THE YEAR OF MARK

Mark Biolo

What is the Gospel for Church year Cycle B?

Liturgical Cycle B is the year of Mark. As you know from our discussion on Ordinary Time, the three Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke are presented in yearly cycles featuring one of these three synoptic Gospels. (Recall that these three Gospels are called "synoptic" (from the Greek meaning to "view together") because of their striking similarities. And remember that John’s Gospel is quite different. It is highly symbolic and does not follow the same order nor produce the same stories as the other three.)

Though there is impressive agreement among these Gospels, both in terms of content and sequence, it would be a mistake to consider Matthew, Mark, and Luke as being carbon copies of each other. While obviously related to each other in form and content, the three synoptic Gospels develop their own distinctive view of Jesus and his mission. Mark, for instance, begins his story of Jesus with His baptism in the Jordan, whereas Matthew, through his Infancy Narrative at the beginning of his Gospel, traces Jesus’ origin back into the history of Israel. Luke, too, begins with an infancy narrative, but gives much more positive emphasis to Jerusalem than either Mark or Matthew.

Both the similarities and the distinctive differences among the synoptic Gospels have led to ongoing debate about their interrelationship, or the "Synoptic Problem" as it is sometimes called. The canonical order of the Gospels – Matthew, Mark, Luke – influenced scholars in the early Church to assume that Matthew was the first Gospel written, with Mark and Luke dependent on it.

In the late 19^th and early 20^th centuries, however, this general consensus was challenged. Analyses of the style and content of Mark led scholars to conclude that Mark was written first with the Gospels of Matthew and Luke directly dependent on Mark. The presence of other material in Matthew and Luke that is not found in Mark led to the hypothesis of an additional source for Matthew and Luke. This hypothetical source of material – which scholars call "Q" (from the German Quelle or "source") – was probably a collection of sayings and parables of Jesus that circulated in the earliest Christian community. Matthew and Luke probably blended this source with their own renditions of Mark and perhaps even added some other materials or traditions specific to their own communities.

So, the shortest of the Gospels is likely the first to be written; yet it often tells of Jesus’ ministry in greater detail than either Matthew or Luke. It recounts what Jesus did in a vivid style, where one incident follows directly on another. In this almost breathless narrative, Mark emphasizes Jesus’ message about the kingdom of God now breaking into human life as good news and Jesus himself as the Son of God.

Mark’s Gospel can be thought of as evolving in three movements. In the first stage (chapters 1-8) readers are drawn into a relationship with the powerful healer and preacher, Jesus of Nazareth. During this movement no one seems to understand Jesus’ true identity, not even his disciples.

The second movement (chapters 9-15) gradually reveals the meaning of true Christian discipleship. This is summed up in chapter 10 where Jesus says: "The Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve and give his life as ransom for many." And, of course, that is precisely what happened.

Jesus’ death, however, is not the end. For the third movement of the Gospel of Mark begins with the proclamation of Jesus’ resurrection and with his going to Galilee ahead of his disciples. It is as his Gospel ends that Mark challenges his readers to respond to Jesus in their lives with trust, and not with the trembling and bewilderment of the women at the tomb!

Mark probably wrote for Roman Christians, shortly after the persecutions of Nero (around the year 64 AD), when the community was still reeling from that tyrant’s cruelty. Some Christians reacted to Nero’s attacks with heroic martyrdom, but others had betrayed the community or ran away in fear. Mark’s story of the crucified Jesus and his disciples who struggled to remain faithful would have been a powerful lesson for this early Christian church.

One of the most obvious features of Mark’s Gospel is that it is a narrative, a "story", about Jesus. And some of the characteristics of Mark’s narrative style reveal his theological message. The pace of the story is urgent. Jesus moves from place to place; there is little wasted motion and a minimum of verbiage. The dynamism and urgency of the Gospel coincide with Mark’s conviction that the mission of Jesus is compelling and one must respond to it without hesitation. The Gospel is also filled with conflicts between Jesus and his opponents; the climactic passion story dominates the whole Gospel. Here, too, Mark’s theological perspective is at work: because the message of Jesus calls for radical change and challenges the powers of this world, it is not surprising that conflict and suffering play such a major role in Mark’s story.

The central and guiding question of Mark’s Gospel is posed in 8:29: "Who do you say that I am?" Understanding the mystery of Jesus’ identity and responding to it with faith are the major concerns of the Gospel. Jesus’ healings, his parables, his instruction of the disciples, his conflicts with opponents, and, above all, his death and resurrection reveal the profound mystery of Christ. Jesus’ dynamic ministry of healing and exorcisms demonstrates that, through him, God’s liberating rule was now breaking into history and freeing people from the grip of death.

For Mark, however, the most important means of revealing Jesus’ identity was the cross. The cross becomes the touchstone of all authentic faith in Jesus; in his death for others Jesus reveals the heart of his mission.

Mark’s Gospel is also concerned with what it means to follow Jesus; the disciples of Jesus play an important role in Mark’s story. Jesus commissions them to follow him early in his ministry and they are present in almost every scene. One of the intriguing features of Mark’s portrayal is that the disciples have a hard time understanding Jesus. As the Gospel drama unfolds and the passion approaches the disciples begin openly to misunderstand Jesus and eventually fail him. The Gospel ends, however, on a note of reconciliation and renewal.

There is little doubt that Mark sees the disciples not simply as historical figures from the past but as representative of the Christians of his own time. The instruction Jesus gives his followers, the difficulty they encounter in understanding, and Jesus’ unbreakable bonds with them despite their failures are all meant as a challenge and consolation to Christians of every age who read this Gospel.