Gospel of Mark: Jesus the Suffering Servant

CHAPTER FOUR

- The identity of the author of Mark’s gospel is unknown

- Tradition holds the author was John Mark

- Today, most scholars believe it is based on a number of oral and written collections of Jesus’ sayings and deeds

- Written sometime between A.D. 65 & 70

Background

Background- Audience:

• Gentile Christians suffering persecution for their beliefs

or

• Christians in Syria or Palestine

- Writings included:

• Jesus’ Baptism

• Preaching/ performing miracles in Galilee

• Journey to Jerusalem

• Preaching/Rejection/Crucifixion

Background

Sources for Writing

1.) Oral Traditions

2.) Written collections of parables

3.) Miracle stories

4.) Outline of Jesus’ passion story

Message to Readers:

- Jesus walked the path of suffering to glory and eternal life

- So must his followers undergo suffering before they gain their eternal reward

-Asked his readers two questions about Jesus:

• Who is this person?

• Will you follow Jesus?

-Hidden answers are the messianic secret

Background

Prologue

- “The beginning of the Gospel of Jesus Christ [the son of God]” Mark 1:1

• No doubt about Jesus’ identity

- Declares what Catholics believe:

•God’s kingdom is related to Jesus himself

• Kingdom is about God’s salvation, peace and justice, and closeness to human beings

- Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and He lives

Gospel Reveals Jesus

Part One: Jesus the Authoritative Teacher

- Meanings of Authority

• Right to Command

• Someone with official power

• Source of reliable information

• Ability to gain respect of others and influence what they do

• Knowledge, skill, or experience worthy of respect

Gospel Reveals Jesus

- Jesus is a creative, original, and influential teacher

Four parables about the Kingdom of God:

-Seed growing by itself (4:26-29)

-Growing seed (4:1-20)

-Lamp (4:21-25)

-Mustard Seed (4:30-32)

Gospel Reveals Jesus

Patterns of Jesus’ miracles:

Healer and Miracle Worker

1.) Introduction presents setting and situation

Jesus is sitting in a room so crowded that friends of a paralyzed man lower him through the roof

2.) Jesus is witness to the display of faith by the people

Jesus forgives the mans sins

Re-read Mark 2:1-12

Patterns of Jesus’ miracles cont.:

3.) Jesus responds to the problem

Jesus cures the man

4.) The result of the miracle follows

Man got up, picked up stretcher, and walked from room

5.) Reaction to the Miracle

Faith plays a major role in Jesus’ miracles

Healer and Miracle Worker

- The Messianic Secret

• Why Jesus might have directed even his own disciples to keep quiet about his identity

-Jesus’ contemporaries almost universally expected the Messiah to be a military ruler

-He wanted people to approach him with true faith in him as one who serves, not as a military leader

•The secret of Marks’ Gospel is revealed “Jesus is the Suffering Servant prophesied by Isaiah centuries before

Healer and Miracle Worker

Way of DiscipleshipPart Two of Mark’s Gospel

- Jesus revealed himself as the “suffering servant”

- Obedience to the Father leads to ultimate victory

- Readers are challenged to accept Jesus as Messiah, but one who suffers crucifixion before rising to glory

MAIN MESSAGE:

Jesus’ followers must be prepared to suffer as

Jesus Himself suffered

Way of Discipleship

Paschal Mystery- Commemorated in today’s church

during Holy Week

In BaptismInitiated into

mystery

EucharistRepresents

Paschal Mystery

Paschal Mystery- The passion narratives were

probably the oldest stories about Jesus circulating in the early church

- First 13 chapters of Mark’s gospel serve as an introduction to the Passion narratives

- The four gospels agree on the basic essentials, but each evangelist has their own way of telling the story

Paschal Mystery- Mark shows how everyone abandoned Jesus at the very end:

• Judas betrays him

• Three disciples fall asleep during Jesus’ agony

• Jewish/Roman authorities judge him

• Soldiers and crowd mock him

- Some of the religious authorities thought Jesus was a false prophet who claimed to be God

- Jewish authorities turned Jesus over to Pilate for execution as a political criminal

- Who was responsible for Jesus’ death?

- Tragedy of history has been the misguided and unjust assigning of the blame on the Jews

- Jesus freely chose to be crucified to prove beyond a doubt his immense love for us

Paschal Mystery

- Conspiracy against Jesus

- Woman anoints Jesus at Bethany

- Judas’ betrayal

- Preparations for the Passover Supper

- Last Supper and the Walk to the Mount at Olives

- Gethsemane

- Before the Sanhedrin

- Jesus and Pilate

- The Crucifixion

- Resurrection

Passion Narrative

Allegory

Vocabulary