The Year of Mark, #4 Mark’s Gospel: From Galilee to Jerusalem
16th December 2011 - by Fr Tom O’Reilly
In this instalment we follow the major developments in Mark’s story from Peter’s confession of Jesus as Messiah in Caesarea Philippi (8:27-30) to the beginning of Jesus’ passion in Jerusalem (14:1). We first focus on Jesus as he finishes his ministry in Galilee and moves towards Jerusalem with his disciples (8:31-10:52), and then glance at what is happening in his ministry in Jerusalem (11:1-13:37).
In 8:31-10:52 Jesus is engaged almost fulltime in teaching his disciples. The interaction between Jesus and the disciples is interrupted by only three events, each of which becomes an occasion for instructing the disciples (9:14-29; 10:1-12; 10:17-31). The crowd is on the periphery, at times listening to what Jesus is saying to disciples (e.g., 8:34). The central lesson in Jesus’ teaching is that he is a suffering Messiah and discipleship means following him on the way of the cross. Three times Jesus speaks to disciples about his forthcoming passion, death and resurrection in Jerusalem, each time referring to himself as the mysterious Son of Man (8:31; 9:31; 10:33-34). Again, we see disciples not being able to understand (9:32), afraid (10:32), and even protesting that Jesus would speak in this way (8:32). The protesting Peter is told ‘Get behind me,’ which means taking the position of a disciple who follows Jesus on the way (8:33-38). A short time later, disciples are told by a voice from heaven to listen to Jesus (9:7).
It becomes clear that the disciples cannot hear what Jesus is saying because their minds are set on acquiring exalted status in following the expected glorious Messiah (9:34; 10:37). Jesus points to a little child, who has no status, as the model for them (9:36-37; 10:13-16) and insists that service, not status, is at the heart of following the suffering Son of Man, who ‘came not to be served but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many’ (10:45). In Mark’s Gospel we find the story of the blind Bartimaeus at the end of the journey to Jerusalem (10:46-52). This is really a story to illustrate what spiritually blind disciples need to do. Like Bartimaeus, they must cry out in faith, asking Jesus to heal their blindness, and then follow Jesus ‘on the way.’
While in 8:31-10:52 we listen to Jesus instructing disciples on the way to Jerusalem, our attention in 11:1-13:37 is turned to the confrontation between Jesus and opponents in Jerusalem. Jesus enters the city as a lowly Messiah riding on a colt, but the crowd, along with disciples, prefers to welcome him as the expected glorious Messiah (11:1-11). The enthusiasm of the crowd initially prevents opponents moving against Jesus (11:18; 12:12). The setting for the confrontation is the Temple, the place where Jesus’ opponents exercised authority. The cleansing of the Temple signals the end of a Temple cult symbolized by a fruitless fig tree (11:12-21). Jesus criticises a Temple system that squeezes the last penny out of a poor widow (12:41-44). In a series of debates with his opponents in the Temple, he shows that real authority lies with him, not with them, the unfaithful stewards in God’s vineyard (11:27-12:40). When a disciple admires the Temple, Jesus speaks about its coming destruction and the glorious coming of the Son of Man, preceded by messianic woes which disciples will have to endure (13:1-31). Because no one knows the time of the Son of Man’s coming in glory, the life of disciples must be marked by constant watchfulness (13:32-37).
Jesus’ teaching on discipleship as lowly service is a lesson the Church has only poorly learned. For us, ministry and status can too easily go hand-in-hand. Mark’s story can help us get our perspective right in this regard. It also encourages us to watch patiently for the Lord, especially at times of suffering.
Read the next article: #5 Mark’s Passion Narrative
