Pat Arensberg: Introduction to Mark

“The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ [the Son of God].”  -Mark 1:1

The next synoptic Gospel we will consider is the Gospel according to Mark.  Mark’s is the shortest of the Gospels.  While the early Church considered Matthew to be the first Gospel written, most scholarship in the modern era posits that Mark’s was the earliest.  There is some very recent scholarship arguing that Mark’s was in fact second.  As we noted in last week’s blog about Matthew’s Gospel this question doesn’t have much effect on our considerations.  Suffice it to say that all scholars would agree that Mark was written by about the year 70 a.d., well within the lifetime of many eyewitnesses.

Mark seems to have written his Gospel to a non-Jewish, or Gentile audience.  We find that he usually explains Jewish customs if he references them.  For example, “Yet you say, ‘If a person says to father or mother, “Any support you might have had from me is qorban”’ (meaning dedicated to God), you allow him to do nothing more for his father or mother.”  Do you notice that he had to explain the concept of qorban?  If Mark was writing to a group of Jews the explanation would have been unnecessary.  

Mark’s Gospel virtually opens with Jesus’ Baptism.  We see that Jesus has come to proclaim the Kingdom of God.  Please note that John the Baptist did not baptize people sacramentally.  There were no sacraments prior to the Paschal Mystery (the events we celebrate in the Triduum).  It was common for Jews to baptize symbolically.  One entered the waters to symbolize a conversion from sin and repentance.  Jesus gives this symbolic action a real power by making it the Sacrament through which one is cleansed from sin and initiated into God’s family.

About Pat Arensberg Patrick Arensberg is the Director of Religious Education for the Archdiocese of Mobile. Previously, he taught for 17 years at McGill-Toolen Catholic High School, where he served as Chairman of the Theology Department. He attended the Gregorian University in Rome and holds an M.A. in Theology from Notre Dame Seminary in New Orleans. He is married to Connie and they live in Mobile with their 5 children.