Mark 1-2

I've always tended to neglect Mark, as each of the other synoptics seem to expand so much on the events while Mark keeps things brief and to the point. The story of Jesus' life reads a little differently at this speed, and I think that's important to see. I mentally tend to fill in some of the details found in Luke and in Matthew, but I am trying to resist that urge to see what Mark wrote and why he chose these events and these details in particular.

The account of John the Baptist gives many details in a short couple of paragraphs. Mark cites the prophecy of Isaiah and gives the best physical description of this strange looking man. John's baptism was for repentance - for forgiveness of sins. Baptism was not a new practice. It was the standard way for Gentiles to join the Jewish faith. What was shocking was that John was baptizing those who were already Jews! This went beyond the atonement through animal sacrifice and called people to publically declare their own sinfulness and repentance. The people were baptized as they confessed their sins. Probably not simultaneously, but the two events were tied together. Yet John was pointing the way toward Someone greater.

The prelude to Jesus' baptism is missing here. We have only a note of the baptism itself and of the Spirit's descent and the voice from heaven -- Son, Spirit, Father. Immediately after the baptism, Jesus is led into the temptation in the desert. No more details are given here.

At 1:14, we begin the accounts of the calling of disciples. Mark carefully notes that Jesus didn't begin calling disciples until after John was imprisoned. At least His ministry didn't begin until that time. Natural reading of the text would seem to point to the callings as taking place after Jesus began preaching, although that wouldn't have to be the case.

The fisherman brothers are called. All four leave their nets at once. James and John leave their father and the workers and walk off the boat. We read nothing more of disciples until Levi is called in 2:13-17. However, we do go to Simon and Andrew's house in 1:29-31.

Jesus is seen as different by those who hear Him. His teaching has authority. Apparently the teachers of the Law didn't teach this way, making me wonder how those men taught. Then the testimony of the evil spirit adds more of a stir about this Galillean teacher.

Crowds begin to follow Him. Jesus ducks out to a solitary place to pray one morning and the disciples have to go looking for Him. When informed that everyone was looking for Him, Jesus sets off for new territory to share with more people. It is this struggle which is intriguing all through Jesus' ministry. People seek after Him, usually for selfish reasons, and He spends part of the time trying to stay out of the limelight. The evil spirit is told to "Be quiet!" in 1:25. The healed leper is told not to tell his story to anyone in 1:44. Mark explains the reason for Jesus' insistance upon silence -- the crowds are keeping Him from doing what He is sent to do. Mark closes chapter 1 by writing, "As a result, Jesus could no longer enter a town openly but stayed outside in lonely places." The mobs seeking healing kept Jesus from teaching and walking openly in the towns.

We see the crowds figure into the first story of chapter 2, as a group of friends trying to get a paralytic to Jesus have to lower him through the roof to get to the Master. Jesus uses the occasion to start in on the Pharisees. He forgives the man of his sins, then, sensing that He has touched a nerve, explains that He can do that as well as do the physical healing! The people are amazed. The Pharisees are seething.

Jesus taught while walking along the lake. Being forced out of town, Jesus found some who would not have ordinarily sought Him out. One of these is Levi, the tax collector. I hadn't previously noticed that Levi is the son of Alphaeus (2:14). Lists of disciples do not note Levi, but they note Matthew the tax collector and James, the son of Alphaeus. Was there another set of brothers within the Twelve or was Alphaeus a common name? I've read of many possibilities of Matthew and Bartholomew being the same person (since "Bar" means "son of") but I can't remember any theory about James and Levi being the same person. A little more research is needed here.

Jesus again uses the party at Levi's to work on the Pharisees a bit. His reply in 2:17 could be seen as saying that the Pharisees don't need Jesus' words, but that's not it at all. The Pharisees simply saw themselves as healthy and the sinners as sick. Jesus is using their terms, essentially.

Through the rest of chapter 2, Jesus is pointing out that He is not like anyone else. Fasting is not for times of celebration, and Jesus likens His life to a time for celebration. The Sabbath is not above the Son, and so Jesus could designate how the Sabbath should be celebrated. The Pharisees, lost in their legalism, could see nothing but law breaking. Jesus was pointing out the purpose of the laws.