Mark

 

In the course of reading the Bible, I had a certain amount of dread in anticipating looking through the first 3 books of the New Testament. After all, Matthew, Mark and Luke are nearly identical. I have noticed that Mark, while it says nearly the same things as Matthew, it doesn't try to quote the prophecies it claims Jesus fulfilled, which is maybe a better strategy, considering how poorly that concept worked in Matthew. Still, there were some very interesting things to be found in Mark.

Mk 1:4,5 - John the baptizer appeared in the wilderness, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. And people from the whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem were going out to him, and were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins.
Funny, isn't it, that John the Baptist was in the business of forgiving sins before Jesus actually showed up on the scene? The fact that Jesus approved of this concept, and took part in it, seems to indicate that at one point he was a follower, rather than a leader.

Mk 1:9,10 - In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. And just as he was coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens torn apart and the Spirit descending like a dove on him.
This seems to say that Jesus was the only one who saw this thing, like a religious hallucination. Also, it seems to be saying that "the Spirit" had to enter him, something I wouldn't have thought necessary if Jesus was a man-god.

Mk 1:22 - They were astounded at his teaching, for he taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.
I heard this all the time I was a Christian but never thought much about it. Now, I wonder at why the most important thing mentioned about Jesus' teaching in the synagogue was his manner. They never mentioned that Jesus' lessons were shocking or new - just that he had a different manner of teaching.

Mk 2:5-11 - When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, "Son, your sins are forgiven." Now some of the scribes were sitting there, questioning in their hearts, "Why does this fellow speak in this way? It is blasphemy! Who can forgive sins but God alone?" At once Jesus perceived in his spirit that they were discussing these questions among themselves; and he said to them, "Why do you raise such questions in your hearts? Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, 'Your sins are forgiven,' or to say, 'Stand up and take your mat and walk'? But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins"-he said to the paralytic- "I say to you, stand up, take your mat and go to your home."
Here, Jesus had the perfect opportunity to tell everyone that he was God, and therefore had the right to forgive sins if he saw fit. Instead, he merely claimed to have God's authorization to do these things. It sounds more and more that the most common Christian doctrine of the Trinity is not based on the Bible!

Mk 2:23-26 - One sabbath he was going through the grainfields; and as they made their way his disciples began to pluck heads of grain. The Pharisees said to him, "Look, why are they doing what is not lawful on the sabbath?" And he said to them, "Have you never read what David did when he and his companions were hungry and in need of food? He entered the house of God, when Abiathar was high priest, and ate the bread of the Presence, which it is not lawful for any but the priests to eat, and he gave some to his companions."
This is referring to 1 Sam 21:1-6, and I already covered part of this in a parallel verse in Matthew. Here, however, Jesus makes two blunders. First, David had no companions with him when he conned the holy bread from the priest. More interestingly, the earlier passage says that the priest David talked with was Ahimelech. It's obvious that there's a problem somewhere along the line.

Mk 3:11,12 - Whenever the unclean spirits saw him, they fell down before him and shouted, "You are the Son of God!" But he sternly ordered them not to make him known.
What was the problem, I wonder? This sounds like the way a snake-oil salesman works - placing one or two shills in a crowd to act as a demon-possessed stranger who is "instantly healed" when the timing is right.

Mk 3:22-26 - And the scribes who came down from Jerusalem said, "He has Beelzebul, and by the ruler of the demons he casts out demons." And he called them to him, and spoke to them in parables, "How can Satan cast out Satan? If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. And if a house is divided against itself, that house will not be able to stand. And if Satan has risen up against himself and is divided, he cannot stand, but his end has come."
This is pretty weak reasoning, and anyone who has the least bit of experience in strategy games knows it. The concept of strategic sacrifices and retreats is a common factor in all lessons on the art of war. In the fantasy world of demonology, this concept of the devil casting out his own demons in order to gain the confidence of a larger group of victims would appear to be a valid idea. After all, the "cast out" demons could only be "playing possum" waiting till a later time before reasserting their control. As you can see, we're getting into a rather silly area here. A more elegant (and acceptable) solution is that demons are myths, just like the rest of the religion.

Mk 3:28,29 - "Truly I tell you, people will be forgiven for their sins and whatever blasphemies they utter; but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit can never have forgiveness, but is guilty of an eternal sin"
Well, here we see a second "unforgivable sin." The first I have seen since Deuteronomy. So, apparently, faith won't completely justify a person, since saying the wrong thing can get you sentenced with no hope of appeal.

Mk 3:31-35 - Then his mother and his brothers came; and standing outside, they sent to him and called him. A crowd was sitting around him; and they said to him, "Your mother and your brothers and sisters are outside, asking for you." And he replied, "Who are my mother and my brothers?" And looking at those who sat around him, he said, "Here are my mother and my brothers! Whoever does the will of God is my brother and sister and mother."
This is obeying the commandment to honor your parents? They had a funny definition for the concept of honor back then, maybe. Or maybe, Jesus just didn't feel much like being a sinless role model at the time.

Mk 4:10-12 - When he was alone, those who were around him along with the twelve asked him about the parables. And he said to them, "To you has been given the secret of the kingdom of God, but for those outside, everything comes in parables; in order that 'they may indeed look, but not perceive, and may indeed listen, but not understand; so that they may not turn again and be forgiven.' "
This is the very same message given to members of every cult that has ever existed. "We have secret knowledge from God that no one else can understand. That makes us better than the rest of the world." It also is the first step toward being judgmental and exclusive. This is not a sign of universal love. It's a sign of a small mind trying desperately to find some way of feeling superior to the stronger, more self-reliant people surrounding it.

Mk 4:33,34 - With many such parables he spoke the word to them, as they were able to hear it; he did not speak to them except in parables, but he explained everything in private to his disciples.
See the comment above. Every word applies here. This is a textbook for cult creation.

Mk 5:5-13 - Night and day among the tombs and on the mountains he was always howling and bruising himself with stones. When he saw Jesus from a distance, he ran and bowed down before him; and he shouted at the top of his voice, "What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I adjure you by God, do not torment me." For he had said to him, "Come out of the man, you unclean spirit!" Then Jesus asked him, "What is your name?" He replied, "My name is Legion; for we are many." He begged him earnestly not to send them out of the country. Now there on the hillside a great herd of swine was feeding; and the unclean spirits begged him, "Send us into the swine; let us enter them." So he gave them permission. And the unclean spirits came out and entered the swine; and the herd, numbering about two thousand, rushed down the steep bank into the sea, and were drowned in the sea.
Well, if you want to be puzzled over the fantasy world of demons, here's your opportunity! True, it's a weird story on the face of it, but many people see this as a metaphor for a promise to drive the Roman legions (being "unclean" foreigners) out of Palestine and into the ocean. At this level, the story works quite well.

Mk 6:1-6 - He left that place and came to his hometown, and his disciples followed him. On the sabbath he began to teach in the synagogue, and many who heard him were astounded. They said, "Where did this man get all this? What is this wisdom that has been given to him? What deeds of power are being done by his hands! Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary and brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon, and are not his sisters here with us?" And they took offense at him. Then Jesus said to them, "Prophets are not without honor, except in their hometown, and among their own kin, and in their own house." And he could do no deed of power there, except that he laid his hands on a few sick people and cured them. And he was amazed at their unbelief. Then he went about among the villages teaching.
Once again, we see that other people's lack of faith was more powerful than Jesus' ability to perform miracles. I would have thought that a true miracle-worker would not only be able to do better miracles in this situation, but feel an obligation to do so. Instead, Jesus acted just like any mountebank whose tricks had been exposed - he complained at the lack of faithful acceptance and moved on in search of more easily-deluded dupes in other villages.

Mk 6:33,34 - Now many saw them going and recognized them, and they hurried there on foot from all the towns and arrived ahead of them. As he went ashore, he saw a great crowd; and he had compassion for them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd; and he began to teach them many things.
I feel pity for any group of people who feel that they need someone to tell them what to think or do in their lives, instead of trying to figure it out for themselves. Any "shepherd" will do for such sheep, and no shepherd that I've ever heard of leads sheep purely for the benefit of the sheep.

Mk 6:49-52 - But when they saw him walking on the sea, they thought it was a ghost and cried out; for they all saw him and were terrified. But immediately he spoke to them and said, "Take heart, it is I; do not be afraid." Then he got into the boat with them and the wind ceased. And they were utterly astounded, for they did not understand about the loaves, but their hearts were hardened.
I find it hard to understand exactly how this can be considered a sequitur. How does it follow that not understanding the "meaning" of the fish/bread miracle means that their hearts were hardened?

Mk 7:1-7 - Now when the Pharisees and some of the scribes who had come from Jerusalem gathered around him, they noticed that some of his disciples were eating with defiled hands, that is, without washing them. (For the Pharisees, and all the Jews, do not eat unless they thoroughly wash their hands, thus observing the tradition of the elders; and they do not eat anything from the market unless they wash it; and there are also many other traditions that they observe, the washing of cups, pots, and bronze kettles. ) So the Pharisees and the scribes asked him, "Why do your disciples not live according to the tradition of the elders, but eat with defiled hands?" He said to them, "Isaiah prophesied rightly about you hypocrites, as it is written, 'This people honors me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me; in vain do they worship me, teaching human precepts as doctrines.'"
Now, I'm a non-conformist from 'way back. I have no desire to follow any tradition simply for the reason that "that's the way the elders have always done it." But I have to wonder at the choice Jesus made here on which tradition to flaunt. The cleaning of hands is a good, healthy practice, regardless of the reason used to encourage the practice. Yet, Jesus decided to attack it! Maybe he wasn't aware of the problems with eating with dirty hands?

Mk 7:32-35 - They brought to him a deaf man who had an impediment in his speech; and they begged him to lay his hand on him. He took him aside in private, away from the crowd, and put his fingers into his ears, and he spat and touched his tongue. Then looking up to heaven, he sighed and said to him, "Ephphatha," that is, "Be opened." And immediately his ears were opened, his tongue was released, and he spoke plainly.
So why, do you suppose, is it that Jesus, who was so powerful that he could heal without thinking about it, having someone just touch his cloak, was forced to perform magical actions and incantations on this case? It sounds like the writer wasn't sure what the rules for this miracle-man were. Or possibly, that this book was originally several different scraps of writing pulled together from different people and presented as a whole.

Mk 8:11-13 - The Pharisees came and began to argue with him, asking him for a sign from heaven, to test him. And he sighed deeply in his spirit and said, "Why does this generation ask for a sign? Truly I tell you, no sign will be given to this generation." And he left them, and getting into the boat again, he went across to the other side.
What could this possibly mean? This book is just chock full of "signs" and miracles for that generation. Sounds like Jesus had different things to say to different groups.

Mk 8:23-25 - He took the blind man by the hand and led him out of the village; and when he had put saliva on his eyes and laid his hands on him, he asked him, "Can you see anything?" And the man looked up and said, "I can see people, but they look like trees, walking." Then Jesus laid his hands on his eyes again; and he looked intently and his sight was restored, and he saw everything clearly.
In the healing department, Jesus seems to be going from bad to worse! Now, he has to take two tries! I'm beginning to think that this book wasn't written with any clear idea of the concept of "healing" or "miracles." There's certainly no consistency!

Mk 8:34-38 - He called the crowd with his disciples, and said to them, "If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake, and for the sake of the gospel, will save it. For what will it profit them to gain the whole world and forfeit their life? Indeed, what can they give in return for their life? Those who are ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of them the Son of Man will also be ashamed when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels."
Again, we see an exhortation to martyrdom. The present life is to be held in contempt, in favor of a promise for an eternal, disproportionate reward.

Mk 9:1 - And he said to them, "Truly I tell you, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see that the kingdom of God has come with power."
I've heard this statement explained away, saying that Jesus was talking about the "generation" of the end times. Yet here, Jesus was plainly addressing the people in front of him, 2000 years ago. This statement appears in multiple gospels. What does this say about Jesus' honesty or knowledge?

Mk 9:9,10 - As they were coming down the mountain, he ordered them to tell no one about what they had seen, until after the Son of Man had risen from the dead. So they kept the matter to themselves, questioning what this rising from the dead could mean.
Yeah, right! These people were surrounded with debates on whether there was a "resurrection" or not, every day. How could they be puzzled as to what it could "mean"?

Mk 9:20-23 - And they brought the boy to him. When the spirit saw him, immediately it convulsed the boy, and he fell on the ground and rolled about, foaming at the mouth. Jesus asked the father, "How long has this been happening to him?" And he said, "From childhood. It has often cast him into the fire and into the water, to destroy him; but if you are able to do anything, have pity on us and help us." Jesus said to him, "If you are able!-All things can be done for the one who believes."
So Jesus, who knows everything about demons, has to ask questions, like a doctor diagnosing a patient? Well, that lets out omniscience, if nothing else. However, he has no problem with once again giving a blank check from God to believers!

Mk 9:38-41 - John said to him, "Teacher, we saw someone casting out demons in your name, and we tried to stop him, because he was not following us." But Jesus said, "Do not stop him; for no one who does a deed of power in my name will be able soon afterward to speak evil of me. Whoever is not against us is for us. For truly I tell you, whoever gives you a cup of water to drink because you bear the name of Christ will by no means lose the reward.
I think it's interesting that there's no mention here of the possibility that this unnamed demon-caster might be a hoax. As if that concept was to be avoided at all costs. As if anything that could be used to support the idea of the supernatural power of God needed to be accepted, regardless of the correctness of any other aspect.

Mk 10:17-19 - As he was setting out on a journey, a man ran up and knelt before him, and asked him, "Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?" Jesus said to him, "Why do you call me good? No one is good but God alone. You know the commandments: 'You shall not murder; You shall not commit adultery; You shall not steal; You shall not bear false witness; You shall not defraud; Honor your father and mother.' "
I think it's probably for the best that Jesus here tries to distance himself from being identified with God. After all, he doesn't even seem to be able to recite the 10 commandments correctly!

Mk 10:28-30 - Peter began to say to him, "Look, we have left everything and followed you." Jesus said, "Truly I tell you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields, for my sake and for the sake of the good news, who will not receive a hundredfold now in this age-houses, brothers and sisters, mothers and children, and fields, with persecutions-and in the age to come eternal life."
Truly, I wonder at this one. As in why would Jesus promise a hundred fold return in this life for the act of abandoning all that makes life good? Those who enter a cult will throw everything away and isolate themselves from their family and outside friends, in favor of the acceptance of the cult's people. But is such an exchange a great improvement over the life on the outside?

Mk 10:46-51 - They came to Jericho. As he and his disciples and a large crowd were leaving Jericho,Bartimaeus son of Timaeus, a blind beggar, was sitting by the roadside. When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout out and say, "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!" Many sternly ordered him to be quiet, but he cried out even more loudly, "Son of David, have mercy on me!" Jesus stood still and said, "Call him here." And they called the blind man, saying to him, "Take heart; get up, he is calling you." So throwing off his cloak, he sprang up and came to Jesus. Then Jesus said to him, "What do you want me to do for you?" The blind man said to him, "My teacher, let me see again."
This sounds like bad play-acting. If a blind man came groping his way up to a person who was really a miracle-worker, don't you think the miracle-worker would know without having to ask what the blind person wanted? This sounds like they wanted everyone in the crowd to hear the exchange, so that they'd have the opportunity to see and be impressed by the "healing."

Mk 11:5-7 - ...some of the bystanders said to them, "What are you doing, untying the colt?" They told them what Jesus had said; and they allowed them to take it. Then they brought the colt to Jesus and threw their cloaks on it; and he sat on it.
Here's an interesting contradiction with Matthew! Here, the apostles only steal one pack animal, and Jesus only sits on one stolen animal, instead of two!

Mk 11:12-14 - On the following day, when they came from Bethany, he was hungry. Seeing in the distance a fig tree in leaf, he went to see whether perhaps he would find anything on it. When he came to it, he found nothing but leaves, for it was not the season for figs. He said to it, "May no one ever eat fruit from you again." And his disciples heard it.
This is quite a powerful image for those Christians who like the concept of a God of justice! Looking at a tree that you'd not expect to see any fruit on, Jesus finds no fruit on it (what a surprise!). Since the tree was only doing what it should do and what it should be expected to do, Jesus decides it should be destroyed! Some view this as another metaphor - for God's disappointment with the fruitlessness of Israel. If this is so, it's still a rather poor one.

Mk 11:20-24 - In the morning as they passed by, they saw the fig tree withered away to its roots. Then Peter remembered and said to him, "Rabbi, look! The fig tree that you cursed has withered." Jesus answered them, "Have faith in God. Truly I tell you, if you say to this mountain, 'Be taken up and thrown into the sea,' and if you do not doubt in your heart, but believe that what you say will come to pass, it will be done for you. So I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours."
Imagine that! All you have to do is ask God for ten million dollars, and start writing checks! Since you would only write checks if you believed that the deposit was on the way. Please let me know if Jesus came through for you on this!

Mk 11:25 - "Whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone; so that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses."
Here's some more startling theology! God would be happy to forgive your sins, but he's waiting for you to make it possible. Note that this is not the message of today's Christian church - at least, none of them that I've heard from!

Mk 12:41-44 - He sat down opposite the treasury, and watched the crowd putting money into the treasury. Many rich people put in large sums. A poor widow came and put in two small copper coins, which are worth a penny. Then he called his disciples and said to them, "Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put in more than all those who are contributing to the treasury. For all of them have contributed out of their abundance; but she out of her poverty has put in everything she had, all she had to live on."
More good, old-fashioned cult material! And a poor man's cult, at that! Jesus encourages followers to give every last drop of money to God, and in return, they might not eat, but they sure can feel noble while they starve!

Mk 13:17-20 - Woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing infants in those days! Pray that it may not be in winter. For in those days there will be suffering, such as has not been from the beginning of the creation that God created until now, no, and never will be. And if the Lord had not cut short those days, no one would be saved; but for the sake of the elect, whom he chose, he has cut short those days.
With stuff like this in the Bible, I wonder that Christians have the nerve to reproduce or live outside the tropics at all! After all, if "the end" were likely to come at any moment, who would dare even think of having sex, much less getting pregnant and nursing babies?

Mk 13:22,23 - False messiahs and false prophets will appear and produce signs and omens, to lead astray, if possible, the elect. But be alert; I have already told you everything.
Here's the Christian version of the attempt to shut down following religion-builders, a little similar to what we see in Deuteronomy. I find it interesting that Jesus states he's told his followers everything! If that were the case, anyone who says differently from Jesus must be a false prophet! We'll need to be looking out on this issue when we move into the rest of the New Testament!

Mk 14:1,2 - It was two days before the Passover and the festival of Unleavened Bread. The chief priests and the scribes were looking for a way to arrest Jesus by stealth and kill him; for they said, "Not during the festival, or there may be a riot among the people."
These guys showed their ability to influence mobs a little later, by all accounts. Why should they be afraid of Jesus at this point?

Mk 14:35,36 - And going a little farther, he threw himself on the ground and prayed that, if it were possible, the hour might pass from him. He said, "Abba, Father, for you all things are possible; remove this cup from me; yet, not what I want, but what you want."
Apparently, not all things were possible for the god Jesus was praying to: was Jesus, who had authority to flaunt any commandment he wanted, not authorized to get what he wanted from God?

Mk 14:61-64 - But he was silent and did not answer. Again the high priest asked him, "Are you the Messiah, the Son of the Blessed One?" Jesus said, "I am; and 'you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of the Power,' and 'coming with the clouds of heaven.' " Then the high priest tore his clothes and said, "Why do we still need witnesses? You have heard his blasphemy! What is your decision?" All of them condemned him as deserving death.
After hearing this, what choice would the Jewish priests have? They were sworn to uphold the laws of their community, and one law says that anyone who says something like this must be killed. I see no reason that they could be considered evil, given that fact! They were only "following their faith."

Mk 15:46,47 - Then Joseph bought a linen cloth, and taking down the body, wrapped it in the linen cloth, and laid it in a tomb that had been hewn out of the rock. He then rolled a stone against the door of the tomb. Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses saw where the body was laid.
Note that these 2 Marys were there when the stone was rolled into place, obviously sealing off all hope of access to the body!

Mk 16:1-3 - When the sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices, so that they might go and anoint him. And very early on the first day of the week, when the sun had risen, they went to the tomb. They had been saying to one another, "Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance to the tomb?"
I don't know about you, but I think this is poor story-telling! Why would these women, who knew that there was a huge stone in place, go with the idea they were going to get at the already-entombed body? Even the most slow-witted person would have thought twice about such an errand!

Mk 16:9-12 - Now after he rose early on the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, from whom he had cast out seven demons. She went out and told those who had been with him, while they were mourning and weeping. But when they heard that he was alive and had been seen by her, they would not believe it. After this he appeared in another form to two of them, as they were walking into the country.
Here, we're into some weird text. The NRSV says that there are grave differences in the manuscripts of this book that are known, and this text and all that follows is not included in all of them. It's not hard to see why - here, Jesus becomes a shape shifter! But that's only to be expected when you're dealing with a fantasy.

Mk 16:17,18 - And these signs will accompany those who believe: by using my name they will cast out demons; they will speak in new tongues; they will pick up snakes in their hands, and if they drink any deadly thing, it will not hurt them; they will lay their hands on the sick, and they will recover.
Imagine how many Holy Rollers have died because they literally believed this stuff! Their mortality rate is quite high from drinking poison and playing around with snakes. They die quite young, most of the time, praising God for "calling them home" and leaving their children to be raised to do the same thing.

Mk 16:20 - And they went out and proclaimed the good news everywhere, while the Lord worked with them and confirmed the message by the signs that accompanied it.
I guess this is one thing you need to remember about Christians. If they can't get God to perform miracles to go along with their message, they must not be truly giving God's message!