Summary and questions for the Gospel according to Mark

The Gospel of Mark

We’ve gotten so used to our New Testament with four certified gospels in it, that it’s hard to imagine a time before the gospel stories were written down. For at least the first generation after the Resurrection, the “good news of Jesus Christ” existed only as a story told by eager believers. The word-of-mouth method lasted until the mid-60’s A.D., when James, Peter, Paul, and other apostles were put to death. Then it occurred to the community of faith that the story of the eyewitnesses needed to be written down or the gospel might be lost.

Mark was the first to take up the task, sometime around 70 A.D. We aren’t sure who Mark was, since his name does not appear with the twelve apostles. He might be John Mark, the cousin of Barnabas mentioned in Acts of the Apostles who went with Paul and Barnabas on the first mission to the Gentiles. Or he might be the fellow mentioned in the First Letter of Peter as “my son Mark,” an assistant to Peter who heard the gospel from the premiere apostle himself. Since Mark’s gospel is pitiless in presenting the foolishness of the Twelve, including Peter, it’s possible that his gospel is based on Peter’s own remembrances. The later gospel writers, more interested in preserving the dignity of their founders, clean up these accounts quite a bit!

Mark’s gospel, apart from being the first, is also distinguished by being the shortest, only sixteen chapters in its longest version. Some manuscripts end with chapter 15, at the site of the empty tomb, and others have various longer additions attached. Mark also begins his story later than the others, not including the story of Jesus’ birth as do Matthew and Luke. Nor does Mark reach back in time as John’s gospel does, to present Jesus as the Word of God who existed “in the beginning.” Mark’s account seems breathless, racing to tell the story of Jesus’ ministry. Mark tells us that in every town Jesus teaches, but he rarely stops to tell us what he teaches. Mark seems focused on revealing what Bible scholars call “the Marcan secret,” which is the true identity of Jesus. Throughout the gospel, when others guess at who Jesus is, he tells them to keep quiet. When at last the centurion at the cross stands back and exclaims, “Surely this man was the Son of God!” we are all invited to bow our heads in recognition of this revelation. 

Questions

1. Mark begins with the ministry of John the Baptist, followed immediately by Jesus’ own ministry. How does this make the gospel feel more urgent than the other three?

2.  The story of Jesus’ temptation in the desert is told in just two sentences. Which details are missing from the other gospel writer’s accounts of this event?

3.  Jesus begins to choose his followers in Mark chapter 1, before he has performed one healing or taught anywhere. How does this change the idea of discipleship?

4. Jesus officially names the twelve apostles on a mountain. Name another significant Bible event that happened on a mountain. What meaning can we draw from this?

5. In chapter 5, Mark tells us three stories of suffering in moving detail. How does this shift the emphasis from Jesus’ power to his compassion?

6. In the story of the death of John the Baptist (chapter 6), many people are involved. Who, in your opinion, is most to blame and why?

7. Peter’s confession that Jesus is the Messiah (chapter 8) is the eighth time Jesus tries to put a lid on his own publicity. How does this repetition highlight Jesus’ true identity?

8. Jesus comes down hard on Peter in 8:33, calling him “Satan.” What does it mean for us to know that the most important disciple was sometimes very wrong?

9. Blind Bartimaeus in chapter 10 is the only person Jesus cures who becomes a follower. What does that tell us about the relationship between seeing and believing?

10. Look at the various endings given to Mark’s gospel in chapter 16. Which one seems to give the best ending to the story for you and why?

Summary and Questions offered by Alice Camille, M.Div.

Alice Camille is a nationally known author, religious educator, and retreat leader. She received her Master in Divinity from the Franciscan School of Theology in Berkeley, where she also served as adjunct faculty. For ten years she has written the popular Scripture series “Exploring the Sunday Readings” for Twenty-Third Publications. She also writes a monthly Bible column, “Testaments,” for U.S. Catholic Magazine that has won awards from the Catholic Press Association and Associated Church Press. Her books include the CPA award-winning titles Invitation to the Old Testament and Invitation to the New Testament (ACTA Publications). She also wrote Seven Last Words, reflections on the sayings of Jesus from the cross, and The Rosary: Mysteries of Joy, Light, Sorrow, and Glory, meditations on Mary and discipleship (ACTA Publications.) Alice takes God seriously and religion with a sense of humor.