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The Choice
- 16-01-2009
The first half of the Gospel consists of a gradual revelation of the identity of Jesus. Firstly, John the Baptist links him with the favour of God; the demons recognise him as the Holy one of God. Some people see him as a great prophet, and as he begins his mission he teaches about the Kingdom He heals, restores and feeds people, he shows himself to be great, but different to all the other teachers, and yet his true identity remains hidden.
When Peter acknowledges him as the Christ, this is the great moment of revelation in the middle of the story. Jesus shows both sides of his identity in the next two scenes: he tells the disciples that he must suffer, but then he takes Peter and James and John up the mountain for them to see his glory. They somehow have to accept that it is the same Jesus who will both suffer and be glorified.
The conflict between the way of God and the way of man deepens. Jesus predicts his suffering, death and resurrection three times, but the human mind cannot accept this or cope with its consequences. This reinforces the element of conflict, which will come to its culmination on Calvary, but it is clearly outlined that the characters must decide which side to be on. There is no longer any room for neutrality. The characters have to choose, and this is not easy. The disciples choose Jesus, and they follow him all the way to Jerusalem.
Jesus resolutely turns his face towards Jerusalem. Even his apostles do not see the significance of this. They suggest he should not go there because the Pharisees are seeking to destroy him. On the other hand, he has just declared himself to be the Messiah. What did that mean for them?
Again there is the contrast between what the characters might have expected, and the values of Jesus outlined by Mark. The disciples may have imagined the Messiah as one who would bring them peace as well as an end to Roman occupation; to renew the Kingdom of David; for God to look after the Chosen People as He had done in the past...
But, that is not what Jesus brings. He brings an unexpected set of values, he redefines the idea of greatness, asking the disciples to be like children; he tells the disciples that he has come as a servant, and that he must suffer and die, and shed his blood for the forgiveness of sins. That is a difficult teaching, and one that the disciples find hard to accept; so hard that he has to tell them (and the reader) three times.
Jesus chooses to show that his mission is for all people, and not just for Israel. We see how Jesus courts controversy by breaking boundaries of ritual purity, by not washing his hands before eating; by touching unclean people, by going outside the borders of Israel and healing the Syrophoenician woman's daughter, and many counts of breaking the Sabbath.
Skirmishes over interpretation of the Law and the Sabbath soon deepen into plots to have Jesus destroyed. The enemies of Jesus plot his downfall in a way that is irreversible. There was room for a change initially, but the rejection of Jesus starts early (3:6), “The Pharisees went and consulted with the Herodians on how to destroy him”.
Comments (2)
#1
moira shaw
Said this on 02-03-2009 At 07:49 am
made me pick up the Bible and start reading Mark,s gospel, what more do I need to say!
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#2
Margaret McFarlane
Said this on 15-03-2009 At 02:00 pm
I am currently studying Mark's Gospel and find these articles very helpful . It would be great if the series could be continued. They are set at a very user friendly level and I am sure many people would benefit . Many thanks
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