"If anyone wants to be first, he shall be last of all and servant of all."
-Mark 9:35
I've been trying to figure out how to conclude this series on Mark. The eternal value of what we do is the only true value it has. What is the value of seemingly trivial details? God doesn't waste words. Isaiah 55:11 says, "So is My word that goeth out of My mouth, It turneth not back unto Me empty, But hath done that which I desired, And prosperously effected that for which I sent it." (YLT) 2 Timothy 3:16 says, "All Scripture is God-breathed and profitable...." I have confidence that every detail, no matter how small, has value.
The gospels are portraits of Jesus from four unique viewpoints. Mark reveals Jesus, the servant and burden bearer. Other gospels include long, beautiful monologues from Jesus - the sermon on the mount, the teaching parables, the high priestly prayer. From the Jewish Messiah (in Matthew), or the perfect Man (in Luke), or the Son of God (in John) this is expected, but no one wants to hear a servant talking on and on and on. Mark skips the monologues and shows Jesus interacting with individuals and crowds through dialogue. Much of the teaching from Mark 12:13-34 is included in Matthew and Luke, but in Mark it unfolds like a scene from a play. A scribe happens along and hears the interaction between Jesus and the Pharisees. He recognizes Jesus' wisdom and asks his own question of the Teacher. At the end of their dialogue Mark writes, "When Jesus saw that he had answered intelligently, He said to him, 'You are not far from the kingdom of God.'" I love that!
Mark shows the humanity of Jesus. His account includes grubby, human details like spitting and laundry. Family relationships are sprinkled through the entire book: James and John "the sons of thunder", Matthew the son of Alphaeus, blind Bartimaeus, the son of Timaeus (only Mark tells us his name let alone his fathers name!), Simon of Cyrene the father of Alexander and Rufus, the Syrophonecian woman. Even Herod and his family get a passage showing the interplay in that household. All these family details, yet the genealogy of Jesus is excluded. A servant's family line is of little interest.
Jesus came as the servant of all. It's almost exhausting as we follow His footsteps through Mark. Jesus' disciples also felt the squeeze. At one point they didn't even have time to eat due to their continuous ministry to the crowds. Jesus felt various emotions as He ministered: anger and grief when faced with hard-hearted religion (3:5), compassion for hungry listeners who were like sheep without a shepherd (6:34, 8:2), and love for earnest seekers (10:21).
There's so much more I could share. I pray you've been blessed and intrigued enough to become an earnest seeker yourself. Jesus loves that!
dcp
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