The Message of Mark – The Covenant of God

Mark’s methodology in presenting the Good News was indeed creative and innovative. His readers had not heard Jesus preach. They had received the Lord’s message for some of the Apostles. Mark identifies the strength and weaknesses of the Apostles. He highlighted their failure to come to terms with much of the Lord’s teaching. His approach was intended to place his readers and the converts in the company of the Apostles and by extension Jesus. In this way the Markan congregation became followers of Jesus.

Mark made the Roman congregation Apostolic. He also made it possible for readers to participate in the community of faith in a deeper way. He stated that Jesus inaugurated a New Covenant with his first disciples, and that all persons throughout the ages who followed Jesus were part of the New Covenant relationship. Mark showed how timid, fearful and ill prepared for the Passion Experience  the disciples were, in spite of the faithful teaching and preaching of the Lord. However, the Lord Jesus was ready to forgive them.

Mark 10:32-45 continues the teaching  of the Covenant by introducing a dialogue of the baptism of death. The Apostles learned that Jesus’ own baptism was the model of all baptisms. However, the full implications of Our Lord’s baptism would find its expression only at his crucifixion.

Mark interprets the meaning of the Church through his understanding of the Covenant. The Church is the people called by God. This calling took place amidst the ordinary activity of life (Mark 1:16-20).

 As Jesus passed alongside the Galilee Sea, he saw two brothers, Simon and Andrew, throwing fishing nets into the sea, for they were fishermen. “Come, follow me,” he said, “and I’ll show you how to fish for people.” Right away, they left their nets and followed him. After going a little farther, he saw James and John, Zebedee’s sons, in their boat repairing the fishing nets. At that very moment he called them. They followed him, leaving their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired workers.

The Church is a community of God’s people given a special and unique call by its Lord. This does not mean that the Church is an exclusive club. It is holy, only because the Lord is holy. Its membership is subject too the same temptations of its Lord. In the following statement, P.S Minearsums up Mark’s intention in providing the Church in Rome with the Good News:

In Mark’s eyes then the Covenant of the Cup signified the sharing of the Church in the very mission on which Jesus had been sent. The Church received in Jesus’ blood a vision of the Son of Man, a voice from heaven  with its authorization to proclaim the Good News to heal the sick, to cast out demons and to call the nations to repentance and faith. The Messiah, The Apostles and the Church were thus bound together in a single Covenant community, bearing to the world the fulfillment of Gods promise.

Taken From The Desk of Rev. Dr. Knolly Clarke: https://knollyclarke.com/newsletter/