Word to the Wise
Tuesday, April 25, 2017 - April 25 - St. Mark, evangelist
[1 Pet 5:5b-14 and Mark 16:15-20]"Go into the whole world and proclaim the Gospel to every creature." [Mark]
We celebrate today the feast of the evangelist, Mark. Tradition connects the evangelist with the Mark mentioned in the first scripture for today and in the Acts of the Apostles [Acts 12:12]. He supposedly based his gospel account on information given him by St. Peter. What scripture scholars are fairly certain of is that this was the first of the four gospels that was composed in writing. In a bit of unintended irony, I'm sure, the passage for his feast day is also considered by scripture scholars to have been added later on by somebody else and is called the "Markan Appendix!" In any case, we have the Gospel According to Mark thanks to an early disciple in Rome around 70 A.D., along with the appendix collaborator(s).
I have mentioned the "agenda" of this gospel any number of times here. Jesus is portrayed as a challenging preacher - an almost "in your face" preacher. The disciples are portrayed as uncomprehending until Jesus' death and resurrection, and even after that. Those who would be inspired by the gospel would have to accept the same fate. Rejection and misunderstanding would be a part of preaching to the whole world.
It would be a worthwhile exercise to read the Gospel According to Mark first. Then read Matthew and Luke, who borrow extensively from Mark, and see the differences and additions to the portrait of Jesus. Finally, read the Gospel According to John, the last to be put into writing, for a completely different approach. One begins to put together one's own portrait of Jesus after doing this. Today is Mark's day and we can be grateful for his efforts. AMEN
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