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The Gospel of Mark
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BIBLE STUDY MARK 1:1-45 INTRODUCTION: The first thirteen verses serve as a prologue to “set the stage” for the rest of the gospel. As John Donohue and Daniel Harrington write in their commentary on The Gospel of Matthew, this prologue supplies readers with important “insider” information about Jesus that none of the human characters in the body of the gospel possess. Three main points are conveyed in this prologue:
Unlike the gospels of Matthew and Luke, there are no “birth narratives” or genealogies of Jesus in Mark. For Mark, Jesus’ ministry of salvation begins with his baptism – so that is where he begins his gospel. CHAPTER 1:1-8 “The Ministry of John the Baptizer” “The beginning of the good news of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. As it is written in the prophet Isaiah, “See, I am sending my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way; the voice of one crying out in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight. John the baptizer appeared in the wilderness, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. And people from the whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem were going out to him, and were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins. Now John was clothed with camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey. He proclaimed, “The one who is more powerful than I is coming after me; I am not worthy to stoop down and untie the thong of his sandals. I have baptized you with water; but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.” The first verse actually serves as a title for the entire gospel. This title lays the groundwork for all that follows – that Jesus Christ is uniquely the Son of God and that through him we receive the “good news” of God’s salvation! Technically speaking, the term “gospel” (translated as “good news” in the NRSV) does not refer to the book that Mark is writing, but is the message of salvation that comes through Jesus Christ. Also, this “title” gives us an insight into Mark’s theology – that Jesus’ ministry, death, and resurrection is but the beginning of God’s salvation – and that this salvation is still continuing among us who follow Jesus’ “way” now! Some biblical scholars believe that the quote attributed to the prophet Isaiah (which is actually a combination of passages: Isa. 40:3; Ex. 23:20; and Mal. 3:1) was not in the original manuscript – and that it originally read “As it is written in the prophet Isaiah: John the baptizer appeared in the wilderness…” According to them, the passage was later inserted by later editors to make Mark’s account more consistent with the gospels of Matthew and Luke. Mark’s overriding concern was simply to show that the work of John the baptizer marked the beginning of the “good news” of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. The “good news” of God’s salvation begins with repentance. Repentance (“metanoia”) means more than having a “godly sorrow” for sin, but signifies a complete change of mind and altered purpose in life. People were baptized to show their repentance in a visible way. The Interpreter’s Bible commentary states that this baptism was probably self-administered - that is, people would immerse themselves in the river at John’s direction while confessing their sins and stating their desire to live a new life. This apparently was a standard Jewish practice for cleansing. Mark shows that John’s ministry was having a tremendous impact in awakening a desire for a new life with God among people. The description of John being clothed with camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist, and that he ate “locusts and wild honey” are images to show that he was a prophet. “Camel’s hair” is the garb of prophet in Zech. 13:4, and the “leather belt” is a description of Elijah the Tishbite in 2 Kings 1:8. As mentioned above, the focus of John’s preaching is to prepare the people for the coming ministry of Jesus, who will baptize them “with the Holy Spirit.” That is, after they repent of their sins (baptism with water) they will then be ready to receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit through Jesus when he comes. CHAPTER 1:9-11 “The Baptism of Jesus” “In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. And just as he was coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens torn apart and the Spirit descending like a dove on him. And a voice came from heaven, “You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased.” Why did Jesus undergo this baptism? It seems to me (Pastor George) that Jesus accepted John’s call for repentance! Perhaps it was not necessarily repentance of sins, but it certainly was a “repentance” that signified a “complete change of mind and altered purpose in life” (see above) for Jesus! The point is that through his baptism, Jesus was stating his total acceptance of God’s purpose for his future life and ministry. As a result of this “repentance” or dedication of himself to God, Jesus then received a vision of the heavens being “torn apart” (note that this is a “stronger” term than the heavens being “opened” as described in Mt. 316 and Lk. 3:21) and the Spirit descending like a dove on him (recalling the image of the spirit of God moving over the face of the waters in creation (Gen. 1:2)). The message of the voice from heaven is a combination of Psalm 2:7 and Isaiah 42:1. Both of these verses were apparently favorite “gospel texts” in the early Church. CHAPTER 1:12-13 “The Testing of Jesus” “And the Spirit immediately drove him out into the wilderness. He was in the wilderness forty days, tempted by Satan; and he was with the wild beasts; and the angels waited on him.” Mark, as he does throughout his gospel, uses a stronger term (“the Spirit drove”) than Matthew and Luke (“led by the Spirit”) in their gospels in this passage. This passage is usually described as the temptation of Jesus – but a better translation of the Greek word periazomenos is “testing”. Mark’s version of this wilderness testing of Jesus is much shorter than in Matthew and Luke. There is no record of any specific “temptations” that Satan tries to entice Jesus with. On the other hand, Mark mentions that Jesus was “with the wild beasts” and that “angels waited on him.” Perhaps this is a reference to the testing of Daniel in the lion’s den – and of God sending his angel to shut the lions’ mouths so that they would not hurt him (Dan. 6:16-23). Just as Daniel had completely trusted in God and passed his “test”, so it also was for Jesus! Perhaps Mark’s original readers in the church at Rome could also relate to this experience during their times of persecution under Nero. The period of forty days is not necessarily a literal period of time, but simply means “a long period of time.” CHAPTER 1:14-15 “The Proclamation of the Kingdom” “Now after John was arrested, Jesus came to Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God, and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near; repent, and believe in the good news.” Mark, like the other two synoptic gospels writers, shows that Jesus’ ministry begins after the arrest of John. Jesus’ message is similar to John’s in his call for people to repent, but it is also different in that he says that the time is fulfilled and that the kingdom of God has come near. This “good news” happens fully through the ministry of Jesus. Now that he is “on the scene”, God’s salvation has come into our world in a new and powerful way! CHAPTER 1:16-20 “The Call of the First Disciples” “As Jesus passed along the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting a net into the sea – for they were fishermen. And Jesus said to them, “Follow me and I will make you fish for people.” And immediately they left their nets and followed him. As he went a little farther, he saw James son of Zebedee and his brother John, who were in their boat mending the nets. Immediately he called them; and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired men, and followed him.” The “Sea” of Galilee (called a “lake” by Luke) is a body of water about seven miles wide and twelve miles long. It is about 600 feet below sea level. The shore was heavily populated, and fishing was a major industry. Most likely, Jesus had gotten to know the men whom he called over a period of time – we are not to assume that their calling was the first time had had encountered them. Nevertheless, Mark emphasizes the word “immediately” to describe both Simon and Andrew’s response and Jesus’ decision to call James and John. Mark’s point is that there are times when decisions must be made – and not to make a decision is the same as making one! In this case, Jesus made a decision to call these men – and they made a decision to follow him. The same is certainly true for us in our lives! As an old hymn puts it: “Once to every man and nation comes the moment to decide…” Every day we face decisions of what we are going to do and who we are going to be with in our lives. So it is with us with Jesus – may we be ready to immediately follow him without hesitation! CHAPTER 1:21-28 “Jesus in the Synagogue at Capernaum” “They went to Capernaum; and when the Sabbath came, he entered the synagogue and taught. They were astounded at his teaching, for he taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes. Just then there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit, and he cried out, “What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are, the Holy One of God.” But Jesus rebuked him, saying, “Be silent, and come out of him!” And the unclean spirit, convulsing him and crying with a loud voice, came out of him. They were all amazed, and they kept on asking one another, “What is this? A new teaching – with authority! He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey him.” At once his fame began to spread throughout the surrounding region of Galilee.” Capernaum was a town on the northwest side of the Sea of Galilee. The Interpreter’s Bible commentary says that it was on the highway from Ptolemais to Damascus, and on the border of (Herod) Antipas’ territory, (that is why there was also a tax booth (Mk. 2:14)), and that it was one of the most important towns in Galilee. Any town with ten or more Jewish males usually had a synagogue (meaning “an assembling”). A synagogue was not so much a place of worship (that was the purpose of the Temple in Jerusalem) but for study and instruction in the Law (Torah). The leadership in a synagogue was lay-led: and visitors as well as normal attendees were invited to share in the teaching. Jesus’ teaching was immediately perceived as having authority – it was clear to his hearers that he spoke from personal experience and conviction. Scribes were official teachers or expounders of the Torah – and would teach what they had learned from teachers – much as lawyers today would cite “precedents” from previous cases in making their points. Jesus, however, did not cite any “authority” but his own experience and conviction – and this made a tremendous impression upon the people who heard him! The “unclean spirit” of the man who addresses Jesus is not defined. It could well refer to a demon, but it might also simply refer to his unwillingness to hear Jesus’ teaching. His cry of “What have you to do with us?” simply means “Mind your own business!” or “Let me live my own life!” Most likely, Jesus’ teaching was making him feel uncomfortable because it challenged his living and views in the daily world outside of the synagogue. “Authoritative” teaching and preaching – teaching and preaching that is more than just religious platitudes – still elicits the same kind of reaction from some people even today! Jesus’ address to the unclean spirit of “Be silent!” was a common formula of exorcism. The fact that Jesus was obeyed by the unclean spirit and that the man became calm was understood by the people as being yet another demonstration of Jesus’ authority. Mark’s main point in this passage as a whole is that Jesus’ words have real power to change lives. CHAPTER 1:29-34 “Jesus Heals People” “As soon as they left the synagogue, they entered the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John. Now Simon’s mother-in-law was in bed with a fever, and they told him about her at once. He came and took her by the hand and lifted her up. Then the fever left her, and she began to serve them. That evening, at sundown, they brought to him all who were sick or possessed with demons. And the whole city was gathered around the door. And he cured many who were sick with various diseases, and cast out many demons; and he would not permit the demons to speak, because they knew him.” These are the first healing miracles of Jesus recorded in Mark’s gospel – and serve as yet another demonstration of the good news that the kingdom of God has indeed come near (Mk. 1:15) through Jesus. His ministry is making a powerful difference in the lives of people in every way – physically as well as spiritually! The reason why people brought the sick and demon-possessed to Jesus at sundown was because that was when the Sabbath day was over, and “work” could now be done. The silencing of the demons is the first indication of the “messianic secret” motif that will become a prominent theme throughout Mark’s gospel as a whole. CHAPTER 1:35-39 “Jesus’ Departure from Capernaum” “In the morning, while it was still very dark, he got up and went out to a deserted place, and there he prayed. And Simon and his companions hunted for him. When they found him, they said to him, “Everyone is searching for you.” He answered, “Let us go on to the neighboring towns, so that I may proclaim the message there also; for that is what I came out to do.” And he went throughout Galilee, proclaiming the message in their synagogues and casting out demons.” Jesus now faced a major decision in his ministry. The people in Capernaum obviously would have liked him to settle down and “set up his practice” in their town because he was meeting their needs. But Jesus knew that God had more in mind for him that that. Therefore, he prayed – both for guidance from God and also for the strength and courage he needed to do what God wanted to do. During his time of prayer, Jesus grew in his conviction that his most important task was to proclaim God’s message in many towns – not just to heal people in one town. As I (Pastor George) have often mentioned, sometimes a choice is not between good and bad, but between good and best. Jesus through prayer came to understand that proclaiming God’s good news to all towns was what God most wanted him to do. We would do well to take time for this kind of prayer regularly in our lives – to ask God to help us understand what he most wants us to do and be, and then to follow that path. Mark writes that Simon and his companions “hunted” for Jesus. This is the beginning of tragedy. Instead of just “following” Jesus, they “hunted” for him – the subtle but unmistakable implication is that they wanted something out of Jesus for themselves. As William Barclay writes in his Daily Study Bible commentary: “they (the disciples and the crowds) did not come because they loved him; they did not come because they had caught a glimpse of some new vision; in the last analysis they wanted to use him. That is what nearly everyone wants to do with God and his Son.” Jesus, however, refused to be “used” and “tied down”. He knew that his primary mission was to proclaim his message to as many towns as possible, and that is what he did. CHAPTER 1:40-45 “Jesus Heals a Leper” “A leper came to him begging him, and kneeling he said to him, “If you choose, you can make me clean.” Moved with pity, Jesus stretched out his hand and touched him, and said to him, “I do choose. Be made clean!” Immediately the leprosy left him, and he was made clean. After sternly warning him he sent him away at once, saying to him, “See that you say nothing to anyone; but go, show yourself to the priest, and offer for your cleansing what Moses commanded, as a testimony to them.” But he went out and began to proclaim it freely, and to spread the word, so that Jesus could no longer go into a town openly, but stayed out in the country; and people came to him from every quarter.” Here is a vivid demonstration of Jesus’ humanity and compassion. He was moved with “pity” (other ancient authorities read “anger”) at the leper’s plight – not so much about the disease itself, but the enforced social stigmatization that the leper had to endure because of his disease. According to Leviticus 13:45-46, “the person who has the leprous disease shall wear torn clothes and let the hair of his head be disheveled; and he shall cover his upper lip and cry out, “Unclean, unclean.” He shall remain unclean as long as he has the disease; he is unclean. He shall live alone; his dwelling shall be outside the camp.” Jesus was moved to pity or even anger that about this exclusion! The leper was healed in a “double sense” – both by Jesus’ touching him (even though that was a violation of ritual law) and by his actual physical healing. Both types of healing also show Jesus’ authority as he continues to bring the good news of the kingdom of God to people. Jesus then commanded the healed leper to observe the required rituals for reintegration into society by showing himself to the priest and making an offering for his cleansing. Jesus “sternly warned” the man to do this and to not tell anyone about how he had been healed. The reason for the injunction to secrecy was because more and more people were coming to him for healings and exorcisms rather than to hear the message he wanted to proclaim. The man disobeys Jesus, and his disobedience becomes an obstacle to Jesus’ overall ministry. Why did he tell people about Jesus’ healing of his disease? Perhaps he sincerely wanted to express his gratitude. But it is also possible that it was because of self-centeredness in that he wanted to focus attention upon himself as being the recipient of Jesus’ healing. Perhaps that is sometimes still true with people today in their testimonies about blessings they have received from Jesus. Mark’s point seems to be that nothing is more important than simply obeying Jesus. When we fail to do that it is wrong, even if on the surface it might seem to be good. -------------------- George R. Karres, Pella Lutheran Church 418 W. Main Street Sidney, MT 59270
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