Mark 1:14-20 tells of the beginning of the ministry of Jesus and the call of the first disciples. The account can also be found in Matthew, but not in Luke. While Matthew associates the beginning of Jesus' ministry with the dawning of the light spoken of in Isaiah 9, Mark points simply to the temporal circumstances of that beginning; it was after John's arrest.

Mark 10:2-12 is a controversy on the question of divorce introduced by a geographical note in verse 1, Jesus' nearness to Jerusalem. The location given by Mark is "in the regions of Judea beyond the Jordan". While there, the crowds come to Jesus who then begins to teach; among those present were the Pharisees.

This section from Mark can be easily divided into two parts: (a) the controversy on divorce (vv. 2-9), and (b) the instruction to the disciples (vv. 10-12). It is to be noted that v. 10 begins a location, "inside the house once more", which is problematic: which house is this? Is this the same house in 9:33? If this is the case then the reader will have to imagine a lapse of time between the controversy with the Pharisees and the private instructions to the disciples. Is this a different house, this time located in the regions of Judea beyond the Jordan? Or is this a case where two independent stories were brought together in Mark? J. Gnilka tells us that Mark already found these stories placed side by side with one another, although they were once independent, as can be seen from Matthew 19:1-9 which is followed by an instruction to the disciples on an altogether different matter (see Matthew 19:10-12). In any case, we have here in Mark a disputed question which later on gives Jesus an opportunity for further instructing his disciples.

Mark 14:12 begins the account of the Last Supper, and it will end at verse 31, since in verse 32, another episode begins: Jesus praying in Gethsemane. Plans to arrest Jesus and to put him to death were already in motion (14:1-2). Judas, one of the Twelve, agreed to betray Jesus for a price (vv. 10-11). In this atmosphere of death, Jesus was anointed at Bethany (vv. 3-9). The section that makes up verses 12-31 can be divided as follows:

• 12-16 The preparation of the Passover meal
• 17-21 The beginning of the meal; the prediction of the betrayal
• 22-25 The institution of the Eucharist
• 26-31 On the way to Gethsemane; the prediction of the disciples' desertion and of Peter's denial

In a previous article, we already mentioned the fact that the so-called Marcan ending is regarded as an addition at a later time to the original gospel that ended at 16:8. With the new ending at v. 20, the Marcan gospel was supplied with an ending that is similar to that of Luke. We already showed that there is some dependence between the Marcan longer ending with Luke-Acts especially as regards the signs that will accompany the work of the apostles. The first half of this "longer ending" narrates post-resurrection appearances of the Lord ending with the words of commissioning (v.18). Verses 19-20 can be divided as follows:

Mark 11:1-10 is the account of Jesus' entrance into Jerusalem. It is marked off at the beginning with the temporal clause "And when they neared Jerusalem" and the change of place from Jericho (10:52) to Bethpage and Bethany at the mount of Olives. It ends with the return of Jesus with the disciples to Bethany (v.10). The place name "Bethany" is mentioned both at the beginning and end of the account (1.10). Mark 11:11 begins the account of Jesus' second day in Jerusalem.

The Passion Reread

There is one aspect of the Passion Narratives that we do not tire repeating: that it is the result of the meditation of the early Church on the death of Christ in the light of the Resurrection. Without the experience of the Resurrection, the death of Jesus is a disappointing story, a tragedy, even the heroic tale of one who dared to dream an impossible dream. But the Resurrection changed the understanding of the first followers of Jesus who began -- in the light of that experience -- to understand the event of Good Friday's Cross as something salvific. In the light of the Resurrection then, they reread the events leading to the Resurrection backwards, that is, first, from the last supper until the burial, and then later the ministry of Jesus beginning with the baptism at the Jordan. This rereading involved the examination of Scriptures, but chiefly through those that were prayed, the psalms, and those read in the synagogues, the law and the prophets. The account of the suffering and death of Jesus therefore is the oldest layer of the gospel tradition. It was due to its incorporation into Mark's gospel that the historical narrative of Jesus' suffering and death has survived the centuries.

Additional Readings

• Brian Stoffregen on Mark 1:40-45 (Crossmarks)
• Jesus heals a leper (With vocabulary study) (Lectionary Bible Studies and Sermons)

After a brief paragraph introducing the ministry of Jesus in Galilee (1:14-15) and the call of the first disciples (1:16-20), Mark gives us a rundown of a day in the life of Jesus beginning with his appearance in a synagogue (1:21-28). Mark 1:29 continues the account by telling us what happened after the synagogue incident. By now the fame of Jesus is spreading (v.28). He gets into the house of Simon where he heals the mother-in-law. Following this is a healing session that lasts well beyond sundown. The morning after, Jesus, after a moment of prayer moves on; this is a hint to all concerned that he will not allow himself to be tied up to just one locality.

Mark 1:14-20 is divided into two parts. Verses 14-15 is an introduction to the section of Jesus' ministry: the time of the Baptist has ended and now Jesus proclaims the gospel "of God". Verse 15 is the theme of Jesus' preaching and contains two announcements and two imperatives.

Verses 16-20 is about the call of the first disciples. The narrative is prefaced by the phrase "As he passed by the Sea of Galilee" so as to fix the place where Jesus begins his ministry and to show that the two pairs of brothers who walk behind Jesus are the first fruits of his preaching. Many will be following Jesus later on, but these first four are people he called and change to become "fishers of men" (v. 17).

Mark 1:21-28 is the first of four exorcism stories in the gospel of Mark; the other three are found in 5:1-20 (The Gerasene Demoniac), 7:24-30 (The Syro-phoenician woman's daughter) and 9:14-29 (The exorcism at the foot of the mount of Transfiguration). An aspect of Jesus' person is highlighted in each of these stories. In Mark 1:21-28, Jesus' teaching authority is underlined.