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Gospel
Christ
Tradition
Matthew
Mark
Luke
John
Interpretation
From ‘Notes on the Formation of the Gospels’,
by John Wijngaards;
published in Background to the Gospels
(Bangalore & Ann Arbor 1981)
and Together in My Name (London
1991).
Greek and Roman authors, like authors today, would freely re-write their
source material in their own way. The author of Mark's Gospel did no such
thing. He knew that his sources were precious traditions, carefully passed on
in memorised form or in written notes. He respected their contents and even,
whenever possible, their formulation.
All he did was to arrange the material, putting things together, linking
them in sequence. He has been compared to an artist fitting existing pieces
into a mosaic or to a composer who blends existing popular melodies into a new
symphony. He was not writing his own book, but presenting the community’s
Gospel.1
The author fitted the traditions into a simple geographical
structure.
Mark 1,1-13
introduction, Jesus’ baptism
Mark 1,14 - 6,6a
ministry in Galilee
Mark 6,6b - 9,50
apostolic journeys
Mark 10,1 - 52
journey to Jerusalem
Mark 11,1 - 16,20
ministry and passion in Jerusalem.
However, he bound this material together by an ever sharper focus on the
mystery of Jesus’ personality. From Jesus’ call at his baptism and
throughout all his teachings and healings we wonder ‘Who is this
man?’ Jesus heightens the tension by telling demons, disciples and
converts not to reveal his identity. Peter’s profession‘You are the
Christ!’ is a turning point in the story. It prepares us for Jesus’
declaration before the High Priest: ‘You will see the Son of Man (=Jesus)
sitting at the right hand of Power (=God)’ and the centurion’s
admission: ‘Truly, this man was the Son of God!’.
Read: E.BEST,‘Mark’s preservation of the tradition’ in
The Interpretation of Mark, ed.W.TELFORD, Philadelphia 1985, pp.119-133;
R.PESCH, Das Markusevangelium, vol. 1, Freiburg 1976, pp. 15-32.
Geographical structure of Mark’s Gospel
Everything in the Gospel points to the fact that the author adhered as
closely as possible to the oral catechesis, i.e. the sequences of sayings and
events in the oral tradition. He does not have clear divisions in his Gospel
edition, and commentators disagree as to how the author himself wants us to
group the material. Anyway, all are agreed on the fact that Mark arranged the
material on a geographic basis according to the regions in which Jesus
worked.
The following is the most probable division of the Gospel:
-
Introduction Mark 1:1-13
Preaching of John the Baptist. Jesus is baptized and tempted.
-
Jesus’ ministry in Galilee --- Mark 1:14 -
6:6a
- calling of the Apostles;
- first miracles;
- first opposition of the Pharisees;
- first teaching;
- rejection in Nazareth.
-
Jesus’ apostolic jourrneys --- Mark 6:6b -
10:52
- (i) sending the Twelve --- 6:6b-6:29
- ( ii ) journeys through Galilee --- 6:31-7:23
- (iii) third journey --- 7:24-8:12
- (iv) fourth journey --- 8:13-9:50
- (v) journey to Jerusalem --- 10:1-52
- Jesus’ ministry in Jerusalem --- Mark 11:1 - 15:47
- preaching in Jerusalem --- Mark 11:1-13:37
- the passion 14:1- 15:47
- Jesus’ Resurrection --- Mark 16:1-8
Appendix: Jesus’ Apparitions and last words
Characteristic are the phrases by which the beginnings of the journeys
are indicated:
“After John had been put in prison, Jesus went
toGalilee...”Mark 1:14
“Then Jesus went to all the villages around there.” (Mark
6:6b)
“He said to them: ’Let us go off to some place where we will
be alone’...” (Mark 6:31)
“Then Jesus left and went away to the territory near the city of
Tyre..”(Mark 7:24)
“With this he left them, got back into the boat, and started
across to the other side of the lake...”(Mark 8:13)
“Then Jesus left that place, went to the region ot Judea and
crossed the Jordan river...” (Mark 10:1)
Structure in Mark’s Gospel by the stages
of Jesus’ self-revelation
It would seem that Christ is introduced to us in two distinct phases in
Mark’s Gospel: the phase of ‘surprise’ and the phase of
‘the Son of Man’.
The phase of Surprise
During the first phase we are made to follow Christ as he is performing
his miracles and preaching his wonderful message. This is the phase of
surprise: we are amazed at Jesus’ greatness, but we do not
understand what or who he is. During this phase Jesus does not reveal himself
as the Messiah; on the contrary, he avoids all popular propaganda by those who
wish to proclaim him Messiah.
People’s surprise is a frequent theme in the Gospel.
“The people who heard him were amazed at the way he taught”.
--- Mark 1:22
"The people were all so amazed that they started saying to each other:
’What is this? ... This man has authority to give orders to the evil
spirits and they obey him’!" --- Mark 1:27
"They were all completely amazed and praised God saying: ’We have
never seen anything like this’!" --- Mark 2:12
“They began to say: ‘Who is this man? even the wind and the
waves obey him’!” --- Mark 4:41
“All who heard it were filled with wonder” --- Mark 5:20
“When this happened they were so amazed that they almost went out
of their minds!” --- Mark 5:42
“And all who heard it were completely amazed. ’How well he
does everything’, they exclaimed!” --- Mark 7:37
During this first phase Christ’s messiahship is still a secret. Scholars disagree on the precise meaning of
this theme of secrecy in Mark’s Gospel. Some ascribe it to esoteric or
eschatological concerns of the evangelist.
The theme of secrecy may well reflect a historical aspect in Jesus’
own ministry. Jesus did not want his preaching to be misunderstood for a
political movement. He knew that the Jews were expecting a political Messiah,
who could liberate them from subjection to the Romans. So he first wanted
everyone to grasp his spiritual message and his interest in spiritual
salvation. Only then would he reveal his true nature.
“Whenever the people who had evil spirits in them saw him, they
would fall down before him and scream: ’You are the Son of God!’
Jesus gave a stern command to the evil spirits not to tell who he was.”
--- Mark 3:11-12
“Then Jesus ordered them all not to speak of it (the miracle) to
any one, but the more he ordered them, the more they told it.”--- Mark
7:36
“Jesus sent him (the blind man) home with the order:
’Don’t go back into the village’!”--- Mark 8:26
“Listen”, Jesus said (to the cured leper), “Don’t
tell this to anyone .” --- Mark 1:44
The turning point.
The turning point in Jesus’ mode of action comes with a frank
discussion Jesus has with his disciples (Mark 8:27-30). In this
discussion he makes them think about his own person and he draws from them the
first acknowledgement of who he really is:
“Then Jesus and his disciples went away to the villages in
Caesarea Philippi.
On the way he asked them: "Tell me, who do people say I am?”
“Some say that you are John the Baptist", they answered. "Others
say that you are Elijah, while still others say that you are one of the
prophets."
"What about you", he asked them! "Who do you say I am?”
Peter answered,“You are the Messiah”.
Then Jesus ordered them, “Do not tell anyone about me”.
We may imagine the tremendous impact this conversation had on Peter and
the other disciples. Now Jesus had finally told them that he was the Messiah!
Now he had admitted that he was the promised redeemer who would save his
people. They understood that Jesus did not have any political ambitions. They
realised that Jesus was going to be a Messiah of a different type than the one
expected by the people. But what precisely was his Salvation going to be?
The phase of the ‘Son of Man’
The second and final phase of Jesus’ self-revelation may be called
the phase of the “Son of Man”. For in explaining the true nature of
his Messianic mission Jesus chose this particular term, rather than any
other.
The term “Son of man”(bar enosh in Aramaic) is derived
from the prophecy of Daniel in which the glorious Messiah is called Son of Man
(Daniel 7:13). But the picture of thc Son of Man that Jesus applied to himself
embodies features taken from the prophecies of Deutero-Isaiah in which it had
been foretold that the Messiah was to be a suffering ’servant’ (Is
42-53).
Thus, as used by Jesus in the Gospel, the term includes both the
glorious dignity of the Messiah (Daniel) and his sacrificial task (Isaiah).
Jesus always uses this term, “SON OF MAN”, about himself.
“Behold, the Son of Man will come... etc”. means: “Behold,
I will come...”.
Observe the following passages in which Jesus explains his mission as
the“Son of Man”
“The Son of Man must suffer much, and be rejected by the elders,
the chief priests and the teachers of the Law. He will be put to death, and
after three days he will be raised to life.”--- Mark 8:31.
“If a man is ashamed of me and my teaching...then the Son of Man
will be ashamed of him when he comes in the glory of the Father with the holy
angels.”--- Mark 8:38
“Don’t the Scripture say that the Son of Man will suffer
much and will be rejected?” --- Mark 8:12
“The Son of Man will be handed over to people who will kill him;
three days later, however, he will be raised to life.” --- Mark 9:31
“Look, we are going up to Jerusalem, where the Son of Man will be
handed over...They will condemn him to death. . .”--- Mark 10:33
“The Son of Man did not come to be served; he came to serve and
to give his life to redeem many people” --- Mark 10:45; Is 53:10ff.
“Then the Son of Man will appear, coming in the clouds with great
power and majesty”. --- Mark 13:26; Dan 7:13
“The hour has come. Look, the Son of Man is now handed over to
the power of sinful people!” --- Mark 14:41
“Are you the Messiah, the Son of the Blessed God?” - “I
am”, answered Jesus, “and you will all see the Son of Man seated at
the right side of the Almighty, and coming with the clouds of heaven!” ---
Mark 14:61-62
Thus Mark introduces Jesus gradually, following the pattern of
Jesus’ own self-revelation. In the beginning he shows us Jesus’
marvellous deeds, to which we respond with amazement and with the desire to
know more about him (first phase). In the second half of the Gospel he makes us
understand Jesus’ true mission as the “Son of Man” (second
phase).
The turning point in the Gospel is Peter’s
confession. This should not surprise us. For, to some extent, the Gospel is
presented as a reflection of Peter’s own experience of Jesus. Peter first
got to know Jesus through his marvellous deeds (surprise phase). Only then did
he understand that Jesus was Messiah (turning point). After this he gradually
learned to appreciate Jesus’ true mission (phase of reflection on the
‘Son of Man’).
This would confirm the traditional claim that Peter’s testimony
has moulded Mark’s presentation of the Gospel.
John Wijngaards
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