I've always liked reading the Gospel of Mark. It's just different than the other Gospels. John has excellent imagery, Matthew lists out Jesus' entire family, which proves His right to become Messiah, and Luke is a historical treasure trove. Mark is different because he writes about one event after another. It's seems fast. It seems urgent.
He tells of John the baptist prophecying, then Jesus' baptism, and His temptation by Satan. Then he tells us about how Jesus calls disciples. After that, we get to read all about Jesus' healing and preaching about this new Kingdom He was bringing to Earth. ALL in the FIRST chapter!
I like it because it's fast and to the point. To me, he is writing as fast as he can because what he is writing about is important and needs to be shared. It's also great in that his writing reminds us that the Kingdom of God erupted when Jesus began His ministry. It was quick, and some people weren't ready. Some people still aren't ready.
Mark clearly tells his readers that Jesus was the only person with the power and authority to bring forth the Kingdom of God. Jesus was magnetic; people wanted to be near Him.
Just look at how Mark describes how people reacted to Jesus:
Mark 2:2 CEV
Then so many of them came to the house that there wasn't even standing room left in front of the door.
For whatever reason, Jesus didn't want people to make a big fuss over Him. In Mark 1:40-45 we are told that Jesus healed a man with leprosy and then told the man to keep it to himself. Well, the exact opposite happened!
Mark 1:45 CEV
The man talked about it so much and told so many people, that Jesus could no longer go openly into a town. He had to stay away from the towns, but people still came to him from everywhere.
It appears that Jesus was trying to keep things on the down low, but Mark reports that it just wasn't possible. The news had broken out, and people wanted to see Jesus.
Even roofs were removed to gain access to Him! (Mark 2:4). Remember what happened? They were so desperate to get to Jesus they tore off the roof of the house to get a paralyzed man to Jesus. Jesus didn't disappoint; the man was healed!
Mark tells us that when Jesus called Levi the tax collector, He just said, "Come with me!". I find that so interesting because some people heard about Jesus and just wanted to see the show, but some people HEARD His voice, understood who He was, and responded by following Him.
Jesus came for the lepers and paralytics, to sinners and tax collectors - those who are sick and in need of a physician (Mark 2:16).
It seems to me that Mark was in a rush to tell the good news! The good news is that Jesus came for us—those who know our desperate need—and reversed our fate. With unmatched rhetoric, Mark gets us to the point: Will we respond to Jesus' call?
In the first two chapters, Mark tells us who Jesus is, what He did, and how to respond to Him. Jesus is still the same today. The real question is if we are listening, watching, or responding. It's time to hear His voice and respond in faith.
Like Mark, we need to recognize the urgency of the Gospel and respond!
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