I grew up in a small town in a very traditional Lutheran Church. I have known about God all my life, but I have asked many times along the way: Who is this Jesus guy anyway? How does he fit into the story? What was he about?

Those same questions have been asked by many for centuries, and part of the beauty of what we get out of the book of Mark is the answer. It begins to paint the picture of who Jesus was and is. It was written as people were trying to wrap their heads around the idea of this messiah and whether he was indeed the son of God in real time.

Mark is written in three parts, almost like the acts of a play. In the first “act” we are introduced to Jesus through the eyes of people who saw the miracles he performed, the parables he shared, and the things he did. All these things point us to the Good News he was carrying forward from the Old Testament.

Through the life he lived, Jesus brought God’s kingdom to us, and the examples are everywhere in this first part of Mark: Jesus calms the storm, brings restoration to a demon-possessed man, raises a girl from the dead, and heals a sick woman. As you can imagine, there were a lot of questions and confusion when these things started to happen.

What I find most intriguing is the subtle way he asked each of them to take part in their own healing. He used action statements like “go and be freed,” “get up,” and “just believe.” Perhaps the reason there were so many doubts about Jesus was the way he went about healing and walking among them. It did not look the way they expected.

Being fully human and fully holy had to be a very unique experience to live out and witness, and Mark helps us see that more fully.

Reflection:

  • What is your understanding of who Jesus is and how did you come to know what you do about him?
  • Have you seen examples in the world today of God’s kingdom coming to earth?
  • What do you think Mark might teach us about our role in our own healing?