Mark
Mark 1
Preaching of John the Baptist
16As He was going along by the Sea of Galilee, He saw Simon and Andrew, the brother of Simon, casting a net in the sea; for they were fishermen. 17And Jesus said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you become fishers of men.” 18Immediately they left their nets and followed Him. 19Going on a little farther, He saw James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, who were also in the boat mending the nets. 20Immediately He called them; and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired servants, and went away to follow Him.
- This is pretty ballsy isn’t it? It begs questions such as, did they already know who he was? What was it about Jesus that made you want to drop your lives and follow? I am not questioning whether or not it was a good decision (if the Son of Man asks you to do something - better do it) but what made it so easy for them?
35In the early morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house, and went away to a secluded place, and was praying there.
- I need to come up with a place for this. Or do I?
Mark 2
The Paralytic Healed
4Being unable to get to Him because of the crowd, they removed the roof above Him; and when they had dug an opening, they let down the pallet on which the paralytic was lying.
- the faith this demonstrated; I mean, tearing down a roof…
17And hearing this, Jesus *said to them, “It is not those who are healthy who need a physician, but those who are sick; I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”
- Mission
18John’s disciples and the Pharisees were fasting; and they *came and *said to Him, “Why do John’s disciples and the disciples of the Pharisees fast, but Your disciples do not fast?” 19And Jesus said to them, “While the bridegroom is with them, the attendants of the bridegroom cannot fast, can they? So long as they have the bridegroom with them, they cannot fast. 20But the days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast in that day. 21“No one sews a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment; otherwise the patch pulls away from it, the new from the old, and a worse tear results. 22No one puts new wine into old wineskins; otherwise the wine will burst the skins, and the wine is lost and the skins as well; but one puts new wine into fresh wineskins.”
Context of the Question (Mark 2:18)
Who: Disciples of John the Baptist and the Pharisees.
What: They were fasting, a common Jewish practice for mourning or seeking God, and questioned why Jesus' followers didn't.
Why: It was an accusation that Jesus' disciples didn't follow religious norms, reflecting broader criticism of Jesus' ministry
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Jesus' Response & Meaning
Bridegroom Analogy (Mark 2:19-20): Jesus compares Himself to the bridegroom and His followers to wedding guests. Guests celebrate, they don't fast, while the groom is present. Fasting is for when the groom is "taken away" (His crucifixion/absence).
New Patch/Old Garment (Mark 2:21-22): You don't sew new, unshrunk cloth (Jesus' new teaching) onto an old garment (old traditions) because it will tear.
New Wine/Old Wineskins (Mark 2:22): Similarly, new wine (the Gospel/His presence) needs new wineskins (new ways of life/understanding) to hold it; old skins burst, ruining both.
Core Message: Jesus' arrival signifies a new era, requiring a spiritual transformation, not just adding new practices to old structures. The "new wine" of His kingdom can't be contained by the "old wineskins" of rigid, traditionalistic Judaism.
Significance
Jesus wasn't against fasting but against unnecessary fasting when He, the source of joy, was present.
He challenged the legalistic interpretation of the Law, emphasizing that the Sabbath (and all law) was made for people, not the other way around (Mark 2:27-28).
It highlights the revolutionary nature of Jesus' ministry, pointing towards a deeper, transformed relationship with God, rather than mere outward observance.
Mark 3
Jesus Heals on the Sabbath
23And He called them to Himself and began speaking to them in parables, “How can Satan cast out Satan? 24If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. 25If a house is divided against itself, that house will not be able to stand. 26If Satan has risen up against himself and is divided, he cannot stand, but he is finished!
- A house divided against itself can not stand. I believe this government can not endure permanently, half slave, and half free. — Abraham Lincoln
28“Truly I say to you, all sins shall be forgiven the sons of men, and whatever blasphemies they utter; 29but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is guilty of an eternal sin”— 30because they were saying, “He has an unclean spirit.”
- Unforgivable sin. I wouldn’t mind having this explain to me in small words.
31Then His mother and His brothers *arrived, and standing outside they sent word to Him and called Him. 32A crowd was sitting around Him, and they *said to Him, “Behold, Your mother and Your brothers are outside looking for You.” 33Answering them, He *said, “Who are My mother and My brothers?” 34Looking about at those who were sitting around Him, He *said, “Behold My mother and My brothers! 35For whoever does the will of God, he is My brother and sister and mother.”
- our brothers and sisters in Christ are even more important than our blood relatives.
Mark 4
Parable of the Sower and Soils
10As soon as He was alone, His followers, along with the twelve, began asking Him about the parables. 11And He was saying to them, “To you has been given the mystery of the kingdom of God, but those who are outside get everything in parables, 12so that while seeing, they may see and not perceive, and while hearing, they may hear and not understand, otherwise they might return and be forgiven.”
- I think I understand this…but wouldn’t mind someone to clarify.
Mark 5
The Gerasene Demoniac
9And He was asking him, “What is your name?” And he *said to Him, “My name is Legion; for we are many.” 10And he began to implore Him earnestly not to send them out of the country. 11Now there was a large herd of swine feeding nearby on the mountain. 12The demons implored Him, saying, “Send us into the swine so that we may enter them.” 13Jesus gave them permission. And coming out, the unclean spirits entered the swine; and the herd rushed down the steep bank into the sea, about two thousand of them; and they were drowned in the sea.
—> Several questions here:
1. Legion. Is this because this one dude had all of those demons inside him and was therefore supernaturally strong and no one could chain him up? Not sure why but this is absolutely terrifying
2. Why swine? Particularly if you are going to get tossed off a cliff right after it? 2000? Some farmer must have been upset.
41Taking the child by the hand, He *said to her, “Talitha kum!” (which translated means, “Little girl, I say to you, get up!”). 42Immediately the girl got up and began to walk, for she was twelve years old. And immediately they were completely astounded. 43And He gave them strict orders that no one should know about this, and He said that something should be given her to eat.
—> Two interesting things. He told them to feed her, which for whatever reason I find amusing. Secondly, and much more importantly, why does Jesus always tell people not to tell anyone of what He has done? Wouldn’t it be better if they knew it was Him and therefore speak of His power and glory? The other thing is that expecting people who just watched someone raised from the dead to not speak of it is probably not very likely.
—> I have to admit that I would not have thought about touching Jesus’ robe and think it would heal me. Not sure if this means anything at all or nothing.
Mark 6
Teaching at Nazareth
4Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor except in his hometown and among his own relatives and in his own household.”
—> Is there special meaning behind this statement? Is it simply that familiarity breeds contempt? Something more bc they all believed He was blaspheming?