The Gospel of Mark – Guest Contribution from Anita Byth in Greece; thank you Anita.

 Thanks Redcliffe for choosing The Gospel of Mark as your May Book of the Month!

 It’s such a great read. What really stood out to me is how Jesus, although he was right there amongst the masses, right in the thick of it, seemed to me to not be a part of it, always above the issue, as if he was on another plane – which of course he was. His plane was Spirit. His view was God’s view.

 In Chapter 1, John the Baptist is described as a ‘wildman’ type – dressing in camel hair and skins and eating wild honey and locusts – but not Jesus. The description of Jesus is that the Spirit descended upon him. There are no descriptions of Jesus’ material persona,
was this because he expressed the Spirit so clearly that it was this that people saw and responded to?

 Jesus undoubtedly healed thousands of people, as Mark states many times that the multitudes thronged him (wherever he went), they laid the sick in the streets, and he healed them of all their plagues.

But only a few healings are picked out to be described in The Gospel of Mark – these healings are:

Chapter 1        a man with an unclean spirit; Simon’s wife’s mother of fever; a leper

Chapter 2        one sick of the palsy
Chapter 3        a withered hand  
Chapter 4        stilled a storm that was sinking his ship
Chapter 5        a psychotic, madman; a woman with an issue of blood (7years);
                        raised a girl from death
Chapter 6        fed 5,000 men + women & children with 5 loves & 2 fishes and had 12
                     baskets of left overs; Jesus walked across the sea and calmed the
                       fierce winds
Chapter 7        a girl with an unclean spirit; a deaf and dumb man
Chapter 8        fed 4,000 with 7 loaves and had 7 baskets left over; a blind man
Chapter 9        an epileptic boy
Chapter 10      a blind man
Chapter 11      He dried up a fig tree from its roots
Chapter 16      His own resurrection

I’m sure Jesus healed colds, flu, broken arms, legs etc … but the healings described are those that people had from their birth i.e. a ‘terminal’ or ‘genetic’ illness. Was this because these people were thought to be Godless, thought to be unclean or sinful from birth with no chance of change, and Jesus gave proof by healing them that this ‘life sentence’ of illness or hunger or death was not the permanent truth about them. In fact, did Jesus see that it wasn’t ever the truth about them?

All the while that Jesus is healing the multitudes, he is also teaching his disciples and followers and talking to groups large and small, even multitudes – mainly in parables, so that they could understand as he opened up to them the kingdom of God, where Spirit, and Spirit only, reigns.  

From Chapter 8 onwards Mark seems to focus more on the teaching aspect of Jesus ministry. Even though the disciples have seen thousands of healings and been living and learning from Jesus since the start of his ministry, they still don’t seem to understand fully his directives – as in Chapter 8 when Jesus tells them to beware the leaven of the Pharisees and the disciples think he’s talking about bread!

And also from Chapter 8 onwards, Jesus begins to explain to his disciples about his death and resurrection. Even though Peter has only just finished acknowledging that Jesus is the Christ, the Son, he then argues with Jesus over this teaching of Jesus’ future suffering and Jesus has to rebuke him. But Peter must have learnt, because in Chapter 9 Peter is one of only three witnesses to Jesus’ transfiguration.

Again in Chapter 9 the disciples can’t quite seem to grasp the magnitude and absolute power of the underlying, and repeatable principles of Jesus’ healing work, when they couldn’t heal the epileptic boy and Jesus laments their faithless approach.

But Jesus keeps healing, preaching and teaching.

Since Chapter 3, when Jesus healed the man with the withered hand at the synagogue on the Sabbath, the Pharisees have been watching Jesus and criticizing him and trying to catch him out, and thereby discredit him and his ministry. Even though Jesus had to have been doing something spectacularly right because of his healing results, the Pharisees can only see all the rabbinical rules he is breaking, not the kingdom of God that he’s opening up to them and the world. It seems they never let up, and the more Jesus heals, preaches and teaches the way to heal, the more detractors Jesus has and more vehemently opposed to Jesus these detractors become.

In Chapter 12 after the Sadducees questioned Jesus about resurrection, a scribe asked Jesus “Which is the first commandment of all?” and Jesus answered …Hear O Israel the Lord our God is one Lord. And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, soul, mind and strength. And the second commandment is like the first… thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. The scribe instantly recognized and acknowledged that this was absolute Truth and better than all the traditions and rules and offerings and sacrifices. He recognized that these were the only commands to be faithfully followed. And Jesus responded that the scribe’s approach was not far from the kingdom of God.

Back in chapter 10 when the disciples seemed more interested in their own promotion and their own special place in the kingdom of God, Jesus had refuted their ‘claims on fame’ and told them that ministering, loving your neighbor was the important issue. He was espousing to them that same 2^nd commandment.

Chapters 14 and 15 deal with the last supper, the trial, and crucifixion of Jesus. Even on the cross Jesus was teaching – he directed those around to look up where the scriptures say “My God why hast thou forsaken me?” - to realize that Jesus was indeed The Christ. Jesus’ arrest, trial and crucifixion put Jesus’ disciples and followers in a confused spin. They feared for their lives and must have been questioning the truth of Jesus ministry, if it could all end in this way.

But Chapter 16 puts paid to that! Jesus conquered death. His resurrection startled Mary Magdalene. She told the disciples. They didn’t believe her. Then Jesus appeared to two others. The disciples still didn’t believe Jesus could have raised himself from death. Then Jesus appears to his disciples and then, for them, the penny drops. One can imagine the enormous collective “a-ha” moment as all the pieces of the puzzle fell into place. The last 4 verses of Mark (16:17-20) are an unequivocal promise that disciples of Jesus can and will heal every illness and any deadly thing and no harm shall come to them. What a promise! A promise, but also a command to ‘go and heal now!”

After these final instructions Jesus was “received up into heaven” and then immediately the disciples went and preached everywhere and healed! What a command for today’s students, disciples, of Jesus’ teachings – go and preach and healing will always follow! What a promise to us all!