Team 4, Question 2

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The Gospel of Mark depicts the disciples of Jesus as people who do not fully understand that Jesus is the Messiah and the Son of God. In Mark 4:41 the disciples are in awe of what Jesus can do and say “”Who then is this, that even wind and sea obey him?” Jesus performed the miracle of calming the sea, which historically would be viewed as a divine act by the people of Jesus’ time because only the gods have control over nature. Yet the disciples who have been told by Jesus himself that he is the Son of God do not understand. Then in chapter 6 the disciples are told to share the gospel and do this by healing the sick, performing exorcisms and telling people to repent. Even as they continue their ministry they are still astounded by the actions of Jesus and do not understand how he does all these great things (Mark 4:51). The disciples again do not understand what Jesus is saying in regards to the cleanliness of the sprit rather than the body and the importance thereof. Jesus becomes baffled at the lack of understanding of the disciples and their desire for the physical world when they are in Jesus’ presence. The disciples seem to be overly concerned about their physical needs rather than their spiritual needs. Mark is arguing that the disciples were too focused on the physical world and not their spiritual growth and that is the key to their misunderstanding of who Jesus is and what he was doing for them.

Mark characterizes Bartimaeus as a blind man who has faith in Jesus as the Son of God and that he can do anything because he is God. When Bartimaeus asks Jesus to cure his blindness, Jesus said to him “Go your way; your faith has made you well” (Mark 10:52). The unnamed women who pours oil over Jesus head and anoints him before his burial (Mark 14:8). Both of these people in the Gospel of Mark are very different from the disciples understanding of Jesus. Both of these people realize the divineness of Jesus and that he can do great things. They see his significance had believe in him even without seeing him. The faith in Jesus is different from the disciples who still to not understand who Jesus is.

Based on the parable of the sower I would put the disciples in the category of the rocks. They get behind Jesus quickly leaving all they have behind and like the seeds spring up quickly. They do not fully understand Jesus and his role in the world so they wither away quickly because they do not have the good soil beneath them. The unnamed women and Bartimaeus are the good soil because they believe in their hearts that Jesus is the Son of God and the Messiah. Therefore they are able to yield their understanding and grow spiritually not just physically as the disciples in Mark’s portrayal. Jesus is trying to highlight the importance of faith and believing in him as the Son of God focusing on the heart rather than the body.

Discipleship for Mark is the spiritual following of Jesus. Bartimaeus and the unnamed women excel at this because they believe in Jesus and recognize his importance. The disciples of Jesus do not recognize this and therefore are truly the disciples of Jesus. Instead anyone who believes and shares the good news of Jesus would be considered a true disciple of Jesus.

RoJ 5/10; Team 5, Question 2

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Jesus and BartimaeusMark’s gospel, believed to be the earliest, can be interpreted as “rough around the edges”. In contrast to Matthew and Luke, in which the writers have sought to fill in gaps and narrativize, Mark does not gloss Jesus and his disciples. He depicts his disciples not as all-knowing and perfect followers; but rather in a tone of utter misunderstanding. Through journeying, traveling, living, and eating with Christ, they attempt to emulate his ways and pick up on his teachings, but lack the hindsight of the Markan author. Mark writes this gospel at a time right after the Jewish war in which Jewish population was devastated. They had expected an all-powerful Messiah to come and save them and deliver them from tragedy; they assumed the Jesus figure they had known previously was supposed to be the Messiah that intervened in this point and time. According to White, the “dominant view- here being parodied as a misunderstanding- assumed a connection with some form of a political eschatology” (278-279). Mark uses the disciples misunderstanding of Jesus’s character to teach and approach his audience in a way which reframed their mindset. Jesus was still a Savior who would usher in the Kingdom of God at the end of time, but his purpose was not to squash the Romans in the Jewish War. Jesus’s disciples in Mark parallel this misunderstanding; they expected Jesus to be a political power and restore the correct form of power on earth; but as Jesus tells John, the focus of humanity should be supporting one’s neighbor and preparing for the divine kingdom of heaven, not worrying about the ruling body on earth. Of all of the passages of understanding that Mark has, an important one that stands out is 8:33, where Jesus rebukes Peter because his mind is set on human things, not those of the divine. The disciples in general seek Jesus as an all-powerful savior, but often do not understand his teachings and miracles especially when it comes to specifically healing the marginalized. In all, the understanding of Christ’s divinity was to be that of personal understanding, not that of a forceful Roman emperor, hence Jesus’s telling his disciples not to tell of his miracles. This is an “out with the old, and in with the new” type of sweep that Mark tries to implement through Jesus.
The stories of Bartimaeus is that of a blind beggar who hears of Jesus, calling out his name and having faith in Jesus’s miracle powers. Jesus in turn heals Bartimaeus and does not “shush” him like many who ordered him to be quiet. Jesus here reaches out to a person on the margins of society, bringing them back into the community. Jesus has the power to heal his blindness; similar to the power Jesus has to heal the hardened hearts, or lack of faith the disciples suffer from. Mark depicts Jesus’s disciples as blind and misunderstanding at many points, and through this miracle Jesus highlights that through faith they will see the truth. Later on, an unnamed woman anoints Jesus with ointment (perfume in a sense); this has a dual meaning. Anointing is not only the sign of recognizing Jesus as the messiah and having faith, but also is a ritual as a preparation for burial. This is a sign of the woman’s faith in Jesus’s divinity. Jesus’s disciples are angry at the ‘waste’ of ointment by the woman; this is yet another misunderstanding that Jesus scolds them for. This woman has faith in Jesus, his divinity, his future; his disciples still do not understand. Despite being scolded, the woman continues to do what she is right; in the bigger picture, Mark alludes to that when Jesus’s followers are in a point of persecution, by continuing to do what is true to faith they will be able to align themselves with Christ’s teachings.
Within the parable of the sower, Jesus creates a metaphor for his spreading of the faith and the Word into the population. Some will understand, some will not. In my opinion, the twelve disciples would fall into the category of those who land on the rocky soil. At the beginning of Jesus’s ministry and for many individual teachings, the disciples rejoice and admire Jesus’s teachings (they believe and preach Christ’s message when it is easy and accessible). But when it comes to Jesus’s Passion, they fall back; Peter denies Christ, his disciples flee; Christ’s twelve disciples run away or hide when something comes to test their faith. On the other hand, marginalized believers such as the women who anoints Jesus and Bartimaeus “hear the word and accept” Jesus in full faith, despite their ailments or placement at the margins of society where they face adversity despite the presence of Jesus in their lives (Mark 4:20).
To conclude, discipleships for Mark is the act of someone seeking to understand Jesus’s teachings; it does not have to be a perfect emulation of Christ’s actions, but can be anyone who is willing to give up their life to follow Christ. This is in contrast from the original rules and regulations of Judaism, which had strict restrictions and requirements, whereas Jesus seeks to take in all aspects of society; especially those who are marginalized (physical disabled, sick, women, etc). In addition to this, Jesus’s followers must continue to have faith amongst adversity, and seek to understand Jesus’s teachings; giving up the old way and welcoming in a new understanding.

Team 6, Question 2

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Throughout Jewish, non-Jewish, and religiously mixed territories Jesus performed a variety of miracles in a variety of settings. These miracles included multiple healings of both Jewish and non-jewish people, as well as miraculous acts such as the exponential multiplication of bread and fish in the feeding of the thousands of followers, and calming the seas. While some of these miracles took place in predominately Jewish areas, most of these took place in areas lacking followers of Jesus. Obviously, Jesus was not limiting himself to the amount of miracles he could perform, but it does seem that most of these took place in non-jewish areas for one reason or another. I feel that this may have been able to prove his power and sway followers in areas outside of Jewish areas that may have respected him to begin with. By performing such miracles in front of skeptical populations, the popularity or “legend” of the new King of the Jews could now be confirmed throughout a widespread area. In addition to these non local populations, even Jesus’ own disciples were portrayed as doubters who questioned his supernatural abilities, as well as his motives for enacting them. The supernatural elements of Jesus also paralleled those of Moses, and the comparison to Moses made it easier for Jewish believers to put their faith in the new messiah

ROJ 5/10 Team 4, Question 2

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Throughout Jesus’ travels between Jewish, non-Jewish, and mixed territory we see a variety of miracles. Along with that, we see differing reactions to Jesus’ acts and  we get some allusions to current events of the time this gospel was written. Mark’s gospel is not the most impacting or narrative, but he did a good job interconnecting current events, Jewish figures, and the idea of this new kingdom of God.

Jesus’ miracles often were repeated where the second repetition “intensifies some aspect of the first, usually dealing with the theme of misunderstanding” (White 268). The miracles we see twice are sea miracles, exorcisms, healings, and feeding of many. Also, most of the miracles were done in either Jewish or mixed territory, or en route between the three. Another thing I noticed is that most miracles were done in non-Jewish or mixed territory, while questioning and disbelief came in Jesus’ hometown and around there. The reason for this, I believe, was to signify the spreading of the new kingdom that would be open and available to everyone, not just Israelites. Both healing miracles signify Jesus extending help to those around Israel just like the food miracles do as well. Before these events, however, the first exorcism of the demon “Legion” is a strong indicator of Jesus’ new ideals on rule. Here, he exorcises a demon name “Legion” (symbolic of Roman legion or division of Roman military that had conquered and still occupied the country) and put the demon into a herd of pigs which Jews were not allowed to eat. The pigs then were cast into the sea and thus destroyed. The footnotes in the bible state that this miracle is in reference to the “destruction of Pharaoh’s army in Israel’s Exodus deliverance” (1801).

Then with the feeding of first five thousand then four thousand, we see Jesus once again offering his aid and wisdom to the peoples around Israel. In his hometown, he was questioned because they could not believe like those who had never known Him before He was called into service as a prophet. Jesus’ response to this was to commission the twelve disciples to “build the renewal movement” (1802). Others we see questioning him are his disciples themselves (which Mark did on purpose) and we always saw that disbelief on sea. It seems Mark made them question him on purpose to let the reader or audience see what they could not, thus building a stronger sense of belief in Jesus.

Overall, I would say the reason for these ten miracles in the Markan gospel was to build a faith in a people that were dealing with destruction of both their home and faith itself. Mark worked to show the readers or audience that with Jesus, a new kingdom came and it would be open and available to any who simply believed. Mark’s similarities between Jesus and Moses were also purposeful and changed in order to fit his narrative, but the core of the stories that resembled Moses were there nonetheless.

Team 5, Question 2 – Miracle Chain in Mark

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In Mark chapters 4 through 8, Jesus travels with his disciples to both Jewish and non-Jewish regions around the Sea of Galilee. While the miracles probably came from earlier written or oral sources, they did not include the elaborate context that Mark’s narrative gives. One of Mark’s main goals in his story-telling was to convey to his audience that God’s kingdom was quite unlike the types of kingdoms or empires they were used to, and not at all what they would expect. Jesus’ miracle ministry unfolds by demonstrating that faith in God could come from non-Jews as well as Jews, and that faith was essential to the advancement of this heavenly kingdom. Most of the miracles in Mark come in doubles (two sea miracles, two healings, two food miracles, two exorcisms). It is interesting that the bulk of these miracles happen in either non-Jewish or mixed territories. It seems that Mark may be making a statement on empty religion that brings about the wrong kind of kingdom (for example, he cannot do many miracles when a region lacks faith, and he refuses when religious leaders demand miracles). Many of the miracles involve a physical touch of Jesus, and all of them are misunderstood by the disciples.
Mark’s elaborations on the miracle stories offer the reader (or listener) a context for the greater meaning of Jesus’ mission. Jesus’ first words in Mark are “The time is fulfilled and the kingdom of God has come near…” (Mk 1:15). The miracle stories each carry undertones of what that kingdom is to look like – quite different than the Roman kingdom, in that the power structure would be inverted, the marginalized would become central, and the hypocrisy of the religious elite would be proven empty compared to those with humble faith. Mark used language familiar to his contemporaries regarding this new kingdom, which was to be an “alternative to the empire of Rome.” (Wainwright, Basileia Movement). Keeping in mind the context of when Mark’s gospel was written, I expect this imagery and mission of Jesus would have been incredibly powerful to his audience. For example, the Jews were facing war, the storming of Jerusalem and destruction of the temple at the hands of the Roman legion, so I imagine audiences would have had a strong reaction to the story of Jesus casting out the demon “Legion” from the possessed and violent man in Gerasenes. Like the man could not be restrained by the community while the demon Legion had invaded his body, so Mark’s audience may have felt powerless against the Roman legion invading Jerusalem. But in the context of this miracle story, Jesus’ ministry has expanded as he now come to cast out the Roman empire and set up God’s empire.
Further, the miracles themselves and the ones who experience the miracles paint a picture of something very different that the religious leaders were expecting (which would fit in with Mark’s prevalent theme of misunderstanding). Jesus chastises the Pharisees who criticize him for dining with tax collectors and sinners, healing on the sabbath, feeding his hungry disciples. Many like the Pharisees may have thought law-keeping would be key in God’s kingdom, and purity and religious status to be its characteristics. But Jesus, by visiting and healing non-Jews as well as Jews, by expressing compassion in his ministry over rules and regulations, and by having miracle success as a result of people’s faith (rather than their “rightness”) shows that the kingdom to come would be ruled in a very different way. The disciples consistent lack of understanding drive the point home even more to Mark’s audience – almost like letting them in on a secret that the characters in the story can’t seem to grasp. Jesus’ traveling miracle narrative is like the literal “way” that John the Baptist prophesied about in Mark 1:2-3, setting in motion the beginning of a new rule that according to Mark’s gospel, Jesus believed was at hand.

Team 1, Question 1

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This part of Mark is portraying Jesus as having a connection with God. In Mark 1:22 it says “They were astounded at his teachings for he taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes did”.   Right after that in Mark it briefly describes Jesus casting out an unclean spirit.  But even the unclean spirit is given a chance to connect Jesus with God; in verse 24 the unclean spirit says “What have you to do with us Jesus of Nazareth?  Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are, the Holy One of God.”  When Jesus forgives the sins of the Paralytic, the people question to themselves how this person had authority to forgive sins, because only God could forgive sins.  Giving another connection to the divine being, and Jesus responds to their questioning in their hearts by performing the more difficult task of telling the man to get up and walk.

 

Jesus often didn’t conform to the traditional customs of the land, like feasting when John the Baptist and his disciples as well as the Pharisees were fasting, he also ate with people who were sinners, and he and his disciples broke the Sabbath day by eating forbidden grain and healing people.  For not feasting Jesus responded to the people by saying “The wedding guests cannot fast while the bridegroom is with them, can they?… .”  In this statement Jesus is referring to himself as the bridegroom, which probably did not make sense to a lot of people who heard him say it. But later in Mark Jesus says that his parables were intended so that the outsiders would not understand what he was saying.   In response to eating with the sinners Jesus says “I have come not to call the righteous, but sinners.”  A pretty logical response that if you want more people to be righteous you should go to the ones who aren’t.  And in response to breaking the Sabbath he says in Mark 2:27 “The Sabbath was made for humankind, and not humankind for the Sabbath; so the Son of Man is lord even of the Sabbath.” And in response to healing on the Sabbath he says “Is it lawful to do good or to do harm, to save life or to kill?”  and then it says they were silent, meaning that essentially Jesus won that argument.  

 

The parable of the sower tells of someone sowing seeds, and his seeds fall on different places determining which seeds will sprout, and grow and produce lots of grain, the ones that fall on good soil, grow and produce 30, 60 or even 100 fold.  And then Jesus finishes the parable by saying in Mark 4:9 “Let anyone with ears to hear listen!”  Then Jesus goes on to say in Mark 4:21-23 Jesus follows up the parable of the sower with an analogy of a lamp saying “I s a lamp brought in to be put under the bushel basket, or under the bed, and not on the lamp stand?  For there is nothing hidden, except to be disclosed; nor is anything secret except to come to light.  Let anyone with ears to hear listen!” The symbolism of the light, is a connection to Jesus as the light of the world.  And this analogy is saying that if you know the word then you need to go sow it somewhere instead of hiding it, but a lot of people who hear it are not going to get well rooted in it. The comparison of the mustard seed to the kingdom of heaven means that from something small the kingdom of heaven will grow into the greatest kingdom.  Similar to how the seeds which fell on the good soil end up producing up to a hundredfold.  

RoJ: 5/10 Question 1 by Group 3

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In Mk 1:21 – 3:6 Mark portrays Jesus as someone who has authority but “not as the scribes”, someone who commands unclean spirits and they obey him, some who heals the sick, paralytic, and leper, someone who has authority to forgive people of their sins, and as someone in command of the Sabbath. Mark even paints him calling people who are hated members of the community like Levi the tax collector. Also Mark connects Jesus to King David when he tells the story of Jesus telling the Pharisees that King David fed his people similar to what he’s doing now. The crowds seem to be fascinated by Jesus and his healings and follow him around wherever as suggested by “people came to him from every quarter” (Mk 1:45). His early disciples just blindly followed him with not much thought when Jesus said “follow me” and Levi “got up and followed him” so simply. And lastly the leaders like the scribes and Pharisees didn’t seem excited about Jesus and his ministry. They would question his decision to eat with the tax collectors, his fasting and Sabbath practices. They questioned his authority to forgive, calling it a “blasphemy”. And ultimately they had hardness of heart and “conspired with Herodians . . . to destroy him” The words and deeds of Jesus are consistent aretological devices that argue for his divinity. And the Good News or Gospel, of the Kingdom of God that Mark presents doesn’t seem to be in line with the Jewish leaders at the time. The kingdom of God and the good news is for the sick, sinful, hated, and is something that requires “new wine skin” so that you may acquire it and the Jewish leaders weren’t happy about this.

The motif of secrecy and Jesus as source of misunderstanding is evident in the passage found in Mark 4:1-34. The soils of the parable even highlight the secrecy of his ministry and the reason why people will “look but not perceive and . . . listen but not understand” his parables. The path, rocky ground, thorns and the good soil represent the different types of people who will hear this words or see his teachings and not understand or perceive it. The parable highlights that only the good soil will bear fruit and increase the yield, and I liken the good soil as those who do understand. The mission is to proclaim the good news at any cost. Those who don’t take hold are simply people who heard the call but didn’t bear fruit for various reasons. Those that hear the word and proclaim the good news despite the cost, which in John the Baptist’s case is arrest” are those who landed on good soil and bore 30, 60, and even 100 fold. This message was crucial for the context in which Mark was writing too. After the fall of the temple and the rise of the early Christian persecution many were falling away because of fear i.e. thorny/rocky soil. Mark is charging the early Christians to take root and be good soil and to multiply. The mission is to proclaim the Good News despite the turmoil they face. The following seed parable even highlights this, the obedience of a single person aka mustard seed, will grow to be the branches on which birds nest on. The image of a promise of harvest was hope for the early Christians at the time.

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