The teachings of Philip G. Roets & Lois Roets
Good News: Lone Crusader Comes from Nazareth
Commentary by Philip G. Roets STL, SSL
Crusader Afraid and Worried
CRUSADER AFRAID AND WORRIED. Mark 10:32-34. This is the third time that we have a solemn statement about the suffering and death for Jesus. We have to remember two things. All this is being written long after the fulfillment. Secondly, the writers want to point out how real this scenario was to Jesus as he continued to oppose the official teachers and leaders of the Jews. Jesus sees this final result as the necessary conclusion to his teaching. When he is ready, he will give himself up. In the meantime, the suffering and agony were always present to make him fear and worry.
WHO GETS THE BEST SEATS? Mark 10:35-45. We know that there was rivalry and competition among the twelve. In this scene, two of the favorites bring the problem right out into the open. The Zebedee boys, John and James, ask explicitly, "When you are in your glory, see to it that one of us is at your right and the other at your left."
Jesus asked, "Can you drink the cup that I have to drink or be baptized with the baptism I am to be baptized?" Their answer was almost a shout of glee, "We can drink anything!" Jesus assures them that they will get the opportunity to prove their claim, but it is not his to parcel out the places at table. They belong to those to whom they have been allotted.
When the others heard this request, they were really shaken. They had all wanted this first place for themselves. They had discussed this very point before. So Jesus lays it on the line. He says this is the conduct that is expected of the world around them. Everyone is jockeying for position, stomping on the next person, and trying to be first regardless of who is hurt in the shuffle.
Jesus lays down the rock-bottom principle of Christian greatness. "Anyone who wants to be first among you has to be the servant of all. For the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve and to give his life as the ransom of the many." This secret of Christian greatness is to be the solid foundation on which all others can build.
JERICHO: BLIND MAN CAN SEE. Mark 10:46-52. As they traveled, they came to Jericho. A blind beggar, named Bartimaeus, was sitting beside the road. He heard the noise and wanted to know what was going on. When he heard that Jesus was passing by, he cried out in a loud voice. The people nearest him told him to be quiet because, when he called out, they couldn't hear Jesus. Jesus stops. He has Bartimaeus brought to him. Then he asks him what he wants. "Master," he cries, "that I may see!" Jesus says, "Your faith has saved you!" Immediately his sight was returned and he followed Jesus down the road.
This incident is set in the Gospel at this spot for a purpose. It is a reminder that we have to see and understand clearly all that Jesus has said and then follow behind him in our daily lives.
Jerusalem
The Gospel according to Mark has topographical divisions. There is a short introduction and then we have several passages on Jesus at work in Galilee. Then we have a section that deals with his work outside Galilee, but up north. Now we come to Jerusalem. We will have the account of his work in the last week. Then the last section will be in Jerusalem and will account for the actual death and triumphal resurrection and the mission to the followers.
CRUSADER HAS HIS DAY. Mark 11:1-11. For this incident in the gospel, it is very important to read the parallel passages in the other gospels. Do not sandwich the details together and make a conglomerate picture. Read them in chronological sequence -- Mark, Luke, Matthew, John. Compare the details that each writer sees fit to include. When you understand all four masterpieces then you will appreciate the incident all the more but all four masterpieces must remain independent.
Mark says they were drawing near the Mount of Olives. Jesus sent two of the disciples to the next village. They would find a colt tethered there that has not been ridden. They are to untie it and bring it back to Jesus. If anyone objects, just say, "The Master needs it and will send it back soon!"
This is exactly what happened and the two apostles brought the colt to Jesus. The apostles put their cloaks on the colt's back and Jesus mounted. People put their cloaks and varied branches of greenery on the path so that Jesus could ride over it all.
They sing Psalm 118 as they march into Jerusalem. This Psalm should be read in its entirety to understand what the procession meant to the people, and why the leaders of the Jews realized Jesus had to be stopped now. Remember that Psalms were popular songs among the Jews. Everybody could sing them and some were used specially on certain feast days. There is no doubt that this day was a day of total triumph for Jesus as he rode along in the procession. He was fully aware of the fickleness of the crowd but he truly enjoyed the recognition for all his works. Later on, this procession will become the starting point of the solemn Easter Liturgy.
NO FRUIT - REMOVE TREE. Mark 11:12-14. The next day, Jesus and the apostles were leaving Bethany. Jesus was hungry. He saw a fig tree off to the side and went over to pick some figs. It was not the season for figs, but they could have expected some of the fat "first-fruits." Jesus cursed the tree and said it was never to bear fruit again. The apostles heard this whole interchange.
HOUSE OF GOD DESECRATED; CRUSADER IN ANGRY RAGE. Mark 11:15-19. The little party arrived in Jerusalem and went directly to the Temple. Jesus saw the courtyard had been turned into a regular shopping mall. There were animals of every kind and all the other things that could be used for personal sacrifices or temple offerings. The people and the leaders were haggling over prices just as in any public mart.
Jesus really let his temper take over. He was filled with a holy anger as he looked on the desecration. He overturned the money tables in the sand and upset the chairs of the sellers. "My father's house is a house of prayer and you have made it a den of thieves!"
The chief priests and the scribes were told about this incident immediately. They knew they had to do something about Jesus at once, or he would have all the people backing him. They were afraid of him because the people were so much in favor of his teaching.
THAT FIG TREE AGAIN. Mark 11:20-25. Jesus went out of the city for the night. The city wasn't safe. They passed the fig tree Jesus had cursed and it was withered right down to the roots. Peter blurted out immediately. "Look, Rabbi! It happened! The fig tree you cursed has withered completely." Peter clearly missed the point and would have made a big issue out of the wrong point.
Jesus takes over and draws the lesson of the fig tree he thinks is important. He stresses that anyone who has true faith will be able to do even greater things. Above all, says Jesus, when you are standing in prayer before the Father, make sure that you truly forgive everyone else so that you yourself can be forgiven.
Again, we are at a key point in the teaching of Jesus. Prayer is an absolute essential if we want to get the help of God in our works. But we cannot pray or be heard by the Father unless there is a sincere spirit of forgiveness among all the people praying.
Consideration: Here again, we see the anomaly of our so-called Christian churches today and in the past centuries. The Papal armies overran the whole of Europe in a battle for material supremacy. They fostered hatred and yet prayed publicly for their cause in war. People kneel or sit beside each other in Church and sing pious songs on Sunday. Then, they go out and cheat, lie and do every other social ill in their daily lives against the very same people. Then they wonder why their faith and religion are so meaningless and ineffective.
JEWISH LEADERS CHALLENGE CRUSADER. Mark 11:27-33. Jesus is again walking in the courtyard of the Temple. The leaders come up to him and question his authority. Jesus answers a question with a question, "Was the baptism of John from heaven or from man?" They went into a huddle immediately because they knew they were challenged. If they said John's baptism was from heaven, Jesus would ask, "Why do you refuse to believe him?" If they said John's baptism was from man, they would have the whole people on their backs because they saw John as a truly great prophet.
So they tried to be cagey. They said, "We do not know." Jesus said, "Then neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things." You can almost see the leaders wringing their hands and chewing their beards in total frustration. Jesus had outsmarted them totally and made them look like fools in front of everyone.
VINEYARD YARN. LEADERS GET POINT. Mark 12:1-12. Then Jesus tells one of his famous stories: A certain man planted a large vineyard. He built a winepress and tower in the vineyard. Then he leased the vineyard and went abroad. Later, he sent a servant to collect his share. The renters seized him, beat him up, and sent him away empty handed. This same thing happened, time after time, until the owner decided to send his own son. He was sure they would treat him properly. However, the renters saw him as the heir. If they killed him the whole property would be theirs. So they seized and killed the owner's son. Jesus asks, "What will the owner of that vineyard do?" The leaders saw the implications and knew that the whole story was directed against them. They wanted to arrest him on the spot but they were afraid of the crowds and left him alone.
CRUSADER ASKS FOR COIN. Mark 12:13-17. The leaders realized they had to trip Jesus up in front of the crowd. Otherwise their authority and power were finished. So they brought up a very touchy issue of the day. Rome had conquered the whole area and ruled Palestine totally. The people had to pay taxes to Rome and if they failed, there were many terrible repercussions. The Jewish people hated the Roman nation and their domination. They talked about it constantly but could do nothing to alleviate the situation.
Now the leaders say, "Master, we know that you are an honest man, that you are afraid of no one, because a man's rank means nothing to you, and that you teach the way of God in all honesty. Is it allowed to pay taxes to Caesar or not? Should we pay? Yes or no?" This looked like a perfect dilemma from which there was no escape. The leaders smugly waited for Jesus to fall into their trap.
As usual, Jesus lets them cut their own throats. "Why did you set a trap for me? Hand me a denarius so that I may look at it." They handed him a denarius. Jesus asked, "Whose image is this? Whose signature?" They said, "Caesar's"! Jesus clipped right back. "Then give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar and give to God what belongs to God!" This answer stopped them totally. There was no comeback.
IS RESURRECTION FOR REAL? Mark 12:18-27. Opposition to Jesus now comes from the group of priests, called the Sadducees. They had put themselves in a social caste above all other Jews and their influence on the popular mind was small. They did wield power because of their closeness to the Roman authorities. They decide to show Jesus up and the Pharisees at the same time.
The Sadducees did not believe in a resurrection of all people at the end of time. To make their point, they proposed what seemed like a foolproof case. They used the Torah as their support. The Law of Levirate or of "brother-in-law" commanded that if a man died before he could have children, the dead man's brother was to take his sister-in-law to bed with him. It made no difference whether he was already married or not. Any children that came of this union would be raised to the dead man's name. In the scenario proposed by the Sadducees, there were seven brothers. The oldest one married and died without issue. The next one took the widow as a wife and he died with no issue. The marriages and deaths continued right to the end without children. Finally, the widow died. Now said the Sadducees, "In this Resurrection, whose wife is she?"
Jesus said they did not understand the resurrection or the life that followed, and as a result they could come up with this stupid question. In the resurrection, there will be a completely different life and the laws of this life will not be in effect or necessary.
ONE SCRIBE UNDERSTANDS. Mark 12:28-34. After the altercation above was settled, one of the scribes realized how well Jesus had answered the Sadducees. He decided that Jesus was the person to ask really important questions about the law. So he asked him which is the first of all the commandments. Jesus quoted the law of love of God and the neighbor as he always did. The scribe was very pleased and said that such love was far more important than holocaust or sacrifice. Jesus liked the man and told him he was not far from the kingdom of God.
CRUSADER STUMPS SCRIBES, CONDEMNS HYPOCRISY. Mark 12:35-44. Jesus proposes another question to the Scribes. He quotes from Psalm 110. This Psalm is attributed to David and he sings: 'The Lord said to my Lord: Sit at my right hand....' Now, asked Jesus, how can David call the Messiah his 'Lord' when he is to be David's son? This really stopped the Scribes and Mark says the great majority of the people who were in the crowd were pleased with the put-down.
Then Jesus turned to the people and told them to be wary of the Scribes. They walk about in long robes, expect to be fawned over in public, and expect the places of honor at any banquet. They are the men who swallow up the property of unprotected widows and then say long prayers. They will get a really severe sentence.
Then Jesus sits down opposite the treasury and watches people putting their tithes and donations in the box. Many of the rich people put in big donations. Then came a poor widow. She put in only two small coins which together would make a penny. Jesus called the twelve over and remarked that she had put in more than all the wealthy people together. The wealthy put in the box the money they did not need. This widow put her sole means of livelihood in the box.
THE ESCHATON (End of World). WHERE IS THE WORLD HEADED? Mark 13:1-37. There was a lot of interest in the end of the world during those first days of the Christian Community. Jesus has a lot to say about this topic but it has to be carefully separated under the proper headings.
First of all, there is the immediate end of the world which is to take place soon. That is the destruction of Jerusalem in 67-68 A.D. The Jews in Alexandria had arisen and the Romans squelched them. Then Nero masterminds the destruction of Jerusalem and the Jews in the area. This was a drastic event for the Jews and for the Christians who had their headquarters in Jerusalem.
And there was the talk about the end of the whole world. This was expected in the near future. Only gradually did they realize there was no clear indication of the end of the world.
I think it is very important to repeat that the word used in the Greek is "to telos." This means "end" but in the sense of COMPLETION. For example: you have a 3000 piece jigsaw puzzle. You finally put the last piece in place. You have reached "to telos," the end of the puzzle. Now all the pieces are in place and the picture is readily intelligible.
This is the way the world was to come to an end. It is the continued work of the Genesis story. The role or task of mankind in the world about them is to use all things and manage or control them so that they work harmoniously toward the goal for which they were intended. The idea that the world is going to be destroyed or come to an end in that sense is a false application of things that were said about the destruction of Jerusalem. The Book of Revelation or Apocalypse was talking mostly about the destruction of Jerusalem and the destruction of Rome as a world empire.
As Jesus and the twelve were leaving the Temple, one of them remarked on the size of the stones and the buildings. This was the temple Solomon had built in the 10th century B.C. and then had been rebuilt in the post-exilic period in 520-515 B.C. The people thought it was a poor replica of the Solomonic Temple but it was still a great work of art and architecture.
Jesus tells them of the destruction that is to come. There is no doubt this account is what Jesus foresaw and what the first Christians actually experienced combined into one account. Jesus stresses the trial, pains, sufferings and tribulations that all will undergo in the "abomination of desolation." The pagan soldiers will bring their idols into the Holy of Holies to poke fun at the sacred place of the Jews.
Jesus puts out a special warning. They are not to allow themselves to be deceived by false teachers and fake promises of safety. They are to remember that the times will be disastrous and even the most loyal followers of Jesus will be tempted to run away and escape.
The Passion
The chief priests and scribes were looking for a way to arrest Jesus quietly. They did not want any disturbance among the people especially during the days of the Passover feast.
JUST BEFORE JESUS IS ARRESTED. THE ANOINTING AT BETHANY. Mark 14:3-42. Jesus is at supper in the house of Simon the leper. A woman comes into the supper room. She has a very expensive jar of ointment, opens it, and pours it on the head of Jesus. Some of the people present were indignant at the waste. Jesus says that the woman has prepared him for burial.
JESUS SOLD; JUDAS LOSES. This solved the problem that the priests had. They could take Jesus whenever they wanted because Judas would lead them to him. Judas never expected Jesus to die. He thought he would get the money. Jesus would be captured but escape as he had done before. Their coffers would be money ahead. Judas did not see the evil of his deed until he realized Jesus was not going to escape.
FINAL PASSOVER READY. Two of the apostles follow Jesus' directions and go off to rent the upper room and prepare for the meal. Everything had to be prepared ahead of time according to the interpretation of the Law at that time.
BETRAYER IS EXPOSED. While they were eating, Jesus reveals that one of them is going to betray him. All were upset because they thought he meant a betrayal through some unknowing or stupid act or word. Then Jesus stresses the enormity of the deed. He says that one of you who is sitting at my table eating with me is the betrayer. This was a warning to Judas to realize the magnitude of his crime. It also showed the kindness of Jesus in that he did not expose him before the rest of the twelve.
MEMORIAL SUPPER ESTABLISHED. This action is the uniting of the two rituals from the Old and New Covenant. At the time of the escape from the slavery of Egypt, centuries before, the Jews ate a hasty meal and then left. This was called the "Passover" and each year there was a solemn remembrance of this Passover meal.
Jesus is celebrating this Passover Meal with his apostles. At the end of the meal, he takes the ritual "Friendship" cup and bread and gives it a new meaning. He establishes the new covenant of love. He will prove the extent of his love by being willing to die for his convictions.
The first followers of Jesus immediately established the custom of commemorating this Supper of the New Covenant. It was called the "Eucharist" because it started with a prayer of Thanksgiving. Instead of restricting this supper to the feast of the Passover, the first Christians celebrated it each time they got together. This "Thanksgiving Supper" (the Eucharist) became the identifying mark of the Christians. It symbolized their harmony and sharing with each other. One of the Elders or Presbyters presided at the meal.
Friendship is the significance and power of the Eucharistic meal. Gradually, theologians and philosophers developed all the esoteric doctrine of transubstantiation, real presence, consecrated fingers, sacramental priesthood and so on. The main symbol of Christian sharing and love became a ritual of mysterious, and often superstitious, practices.
PETER BOASTS AND LOSES. After they had finished the ritual singing of the Psalms, the group set out for the Mount of Olives. Jesus told them that they would all lose faith in him and take off running when the leaders came to arrest him. Peter brashly boasts he will die rather than commit such a denial. Jesus tells Peter that before the second cock crow, he will have denied him three times. Peter goes right on protesting his loyalty.
ANOTHER GARDEN; SECOND ADAM. From the other Gospel accounts, this seems to have been a favorite retreat for Jesus and his Apostles. It was called "Gethsemane" or "Garden of Olives." Jesus left some of the apostles near the gate. He took Peter, James, and John and went farther into the garden. Then Jesus says to the three, "I am scared enough to die right now. Stay here and stay awake!"
Then Jesus went off a short distance and threw himself on the ground and begged that this ordeal pass him by. Jesus was really scared of what was to come. He had talked about it more and more often in the past weeks. Now is the actual hour. He shows that he has all the fear for suffering and death found in any great hero. He does not want it.
Jesus comes back to the three who are sound asleep. He wakes them. He goes off and enters into his struggle again. He comes back to the three. Again, they are asleep and he wakes them. Finally, after a third bout with the fear, Jesus comes back, wakes up the two groups, and tells them to get ready because his betrayal and capture are at hand.
THE ARREST. Mark 14:43-52. Judas came with the crowd to seize Jesus. He had arranged a signal, the kiss of friendship. He wanted to make sure the soldiers and police did not take the wrong person. (I think the reason for this sign is that Judas did not expect Jesus to be taken. Jesus had escaped arrest before and Judas expected it again.)
Mark includes one note that indicates that he was present in the crowd who came with the police to seize Jesus. He says there was a teenager in the crowd who wore only his underclothes. They tried to grab him and he took off, leaving his undergarments with the police. It is quite universally believed this was Mark, a curious lad, and one who saw Jesus in the very act of being arrested.
SUPREME COURT TAKES OVER. Mark 14:53-65. Jesus is led before the High Priest and the whole assembly. Peter came along in the background but went right into the palace and over to the fire to warm himself. The trial was so clearly a trumped-up affair that they could get no witnesses who agreed on any evidence. Finally, the High Priest asks Jesus why he does not answer the accusations. Jesus did not even deign to give him an answer.
Then he asked Jesus: "Are you the Messiah, the Son of the Blessed One (the King)?" Jesus answers clearly and loudly, "I am, and you shall see the Son of Man seated at the Right Hand of the Power and coming with the clouds of heaven." This was a quote taken directly from the preaching of Daniel. The High Priest had more than he hoped for. This was open blasphemy. They condemned him to die. The attendants of the court began to mistreat Jesus. However, the Sanhedrin did not have the power of life and death over anyone. This sentence had to be given by Roman authority.
PETER'S DENIALS. Mark 14:66-72. In these few verses we get Peter's own description of his failure. It is given in graphic detail and clearly shown as an act of total cowardice and disloyalty.
A servant girl recognizes Peter and makes his identity public. Peter denies it totally. He goes out into the courtyard and the girl follows him and accuses him again. Peter denies Jesus again. Then the bystanders accuse him because they recognize him as a Galilean. Peter swore and took an oath that he did not even know Jesus. At that moment he heard the cock crow the second time. He had been so intent on protesting his denial of Jesus that he missed the first cock crow. But finally, Peter realized how grievously he had failed and went out to weep. Oral tradition says that Peter wept the rest of his days over this egregious failure against Jesus.
JESUS BEFORE PILATE. Mark 15:1-15. The first thing in the morning, the whole Supreme Court took Jesus, bound like a prisoner, and handed him over to Pilate. Pilate asked Jesus if he was the King of the Jews. This was the one point which would make Pilate's job easy. If Jesus accepted the title, it would put him in political opposition to Rome and Pilate could condemn him outright. Jesus merely answered, "You're talking!"
Then the chief priests poured out accusations against Jesus and Pilate questioned him. "Aren't you going to reply to all these accusations?" Jesus stood there in a dignified silence.
Pilate tried to avoid the decision by offering Barabbas, a murderous rioter, as an alternative to Jesus. To his surprise, the Jews shouted for Barabbas. Then Pilate realized this was a crime of vengeance and hatred. He tried to put the decision back on the Jews who kept shouting for his death. To offset a riot, Pilate condemned Jesus to be scourged and crucified, Roman style. Then he set Barabbas free.
THE FINAL HOURS OF JESUS. Mark 15:16-41. HELMET OF THORNS. The Roman soldiers had been listening to this whole trial. They realized the helplessness of Jesus and they decided to have some "fun." They made a helmet of thorns to resemble a crown. Then they mocked him, "Hail, King of the Jews!" They hit him on the thorns, spat on him, and went down on their knees in mock reverence before him. They had put a purple cloak on him to symbolize royalty. Finally, they took this off and replaced his own clothes.
Simon was a passerby. He may well have known nothing of what was going on. However, they commandeered him to help Jesus with the cross. They led Jesus to Golgotha, which means the hill of the skull.
THE CRUCIFIXION. Mark's account of this is very brief. Everyone in those first days was well acquainted with public crucifixions. Jesus was offered a bitter wine but refused it. Actually, it was supposed to deaden the sense of the pain. The soldiers followed the custom of gambling for the clothes and possessions of the condemned person. He was on the cross during the third hour - that means any time from 9:00 to 12:00. The inscription read: "THE KING OF THE JEWS." Two other criminals were crucified on either side.
THE MOCKERY. Mark makes a brief statement: Jesus was mocked by everybody. The people passing by mocked and jeered. The chief priests and scribes joined in with their taunts and mockery. Even the criminals crucified with him added their bit to the pain.
JESUS DIES. Clouds moved in and it became quite dark from noon until three. Jesus cried out in the opening words of Psalm 22, "My God, My God why have you abandoned me?" It sounds like a cry of despair but the Psalm itself is a song of total confidence in God in spite of the terrible problem. Jesus had been afraid. He was hurting and still scared but he was totally confident in the goodness and power of Yahweh.
At the moment of his death the Temple veil was torn in half from top to bottom. The centurion, standing in front of him and seeing how Jesus died, publicly proclaimed his faith in Jesus and his bravery and truth.
THE WOMEN. No mention is made of the apostles but some of the women are mentioned by name. They were present as were many other women who had come up to Jerusalem with him.
THE BURIAL OF JESUS. Mark 15:42-47. The hour was late. It was the eve of the Great Sabbath. Joseph of Arimathea, a prominent member of the Sanhedrin, went to Pilate and asked for the body. Pilate was surprised that Jesus had died so soon but verified the fact with the centurion and gave the body to Joseph.
They took the body from the cross and wrapped it in a death shroud and placed it in a tomb hewn from the rocks. Then they rolled a stone in front of the opening. Some of the women watched closely and marked the spot.
Resurrection
Friday evening when Jesus died, there was not enough time to give him a proper embalming. Saturday was the great Sabbath. When Sunday came, the body could be properly prepared for burial.
Very early in the morning, at sunrise, some of the women came to the tomb. Some people are surprised that Jesus' mother, Mary, is not among them. But this should cause no surprise. Mary believed her son. She believed he would rise from the dead as he had said. So she did not come to the tomb.
When the women arrived, they saw that the big stone was already rolled back. When they looked into the tomb, a young man in white robe, sat there. They were amazed and frightened.
The young man said: "There is no need for surprise. You are looking for Jesus of Nazareth who was crucified. He has been raised. He is not here. Look at the place where he was laid. Now you must go and tell his apostles and Peter. 'He is going before you to Galilee. You will see him there just as he told you.'" The women came out of the tomb and ran for their homes. They were so scared they said nothing to anyone.
This scene is very important because the visit of the women to the tomb shows they did not believe what Jesus had said about his resurrection from the dead. The apostles did not believe, and were still in hiding because of fear of the Jewish leaders. The women have the privilege of bringing the message to the apostles - first.
JESUS APPEARS - AS PROMISED. Mark 16:9-20. Mark gives a summary to the life of Jesus on earth. After Jesus was raised from the dead, he appeared to Mary Magdalen. She went to the apostles and told them but they did not believe that she had really seen Jesus.
Later, two of the apostles were on their way to the country. Jesus appeared to them and they went back and told the other apostles but they did not believe these two either.
Finally, Jesus appeared to the eleven while they were at table. He reproached them for their refusal to accept the messages that had been sent. Then he gives them their mission to go to the whole world and tell them the Good News. Happiness is truly possible. Everyone who believes and is baptized will be saved.
There will be external signs to bolster the authority of the eleven. In the name of Jesus they will cast out devils and have the gift of tongues. They will pick up snakes and be unharmed. If they drink any deadly poison, they will not be harmed. They will lay their hands on the sick and the sick will get well.
When Jesus finished giving his last minute instructions, he was taken up into heaven, to the right hand of God. The apostles went out and preached the Good News. Jesus was working through them and with them.
January 10, 2001. Volume 92. Each time I read his Gospel according to Mark, I get a better picture of a young man eager to be up front, but ready to run as soon as the work was too long or too difficult. Then Mark becomes the companion of Peter in Rome. Peter, too, had to develop a steady approach.
March 28, 1994. Volume 64. I hope to finish the whole gospel of Mark tonight.* Ordinarily, I did not spend time on Mark when I was teaching the gospels because almost all the material in Mark is found in Matthew and Luke. However, I now see that this short changes the whole picture. Mark is closest to the Kerygma or initial profession of faith made by the early converts. Mark's Gospel is evidence of the oral tradition as handed on by the community in Rome that comes from Peter.
*Course was 45 hours to cover overview and some specific information about each of the books in the Old and New Testament.