What makes Mark unique?
There are several characteristics
that make the Gospel of Mark unique. Too often, these special
characteristics are overlooked because Mark is read in light of the
other synoptic gospels (Matthew and Luke), or John, or even the letters
of Paul.
- Although still debated by some, the consensus
among the majority of biblical scholars is that the Gospel of Mark was
the first of the canonical Gospels to appear. Consequently, it served
as a source for the authors of Matthew and Luke when they wrote their
Gospels. Moreover, although the Gospel of Mark was probably not the
first Christian text to be labeled as "gospel," it is likely the first
gospel to utilize a narrative structure (versus, for example, a
"sayings" gospel).
- The author of Mark places sharp
emphasis on the humanity of Jesus. This is best seen perhaps with
respect to Jesus' suffering. In fact, the suffering of Jesus is the key
to understanding Jesus' true identity as the Messiah, Son of God, and
Son of Man (see e.g., 8:31-33; 9:30-31; and 10:33-34, et al.).
- In
Mark, faith is a gift of God; characters in the narrative either have
it or they don't. Furthermore, miracles do not lead to faith (compare
the Gospel According to John), but rather, faith is required in order
that miracles can take place (see e.g., 6:1-6).
- Many
readers of Mark have recognized for a long time the negative manner in
which Mark portrays the disciples (including the authors of Matthew and
Luke who "corrected" Mark's treatment in various ways). The disciples
in Mark come across as dimwitted, misguided, and selfish, rather than
as Jesus' privileged associates and great apostles of the church. There
are a number of ways to interpret this. For instance, perhaps Mark
meant to depict them as "fallible followers" and thus give his readers
hope when they struggle to understand and follow Jesus. On the other
hand, the author of Mark may well have had an axe to grind with the
leaders of the church in his day.
- Readers of Mark have
also noticed Jesus' frequent commands to silence and his efforts to
hide his identity. This motif has often been referred to as the
"Messianic secret." Whether it is a historical representation or a
literary construction of the author is a matter of debate. Regardless
of which position one takes, however, the theme poses interesting
challenges for interpretation. One important outcome of the Messianic
secret in Mark is that it allows for a provocative use of irony on the
part of the author. Since the reader does, in fact, know who Jesus
really is, she/he can immediately grasp the ironic twist when, for
instance, Jesus is identified on the cross as the "King of the Jews."
Why was Mark written?
The
author of Mark likely wrote this Gospel for a community of Christians
who was experiencing persecution and suffering (see e.g., 4:16-17;
8:34-38; 9:42-48; 10:17-31, 38-39; and 13:9-13). The Christology of the
Gospel According to Mark is corrective insofar as it aims to
demonstrate the necessity of Jesus' suffering, as well as that of the
community itself. "Jesus is presented as a paradigm of the way in which
his disciples, including the Markan audience, should endure suffering"
(Marcus, 29). Whereas so many people of the period were anticipating a
powerful and victorious warrior-Messiah who would overthrow the Roman
Empire, Mark presents Jesus as the Son of God whose destiny it was to
suffer the fate of the Son of Man, i.e., to die. However, Jesus suffers
innocently and is therefore vindicated by God. Likewise, although
believers suffer unfairly at the hands of their oppressors, God will
vindicate them as well.
What's the story behind the scene?
Mark
was written anonymously either just before or very shortly after the
fall of Jerusalem and the destruction of the temple in 70 CE. The
earliest surviving statement regarding the authorship of this Gospel
comes from Papias in 140 CE, who said it was written by someone named
Mark, who was not himself an eyewitness of Jesus, but had been the
"interpreter" of the apostle Peter (cf. 1 Peter 5:13; Acts 12:12). The
problem with this notion is that it begs the question of why Peter
would be depicted so negatively throughout the gospel narrative. Given
the date of origin, it is important to remember that Chapter 13 (Mark's
"Little Apocalypse") is not simply a collection of vague predictions
about some distant future event, but rather a reflection of very real
turmoil in the midst of the revolt of the Jews living in Palestine
against the Roman imperialist occupation in 66-73 CE, also known as the
Jewish War. Mark's Gospel is full of apocalyptic overtones, but these
are juxtaposed to a message of suffering discipleship.
How is Mark constructed?
When
thinking about the structure of Mark, it is absolutely essential to
keep in mind that it is a story. In other words, although there is an
argument being made in Mark, the author does so by means of a plot
rather than through a series of propositions. As a result, there is a
significant amount of overlap as themes and motifs are interwoven
throughout the narrative. With that in mind, it is nevertheless clear
that, aside from the prologue (1:1-13), Mark can be easily divided into
two halves (1:14 - 8:30 and 8:31 - 16:8), which pivot on Peter's
confession (8:27-30). Prior to the confession, Jesus is a mighty
miracle worker performing healings and exorcisms and teaching with
profound authority. After the confession, the mood and tone of the
Gospel shifts significantly. It is in the second half that we find all
three of Jesus' predictions regarding his imminent death (8:31-33;
9:30-31; and 10:33-34). In light of this transition, and with respect
to the disciples "inability to fully grasp Jesus" teaching and
identity, there are a number of scholars who interpret the episode of
Jesus healing the unidentified blind man in Bethsaida (8:22-26) as
having a double function: on one hand, it illustrates how Jesus differs
from so many other healers of the period; on the other hand, and
perhaps more significantly, it suggests that the "blind" disciples
(8:18) are on their way to gaining "full sight."
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