted according to Deuteronomy 24:1ff. i.e. a man could divorce his wife, but not
the other way around. The “certificate of dismissal” (Mark 10:4) was originally designed
to protect the x-wife. Without it, she could not marry again. Since it was difficult for
woman to become part of the “work force,” and since there was no such thing as
“welfare,” a woman who was thrown out by her husband would have been in desperate
straits. The certificate at least gave her a chance of remarrying.
The only frequent debate over divorce in the first century was over the conditions
that were necessary for a man to divorce his wife. i.e. what does “something
objectionable” (Deut. 24:1) mean. It is possible that the “test” of the Pharisees in Mark
10:2 concerned an anticipated interpretation of these words. If so, Jesus caught them by
surprise. Against all odds, Jesus denies the validity of divorce. Fifty years ago, the idea
that divorce was “wrong” would have been considered a “no-brainer.” But today, this
idea seems highly controversial. What did Jesus mean? Does he really mean that two
people must stay married no matter what?
First of all, if nothing else is concluded from this passage, one must conclude that
Jesus is pro-marriage. Although as far as we know Jesus never married, he nevertheless
believed that the covenant of marriage is to be held as something sacred. So first
principle: marriage is intended to last until one of the spouses dies. I would contend that
this is a message that our culture needs to hear. The majority of marriages today end in
divorce (about 51%). Divorce has become the rule, not the exception. We, as a culture,
need to regain an understanding of commitment and dedication that works through
difficulties into wholeness.
Secondly, it should be noted that elsewhere in the Gospels (Matthew 5:32) Jesus
acknowledges at least one exception to this no divorce principle. Adultery is, from
Jesus’ perspective, grounds for divorce. This begs the question, “Why does he not
mention this exception here?” If Jesus knows and elsewhere acknowledges that there can
be justification for divorce, why the blanket statement?
I would like to introduce a dangerous hermeneutical (art of understanding and
applying scripture) interpretation. I think Jesus may be using hyperbole (intentional
exaggeration to stress a point). He does this elsewhere (e.g. Matthew 5:29-30), and it is
possible Jesus is trying to point out how hard their hearts have become (Mark 10:5). It
would be as if Jesus were saying, “Stop trying to find loop holes to get out of your
marriages! Go back to your spouses and make it work!” I believe that many couples
today could use this advice. When divorce becomes acceptable and it is assumed that if
ones marriage starts getting uncomfortable that divorce is a legitimate option, people will
have a tendency to not work through difficulties into wholeness. Therefore, assume that
divorce is not an option. Start with this as your guiding principle. Then if divorce
comes, it comes as something that was unavoidable. Again Jesus thought divorce was
legitimate in cases of adultery (Matthew 5:32). Although he never says it explicitly, I
would be astonished if he did not support it in cases of abuse. I say this because it is in
his nature to look after the outcast and marginalized. Jesus fought the oppression of the
weak. I would be astonished if he disapproved of divorce in an abusive situation.
Mark 10:13-16: (Compare Mark 9:36-37)
Ever since the end of chapter 1, Jesus has been swamped with people, and in
order to keep the crowds from swelling he has made efforts to try to stop his reputation as
a healer from spreading (e.g. Mark 1:44; 5:43; 7:36). The crowds prevent him from
moving around easily, but it should be noted that even when he is crowded he treats the
people who come to him with compassion (e.g. Mark 2:1-12; 5:21-43). It is plausible
that the disciples here in 10:13 were simply trying to protect Jesus’ privacy and allow
him a break from these smallest of followers. But Jesus was “indigent” that is he was
“angered by something unjust, unworthy or mean.” (Franklin speaking dictionary) He
was angry at his disciples for treating the children as second-class citizens.
In first century Israel, children were prized as a tremendous blessing from God,
but that does not mean they would have received all of the respect that good Jews would
have received from their fellow adults. Children have a similar status in our country
today. Children are loved but marginalized (That is to say they are often “relegated to an
unimportant position within a group” (Franklin speaking dictionary)). They are often put
on the margins or sidelines and not allowed to participate in many of the “adult” things in
life.
So what can we take from this passage? First of all Jesus loved children! OK, so
we have songs that say that, but those songs were based on passages such as these.
Indeed, Jesus cared for all the marginalized of his society, whether they be sinners like
Levi (Mark 2:13-17) or the sick like the bleeding woman in Mark 5:25-34 or even demon
possessed Gentiles like in Mark 5:1-20. Clearly, he did not want children to be excluded
any more than he wanted any other group to be excluded. But Jesus goes on to say that
there is something special about children that make them particularly qualified to enter
the kingdom of heaven. What might those qualities be? Perhaps it is their trusting
nature, or their innocence or their humility and the understanding they are not in control
of their lives. Their trust is more pure and more easily gained than that of skeptical
adults, so likewise they can learn to trust God more easily.
Mark 10:17-31: The Rich Man
A well-intentioned man seeks salvation. So what is the issue? His money is the
way of his relationship with God. It is not that all people have to give up all that they
own in order to fallow Jesus, but if your money is more important than your relationship
with God, perhaps it would be good to give it up in order to find the fullness of life. But
let me phrase the question a little differently: what in your life is getting in the way of
your relationship with God? Would you be willing to give this up?
Mark 10:32-34: Jesus Again Foretells His Death and Resurrection
“If I’ve told you once, I’ve told you a thousand times,” this is what I have to do.
You have identified me as the Messiah. Now I will again teach you what that means.
Mark 10:35-45: The Request of James and John
James and John clearly show how clueless the disciples are. Jesus has just told
them again that he is about to go to Jerusalem and die, and they want to sit on his right
and left as he rules. “The cup” and “The baptism” in verses 38-39 are both euphemisms
for his death, but James and John do not realize it. Jesus again shows that his
understanding of true greatness and power is different from those generally accepted. If
you want to be truly great in the eyes of God, then serve others and be willing to sacrifice
your life for them.
Mark 10:46-52: Blind Bartimaeus
The Power of Persistence: Blind Bart will not be put off by the crowd; he insists
on being heard. Thus he finds healing through Jesus. Three things of note: First, Jesus
is no longer fearing the crowds, but healing openly. The “conspiracy of silence” is
coming to an end. In Chapter 11, Jesus will go into Jerusalem openly claiming, by his
actions, that he believes himself to be the Messiah (See commentary on chapter 11.).
Secondly, Bartimaeus is actually named. You rarely see a healed person named in Mark.
I suspect, therefore, that Bartimaeus became a disciple who was well known by the early
Christian community. Thirdly, Bartimaeus calls Jesus “Son of David.” This is a
Messianic title, for the Messiah was believed to be a descendent of David’s (Eze.34:2324; Jer.23:5-6; Isa.11:1-3; Mark 12:35-37). By shouting out in this way, Bartimaeus is
saying quite openly, “I believe that you are the Messiah!”
The Gospel of Mark – DMR
Commentary on Mark 11 (AERZ) (Revised) Holy Week Begins – Eyes on the Cross
11:1-10 The Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem
vs.1) No one is quite sure where Bethphage is, but Bethany is the last town before
Jerusalem. The Mount of Olives is higher than Mount Zion by about 200 feet and
overlooks the city and you can get an excellent view of the Temple from there.
vs.2-6) God has prepared the way and Jesus knows about it. He knows that there will be
a colt waiting, and he knows the owner will let his disciples have it. His disciples are
obedient and follow his instructions presumably in faith that Jesus knows what he is
doing.
vs.7-10) Jesus’ choice to ride into Jerusalem on a colt would have been seen as a clear
claim by him to be a V.I.P., either a prophet, the Messiah or even “King” (see Zech. 9:9).
The “conspiracy of silence” is over. Jesus is openly showing himself to be something
special. Those well acquainted with the Hebrew Scriptures (of which there would have
been many) would have seen his ride into Jerusalem as the fulfillment of prophecy. The
crowd is desperate for a Savior, someone who will overthrow the oppression of the
Romans, and Jesus seems to have “the right stuff.” Mark believes that Jesus is the
Savior, but not the type of Savior the crowd is looking for. The crowd is desperate for
the coming of the Messiah, but their only vision of Messiah is “the conquering hero.”
They would not have considered the possibility that the Messiah could be a “suffering
servant” who comes to give his life for the people. The Romans were too much on their
mind. Surely God would send the Messiah to deal with them.
Hosanna means “saves us” and is used in Psalm 118:25. Other relevant Old
Testament references are Psalm 118:26 and 2 Sam.7:11-14. The crowd could not have
given higher praise. Jesus is coming as king victorious, but instead of conquering the
forces of Rome, he takes a look at the temple and goes back to Bethany.
11:12-25 The Clearing of the Temple and the Cursing of a Tree
I put the tree and the Temple together because I believe that they are critical in the
understanding of each other.
Jesus had taken a look around at the Temple where he hoped to find fruit. He
then went to a tree which was out of season and looked for fruit, and when he found none
he cursed it. This is a prophetic action. The Temple was not bearing fruit and would
never bear fruit again. (It was destroyed in 70 AD. Also note the tearing of the Temple
curtain in 15:38.) The Temple, created as a house of prayer, has become a den of
robbers. Jesus’ cursing the fig tree is symbolic of a) his clearing the temple, b) his dying
on the cross to make the one true sacrifice and thus fulfill and make antiquated the
Temple and its sacrificial system, c) the destruction of the Temple in 70 AD (still in the
future when Mark was writing), and d) the lack of faith of the religious leaders who were
not bearing any fruit.
When Jesus “clears” the Temple, he is not intending to be anti-Temple. Rather,
he was anti-corruption. He wanted the Temple to be used for the purpose that God
intended, but corruption and economics seemed more important to the leaders. The chief
priests (vs. 18) are Sadducees who we have not yet seen in Mark. Now Jesus has gotten
another major religious group mad at him. Jesus has the crowd in his pocket, and the
chief priests (Sadducees) and scribes (Pharisees) fear him and want to kill him. But
neither the chief priests nor the crowds nor even the disciples understood at this point
what type of Messiah Jesus was intending to be.
Again they went back to Bethany (vs.19), presumably to the house of Mary,
Martha and Lazarus (e.g. John 12:1-3).
Peter noted the withered tree (vs.20ff). It was a powerful prophetic action. I
wonder if he understood it. Jesus takes the opportunity to teach a different point. Several
points, actually:
First and foremost Jesus tells them to have faith in God. This is the basis for all
that follows. Secondly he states that this faith can have incredible power. What do you
think of this? Is this true to your experience? Is Jesus using hyperbole or did he mean it
word for word? At the very least Jesus was teaching that prayer and faith have power.
Lastly he teaches about forgiveness. Critical in this whole process is our forgiving
others, to the extent that it does not seem that God can forgive us until we forgive others.
Is this hyperbole or literal? Bottom line: if we want to be forgiven by God and have a
significant prayer life we must forgive others.
11:27-33 The Authorities Question Jesus
These authorities who now question Jesus are associated with the Temple
(Sadducees, but it sounds like there are scribes/Pharisees as well), and they are upset at
its disruption the previous day. It is interesting that Jesus ties his ministry with John. It
was apparently well known that John anointed Jesus for ministry, and therefore if John
was a prophet then Jesus’ ministry was legit. The Sadducees probably did not believe in
the ministry of John, but they did not have the guts to go against them. Therefore since
they cannot answer Jesus’ question they will not get an answer for their own. This is a
fascinating way of answering the question, because Jesus could have said a variety of
positive answers. “John the Baptist gave me the authority.” “My Father gave me the
authority.” “God gave me the authority.” Instead he makes the Sadducees think, and
gets out of the question which they really did not want an answer for anyway.
The Gospel of Mark – DMR
Commentary on Mark 12 (AERZ) In Jerusalem before the last supper.
12:1-12 A Parable attacking the Authorities
Jesus’ parable has a point, and it is not lost on his audience (vs.12). Those whom
he is speaking to, probably a combination of Sadducees and Pharisees (see 11:27), are
indeed the “tenants” in the parable. The point of the parable: the Sadducees and
Pharisees have not been loyal to God (the owner of the vineyard), and they intend to kill
his final messenger, the owner of the vineyard’s son. But if they do so, the owner of the
vineyard (God) will move against them!
12:13-27 Deceptive Questions
Fearing direct confrontation (see vs. 12), the Pharisees and Herodians (vs.13) and
later the Sadducees (vs. 18) decide to turn to cunning questions. If they can’t kill him,
maybe they can at least figure out a way to turn the crowd against him.
Paying Taxes to Caesar (vs.13-17)
This question is particularly clever. They begin it by calling Jesus “teacher”
(which is Rabbi in Hebrew), a term of respect, but I am sure the trap in the question
would have been quite clear to Jesus. If he says “Pay taxes to Caesar” then Jesus would
have been seen as a traitor, and the crowd would likely move against. If he said “Don’t
pay taxes to Caesar,” they would have had grounds to have him arrested by the Romans.
If he says, “I don’t know,” he would discredited himself as a prophetic figure, something
that he had claimed for himself in the triumphal entry (11:1-11). Thus, the crowds would
be disillusioned.
The coin Jesus asks for is technically a graven idol: a engraved picture of a god
(the Emperor Caesar). The coin itself would have been repulsive to Jews! The fact that
one of his accusers had such a coin would have been an embracement to the Pharisees,
although admittedly the Herodians would likely not have cared. The coin itself is
currency to the Romans and filth to the Jews, although many Jews would have had to
reluctantly use them. Thus Jesus is offering the Romans what they want while telling the
Jews to get ride of what they don’t want. It is a brilliant answer: “Give to the emperor
the things that are the emperor’s and to God the things that are God’s” (vs.17)
The Resurrection (vs.18-27)
The Sadducees question is less obviously a trap. I think that they were just trying
to beat him in a debate and show the people how mush wiser they were than Jesus. They
probably knew that Jesus (like the Pharisees) believed in resurrection. They had probably
used this “story” with the Pharisees in earlier debates and found that it was clever enough
to make the Pharisees tongue-tied. Perhaps the same would happen to Jesus. But Jesus
simply plows through the question, accuses them of misunderstanding the scriptures and
the power of God, and affirms his belief in resurrection. This is not the “slam dunk”
victory that the previous passage (vs.13-17) was, but it does show Jesus has a clear
understanding of what he believes and that he will not be outwitted by the Sadducees.
12:28-34 The Greatest Commandment
Unlike the previous debaters, the scribe in these verses (i.e. a Pharisee) seems to
be genuinely interested in what Jesus had to say. Not every leader in Jerusalem was set
against Jesus, and this individual both affirms Jesus’ answer (vs. 32-33) and is affirmed
by Jesus (vs. 34). Jesus’ answer is among the most famous quotes of scripture. In my
opinion, it teaches that relationship is the most important thing in the universe: the love of
God and the love of others! Please note that these thoughts are not original to Jesus!
Jesus is a good Jew, and he is quoting the Hebrew Scriptures (Deut. 6:4-5; Lev. 19:18b).
12:35-37 David’s Son
Now Jesus asks a question of his own. He is playing with the crowd. The
Messiah was to be called “The Son of David” (Eze.34:23-24; Jer.23:5-6; Isa.11:1-3;
Mark 10:48). Jesus is getting them to think about the possibility that he is indeed “The
Son of David,” i.e. the Messiah.
12:38-40 Denouncing the Scribes
OK. Let’s add a little gasoline to the fire. Jesus, go ahead, insult the Pharisees in
public!
12:41-44 The Widow’s Offering
As he has done several times before in the latter part of Mark, Jesus uses an
individual to illustrate a teaching. Preciously he had done this with children (9:33-37;
10:13-16) and with James and John (10:41-45). Now he will use this poor widow’s
offering to illustrate the meaning of true dedication.
DMR The Gospel of Mark
Commentary on Mark 13
Commentary by Dave Allen ’05, with help from The Life Application Study Bible,
Tyndale House Publishers, Inc. 1986 and 1991 and Zondervan, and The Orthodox Study
Bible, St. Athanasius Orthodox Academy, 1993 (Done as part of a senior project for
Rev. Albert E. R. Zug; edited for class by Rev. Zug)
13: 1-8 The Destruction of the Temple Foretold – This actually occurred in 70 AD,
roughly three years after Mark wrote his Gospel.
13: 9-13 Persecution Foretold
Jesus lets His disciples know that the beautiful temple that they are wondering at
will be destroyed. Privately with Peter, James, John, and Andrew, Jesus prophesies about
the end times and warns His disciples that:
- Many will claim to be the Christ, and many will be led astray by them
But the followers of Jesus should beware of these deceivers
- There will be wars, rumors of wars, earthquakes, and famines
But the followers of Jesus should not be alarmed
- Followers of Jesus will be persecuted by kings, rulers, even their own families,
and be hated by all people because of Jesus’ Name, and the Good News (Gospel)
will be proclaimed to every nation
But the followers of Jesus should not worry about what to say in testimony
against rulers, because the Holy Spirit will teach them what to say
13: 14-23 The Desolating Sacrilege
Jesus explains the future fulfillment of an Old Testament prophecy (Daniel 9:27;
11:31; 12:11) teaching again about the end times, and what his followers should expect
and beware of. Note that at the beginning of the chapter Jesus did not tell the disciples
when the destruction would happen after they asked him. So here again, Jesus does not
tell the disciples when it will happen, but lets them know of ways by which they can
know that what he has prophesied is taking place:
- Jesus predicts a time of tribulation signaled by the desecration of the temple,
warning his followers to flee Jerusalem. This happened in 70 A.D. when the
Roman general Titus desecrated the temple, standing in the holy place. This
warning of the destruction of the temple goes back to verses 1 and 2, when Jesus
predicts that the temple will be destroyed.
- Again Jesus warns that false christs and false prophets will deceive many and
claim to be Jesus. He warns his disciples to not be deceived, but to “be alert,
because I have told you everything beforehand.”
13: 24-27 The Coming of the Son of Man
-
Here, Jesus tells of signs in the heavens that signal his is coming back at last.
Jesus declares that He will come in power and great glory, and that His angels
will gather his followers.
-
The Nicene Creed, the ancient statement of Christian belief states, “He shall come
again with glory to judge both the living and the dead.” Jesus taught and the
Church reiterated that His coming again would be abundantly clear. Jesus claims
His author over angels and powers again claiming for Himself something that
only God or the Son of God could claim.
13: 28-31 The Lesson of the Fig Tree
-
-
Jesus, in keeping with His normal way of teaching divine truth, uses a parable: He
compares the natural plant cycle of a fig tree to His prophecy. As one can predict
that summer is near by the growth in the fig tree, one can know that the end times
are come and that Jesus will return soon when these signs are taking place.
“This generation” probably refers to the new race of Christians. (Orthodox Study
Bible, p. 67)
Jesus lets his disciples know that even if heaven and earth pass away, His words
will not, another clear claim to divinity.
13: 32-37 The Necessity for Watchfulness
-
-
Verse 32- “The emphasis of this verse is not on Jesus’ lack of knowledge, but
rather on the fact that no one knows. It is God the Father’s secret to be revealed
whenever He wills.” (Life Application Study Bible, p.1766)
Again Jesus uses a parable to let His disciples know that they must be prepared
for his return, like a good and wise servant waiting for his master’s return.
Jesus’ main point throughout this chapter is not when and where everything will
happen, but rather to watch and be expectant for His coming.
DMR The Gospel of Mark
Commentary on Mark 14 (AERZ): The Last Supper, Betrayal, Arrest and Desertion
14:1-2 A Time to Kill
When you read the words “scribes” think Pharisees, a group with whom Jesus has
been in increasing conflict with since the beginning of Chapter 2. When you read the
words “chief priests” think Sadducees, who he had offended when he “cleansed the
Temple” (11:15-19). Normally these two groups are in conflict, even enemies, but now
they are united in at least one cause: they want to get rid of Jesus. But the crowds have
rallied to support Jesus, and the Sadducees and Pharisees fear the crowds and the
potential of a riot.
14:3-11 Anointing and Betrayal
Although Jesus is teaching in the Temple during the day, he is still staying outside
of Jerusalem in Bethany.
A deed of love and devotion is done. A woman uses a very costly ointment as an
act of dedication and after the incredible gift is given, she only receives rebuke. It was
not the onlookers perfume. It was the woman’s. What is going through the minds of
these people? Do they really love the poor? One thing for sure, they do not understand
the nature of self-sacrifice, either of the woman’s or of Jesus’. Do we?
Verse 7 has been used for centuries as an excuse for being irresponsible to the
poor. People will excuse their greed with the simple quote from Jesus, “For you always
have the poor with you,” arguing that we do not need to help them. This of course is
nonsense, for Jesus was constantly looking after the marginalized and disadvantaged.
Furthermore, it was the responsibility of every Jew to look after the poor (see
Deut.15:11), and Jesus, being a good Jew, would have freely acknowledged this.
Although it is appropriate to use one’s wealth and possessions for other purposes (this
passage is a good example of that) it nevertheless cannot be claimed by either Jew or
Christian that we have no responsibility for helping the poor.
Verse 8: Everything Jesus is doing now reminds him of his impending death. He
sees this as a symbolic action that she likely does not even understand. It is an action that
would have been appropriate if Jesus was about to be anointed king (1 Sam. 10:1; 2
Kings 9:6), and perhaps this woman was still clinging to the idea that Jesus was about to
establish his kingdom and kick out the Romans. Jesus accepts and honors the gracious
act, but sees it as anointing for burial.
Verse 9: The ironic part of this is that, although we do indeed remember this
woman’s action as a part of the Gospel, we do not remember her name. This may say
something about the Christian life: even if no one remembers our names, what we do for
Christ is still remembered by God.
Verse 10-11: The account of the anointing is bracketed with the idea of betrayal.
This is the time Mark portrays Judas as coming to the decision to betray Jesus. Was their
something in her action that pushed Judas over the edge?
14:12-26 The Passover and the Last Supper
The Passover is one of the great Jewish feasts. It celebrates the deliverance of the
Israelites out of Egypt and slavery under the hand of Pharaoh. The Passover Lamb is
sacrificed each Passover, symbolic of when the people of Israel had to sacrifice a Lamb
and put the blood of the lamb on their door-posts to save them from the plague of death
(see Exodus 12). Christians have seen this as symbolic of Jesus’ death, for his blood
likewise protects us from death.
Verses 12-16: Jesus chooses to celebrate the Passover in Jerusalem, so they need a
room. Jesus is again seen as having foreknowledge and knows how God will chooses the
room (Compare 11:1ff).
Verses 17-22: Again Jesus knows what will happen, and he knows it will be by
betrayal. The traitor is also fore warned about his fait if he does indeed go through with
it. Jesus knows it is one of the twelve, but does Mark think that Jesus knows it is Judas?
Verses 23-24: The institution of the Lord’s Supper. Jesus changes the traditional
blessings of the bread and wine, and gives it new meaning. Jesus does not give thanks to
the Lord of the Harvest for the blessing of grain, from which we make bread, and for the
blessing of the fruit of the vine, from which we get wine. Instead Jesus sees the bread
and wine as symbols of his Body and blood. Jesus is aware that he is dying for many.
Verses 25-26: Jesus knows that he will not stay dead: he will drink wine in the
kingdom of God!
14:27-31 Jesus Predicts Peter’s Denial
Here Peter pledges his devotion to Jesus. You see his all out attitude. He loves
Jesus and is loyal and cannot imagine disowning him. He is willing, but he does not
know his weaknesses (cl.vs.38).
Jesus again sees the future, and knows a lot of the details. He not only knows the
scriptures and how they apply to his life, but he knows the details of that Peter will not be
able to stand.
Despite Jesus’ grave predictions, his statement of future events ends in hope:
Jesus knows he is going to rise from the dead.
14:32-42 In the Garden of Gethsemane
Jesus is sorrowful. Jesus is a person of prayer. Jesus appeals to God who he calls
Abba, that is to say “Daddy.” Jesus does not want to die, but he is willing to.
Peter, James and John: all heart; no follow through. Intentions are good, but these
three, Jesus’ closest companions, cannot pull it off. Jesus wanted them to pray a specific
way: so they will not fall into temptation. Instead they fall asleep.
Again, Jesus knows what is going to happen.
14:43-52 The Betrayal and Arrest
Judas betrays his Lord with a kiss. The disciples seek a “military” solution, but
Jesus will have none of it. Instead of approving the drawing of swords, he heals his
enemies ear. This is the last straw for the disciples: unable to fight, they flee. Jesus is
aware that these actions are fulfilling the Hebrew Scripture (vs.49b).
Many scholars believe that we see Mark himself in verses 51-52. Why else would
this detail be included, unless the author remembered it and therefore wanted to give his
own recollection?
14:53-65 The First Trial – Jesus before the Jewish Council
Peter is attempting to stay loyal, and he followed at a distance (vs.54).
The High Priests are eager to prove Jesus guilty, but they cannot do it under their
own rules (Two witnesses must agree.). They could not condemn him. So Jesus
condemns himself. Jesus uses the divine name “I am.” He will sit on the right hand of
“The Mighty One” and come in clouds of Glory. This indeed would have been
blasphemy if it were not true. The Council never considers the possibility that this could
be true. This idea was so far outside their way of thinking. They were looking for a way
to kill Jesus, and Jesus gave it to them.
Again, Mark presents Jesus to be the Son of God (or since he used the divine
name, even God himself).
The tearing of the high priests robes is not a small action, but indicates the
ultimate statement of anxiety and stress. It is the same action that Jews do when a person
dies.
In verse 65 the crowd of religious leaders has turned in to a mob, behaving with
childish retribution to an unarmed person who is not fighting back (and as far as they
know, cannot fight back).
14:66-72 Peter’s Denial
Mark now tightens his focus directly on the one who first proclaimed Jesus to be
the Messiah: Peter. Peter is attempting to be loyal. He probably thinks that he is biding
his time to do something to help Jesus. But instead he denies that he knows Jesus three
times. Peter is crushed by his own denial, and he weeps.
DMR The Gospel of Mark
Commentary on Mark 15 (AERZ): The Death of Jesus
15:1-5
Having concluded that Jesus had committed blasphemy and that he deserved death
(14:63-64) and having beaten him (14:65), the chief priests (Sadducees) decide to hand
Jesus over to Pontius Pilate, the Roman Governor of Judea. This is an interesting move.
Technically speaking the Jews were not allowed to put anyone to death. The occupying
Romans reserved that privilege to themselves. But frequently they would anyway (note
Acts 7:54-60.) Here the chief priests were looking for the Roman stamp of approval.
Certainly it would have been easier to put him to death themselves, for their was no
guarantee that Pilate would agree. But they probably feared reprisals, either from the
throngs of Jews who had supported Jesus in his triumphal entry (11:1-11), or from the
Romans themselves. They wanted to go through official channels, and they probably had
to wake Pilate up to do it. (It was very early in the morning.)
Jesus makes no defense before Pilate. Other Gospels show him saying a few more things
(e.g. John 18:28-38), but the bottom line is this: Jesus knows it is intended for him to die;
he will not do anything to interfere with God’s will and save his life.
15:6-15
Pilate is not thrilled about condemning Jesus (v.10). He knows that Jesus is being used as
a political pawn, and he would just as soon not kill him. But his attempt to get him off
the hook is aborted when the crowd chooses to release a true criminal. Barabbas is an
interesting character. According to Christian theology, Jesus died in our place to pay the
price of our sins. Here, Jesus is literally dying in the place where Barabbas should have
died. In a sense then, all Christians can relate to Barabbas, for Jesus died in our place.
But did Barabbas do works worthy of repentance after Jesus died in his place?
15:16-20
Few Romans would have wanted to be assigned to Judea. From Roman thinking it was
“nowhere.” Here the Roman soldiers decide to take their frustration out on one of their
prisoner who was about to die anyway.
Note how both Jew and Gentile abuse Jesus (see 14:65). Again, Jesus died for all: both
Jew and Gentile. Both Jew and Gentile were likewise responsible for his death. The
leaders of the Jews had the political motive, and Pilate, the leader of the Romans, was too
week a governor to do what he knew was right. And both Gentile and Jew beat him.
And Christians believe that both Gentile and Jew were saved by his death.
15:21-32
By the time of the crucifixion, it is still only 9:00 AM. Many of Jesus’ supporters might
be just waking up. Normally, one caries one’s own cross to one’s own death, and Jesus
probably tried (note John 19:17). But Jesus had been severely beaten, first by the chief
priests (14:65), then flogged by Pilate (15:15), and then he was beaten by the Roman
soldiers (15:16-20). The odds are he was no longer able to carry the cross, or at least not
far. So Simon of Cyrene was “compelled” to do so. In addition to his physical pain,
Jesus receives the humiliation of being mocked by virtually everyone: those who passed
by, the chief priests, even the other two who were crucified with him.
15:33-39
When Jesus says “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” he is quoting Psalm
22:1. It is a fascinating Psalm. Although it was written hundreds of years before
crucifixion was invented, when one reads it, one can see in it the death of Jesus. Many
Christians believe that at this moment Jesus was paying the price of our sins. He had
enjoyed an intimate relationship with God. Now Jesus took the sins of all humanity upon
himself. “For our sake he [God] made him [Jesus] to be sin who knew no sin.” (1 Cor.
5:21) At this moment, when Jesus “became sin” the intimate relationship he had with
God the Father was broken, and he was “forsaken.” This was far worse than any other
pain that Jesus had suffered. The crowd is intrigued by his statement, but they are
confused and believe that Jesus is calling on the prophet Elijah instead of God himself.
There are three main theories about why Jesus chose to let himself be killed. In my
opinion, all off of them are true. The first is called “substitutionary atonement.” This
holds that Jesus was our substitute: he died in our place to pay the price of our sins.
These words are common in our culture, but the meaning could use some explaining. All
of us sin (do things against God’s will – selfish things that we know are wrong but we do
anyway.) If any of us who are sinners (all of us) were judged by God according to strict
rules of justice, we would be condemned. God therefore has a problem: he loves us and
therefore wants us to live, but he is just and therefore must condemn us. The solution:
the one person who never sinned (Jesus) died in our place so that we might be able to
live.
The Jews were quite aware of the goodness of God and the sin of the people. Because we
are all sinners they realized that no one could be in the presence of God and live. The
very center of the Temple represented the presence of God, the Holy of Holies. No one
could go there except the High Priest once a year, and then only after a sacrifice had been
made for his sins. The center of the Temple (the presence of God) was separated from
the rest of the Temple by a curtain. Mark claims that when Jesus died the curtain was
split in two. Why? Because Mark believed that Jesus was the sacrifice for our sins.
Therefore we can now enter the presence of God. To put it differently, our sins no longer
create a separation between us and our Holy and just God. We can now enter his
presence. Therefore the curtain which separates God from the people is no longer
relevant or appropriate. God therefore split the curtain in two.
The second theory about Jesus’ death is called “Christ the Victor.” This theory holds that
Jesus died to defeat death. He took death on, one-on-one, and won! Through Jesus’
death and resurrection, death itself is now defeated, and all those who follow Jesus will
not be held by it.
The third theory is called “the moral influence theory.” Jesus died in order to show us
how we should be willing to give up our lives for one another.
(vs.39) Peter had recognized that Jesus was the Christ (8:29). But the first to recognize
that Jesus was the Son of God was, of all people, a Roman solider. Somehow, the way he
died was proof to this centurion that Jesus was the Son of God.
15:40-47
The men had scattered, but several of Jesus’ woman followers witnessed Jesus’ actual
death. (We also know from a different Gospel that John was also present - John 19:26)
Jesus died relatively quickly: crucified at 9:00, he died at 3:00. Pilate was astonished by
this because the victims of crucifixion often take days to die. But, as noted earlier, Jesus
had been severely beaten and was half dead before he got to the cross.
Joseph of Arimathea asks if he can bury Jesus. This was a remarkable request. The
Romans generally did not allow the crucified to be buried. But Pilate, realizing that Jesus
was an innocent man, chose to be merciful and allowed him to be buried. Several of the
women saw the haste of the burial, noted the place and would return after the Sabbath
with the intention of completing the burial process. As we find in chapter 16, they never
actually got the chance.
DMR The Gospel of Mark
Commentary on Mark 16 (AERZ): Resurrection
16:1-8 The Empty Tomb
If the Gospel of Mark ended with the last verse of Mark 15 it would be a truly
tragic story: a godly man named Jesus, after performing great deeds and providing
valuable teaching, died an ugly death at the hands of an inflexible religious establishment
and their uncaring Roman overlords. But according to Mark, this was not the end of the
story. Indeed, Jesus tried to prepare his disciples for the events that surrounded his death,
and when he spoke of this to them he would almost always speak of his resurrection from
the dead (8:31; 9:31; 10:34; 14:28).
Jesus’ disciples were crushed by his betrayal, public humiliation and death, and
despite Jesus’ best attempts to prepare them, they seemed to have lost all hope. They had
suffered a crushing defeat, and they had no thought of possible victory. Their leader was
dead, and they were in hiding.
Jesus’ burial had been rushed (15:46), and his body had not been given proper
preparation due to the coming of the Sabbath which required these loyal Jews not to
work. Mary Magdalene, Salome and Mary the mother of James came to the tomb on
Sunday morning to complete the burial ritual. It is curious that they were all woman.
Their strength was inadequate for the task, for they could not have moved the burial stone
(16:3). This begs the question: where were the apostles when these women needed
them? The answer may be that they were terrified. They feared “getting caught” paying
honor to a convicted criminal and a man the authorities accused of being a false Messiah.
The three women therefore go to the tomb alone, knowing that they would likely be
unable to complete their task. But they went anyway - possibly in faith that they could
get someone to help them; possibly just because love and loyalty demanded that they try
even if they were destined to fail. But even though the stone is rolled away from the
tomb, they never get the chance to complete their task. There is no body to embalm.
Loyalty and loss turn into surprise. The young man in white (vs.5) is clearly a
godly messenger, and the other Gospel writers make it clear that this is an angelic
witness. Surprise then turns into terror. They have ridden the roller coaster of the life of
Jesus. In the last week they have experienced the triumphal entry, the clearing of the
temple, Jesus’ confrontations with the religious leaders as he taught in the Temple, the
last supper, the crucifixion and now this. They cannot fully digest this new piece of
information, and they are terrified at the new turn of events. They are instructed to go
talk to the disciples and Peter, but they leave not telling anyone. Here the Gospel, or the
oldest version that we have, ends.
The Different Endings of Mark:
Only verses 1-8 are part of the original Gospel of Mark. We know this because
the earliest documents that we have do not include verse 9ff. (However, verses 9-20 are a
part of the Christian cannon.) The original Gospel, as we have it, ends rather abruptly.
Some believe the ending was lost. Others believe that it was not finished. Others believe
that Mark stopped at verse 8 because he had done all the work he wanted to, figuring
everyone who he was writing to knew the end of the story. Others believe he
intentionally ended it that way in order to show how horrific it would have been if the
woman had never overcome their fear and told anyone about the resurrection. In other
words, Mark’s ending would have had his readers begging to ask the question, “So what
happened next?” The answer, when one thinks of it, is self-evident: they overcame their
fear and told of the great news that Jesus had risen from the dead. So, therefore, Mark’s
readers should do the same: overcome their fear and tell the good news about Jesus, the
Messiah, the Son of God. If one views the oldest ending of Mark’s Gospel this way, the
Gospel has come full circle, and Mark is hoping that many will go out and tell the good
news that he so boldly proclaims.
For the reasons given above, you will not be responsible for the commentary beyond
this point or the verses after Mark 16:8. I have provided the following comment on
16:9-20 for any that might be interested.
16:9-20 The Added Verses
Someone who thought the Gospel needed a better ending added verses 9-20.
These verses talk about Jesus’ appearances to several people, and they show Jesus’
statement that encourages the disciples to go into the world and proclaim the good news.
I confess that verse 16 bothers me, for it speaks of condemnation. Although I believe hell
exists, it is not a major theme in Mark, and I am sorry that the one who added the ending
chose to include this as a climactic idea of his work. Mark’s redactor then gives the signs
of believing (vs.17-18). Driving out demons and placing hands on the sick are certainly
themes that resonate throughout the Gospel. Speaking in tongues is seen in acts and the
letters of Paul, but I think this is the first time the idea appears in Mark. Snake handling
and drinking poison are new ideas. The people of Appalachia who practice “snake
handling” take their cue from these verses. (Admittedly, there is also a reference to Paul
being bitten in Acts 28:1ff).
The Gospel is rounded off (vs.19-20) with a brief statement of the ascension, and
it notes the disciple’s work and how the Lord worked with them and “confirmed” their
work “by the signs.” Although I appreciate the desire to bring is Mark’s work to a more
conventional close, I believe this ending (vs.9-20) adds little substance and that it may
have caused more trouble than it is worth.