GOSPEL: St Mark's Gospel

http://stfaiths-burwood.org.au/mark.html

St Mark's Gospel
Mark's Gospel is the shortest of the Gospels. It omits the stories of the birth and childhood of Jesus and commences with John the Baptist and the public ministry of Jesus. It also omits the resurrection appearances. The Gospel ends at 16.8. As the footnotes to the modern translations of Mark indicate, the material after 16.8 is not present in the most ancient manuscripts and several endings to the Gospel exist, which were added by some scribes at a later date, probably because they considered that the story was incomplete.

The central themes of Mark are: the Kingdom of God; Jesus as the Son of Man, Messiah and the Son of God; redemption through the Cross; and the future coming of Christ and the turmoil that proceeds it. There is great stress on the authority and power of Jesus as seen in his teaching and miracles, on the growing hostility of the Jewish authorities and on the lack of understanding of the people. Even the disciples are portrayed as slow to understand Jesus and his mission. Mark also stresses the suffering and death of Jesus and the necessity for self-sacrifice in his disciples.

The contents of the Gospel are as follows:

1.1-13. Introduction
John the Baptist (1.1-8)
The baptism of Jesus (1.9-11)
The temptation of Jesus (1.12-13)]
1.14-3.6. The Beginning of the Galilean Ministry.
Opening summary (1.14-15)
Call of first disciples (1.16-20)
Ministry at Capernaum (1.21-39)
Cure of the leper (1.40-45)
Controversies with the scribes (2.1-3.6)]
3.7-6.13. Height of the Galilean Ministry
Summary (3.7-12)
Appointment of Twelve Disciples (3.13-19)
Charges against Jesus by family and scribes (3.20-35)
Teaching in parables (4.1-34)
Miracle stories (4.35-5.43)
Rejection at Nazareth (6.1-6)
Mission charge to the Twelve (6.7-13)
6.14-8.26. Wider mission
Death of John the Baptist (6.14-29)
Feeding of the five thousand (6.30-44)
Walking on the water (6.45-52)
Healing at Gennesaret (6.53-56)
Conflict on Defilement (7.1-23)
Events around Tyre (7.24-37)
Feeding of the four thousand (8.1-10)
Demand for a sign (8.11-13)
Disciple fail to understand (8.14-21)
Miracle at Bethsaida (8.22-26)
8.27-10.52. The Journey to Jerusalem
Peter's confession (8.27-30)
First prophecy of the Passion (8.31-9.1)
Transfiguration (9.2-13)
Boy with epilepsy (9.14-29)
Second prophecy of the Passion (9.30-32)
Teaching on various subjects (9.33-10.31)
Third prophecy of the Passion (10.32-34)
Request of James and John (10.35-45)
Blind man healed (10.46-52)
11.1-13.37. Ministry in Jerusalem
Entry into Jerusalem (11.1-11)
Cursing of the fig tree (11.12-14)
Cleansing the temple (11.15-19)
Lesson of the fig tree (11.20-25)
Teaching in Jerusalem (11.27-12.44)
Apocalyptic discourse (13.1-37)
14.1-52. Passion Story till the Arrest
Plots (14.1-2)
Anointing at Bethany (14.3-9)
Betrayal by Judas (14.10-11)
Last Supper (14.12-26)
Prophecy of Peter's denial (14.27-31)
Gethsemane (14.32-42)
Arrest (14.43-52)
14.53-15.47. Trials, Crucifixion and Burial
Trials (14.53-15.20)
Crucifixion (15.21-41)
Burial (15.42-47)
16.1-20. Resurrection
Women at the empty tomb (16.1-8)
[Resurrection appearances (16.9-20)]