True Miracles
Historical & Pastoral Context
Mark may have written his Gospel from hearing Peter (according to Eusebius & Irenaeus ca. 175 CE).
Mark lacks the “systematic arrangement” of Matthew (Mt).
Mark is said to be “carefully structured” with interpretive guidance.
Marks’ place in the New Testament (NT) Canon was secured by Peter’s involvement.
Mark used Latin terms to explain the Greek term.
The Gospel may have been written in Rome; certainly outside Palestine.
Translated Aramaic words and explained Jewish customs.
Widespread circulation – referenced by both Matthew and Luke (Lk).
Written in
Mark has intertwined miracle discourse with wisdom (discipleship) discourse with the suffering death discourse.
DeSilva (2004) says Mark has “weaved together and correctly interrelated the various strands of the Jesus tradition.
ACTION: Movement is a key theme in Mark!
Authorship: argument is “would a Jew from Jerusalem make mistakes regarding the geography of Palestine?” (See 5:1,13; 6:45,53; 8:10). Further, if an author was to be invented, why pick such a minor character?
Date: Nothing in Mark suggests knowledge of the Jewish War (66 – 70 CE). Latest it could have been written (if Mt and Lk used it) was 75 CE. Some date as early as 40 CE but Paul never mentioned it. Many select late 50’s on the assumption Luke used Mk and also wrote Acts after the Gospel and completed Acts before Paul’s death.
The PURPOSE of Mark
There is a balance between Jesus the miracle worker and His foretelling of His suffering – the suffering Son of God – the cost of discipleship.
There was a stated intention to write about the “gospel”.
Key Characteristics of Mark
The messianic secret motif is apparent. When the disciples or evil spirits use titles such as “Son of God” or “Messiah” they are told to keep quiet. The titles are not used without the component of suffering.
Mark uses the Greek word for immediately 42 times, but misspells it 41 (euthus) of those times! Where Matthew and Luke pick it up they spell it correctly (eutheMs). The Gospel is very much written in everyday language.
Only about 30 verses from Mark are not used in Mt or Lk.
There is no birth narrative or Sermon on the Mount/Plain (little ethical teaching).
There are parallels between the preaching of Peter in Acts 10:36-40 and Mark. These verses are a summary re-telling of Mark to Cornelius’ household, where even the Gentiles received the Holy Spirit (v. 44ff).
Mark shows us the struggles the disciples had in understanding the concept of “the suffering messiah”.
Like Matthew, Mark uses many OT references indicating a strong preference to honour the Jewish tradition. Jesus is seen in Mark affirming Torah and the greatest commandment (Shema) is quoted as is halakha – to walk in line with God.
The STRUCTURE of Mark
The structure of Mark follows that of early Christian preaching “as found in the sermons of Acts 10:36-41 or Acts 13:24-31.
Guthrie posits a four-part structure: Galilee (1:1 – 5:43); further journeys in Galilee (6:1 – 9:50); the Judean period (10:1 – 13:37); and, the passion and resurrection (14:1 – 16:20).
1:1 – 8:21 outline a growing awareness of Jesus’ anointing; His mission remains a secret to this point.
- Initiation to Jesus’ ministry;
- Jesus’ authority demonstrated in teaching, healing and exorcism (1:16-45);
- Challenges & Opposition:
a) Five (5) Controversy stories: Touching the leper (1:40-45); eating with tax collectors (2:15-17); working on the Sabbath (2:23-28); healing on the Sabbath (3:1-6) not cleaning hands (7:1-5);
- Stories of the alternative family group (3:7-35);
- Parables separating insiders from outsiders (4:1-34);
- Miracles do not awaken true faith (4:35 – 8:21), including:
a) Rejection of both Jesus and John the Baptist;
b) Challenge over purity regulations (7:1-23) “but the things that come out are what defile.” This smashed the crucial boundary between Jew and Gentile, to stop seeking to be ritually “clean” and start of “seeking the unclean” to convert them in the Truth!”
The Discipleship/Messiahship Teaching discourses (8:27 – 10:52):
- Form the centre of the Gospel;
- Can also include the important healing of the blind man at Bethsaida (8.22ff) and is concluded by the healing of Blind Bartimaeus at Jericho, the inclusio as DeSilva (2004:199) has it;
- The inclusio is a common literary device used in ancient times, used particularly in oral culture.
- Discipleship teaching follows messianic teaching on each of three (3) occasions;
- The Discipleship teaching is paradoxical.
- The cross is critical in understanding God’s will, His values, way, signs of His approval and anointing.
11:1 – 16:8 provide an “unfolding” of Jesus’ messiahship
- Commencing with the Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem and the cleansing of the Temple (11:1-19).
- More challenges and opposition (11:27-12:44).
- Chapter 13 (the Apocalyptic discourse) is the foretelling by Jesus of:
a) The destruction of the Temple;
b) Persecutions;
c) The desolating sacrilege;
d) The coming of the Son of Man; and,
e) Necessity to remain watchful.
f) These are prophesied correctly and are revealed in chapters 14 & 15.
- Chapters 14:1 – 16:8 are recognised as the fulfilment of the Passion predictions.
Steve Wickham is a safety and health professional (BSc) and a qualified lay Christian minister (GradDipDiv). His key passion is work / life balance and re-creating value for living, and an exploration of the person within us.
A True Miracle
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