Mark’s Gospel
Mark’s Gospel is aimed at our assurance of who Jesus is and what we know about him. As much today as 2,000 years ago we want to think that we’re “in” and those who don’t understand Jesus as we do are “out.” Mark’s Gospel is about a paradoxical Jesus and an inadequate community of followers. Jesus is hard to understand and purposefully tries to confuse, and in the end of the Gospel there are none who are still with him, even those who were appeared to after the resurrection go from amazement to fear.
Mark seems to be saying:
If you think you are an insider, you may not be; if you think you understand the mystery of the kingdom and even control it, watch out; it remains alive and fearful beyond your comprehension. If you think discipleship consists in power because of the presence of God, beware; you are called to follow the one who suffered and died. Your discipleship is defined by messiahship, that is, in terms of obedience and service. (LT Johnson, Writings of the NT, 153)
