The Divine Lamp

Note #1:  This post was previously published and is now offered as a forum for discussion.  It is  the first in a series focusing on the Passion according to St Mark.  Please feel free to leave comments, insights, questions, critiques, ect.  You can access these discussions by clicking on the “St Mark’s Forum” page listed above in the link field under this blog’s title.

Note #2:   I’m using the Douay-Rheims translation of the Bible because it is not under copyright.  Some readers may find the translation a bit archaic, and for this reason I have provided links (see “RSV Text”) to the quoted passage in the RSV translation.

14:1 (RSV Text) Now the feast of the pasch and of the Azymes was after two days: and the chief priests and the scribes sought how they might by some wile lay hold on him and kill him.

Passover (pasch) and unleavened bread (Azymes) were two feast which were closely connected.  Passover was celebrated on the 14th day of Nisan  (March/April) according to the Jewish calender.  The reason and ritual of the feast are described in Exodus 12:1-14 (See RSV Text)

Exo 12:1  And the Lord said to Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt:
Exo 12:2  This month shall be to you the beginning of months; it shall be the first in the months of the year.
Exo 12:3  Speak ye to the whole assembly of the children of Israel, and say to them: On the tenth day of this month let every man take a lamb by their families and houses.
Exo 12:4  But if the number be less than may suffice to eat the lamb, he shall take unto him his neighbour that joineth to his house, according to the number of souls which may be enough to eat the lamb.
Exo 12:5  And it shall be a lamb without blemish, a male, of one year; according to which rite also you shall take a kid.
Exo 12:6  And you shall keep it until the fourteenth day of this month; and the whole multitude of the children of Israel shall sacrifice it in the evening.
Exo 12:7  And they shall take of the blood thereof, and put it upon both the side posts, and on the upper door posts of the houses, wherein they shall eat it.
Exo 12:8  And they shall eat the flesh that night roasted at the fire, and unleavened bread with wild lettuce.
Exo 12:9  You shall not eat thereof any thing raw, nor boiled in water, but only roasted at the fire; you shall eat the head with the feet and entrails thereof.
Exo 12:10  Neither shall there remain any thing of it until morning. If there be any thing left, you shall burn it with fire.
Exo 12:11  And thus you shall eat it: you shall gird your reins, and you shall have shoes on your feet, holding staves in your hands, and you shall eat in haste; for it is the Phase (that is the Passage) of the Lord.
Exo 12:12  And I will pass through the land of Egypt that night, and will kill every firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast: and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgments; I am the Lord.
Exo 12:13  And the blood shall be unto you for a sign in the houses where you shall be; and I shall see the blood, and shall pass over you; and the plague shall not be upon you to destroy you, when I shall strike the land of Egypt.
Exo 12:14  And this day shall be for a memorial to you; and you shall keep it a feast to the Lord in your generations, with an everlasting observance.

The feast of unleavened bread began on the same day as Passover, but it continued for a total of seven days.  Here is what we read in Exodus 12:15-39 (See RSV Text) concerning this feast and the Israelites fulfillment of both ceremonies:

Exo 12:15  Seven days shall you eat unleavened bread: in the first day there shall be no leaven in your houses; whosoever shall eat any thing leavened, from the first day until the seventh day, that soul shall perish out of Israel.
Exo 12:16  The first day shall be holy and solemn, and the seventh day shall be kept with the like solemnity: you shall do no work in them, except those things that belong to eating.
Exo 12:17  And you shall observe the feast of the unleavened bread: for in this same day I will bring forth your army out of the land of Egypt, and you shall keep this day in your generations by a perpetual observance.
Exo 12:18  The first month, the fourteenth day of the month, in the evening, you shall eat unleavened bread, until the one and twentieth day of the same month, in the evening.
Exo 12:19  Seven days there shall not be found any leaven in your houses: he that shall eat leavened bread, his soul shall perish out of the assembly of Israel, whether he be a stranger or born in the land.
Exo 12:20  You shall not eat any thing leavened: in all your habitations you shall eat unleavened bread.
Exo 12:21  And Moses called all the ancients of the children of Israel, and said to them: Go take a lamb by your families, and sacrifice the Phase.
Exo 12:22  And dip a bunch of hyssop in the blood that is at the door, and sprinkle the transom of the door therewith, and both the door cheeks: let none of you go out of the door of his house till morning.
Exo 12:23  For the Lord will pass through striking the Egyptians: and when he shall see the blood on the transom, and on both the posts, he will pass over the door of the house, and not suffer the destroyer to come into your houses and to hurt you.
Exo 12:24  Thou shalt keep this thing as a law for thee and thy children for ever.
Exo 12:25  And when you have entered into the land which the Lord will give you, as he hath promised, you shall observe these ceremonies.
Exo 12:26  And when your children shall say to you: What is the meaning of this service?
Exo 12:27  You shall say to them: It is the victim of the passage of the Lord, when he passed over the houses of the children of Israel in Egypt, striking the Egyptians, and saving our houses. And the people bowing themselves, adored.
Exo 12:28  And the children of Israel going forth, did as the Lord had commanded Moses and Aaron.
Exo 12:29  And it came to pass at midnight, the Lord slew every firstborn in the land of Egypt, from the firstborn of Pharao, who sat on his throne, unto the firstborn of the captive woman that was in the prison, and all the firstborn of cattle.
Exo 12:30  And Pharao arose in the night, and all his servants, and all Egypt: and there arose a great cry in Egypt; for there was not a house wherein there lay not one dead.
Exo 12:31  And Pharao calling Moses and Aaron, in the night, said: Arise and go forth from among my people, you and the children of Israel: go, sacrifice to the Lord as you say.
Exo 12:32  Your sheep and herds take along with you, as you demanded, and departing bless me.
Exo 12:33  And the Egyptians pressed the people to go forth out of the land speedily, saying: We shall all die.
Exo 12:34  The people therefore took dough before it was leavened; and tying it in their cloaks, put it on their shoulders.
Exo 12:35  And the children of Israel did as Moses had commanded: and they asked of the Egyptians vessels of silver and gold, and very much raiment.
Exo 12:36  And the Lord gave favour to the people in the sight of the Egyptians, so that they lent unto them: and they stripped the Egyptians.
Exo 12:37  And the children of Israel set forward from Ramesse to Socoth, being about six hundred thousand men on foot, beside children.
Exo 12:38  And a mixed multitude, without number, went up also with them, sheep and herds, and beasts of divers kinds, exceeding many.
Exo 12:39  And they baked the meal, which a little before they had brought out of Egypt in dough: and they made hearth cakes unleavened: for it could not be leavened, the Egyptians pressing them to depart, and not suffering them to make any stay; neither did they think of preparing any meat.

Because the two days were so closely linked it was not uncommon to refer to them as one feast, as St Mark does here.

According to Exodus 12:19 the Jews were to rid their house of all traces of Leaven.  It was required that they do this on the day before the 14th of Nisan, but devout Jews then as now usually began cleaning the house of leaven up to a week before this.  The Exodus marked a new beginning in the relationship between the people and God, and leaven, which is a corrupting influence, came to symbolize that which adversely effected the relationship with God and the covenant.  For this reason the meticulous removal of leaven from the home came to symbolize the need for moral renewal.

At a time when devout Jews were engaging in such devotion, the chief priests and scribes were seeking to do evil by wiles.  The feast of Passover was a celebration of  God as the God of freedom and life, but as it approached we read that the chief priests and scribes were plotting how they might lay hold (i.e., arrest) our blessed Lord and put him to death.

This information lends poignancy to the literary connection St Mark has established between the opening of his Passion narrative and the end time discourse of chapter 13. Now the feast of the pasch and of the Azymes was after two days: and the chief priests and the scribes sought how they might by some wile lay hold on him and kill him.

Now is a translation of the Greek de, which is what one may call an adversative conjunctive.  As a conjunctive it links up what is about to be written with what has just been written.  As an adversative it alerts the reader to some intended contrast between the conjoined texts.

In the opening verse of the passion narrative quoted above St Mark writes (literal Greek):  And the chief priests and scribes kept on looking how they might by some wile lay hold on him and kill him.  St Mark, by employing a site verb (zeteo) in the imperfect tense is emphasizing the intensity and commitment  the enemies of our Lord have toward gaining the end they have in view, namely, his death.  Now, as we will see (I do not want to get ahead of myself) the passion of our Lord inaugurates the end time, a period which, as the Lord made clear in his end time discourse, will include the attempt to delude and persecute his followers, hence the emphasis on watching and seeing:

Take heed (literally, “look out”) lest any man deceive you…(13:5 See RSV Text).   But look to yourselves. For they shall deliver you Up to councils: and in the synagogues you shall be beaten: and you shall stand before governors and kings for my sake, for a testimony unto them (13:9 See RSV).  And when you shall see the abomination of desolation, standing where it ought not (he that readeth let him understand): then let them that are in Judea flee unto the mountains (13:14 See RSV).  And then if any man shall say to you: Lo (see, behold), here is Christ. Lo, he is here: do not believe.  For there will rise up false Christs and false prophets: and they shall shew signs and wonders, to seduce (if it were possible) even the elect.  Take you heed (look out) therefore: behold (see), I have foretold you all things (13:21-23 See RSV).  Now of the fig tree learn ye a parable. When the branch thereof is now tender and the leaves are come forth, you know that summer is very near.  So you also when you shall see these things come to pass, know ye that it is very nigh, even at the doors.  Amen, I say to you that this generation shall not pass until all these things be done.  Heaven and earth shall pass away: but my word shall not pass away.  But of that day or hour no man knoweth, neither the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but the Father.  Take ye heed, watch and pray. For ye know not when the time is.  Even as a man who, going into a far country, left his house and gave authority to his servants over every work and commanded the porter to watch.  Watch ye therefore (for you know not when the lord of the house cometh, at even, or at midnight, or at the cock crowing, or in the morning): Lest coming on a sudden, he find you sleeping.  And what I say to you, I say to all: Watch (13:28-37 See RSV).

As the end time winds down the enemies of Christ and the Gospel will only become more zealous in their animosity.  Christians must be aware of what is going on around them and equally committed to holding fast to the faith and defending it.  Mark wrote his Gospel as persecution loomed, and it seems he was afraid many would succumb, and go the way of Judas.

Chief Priests and Scribes.  The animosity of the scribes began early in Jesus ministry, when at Capernuam Our Lord healed a paralytic and forgave him his sins.  “Who,” They asked, “can forgive sins but God alone?” and they accuse him of blasphemy.  This is in chapter 2.  Latter, in this same chapter, some scribes, along with some Pharisees, object to our Lord’s associating with sinners at a meal.  Latter still, in chapter 7, we see some scribes come to Jesus from Jerusalem itself and they are incensed by seeing His disciples eating food without having ritually purified themselves.  Only after this event with the Jerusalem scribes do we get an indication that Jesus will have trouble with the Chief priests.  This indication comes in his first passion prediction in chapter 8, where Jesus teaches that the elders, the chief priests and scribes will put him to death.  Apparently, the Jerusalem scribes brought back to the chief priests a report concerning our Lord which did not sit well with them.  So when Jesus entered Jerusalem and cleared the money changers-who, incidentally, belonged to the priestly families-when he cleared them from the temple the chief priests were probably already less than well-disposed towards him.  In fact, at the end of the account of the temple cleansing and the reasons for it in chapter 11, St Mark tells us that the chief priests and scribes sought to destroy him.

Mar 14:2 (See RSV)  But they said: Not on the festival day, lest there should be a tumult among the people.  Jesus’ popularity among the people led the authorities to fear the crowd.  Any public move against Jesus would have been difficult as the leaders had already come to realize (11:18; 12:12), thus the necessity of wile (14:1).  For all their careful seeking and planning their desire will be thwarted, Jesus will die during the festival, for he and His Father are on their own time schedule, not that of their enemies.   Prophecy, not the will of man will be fulfilled.  Even their desire to put him to death will be thwarted, for he will rise again.

The Gospel text for the Ordinary is Mark 1:21-28.

Background:

Mark’s Gospel opens with a title (1:1), followed by a prologue (1:2-13). The prologue consists of two parts with the first (1:2-8) focusing on the Baptist, while the second (1:9-13) focuses on our Lord. The two parts have many similarities which in effect highlight the superiority of our Lord over John. For example, John is descirbed as “a voice of one crying out,” where as “a voice” comes from heaven declaring of Jesus to be the “beloved Son” (and) with you I am well pleased.” :Like the word one, beloved implies a uniqueness, but it is a uniqueness of an entirely different order and force. John is in the desert, and our Lord too will find himself in the desert; but whereas John is in the desert preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins, Jesus is in the desert being tested by him who brought about the necessity of man’s need for repentance, namely, Satan. The prologue ends on this note of conflict, a conflict which continues in today’s reading.

Sandwiched between the conflict with Satan (1:12-13) and the confrontation with the unclean spirit (1:21-28) Mark records the beginning of Jesus preaching, followed by his call to discipleship and his promise of a future mission (1:14-20). Such sandwiching is common in Mark’s Gospel and today’s reading has such a structure (see under Notes On This Sunday’s Gospel below) and the message here could not be more clear: Just as Our Lord is tested by Satan and opposed by the demonic, so too will his followers (His Church) be.

After the prologue the body of Mark’s Gospel begins. The Gospel body is generally divided into two major parts (1:14-8:21 and 8:22-to the end). The first part has three subsections, the first consisting of 1:14-3:6. Since today’s reading is taken from this first subsection it will be useful to see an outline of it.

Double Introduction:

(A) Jesus comes preaching (1:14-15).
(B) The call to discipleship and the promise of mission (1:16-20).

The Body of Subsection One: (In two parts)

Part 1. The Ministry Begins in Galilee (1:21-45)

a. Confrontation and authority (1:21-28)
b. In Simon’s house his Mother-in law is raised up (1:29-31)
c. More cures at Simon’s house (1:32-34)
d. Mission to other towns (1:35-39)
e. Jesus heals a leper and show his faithfulness to the Law (1:40-45)

Part 2. Opposition Increases (2:1-3:6)

a. The Son of Man has Authority to forgive sins (2:1-12)
b. Sinners called to repent (2:13-17)
c. The new cannot be confined to the old (2:18-22)
d. The Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath (2:23-28)
e. The confrontation between life and death on the Sabbath (3:1-6)

Aspects Concerning the Above Outline in Relation to This Sunday’s Gospel:

1. Notice how part one opens (1:21-28) and closes (1:40-45). A major theme of the opening is Jesus authority to teach (1:22, 27) while the major theme of the ending is Jesus fidelity to the Law of Moses shown in his command to the leper to fulfill the requirements of the Law (1:44). The beginning and ending of the first half (1:21-45) of this subsection (1:21-3:6) prepares for the second half (2:1-3:6) of the subsection. As noted in the outline above, the second half of the subsection focuses on opposition to our Lord. Mark contrasts Jesus’ understanding and teaching of the Law being with the understanding and teaching of his opponents.

2. Notice how part one opens and how part two ends. In the opening of part one (this Sunday’s Gospel Reading 1:21-28) Jesus is in a synagogue, on a Sabbath, being confronted by evil. The evil spirit insists that he (they) have no connection with Jesus, and asks if He is going to destroy him (them). Part two ends with Jesus in a synagogue, on a Sabbath, being confronted by Jewish leaders who are looking to accuse Him over a question of Law relating to the Sabbath. The account ends with their seeking to destroy Him. Implicit in the leader’s activity is the fact that they have no connection with Jesus for they wish to keep the new wine in old skins (2:18-22). Like the unclean spirit in this Sunday’s reading they are in the realm of the demonic.

3. Notice how part one (1:21-28) has as a major theme our Lord’s authority to teach. This parallels the opening of part two (2:1-12) where a major theme is Jesus’ authority to forgive sins.

Notes On This Sunday’s Gospel:

The passage is structured as a “Markan Sandwich” but is a bit more developed than usual for Mark who usually prefers a simple sandwich such as that found in chapter 14:1-11. A1. Jewish leaders form a conspiracy against Jesus (14:1-2) B. A woman anoints Jesus for his death (14:3-9). B2. Judas joins the leader’s conspiracy against Jesus (14:10-11). Today’s reading is structured as follows:

A1. Jesus comes to Capernuam (1:21).

B1. Astonishment at Jesus’ authoritative teaching (1:22).

C. The exorcism (1:23-26)

B2. Amazement at Jesus’ authoritative teaching (1:27)

A2. Jesus’ fame spreads throughout Galilee (1:28).

A1 and A2 are basically place settings; while B1 and B2 focus on the crowds response to Jesus’ teaching. The focus on Jesus teaching is hinged around C, the purpose of this structure is to indicate that His teaching is not merely verbal, but includes his actions. The divine plan of Revelation is realized simultaneously “by deeds and words which are intrinsically bound up with each other” ⁴ and shed light on each another (CCC 53).

1:21. Capernuam, on a Sabbath, in a synagogue. Capernuam is a fishing village on the northwest shore of the Sea of Galilee. Iit was the hometown of Simon Peter and Andrew whom the Lord had promised: “I will cause you to become fishers of men” (1:17, literal translation). Jesus would make this town (and probably Peter’s house) his home, and he would spend a great deal of time in this place showing his disciples how to fish for men. Sadly, much of His ministry in Capernuam was without effect, they wanted the glitter of His mighty deeds but not the gold of His moral demands (Matt 11:23-24; Mark 1:35-39).

The Sabbath will be the pretext for some controversy in 2:23-28 and 3:1-6. The Law of Moses forbade the labor of humans and animals on the Sabbath, but some Jewish leaders interpreted this so stringently that they turned the Sabbath into something detrimental to life and happiness. As Jesus teaches in the two texts just noted, human need and the value of life determine the significance of the Sabbath, not the interpretation of it given by his opponents.

In Mark the synagogue is a place where demons are found and conflict and unbelief are encountered (1:39; 3:1-6; 6:1-6. No doubt, however, that many of His followers first came into contact with him in such settings. Mark’s basically negative emphasis towards the synagogue probably reflects the break which had taken place between the synagogue and the followers of Jesus due to the instigation of the leaders (12:39; 13:9). But see the story of the synagogue official in 5:21-43.

In spite of the fact that Jesus performed the exorcism of the spirit the people do not approach him on behalf of their own illnesses or those of others; this stand in contrast to the next pericope which shows Jesus in Simon’s house being told of his sick mother-in-law and her subsequent healing (1:29-31) even though it is still the Sabbath. In contrast, the people of Capernuam wait until sundown, the end of the Sabbath, to bring the sick to our Lord.

1:22 Astonishment, wonder, awe, ect are typical responses to our Lord in Mark’s Gospel (34 times). The responses are usually negative (so it seems to me) but can lead to further enlightenment for those who are open to Jesus (10:23-27); or a hardening of heart and attitude against him (6:1-6). The people’s astonishment comes from a recognition that Jesus teaches with authority, unlike the scribes. For Mark this is not about Jesus ability (or the scribe’s inability) to teach, rather it is about His right to teach. This right is rooted in His very person; is based upon who He is and the reason why He was sent.

1:23-24. There was a man with an impure spirit in their synagogue; he cried out ‘What is there between you and us, you Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us ? I know you, who you are, the Holy One of God.’ (My translation)

The term impure (unclean) is cultic, implying a separation from that which is holy. It stands in stark contrast to the title the spirit gives to Jesus: “The Holy One of God.” The unclean spirit highlights the contrast in his very first words: “What is there between you and us, you Jesus of Nazareth?” The emphatic you Jesus of Nazareth also provides a contrast with the spirit, as does the emphatic singular the Holy One of God, for the spirit is identified as singular, yet he sometimes speaks in the plural: what is there between you and us? Have you come to destroy us? On whose behalf is he speaking? Perhaps other demons, but more likely he is being portrayed as the mouth-piece of those in the synagogue who would come to reject Jesus. If this is the case, then Mark is implying that the rejection of Jesus is the manifestation of demonic influence. Recall what was said above concerning this subsection of the Gospel; it ends with the Jewish leaders leaving a synagogue planning how to destroy Jesus (3:1-6). The conflict which began with Satan’s testing of Jesus in the desert includes human beings.

1:25-26 And Jesus censured him saying, ‘be muzzled! Come forth from him. Then the impure spirit caused him to spasm and crying out exceedingly loud came forth from him. (My translation)

censured is the Greek word epitimesen, which is usually translated as “rebuked;” but the word has judicial connotations which I believe censured brings out more clearly. Jesus is acting as a king/judge issuing a judgment against the spirit, thereby reclaiming for the man his own personality. In the Septuagint the term is used to translate the Hebrew word ga’ar, and is used for the rebuking of Satan in Zech 3:2. Jesus uses the word against demons in 3:12 and 9:25; against the wind (a hostile force) in 4:39; and in response to Peter who had rebuked Him in 8:30-33.

Be muzzled. The Greek phimoo has the sense of tie shut. In chapter 3:23-30 Jesus will portray Himself as one who must tie up the strongman Satan in order to plunder his house. The word used in that text is different than the one used here but can be taken as a synonym.

Come (exerchomai) forth from him. The spirit had asked Jesus if he had come (erchomai) to destroy “us”; here we see Jesus’ response: ex-erchomai. “I have come to destroy your hold on possessions not your own, so come out of the man.”

The spirit caused him to spasm. See 9:20, 26

And crying out exceedingly loud came forth from him. The loud cry of the spirit in verse 23 had been articulate, here it is just meaningless, inarticulate noise, for the spirit had been silenced from talking by Jesus.

1:27 And they were all amazed insomuch that they questioned among themselves, saying: What thing is this? What is this new doctrine (teaching)? For with power he commandeth even the unclean spirits: and they obey him. (Douay-Rheims Translation).

As already noted (see the catechism quote above) Jesus teaching is manifest in both word and deed, consequently one could say that the preaching of the Gospel is itself a breaking of Satan’s power. In Luke chapter ten Jesus sent out seventy-two disciples to announce that the kingdom of God was at hand. Upon their return they noted that even the demons were subject to them, clearly and effect of the preaching. In 2 Tim 2 St Paul tells Timothy to teach and correct opponents as part of his ministry because perhaps “God may give them repentance to know the truth; and they may recover themselves from the snares of the devil by whom they are held captive at his will.” (2 Tim 2:25-26 Douay-Rheims)

1:28 and His fame spread. The word translated as fame is akoe which means “hearing”, thus literally: “the hearing of him spread.” This is an odd way of putting it; why not write “the news of him spread”? Akoe is the root of the word hypakouo=’a hearing under’, which is translated as obey in the previous verse and used of the unclean spirit’s response to Jesus. Hypakouo refers to something done in response to what is heard. Unlike the demon, many of the people who hear (akoe) of Jesus and, indeed, hear him issue commands, do not obey(hypakouo) Him. A minion of “the father of lies” shows himself to be more honest than a cafeteria Catholic. The former admits in honesty that there is nothing between himself and Jesus and obeys him; but the cafeteria Catholic seeks to establish (or rather claim) a relationship between himself and Jesus by bending the teaching of Jesus to fit his own will.

These were written a bit hastily but I hope you will find them of some use and food for thought.

1:14 Now after (meta de) John had been handed over (paradidomi), Jesus came (erchomai) to Galilee preaching the Gospel of the Kingdom of God, 1:15 and saying, fulfilled is the time, at hand is the Kingdom; repent and believe the Gospel.

Now after (meta de). De is a conjunctive which can be either continuative (e.g., “and”, “moreover”) or adversative (e.g., “but”); used in tandem with meta the meaning is adversative. Mark wishes to emphasize the fact that Jesus’ ministry of preaching in Galilee began only after the arrest of the Baptist. In itself this does not preclude a previous ministry in Judea (see Jn 3:23).

Handed over (paradidomi). This will become a key word in Mark and is variously translated as arrested, handed over, betrayed, delivered, ect. It is used primarily in reference to Jesus Passion (9:31; 14:10-11, 18; 15:1, ect.), but it is also used in reference to the handing over of Jesus followers to rulers during persecution (13:9, 11). Jesus knew full well that John was his precursor and, as such, prefigured his own death (9:9-13). Faithful Christians also must realize that the fate of the Baptist and the Christ awaits them.

John had prophesied that “after me comes (erchomai) one mightier than I,” and, in fact, “Jesus came from Nazareth to Galilee and was baptized by John” (vs 9), after which he was confronted by Satan. Now, as we learn that the Baptist is being persecuted, we see Jesus coming to Galilee where he will soon enter into conflict with a demon (1:21-28), and then heated controversy with Scribes and Pharisees, which will end in the plotting of His death (2:1-3:6).

Fulfilled is the time, at hand is the Kingdom. The word order here represents the position of the verbs in the Greek text. There is an urgency in Jesus’ message which makes the need to repent and believe without hesitancy a dire obligation upon those who hear the message.

1:16 And passing by the sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and Andrew his brother, casting nets into the sea for they were fishermen. 1:17 And Jesus said to them: Come after me; and I will make you to become fishers of men. 1:18 And immediately leaving their nets, they followed him. 1:19 And going on from thence a little farther, he saw James the son of Zebedee and John his brother, who also were mending their nets in the ship: 1:20 And forthwith he called them. And leaving their father Zebedee in the ship with his hired men, they followed him.

Passing by περιπατων “Although the words suggest an almost casual encounter, the verbs paragein and parerchesthai (to pass by) when predicated of Jesus in the Gospels, occur in epiphanic stories (Matt 9:27; 20:30; Luke 18:37; Mark 2:14 [Para. Matt 9:9]; Mark 6:48). In the OT, God (1 Kings 19:11; 2 Sam 23:4 LXX); His goodness (Ex 33:19); or His glory (Ex 33:22) are said ‘to pass by,’ i.e., to be shown forth. Here the expression portends an epiphany of Jesus Messianic power to create disciples” (Jerome Biblical Commentary 42:12).

They were fishermen. Then as now fishing was a major industry on the Sea of Galilee, and fisherman made a decent living (10:23-28).

Come after me; and I will make you to become fishers of men. John had said that one was coming after him, and in doing so he used the term opisio, (after) which often designates the position of a subordinate. In john’s usage, however, the word related to time, not position. This is brought out by the fact that John had descried the coming one as “mightier” than himself. Here Mark show Jesus as mightier (ischuros) than John by having him issue a command using an adverb (deute=come) as a hortatory particle in conjunction with (opisio=after me). He also shows Jesus as having the power to make (poieo) fishermen become (ginomai) fishers of men. (Literally: “I will cause you to become fishers of men”). Jesus is here manifesting his power to create both followers and missionaries. John had confessed his unworthiness in relation to Christ; here we see that Jesus is the one who makes his missionaries worthy (1 Cor 4:1; 2 Cor 2:14-17).

Fishers of men may be an allusion to Jeremiah 16:14-16. The theme of fishing is several times used as a figure for eschatological judgment (Ezek 29:4-5; Amos 4:2; Hab 1:14-15; Matt 13:47-50).

Simon, Andrew, James, and John. The quick, unhesitating response of the disciples to the call of Jesus serves as a model for all believers. There must be no delay due to weak faith (9:21-24), no delay due to family or riches (10:17-31). The Kingdom has begun to dawn and be present in Jesus and the Gospel, and, as we will see, the end time has been inaugurated by his death and resurrection. This is why the message of Jesus is so urgent (see notes on 1:15 above). Yes, the Gospel must first be preached to all nations before the ultimate end comes (13:10), but only those who persevere to the end (13:13)-be it the end of life or the ultimate end of the age-will be saved. It is this fact that is so urgent, this is why Jesus tells us that we must see that no one deceives us (13:5) at the beginning of the “labor pains”, and we must watch out for ourselves in time of persecution (13:9), and not just wait and begin to watch because we think all the sign have been fulfilled and the end will come today 13:32-36). The fact that only these four are identified by Mark as hearing the end time discourse is almost certainly meant to recall to our minds their initial call and response, but also their failures and the teachings of Jesus which they motivated (see for Simon 8:31-38; and for James and John 10:35-45).

13:33  Stay on watch!  Be awake and pray, for you do not know when the time will come. (Note: I’m using my own translation) The verse contains three imperatives; the first two emphasizing the need for vigilant watching, while the third stress the need for prayer.  The two themes are closely related as the events in the Garden of the agony show (Mark 14:33-42).  Stay on watch represents the Greek word blepo, which appears 6 times in Mark’s Gospel, four of them in this end time discourse (13:5, 9, 23, 33.  See also 4:24; 8:15).  Be awake translates the Greek word agrypneo,-a state of sleeplessness, wakefulness, watchfulness.  You do not know when the time will come builds upon the previous verse (32).  We may not know the exact time of the Lord’s coming, but we know what season it is.  It is the season of the Lord’s second advent. and has been since his Resurrection.  During the time of his first advent he had cursed a fig tree for having no fruit (Mark 11:12-14), even though it was not the season for figs!  This was in reality a symbol of the state and fate of his people and their temple.  Jesus’ first recorded public words were (according to the literal rendering of Mark 1:15): “Fulfilled is the time!  At hand is the kingdom!  Repent and believe the Good News.”  No doubt these words were repeated often; the people therefore were without excuse.  While one could (if I may put it this was) logically excuse a fig tree for not having fruit out of season, the first advent of the Messiah was very much in season, and so the people who rejected Our Lord were without excuse.  We too will be without excuse if His Second Advent catches us unaware.

13:34-35  It is like a man going on a far journey.  Before leaving he gives his servants authority to do various tasks, and commands the gatekeeper to be watchful.  You must watch, therefore, for you know not when the master of the house will return, whether at midnight, or at the cockcrow, or in the morning-lest at his coming he3 finds you asleep. Something of a little parable.  Jesus is about to leave his house and servants.  Those servants who have been given authority (Greek: exousia) are first and foremost the Apostles, and those who would succeed them in the ministry.  The gatekeeper is no doubt Peter, whose house the Lord made his own (the theme of the house is very important in Mark.  See 1:29-34; 2:1; 3:20-34; ect.).  These verses prepare for the account of Peter’s lack of watchfulness, which is closely associated with the time known as “cockcrow” (see Mark  14:29-42, 66-72).  For you know not when the master of the house will return repeats points already dealt with in verses 32 & 33.  The emphasis should not be lost sight of, and it serves a dual purpose: (1)we should not try to predict the Master’s coming for we cannot know when it will be; (2) for the same reason we should always be ready for His return.  The righteous man can sleep confident and unafraid, for he is in a right relationship with God (Psalm 4:9) but who knows what tomorrow, or even the next moment might bring?  Contrary to the belief of some Christians, a man can leave the way of righteousness, and act like a pig returning to the mud, or dog returning to its vomit (2 Peter 2:21-22).

13:37  What I say to you I say to all, Watch! Though the focus of this little parable has been the leaders of the Church, its warning and exhortation to watching is meant for all, you and I included.

I have provided links to other online Catholic resources.

Sunday Gospel Scripture Study. Audio video.  about an hour long.

Daily Gospel.  Provides the text of the Gospel reading along with a link to a brief commentary by a Saint or Father.  This weeks commentary is by St Paschasius.

Word-Sunday. Lectionary resources for Catholics.  I’ve linked to the Gospel notes which contain both a popular and literal translation of the text, followed by notes.  Be sure to check out the links to the other readings.

I’ve posted previously on this verse, see here.

1:1 The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.

Scholars note that this first verse is in fact a title. Whereas authors today separate the title of their work from the text in some visual and spatial fashion (i.e., a title page), ancient Greek authors separated their titles from the text with certain literary markers. Titles, for example, never contained a verb, either explicitly or implied; nor did they ever open with a definite article. This and other factors identify verse 1 as a title.

The word beginning in Greek is arche, which has a number of meanings, including “source,” “rule,” or “foundation.” St Mark isn’t giving us the entire Gospel in his writing, rather, he is giving us what he considers foundational. Essentially, what is foundational is the proper understanding of what it means that Jesus is the Christ and the Son of God. The importance of understanding what it means that Jesus is the Messiah (Christ) can be seen in the fact that Peter’s confession of that Messiahship is found at the center of the Gospel (8:22-31), and opens its second major half, which focuses on the theme of His suffering and its implications for discipleship. Son of God or its equivalent is the predominant title in this Gospel. Jesus’ sonship is declared at the beginning (1:11), the middle (9:7) and the end (15:39). The nature of that sonship is brought out in various ways, as I hope to point out in these notes.

Concerning the name Jesus, see the Catechism HERE. For Christ see HERE. For Son of God see HERE.

Other people see the first verse as part of the prologue, consequently, they interpret the verse as meaning that the beginning of the Gospel is rooted in Old Testament prophecy (see verses 2-3, 1 Peter 1:10-12), and by extension, the ministry of the Baptist. “The traditional starting-point of the Kerygma (proclamation) is the preaching of John the Baptist (see Acts 1:22; 10:37)-New Catholic Commentary On Holy Scripture.

” What the reference of the New Testament is to the Old, and its coherence with it. The gospel of Jesus Christ begins, and so we shall find it goes on, just as it is written in the prophets (Mar_1:2); for it saith no other things than those which the prophets and Moses said should come (Act_26:22), which was most proper and powerful for the conviction of the Jews, who believed the Old Testament prophets to be sent of God and ought to have evidenced that they did so by welcoming the accomplishment of their prophecies in its season; but it is of use to us all, for the confirmation of our faith both in the Old Testament and in the New, for the exact harmony that there is between both shows that they both have the same divine original.”Matthew Henry Commentary (Protestant).

“The simplest and most natural construction he is (this is) the beginning of (or here begins) the gospel, &c. It is then a title or a description of the whole book, such as we often find in the first sentence of ancient writing, (Compare the liturgical formula, “Here beginneth such a chapter; here endeth such a lessn’) Some interpreters connect it with the next verse, the beginning of the gospel, (was) as it is written in the prophets; others with verse 4, ‘the beginning of the gospel was John baptizing.’ But these constructions seem too artificial, and the facts which they are meant to indicate, though not expressed here, are suggested by the context, namely, that the ministry of Christ was introduced by John’s, and that both had been predicted in the ancient Scriptures. According to the syntax first proposed, the verse describes the whole book, or the book describes itself, as the Gospel of Jesus Christ the Son of God.”- (The Gospel According To Mark, Joseph Addison Alexander. Protestant).

Isaiah 49:5-6
My God shall be my strength.  And he said, it is a light thing that thou shouldest be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to restore the preserved of Israel: I will also give thee for a light to the Gentiles, that thou mayest be my salvation unto the end of the earth.

The Prophet Isaiah fortells in a clear prophecy the calling of the Gentiles, and the cause of their salvation, saying My God shall be my strength.  And he said, it is a light thing that thou shouldest be my servant. Jerome:  In which words it is shown that Christ is called a servant, because He is formed from the womb.  For, before these words it is said: Thus saith the Lord, that formed me from the womb to be his servant. It had indeed been the will of the Father, that the wicked tillers of the vineyard should receive the Son whom He had sent; wherefore Christ says of them to His disciples, Go not into the way of the Gentiles, but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel (Matt 10:5-6). Because then Israel was not brought back to God, for that reason the Son of God speaks to the unbelieving Jews, saying, My God shall be my strength, who also has consoled me on the casting away of my people.  And he hath said to me, it is a small thing that thou shouldest be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob, which have fallen by their own wickedness, and to restore the preserved, or remnant of Israel. For instead of them , I have given thee for a light to all the Gentiles, that thou shouldest illuminate the whole world, and shouldest cause my salvation, by which men are saved, to reach to the ends of the earth.

Gloss. From the words then, which have been quoted, we can infer two things; first, the divine virtue which was in Christ, by which He was able to lighten the Gentiles; for it is said, My God shall be my strength.  God therefore was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, as the Apostle says to the Corinthians (2 Cor 5:19); whence also the Gospel, by which believers are saved, is the power of God unto salvation, to everyone who believeth, as the same Apostle says to the Romans (Rom 1:16).  The second thing is the enlightening of the Gentiles, and the salvation of the world, fulfilled by Christ, according to the will of the Father; for it is said, I will also give thee for a light to the Gentiles. Wherefore the Lord after His resurrection, that He might fulfill the will of the Father, sent His disciples to preach, saying, Go ye, and teach all nations; some he sent to the Jews, some received the ministry of preaching to the Gentiles.  But because it was right that the Gospel should not only be preached for those who then lived, but also be written for those who were to come, the same distinction is observed in the writers of the Gospel.  For Matthew wrote the Gospel to the Jews in Hebrew, and Mark was the first to write a Gospel amongst the Gentiles.  Eusebeus. For when the glorious light of the word of God had arisen over the city of Rome, the doctrine of truth and light, which Peter was then preaching to them, so shone upon the minds of all, by their patience in listening, that they heard him daily without ever being weary.  Whence also they were not content with hearing only, but they earnestly beg of Mark his disciple, to commit to writing those things which he preached by word of mouth, that they might have a memorial of them, and might continue both at home and abroad in meditations of this sort upon the word.  And they did not leave off their importunities, till they obtained what they had requested.  This then was the cause of the writing of the Gospel of Mark.  But Peter, when by the Holy Ghost he discovered the pious theft which had been put upon him, was filled with joy, for he saw by this, their faith and devotion; and he gave his sanction to what was done, and handed down the writing to the Churches, to be read forever.  Pseudo-Jerome: He begins at once with the announcement of the more perfect age of Christ, nor does he spend his labor on the birth of Christ as a little child, for he speaks of his perfection as son of God.  Chrysostom: But he makes a compendious and brief beginning, in which he has imitated his master Peter, who was a lover of brevity.  Augustine: Matthew, who had undertaken to relate what concerned the kingly person of Christ, had Mark assigned to him for a companion and an abbreviator, who was to attend upon his steps (see note 1).  For it belongs to kings not to be without a train of attendants.  Since again the priest used to enter alone into the Holy of Holies, Luke, whose design had regard to the priesthood of Christ, had on companion to follow his steps, and in a manner to abbreviate his narration.

Bede: It is also to be observed, that the holy Evangelists have each fixed upon a different commencement for their narration, and each a different ending.  For Matthew, setting out from the beginning of the preaching of the Gospel, has carried on the thread of his narrative up to the time of our Lord’s resurrection.  Mark, beginning with the first preaching of the Gospel, goes on to the ascension of the Lord, and the preaching of His disciples to all nations throughout the world. But Luke, commencing with the birth of the Forerunner, has ended with the Lord’s ascension.  John, taking his beginning from the eternity of the Word of God, reaches in his Gospel up to the time of the Lord’s resurrection.  Ambrose: Because then Mark began with expressing the divine power, he is rightly represented under the figure of the lion.  Remiguarius: Mark is signified by the lion; for as a lion sends forth his dreadful voice in the wilderness, so Mark begins with the voice in the wilderness, saying, the voice of one crying in the wilderness (Mark 1:2).  Augustine: Although the figure might also be otherwise interpreted.  For Mark did not wish to relate either his kingly race, as Matthew did, who for this is figured by a lion, or his priestly kindred, or consecration, as Luke, figured by a calf; yet he is shewn to have had for his subject the things which the man Christ did, and therefore appears to be signified by the figure of a man, in the four animals.  Theophylact: Or, the eagle points out the Gospel According to Mark, for it begins with the prophecy of John; for prophecy views with acureness things which are afar, as an eagle does.

Notes:
1.  Augustine’s view that Mark was the “abbreviator” of Matthew is widely rejected by modern scholars.

2.  The prophet Ezekiel had a vision in which he saw four living creatures with human form but four faces: 1. human, 2. lion, 3. ox, 4. eagle.  These four figures (or faces) came to symbolize the four evangelists: Matt=human; Mark=lion; Luke=ox; John=eagle.   For biblical and patristic quotes on this along with artwork see HERE.

Today we look at the prologue of Mark’s Gospel, which is usually identified as incorporating verses 2 through 13 of his first chapter; however, you can also include verse 14 and 15 into it, because they are transitional and, as a result, can be taken with either the prologue or the body of the Gospel. On our blog/podcast page you can find several different outlines which show that the prologue, with the inclusion of verse 14 and 15, can easily be divided into two major parts, with content from the two parts providing contrasting parallels between John and Jesus. Part one, verses 2-8 focuses on the person and mission of the Baptist, while part two, verses 10-15 focus on our Blessed Lord. Verse 9 represents the hinge or center around which the parallels are built. In part 1, verse 2, we are told that a messenger will prepare the way of the Lord. In part 2, verses 14-15, we see that the messengers function is complete, and the Lord begins his own activity. In part 1, verse 3, John is described in terms of Scripture as a voice, while in part 2, verse 11 the voice of God is heard declaring who Jesus is. Essentially what you have is a new revelation building upon and clarifying the OT revelation. In part 1 verse 4, John is in the desert proclaiming a baptism of repentance. In part 2 verses 12-13 Jesus is driven into the desert and is tested by Satan. Mark is not as explicit as the other synoptics but he clearly implies that our Lord was victorious. In other words, Jesus triumphs over the being and his activity which made it necessary for man to repent in the first place. In part 1, verse 5, people go into the desert acknowledging their sins, and John ministers to them with his baptism. In part 2, verse 13 our Lord is ministered to by angels. In part 1, verse 6, John’s sparse diet consists of locust and wild honey. In part 2, verse 12, Our lord is fasting. In part 1, verses 7-8, John says that one mightier than himself will come. He also says while he himself baptizes with water, the mightier one will baptize with the Holy Spirit. In part 2, verse 10 our lord, after being baptized, receives the spirit. Mark notes that Jesus receives the Spirit upon coming up from the water, thus emphasizing that the descent of the Spirit is not a direct result of John’s baptism. The two outlines we give on our blog may differ somewhat from one another and from our own presentation, but it is quite clear that St Mark intended contrasts and comparisons between John and Jesus.

Let’s now go through the text in a bit more detail.

The prologue opens with a biblical inscription which Mark attributes to the Prophet Isaiah, but which is in fact made up of two text. This was a standard practice in Mark’s day as the Qumran literature, the so-called Dead Sea Scrolls show. Why, in a compiled text, one author was singled out is unknown. Father John Donahue and Father Daniel Harrington, in their commentary on Mark in the Sacra Pagina series, suggest that since Mark has several allusions to Isaiah in his prologue he wanted to draw specific attention to him at the beginning. Whatever the case may be, here is what St Mark writes: (Quote) As it is written in Isaiah the prophet: Behold I send my angel before thy face, who shall prepare the way before thee. A voice of one crying in the desert; Prepare ye the way of the Lord; make straight his paths. (Close Quote)

The first passage he quotes is from Malachi 3:1, which reads: (Quote: Behold I send my angel, and he shall prepare the way before my face (Close Quote). The second is from Isaiah 40:3, which reads (Quote) The voice of one crying in the desert: Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make straight in the wilderness the paths of our God (Close Quote). In the Malachi text, God is promising to send an angel, or messenger-that’s what the word angel means-before his own face. The word face, by the way, is common biblical idiom for presence. In the Isaiah text, the voice in the desert is saying that people have to prepare for the coming of the Lord God. If you look at the way Mark words the texts, he is clearly insinuating that Jesus is divine.

The theme of the desert looms large in the OT. God led Israel out into the desert to worship him. He let them be tested in order to refine and prepare them for a covenant relationship with him in the promised land. Occasionally, the obeyed him and did his will, more often than not however, they failed (see for example Exodus chapter 16; Numbers 11; and Psalm 78:17-53). As they stood on the Plains of Moab, ready to enter the promised land, Moses reminded them of all God had done for them and telling them to remain faithful, lest God drive them into exile. We see this for example in Deuteronomy 5:32-40; and in chapters 28 and 29. But in spite of their failures, the desert was the place of God’s saving deeds (see Psalm 78:12-16). According to the prophets it would again become the place of God’s salvific deeds (see Hosea 2:16-25). God’s great redemptive activity in the Exodus thus became a model by which the prophets described his future redemptive acts. This is what Isaiah is doing in the prophecy Mark quotes. Isaiah is predicting the end of the Babylonian Exile, and Mark sees it prophetically as a harbinger of an even greater salvific event wrought through Jesus Christ.

So, according to verses 4 and 5, John is out in the desert preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins, and people from Judea and Jerusalem come out to him and are baptized in the Jordan. Now, we think this is a very interesting question: Where is John? Is he on the west or the east side of the Jordan? If he is on the east side, he is outside the promised land. If this is the case, then what the people are doing by going out to him is enacting a personal exile. In Deuteronomy, at the end of chapter 29, the people are threatened with exile into a strange land if the do not obey God. In Chapter 30:1-9 however, they are told that if they repent, they will once again return to the land God gave them and enjoy his favor. Are the people going into a symbolic exile, repenting, then returning to the promised land? It is an interesting question, unfortunately Mark is not specific as to where John was exactly.

In verse 6, John is described as wearing camel’s hair and being girded with a leather belt. A hairy mantle was the traditional garment of a prophet; at least this is suggested by the prophet Zechariah in 13:4 of his book. But Mark certainly wishes his readers to think of Elijah the prophet, the great defender of the covenant who sought to restore the people to their covenant fidelity with God. In 2 Kings 1:8 Elijah is described as dressed in a hairy garment with a leather belt. The man who is given that description is King Ahab, husband of Jezebel. Like Elijah before him, John the Baptist will be persecuted by a king and his queen. According to 2 Kings 2:6-11, Elijah was taken up alive into heaven and seen no more. We saw that at the beginning of chapter 3 of Malachi, the prophet had predicted a messenger who would herald the coming Lord. That chapter ends with the promise that before the day of the Lord comes, God would send Elijah the prophet to turn the hearts of fathers to the children and the hearts of children to their fathers, lest God come and strike the land. Clearly St Mark wants us to see the Baptist as fulfilling the expected return of Elijah. In fact, in chapter 9:12 of the Gospel, Jesus clearly indicates that it was the Baptist who fulfilled the Elijah expectations: (Quote) But I say to you that Elijah has come, and they did to him whatsoever they would, as it is written of him(Close Quote).

Now as we have just seen, Elijah comes to restore family relations. In this respect we should note what Malachi writes in chapter 2:10-17 He portrays the people as asking “have we not all one father/” And the prophet responds by saying: “Why then does everyone of us despise his brother, violating the covenant of our fathers?” He then goes on to condemn divorce. It seems then that the prophecy that Elijah would come to restore family relations is integral to Malachi’s teaching. In light of this, isn’t it interesting that just before Mark describes the death of John the Baptist he writes about Jesus rejection at Nazareth, which he terms his patris, his fatherland. And because of this rejection Jesus states that a prophet has no honor in his patris, among his kin, or even in his own house. You can read about this in chapter 6:1-6. When St Mark tells of the death of the Baptist he first tells us that John was arrested by Herod for he had said to him: “It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife.” And I’m sure we all know how the death of the Baptist came about. Herod had a party at which the daughter of his immorally gotten wife danced. Herod promised the girl she could ask anything, and at the mother’s instigation she asked for the head of the baptist. This saddened Herod, but he fulfilled the request. That was one screwed up pseudo-family to say the least.

We find all of this interesting, but unfortunately we are not biblical scholars and cannot develop these ideas. We will leave the subject by noting that the image of family is very important in Mark. Jesus is often shown in a house with his disciples and even defines them as his family.

In verses 7-8 we are told that John preached the following: There comes after me one mightier than I, the latchet of whose shoes I am not worthy to stoop down and untie…He will baptize you with the Holy Ghost.

John portrays himself as the most menial of slaves, while the coming one is mighty, or powerful. John Baptizes with water, the coming one with the Holy Spirit. What does Mark mean by baptism with the Holy Spirit?

We do not think it is a reference to a sacramental ritual. Outside of the prologue Mark mentions the Holy Spirit only twice; once in chapter 3:29, and again in chapter 13:11. In both cases the reference seems to refer to the action or power of the Spirit who is already possessed. After Jesus is baptized by John, but not because of that baptism, he receives the Spirit and by the Spirit is driven into the desert to confront Satan. Now the same word Mark uses for the Spirit driving Jesus into the desert is later used in reference to Jesus casting or driving out demons, suggesting that he is acting by the Power of the Spirit. In chapter 3 Jesus is accused of driving out demons by the power of Satan. Our Blessed Lord responds to that by asking how can Satan drive out Satan? A house or kingdom divided against itself cannot stand. He then says: No man can enter the house of a strong man and rob him of his goods, unless he first bind the strong man, and then he shall plunder his house.

Our Lord is clearly calling Satan the strong man, and he is using the same word John used when he described Jesus as the mightier one in 1:7. Our Lord then goes on to say that the only sin that cannot e forgiven is blasphemy against the Holy Spirit, and Mark tells us he said this because he had been accused of having an unclean spirit. The implication is that the unforgivable sin is calling that which is done by the Holy Spirit evil, such as miracles, the Bible, the mission of the Church, ect. We think that baptism with the Holy Spirit means being imbued with the power of the Spirit by which we can overcome all that is opposed and hostile to the Gospel. In chapter 13:9-13 Our Blessed Lord warns us of persecution. We will be called to account before authorities and will have to witness to them, but we are not to worry about what to say before them, for what we are to say will be given to us by the Spirit.

After telling us that a mightier one is coming, Mark tells us in verse 9 that Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee to be baptized by John. A not to subtle indication that the one spoken of by the Baptist is now on the scene. Coming as it does on the heels of John’s denigration of himself in comparison to the coming one this statement is jarring. This fact must have troubled a lot of people who conceived of Jesus’ advent as one of earthly greatness and glory.

• This was posted rather hastily and I hope the reader will overlook that obvious fact and get some benefit from these notes.

Verse 1 of the Gospel is to be taken as a title. We today would separate the title from the rest of the text, either by placing it in bold, black letters at the top of the page, or by using a title page. In other words, we separate our titles visually from the text. Writers in the Greco-Roman world separated their titles from their texts by using literary markers. Those literary markers are present in the Greek text of Mark and so we will treat the verse as a title, although we should note that some biblical scholars take the verse as part of the prologue.

The title reads The Beginning of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, Son of God. We’ve provided links to various terms that make up this title and you are encouraged to consult them. In our talk we wish to focus on this question: What does St Mark intend by calling his writing “the beginning of the Gospel”?

The Greek word for beginning is arche, and it can have several meanings which are essentially related. One of those meanings is “foundation.” The word “Gospel” when first used outside of the title is used at the very beginning of the body of the Gospel; and it is used in reference to the kingdom of God and is closely associated with the theme of repentance. In 1:14-15 we read: Jesus came in Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God,

Mar 1:15 And saying: “The time is accomplished and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent and believe the gospel.” The time is accomplished, or fulfilled, the age of the Kingdom of God is present in the person of the King, Jesus. The Gospel, which is a call into the Kingdom, remains always present until the end comes and the Kingdom is established in full (see chapter 13:9-10). Later, at the very center of the body of the Gospel (chapter 8:27-38), we read of St Peter’s confession of faith, followed by His failure to accept the possibility of a suffering Messiah. As a result of this, he is rebuked by our Blessed Lord:

“calling the multitude together with his disciples, he said to them: If any man will follow me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.
Mar 8:35 For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel shall save it.
Mar 8:36 For what shall it profit a man, if he gain the whole world and suffer the loss of his soul?
Mar 8:37 Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul:
Mar 8:38 For he that shall be ashamed of me and of my words, in this adulterous and sinful generation: the Son of man also will be ashamed of him, when he shall come in the glory of his Father with the holy angels. (Close Quote)

Notice that suffering for the sake of our Blessed Lord and for the Gospel amounts to the same thing and brings the same reward. Note also that being ashamed of the Lord and his words-that is the Gospel, also amounts to the same thing, and will bring the same punishment. Finally, notice that while Peter is rebuked by being called Satan, he is also told by Jesus to “Get behind me.” These words call to mind the first words Jesus spoke to Peter: “Follow Me.” They also call to mind the words our Blessed Lord speaks at the Last Supper. In the same breath with which he predicts his abandonment by the apostles along with Peter’s three-fold denial he says: “i will go before you into Galilee,” thereby giving us to understand that he is inviting them to return to discipleship.

What then does Mark wish to convey by calling his work The Beginning or foundation of the Gospel?

The Gospel is rooted in and founded upon the fact that Jesus came to give his life as a ransom (10:45). It is a fact founded upon the Gospel that the followers of Jesus must take up the cross, not only by making willful sacrifices but also by enduring persecution (see 10:28-31). It is also a fact founded upon the Gospel that some will fail, like Peter and the twelve, But Jesus, in and through the Church remains always ready with the words repent, get behind, follow Jesus.