Reading Notes: Gospel of Mark, Part B

 

Jesus teaching. Source: Pixy.

     I was reading More Teachings of Jesus from the Gospel of Mark unit and decided I wanted to write a little bit about it. What really caught my eye throughout the stories in Mark 10 was the way everything was structured. Within More Teachings of Jesus, there are a lot of mini-stories that demonstrate who Jesus was and what he was teaching. The stories all appear to occur right after one another but also feel very distinct. Also, everything is written in the third person but there is dialogue incorporated throughout from people such as the Pharisees and Jesus. I really like how the stories are in the third person but the quotes make you feel like you are there in person hearing the conversations.

    I also noticed that in each of these stories Jesus always seems to have the last words or final point in the conversation. For example, the Pharisees came up to Jesus and asked him if a man is lawfully able to divorce his wife. They talk back and forth and then Jesus starts talking about how God created a man and a wife to become one flesh when married.

    Another example, children were trying to come up to Jesus and the disciples were rebuking them. Jesus told the disciples to let the children come and says "whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child, he shall not enter therein." The story ends with Jesus teaching the disciples on how people should be receiving the kingdom of God. When I think of children, I think of them running towards something very quickly.

    Another thing I notice is that Jesus uses a lot of imagery to explain different teachings. He says that "It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God." Jesus provides visuals to try to help the audience understand his teachings.

Story Source: King James Bible (1611), Mark 10.