Introduction
For a long time, the Gospel of Mark was the least popular
of the Gospels, both among scholars and general readers. Mark’s
literary style is somewhat dull—for example, he begins a great number
of sentences with the word “then.” Luke and Matthew both contain the
same story of Jesus’s life, but in more sophisticated prose. Mark also
leaves out accounts of Jesus’s birth, the Sermon on the Mount, and
several of the most well known parables. Mark became more popular,
however, when biblical scholars discovered it was the earliest written
of the four Gospels, and was probably the primary source of information
for the writers of Luke and Matthew. Moreover, because neither Jesus
nor his original disciples left any writings behind, the Gospel
of Mark is the closest document to an original source on Jesus’s
life that currently exists. The presumed author of the Gospel of
Mark, John Mark, was familiar with Peter, Jesus’s closest disciple.
Indeed, Mark is the New Testament historian who comes closest to
witnessing the actual life of Jesus. Though Mark’s Gospel certainly
comes to us through his own personal lens, scholars are fairly confident
that Mark is a reliable source of information for understanding
Jesus’s life, ministry, and crucifixion. As a result of its proximity
to original sources, the Gospel of Mark has transformed from a book
disregarded for its lowly prose to one of the most important books
in the New Testament. Its historical importance has affected its
evaluation by literary scholars as well. Though crude and terse,
the Gospel of Mark is vivid and concrete. Action dominates. A dramatic
sense of urgency is present, and Mark has a developed sense of irony
that permeates the Gospel.
Summary
The Gospel According to Mark has no story of Jesus’s birth.
Instead, Mark’s story begins by describing Jesus’s adult life, introducing
it with the words, “The beginning of the good news of Jesus Christ, the
Son of God” (1:1).
Mark tells of John the Baptist, who predicts the coming of a man
more powerful than himself. After John baptizes Jesus with water,
the Holy Spirit of God recognizes Jesus as his son, saying, “You
are my Son, the Beloved” (1:11).
Jesus goes to the wilderness, where Satan tests him for forty days,
and Jesus emerges triumphant.
Jesus travels to Galilee, the northern region of Israel.
He gathers his first disciples, Simon and Andrew, two Jewish brothers
who are both fishermen. Jesus asks them to follow him, saying that
he will show them how to fish for people rather than for fish. Simon
and Andrew, as well as James and John, drop their nets and follow
him. Jesus exhibits his authority in Galilee, where he cleanses
a leper (1:40–45).
Mark reports that Jesus heals a paralytic, Simon’s sick mother-in-law,
and a man with a withered hand. The miracles cause the crowds that
gather to watch Jesus to become bewildered, fearful, and antagonistic.
The Pharisees and followers of Herod begin plotting to kill Jesus.
Jesus stays focused on his ministry.
Jesus’s ministry attracts many followers. The miracle stories become
increasingly longer and more elaborate, emphasizing the supernatural
power of Jesus’s authority. Mark says that “even wind and sea obey
him” (4:35–41).
Simultaneously, Jesus becomes increasingly misunderstood and rejected,
even by his own apostles. Jesus notes his disciples’ frequent misunderstandings
of his message. Jesus’s power continues to reveal itself in his control
over nature: he calms a storm, cures a man possessed by a demon,
and revives a dead young girl. Despite his successes, however, he
continues to be reviled in his own hometown of Nazareth.
The story of Jesus’s ministry reaches King Herod Antipas,
the ruler of Galilee who beheaded John the Baptist. Jesus disperses
the apostles, charging them with the responsibility to spread the
Gospel and to heal the sick. When the apostles rejoin Jesus, they
are once again swarmed with people eager to hear Jesus’s message.
Through a miracle, Jesus divides five loaves of bread and two fish
and feeds all 5,000 people.
His disciples, however, seem not to understand the magnitude of
his miracle: when he walks on water, they are shocked. The Pharisees,
who are upset at Jesus’s abandonment of the traditional Jewish laws,
question Jesus. He responds by pointing out that it is important
to obey the spirit of the law rather than simply going through the
technical actions that the law proscribes. Jesus preaches that human
intention, not behavior, determines righteousness.
Jesus travels again through northern Palestine. He heals
a deaf man and the child of a Gentile, and works a second miracle
in which he multiplies a small amount of bread and fish to feed 4,000 people. His
disciples, however, continue to misunderstand the significance of
his actions. Peter, the foremost of the disciples, seems to be the only
one who recognizes Jesus’s divine nature. Jesus begins to foresee his
own crucifixion and resurrection. He continues to travel across Galilee,
but shifts his emphasis to preaching rather than working miracles.
He appears to some of his disciples to be transfigured, made brilliantly
white. Jesus explains that John the Baptist served as his Elijah,
predicting his arrival. He preaches against divorce and remarriage.
He announces that young children, in their innocence, are models
for righteous behavior, and that the rich will have great difficulty
entering the kingdom of God. He teaches, despite the sacrifices
necessary to enter the kingdom, it will be worth it: “Many who are
first will be last, and the last, first” (10:31).
