In the forming of any group, and by the very nature of
groups, there is always a boundary of some sort between those in the
know and those left to ignorance. Even the most humble of gatherings
exclude some people, whether it be the loud one who will not stop
interrupting everyone else or the whiner that nobody wants to listen
to for a minute, exclusion is the new in.
For the supposedly universal religion of Christianity, this type of dichotomy would be preposterous. Are not all people on the earth allowed into the gates of Heaven? This question is even more puzzling when one sees that throughout the entire life of Jesus, people were extremely divided on their association with the Son of Man. Those that were supposed to have been 'close' to God, were furthest from Jesus, and those unfortunate enough to be spat on by society were given extreme attention by God Incarnate.
This division of spirituality was not always clear and distinct. Fuzzy lines existed in the sand of Jesus time, and even today, Christians disagree with other Christians over who is really following Christ. The point of the matter is that the people in Jesus' life, in view of Mark, were separated by his presence into camps of insiders and outsiders, with some stragglers in between, showing two different themes: the Gospel has very different receptions depending on the nature of the soil and the tension between these groups drove Jesus to the very pinnacle of his life.
The beginning of Mark showcases the center stage of Jesus making his appearance in the world. The first key player is John the Baptist, who seems to be a complete insider, and yet, from other sources, seems to waver in his faith while in prison, going so far as to question whether Jesus was the Messiah they were all hoping for to rescue them. Jesus responds to this with Scripture that details the life of the Messiah, and Jesus tells the messenger's of John to report that God's word is being fulfilled among them even now.
The next show of contenders revolves around the Devil tempting Jesus in the wilderness. From the worldly, material viewpoint, Satan wants Jesus to cave into carnal needs, while Jesus views the goals of heaven and the spiritual realm as higher and to be upheld against lower needs. Jesus represents inside knowledge of the Kingdom of Heaven, while Satan, once an insider, chose to become an outsider.
The gathering together of Jesus insiders occurs when Jesus calls Simon, Andrew, James and John to leave their livelihoods. The key word is that they immediately drop all matters of earthly concern and follow after the leader of spiritual wisdom. A true calling from the Kingdom of God is evident in how ready the men are to become disciples.
Another showing of comparison between in and out is when a demon possessed man enters into a public area where Jesus had been teaching with authority, that had been amazing the people. Even when the people did not fully understand Jesus, the demon was out and about ready to say the truth of Jesus, but Jesus forbid him, for His time was not yet come.
The next incident has to do with an inbetween person. Simon´s mother-in-law is sick with a fever and Jesus heals her, but the reader does not know for sure if the mother is in the know or left out in the cold.
All to him lonesome self praying, Jesus is found and surrounded by people who want his attention. While Jesus is spending time alone on the inside with the Father, the people are worried about natural problems instead of higher spiritual yearnings.
The next scene involves the healing of a leper by Jesus. While the Son of Man told the once-leper to be quiet about his miracle and only go to the temple to show himself clean before God, the man blows steam all over the place and everyone finds out and Jesus has to leave the area.
The next feud takes place over the healing of a paralytic. Jesus heals the man by saying ¨Your sins are forgiven.¨ At this, the teachers of the law exclaim that Jesus is blaspheming because only God has the ability to forgive sins. Jesus replies with the question of which is either to say: ¨Your sins are forgiven, or get up, take your mat, and walk.¨” This division between those that claim to speak for God and the one who is actually God speaking is quite striking.
The next series involves a discussion of who Jesus eats with and why. The main character, other than Jesus, is Levi, a tax collector who has been called to be a follower of Jesus. In the time of Jesus, tax collectors, along with prostitutes, the sick, and homeless, were thought of as lowly and sinners, not deserving of relating to the righteous. Jesus stirs the kettle by associating with those that religious society deems unworthy of attention. Jesus replies with his usual wit to some of the outsider Pharisees. ¨It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners¨(Mark 2:17)
A sequential occurrence takes place when Jesus heals a man on the Sabbath, causing the animosity of some of the religious leaders. These uppity gurus complain that the violation of working on the Sabbath is not to be broken, even at the cost of restoring life. Jesus comments elsewhere that man was not made for the Sabbath, but the Sabbath made for man to rest and rejuvenate, and worship God, and care for neighbors and enemies.
Another intriguing happening takes place when Jesus and his followers are all crowded into a room to the point where Jesus is not able to eat. Jesus' biological family thinks Jesus must be ¨out of his mind¨(Mark 3:21). This lack of understanding on the part of his earth family, the straggling outsiders, foreshadows a later saying of Jesus. He declares that in contrast to blood ties, ¨whoever does God´s will is my brother and sister and mother¨(Mark 3:35).
One of the defining parables of the whole book of Mark is the parable of the Sower and the Seed. This all inclusive symbolism sheds light on the ins and outs of the kingdom, literally. Sparing the well known details, most of the characters throughout the rest of the Gospel can be interpreted in some way through the lens of this story. In order to more easily fit people into this complex narrative, a continuum of ´in the Kingdom´ or ´out of the Kingdom´ is used, along with the category of fence-sitter or straggler.
In respect to space, an exponential amount of intruders and associates are seen throughout the middle part of Mark.
In brief:
The demon Legion is sent into a herd of pigs, causing the town people to decry Jesus because, thinking more of their spiritual welfare, Jesus did not over worry at their ruined physical livelihood.
Jesus also finds that the people in his hometown of Nazareth have weak faith. Even though they see the power of his authority, they complain that this man can be know greater than us because we know his mother and carpenter father, whereas one of true power is just supposed to appear out of nowhere.
An infamous outsider is King Herod, who goes against common sense and gives into his oath of giving the daughter of Herodias John the Baptist´s head on a platter, instead of saving life and going back on his word, as Jesus would have called an insider to do.
In chapter seven, Jesus also calls out many leaders for following the vain traditions of men, keeping the outside of things clean, while neglecting inner purity.
After the breaking of the bread to feed the multitudes, Jesus warns the disciples to stay away from the yeast of the Pharisees and that of Herod. Failing to be in the inside and in the know, the disciples are confused as to what this means and discuss the subject among themselves. Jesus is even more frustrated that after he explains a bit more, they still do not understand.
A key moment of pride for the Apostle Peter is when Jesus asks him who He is and Peter correctly answers, ¨the Christ¨(Mark 8:29). This shows the implantation of divine wisdom into a genuine insider.
In line with the strength of the insiders, Jesus reveals himself more fully in a Transfiguration to Peter, James, and John.
But soon the Apostles fail Jesus when they later argue about who is going to be greatest in the Kingdom of God. Jesus kindly rebukes that one must be like a pure insider, like a child, to enter most fully into God´s favor. Welcoming a child in Jesus name is one major key.
The Apostles again goof up and become closer to outsiders because they think they are the only people allowed to be in the real in. There is another man driving out demon´s in Jesus name, and the Apostles were jealous. Jesus reminds them that the Kingdom of God is larger than what man conceives.
Another sticking point revolved around the laws of marriage. Some of the Pharisees wanted to be able to divorce their ´unpleasing´ wives by twisting the Scripture. Jesus elaborates that it was only because of the hardness of your ancestors´ hearts that Moses permitted divorce. This division continues on about many different topics.
The denying of Christ three times by Peter is a sad, but humble reminder to all Christians about how easy it is to fall out of being on the inside.
The pinnacle of the Crucifixion story presents strikingly obvious signs of who is on what side along with less obvious asides, such as different guards seeing Jesus as Divine or Pontus Pilate ´washing´ the blood from his hands.
A wrap up of themes is well left in the hands of experts. Scholar Stephen Harris said,
¨From his mother and brothers to his most intimate followers, Mark portrays all of Jesus´ companions as oblivious to his real nature and/or the obstacles to his work. Mark´s Gospel consistently renders all of Jesus´ Palestinian associates as incredibly obtuse, unable to grasp his teachings, and blind to his value¨(Harris 129).
Since this seems true, how much more so does Jesus get frustrated with those that are clearly against Him. Mark shows that even those that were supposed to be on the inside, were often confused and left out in the dark.
Theologian R.T. France confirms this major thread of insider and outsider by citing a certain story as a general example of the whole Gospel.
He said,
Mark has told us of the enthusiastic and widespread popular response, and of the large crowds following Jesus, but he has also taken care to chart the beginning of suspicion and outright opposition, culminating in a decision to get rid of him¨(France 156).
The major question remaining is where one should stand in relation to Jesus. Being outside of his reach does not seem safe, but being within his grasp leads to radical living for which one must be prepared to be split from even one´s family. Inside or outside?
For the supposedly universal religion of Christianity, this type of dichotomy would be preposterous. Are not all people on the earth allowed into the gates of Heaven? This question is even more puzzling when one sees that throughout the entire life of Jesus, people were extremely divided on their association with the Son of Man. Those that were supposed to have been 'close' to God, were furthest from Jesus, and those unfortunate enough to be spat on by society were given extreme attention by God Incarnate.
This division of spirituality was not always clear and distinct. Fuzzy lines existed in the sand of Jesus time, and even today, Christians disagree with other Christians over who is really following Christ. The point of the matter is that the people in Jesus' life, in view of Mark, were separated by his presence into camps of insiders and outsiders, with some stragglers in between, showing two different themes: the Gospel has very different receptions depending on the nature of the soil and the tension between these groups drove Jesus to the very pinnacle of his life.
The beginning of Mark showcases the center stage of Jesus making his appearance in the world. The first key player is John the Baptist, who seems to be a complete insider, and yet, from other sources, seems to waver in his faith while in prison, going so far as to question whether Jesus was the Messiah they were all hoping for to rescue them. Jesus responds to this with Scripture that details the life of the Messiah, and Jesus tells the messenger's of John to report that God's word is being fulfilled among them even now.
The next show of contenders revolves around the Devil tempting Jesus in the wilderness. From the worldly, material viewpoint, Satan wants Jesus to cave into carnal needs, while Jesus views the goals of heaven and the spiritual realm as higher and to be upheld against lower needs. Jesus represents inside knowledge of the Kingdom of Heaven, while Satan, once an insider, chose to become an outsider.
The gathering together of Jesus insiders occurs when Jesus calls Simon, Andrew, James and John to leave their livelihoods. The key word is that they immediately drop all matters of earthly concern and follow after the leader of spiritual wisdom. A true calling from the Kingdom of God is evident in how ready the men are to become disciples.
Another showing of comparison between in and out is when a demon possessed man enters into a public area where Jesus had been teaching with authority, that had been amazing the people. Even when the people did not fully understand Jesus, the demon was out and about ready to say the truth of Jesus, but Jesus forbid him, for His time was not yet come.
The next incident has to do with an inbetween person. Simon´s mother-in-law is sick with a fever and Jesus heals her, but the reader does not know for sure if the mother is in the know or left out in the cold.
All to him lonesome self praying, Jesus is found and surrounded by people who want his attention. While Jesus is spending time alone on the inside with the Father, the people are worried about natural problems instead of higher spiritual yearnings.
The next scene involves the healing of a leper by Jesus. While the Son of Man told the once-leper to be quiet about his miracle and only go to the temple to show himself clean before God, the man blows steam all over the place and everyone finds out and Jesus has to leave the area.
The next feud takes place over the healing of a paralytic. Jesus heals the man by saying ¨Your sins are forgiven.¨ At this, the teachers of the law exclaim that Jesus is blaspheming because only God has the ability to forgive sins. Jesus replies with the question of which is either to say: ¨Your sins are forgiven, or get up, take your mat, and walk.¨” This division between those that claim to speak for God and the one who is actually God speaking is quite striking.
The next series involves a discussion of who Jesus eats with and why. The main character, other than Jesus, is Levi, a tax collector who has been called to be a follower of Jesus. In the time of Jesus, tax collectors, along with prostitutes, the sick, and homeless, were thought of as lowly and sinners, not deserving of relating to the righteous. Jesus stirs the kettle by associating with those that religious society deems unworthy of attention. Jesus replies with his usual wit to some of the outsider Pharisees. ¨It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners¨(Mark 2:17)
A sequential occurrence takes place when Jesus heals a man on the Sabbath, causing the animosity of some of the religious leaders. These uppity gurus complain that the violation of working on the Sabbath is not to be broken, even at the cost of restoring life. Jesus comments elsewhere that man was not made for the Sabbath, but the Sabbath made for man to rest and rejuvenate, and worship God, and care for neighbors and enemies.
Another intriguing happening takes place when Jesus and his followers are all crowded into a room to the point where Jesus is not able to eat. Jesus' biological family thinks Jesus must be ¨out of his mind¨(Mark 3:21). This lack of understanding on the part of his earth family, the straggling outsiders, foreshadows a later saying of Jesus. He declares that in contrast to blood ties, ¨whoever does God´s will is my brother and sister and mother¨(Mark 3:35).
One of the defining parables of the whole book of Mark is the parable of the Sower and the Seed. This all inclusive symbolism sheds light on the ins and outs of the kingdom, literally. Sparing the well known details, most of the characters throughout the rest of the Gospel can be interpreted in some way through the lens of this story. In order to more easily fit people into this complex narrative, a continuum of ´in the Kingdom´ or ´out of the Kingdom´ is used, along with the category of fence-sitter or straggler.
In respect to space, an exponential amount of intruders and associates are seen throughout the middle part of Mark.
In brief:
The demon Legion is sent into a herd of pigs, causing the town people to decry Jesus because, thinking more of their spiritual welfare, Jesus did not over worry at their ruined physical livelihood.
Jesus also finds that the people in his hometown of Nazareth have weak faith. Even though they see the power of his authority, they complain that this man can be know greater than us because we know his mother and carpenter father, whereas one of true power is just supposed to appear out of nowhere.
An infamous outsider is King Herod, who goes against common sense and gives into his oath of giving the daughter of Herodias John the Baptist´s head on a platter, instead of saving life and going back on his word, as Jesus would have called an insider to do.
In chapter seven, Jesus also calls out many leaders for following the vain traditions of men, keeping the outside of things clean, while neglecting inner purity.
After the breaking of the bread to feed the multitudes, Jesus warns the disciples to stay away from the yeast of the Pharisees and that of Herod. Failing to be in the inside and in the know, the disciples are confused as to what this means and discuss the subject among themselves. Jesus is even more frustrated that after he explains a bit more, they still do not understand.
A key moment of pride for the Apostle Peter is when Jesus asks him who He is and Peter correctly answers, ¨the Christ¨(Mark 8:29). This shows the implantation of divine wisdom into a genuine insider.
In line with the strength of the insiders, Jesus reveals himself more fully in a Transfiguration to Peter, James, and John.
But soon the Apostles fail Jesus when they later argue about who is going to be greatest in the Kingdom of God. Jesus kindly rebukes that one must be like a pure insider, like a child, to enter most fully into God´s favor. Welcoming a child in Jesus name is one major key.
The Apostles again goof up and become closer to outsiders because they think they are the only people allowed to be in the real in. There is another man driving out demon´s in Jesus name, and the Apostles were jealous. Jesus reminds them that the Kingdom of God is larger than what man conceives.
Another sticking point revolved around the laws of marriage. Some of the Pharisees wanted to be able to divorce their ´unpleasing´ wives by twisting the Scripture. Jesus elaborates that it was only because of the hardness of your ancestors´ hearts that Moses permitted divorce. This division continues on about many different topics.
The denying of Christ three times by Peter is a sad, but humble reminder to all Christians about how easy it is to fall out of being on the inside.
The pinnacle of the Crucifixion story presents strikingly obvious signs of who is on what side along with less obvious asides, such as different guards seeing Jesus as Divine or Pontus Pilate ´washing´ the blood from his hands.
A wrap up of themes is well left in the hands of experts. Scholar Stephen Harris said,
¨From his mother and brothers to his most intimate followers, Mark portrays all of Jesus´ companions as oblivious to his real nature and/or the obstacles to his work. Mark´s Gospel consistently renders all of Jesus´ Palestinian associates as incredibly obtuse, unable to grasp his teachings, and blind to his value¨(Harris 129).
Since this seems true, how much more so does Jesus get frustrated with those that are clearly against Him. Mark shows that even those that were supposed to be on the inside, were often confused and left out in the dark.
Theologian R.T. France confirms this major thread of insider and outsider by citing a certain story as a general example of the whole Gospel.
He said,
Mark has told us of the enthusiastic and widespread popular response, and of the large crowds following Jesus, but he has also taken care to chart the beginning of suspicion and outright opposition, culminating in a decision to get rid of him¨(France 156).
The major question remaining is where one should stand in relation to Jesus. Being outside of his reach does not seem safe, but being within his grasp leads to radical living for which one must be prepared to be split from even one´s family. Inside or outside?
Works Cited
France, R. T. The Gospel of Mark New International Commentary on the Greek Testament (New International Greek Testament Commentary). Boston: Wm. B. Eerdmans Company, 2002.
Harris, Stephen L. The New Testament: A Student´s Introduction. New York: McGraw Hill, 2009.
NIV rainbow study Bible Holy Bible, New International Version. El Reno, OK: Rainbow Studies, 1992.
France, R. T. The Gospel of Mark New International Commentary on the Greek Testament (New International Greek Testament Commentary). Boston: Wm. B. Eerdmans Company, 2002.
Harris, Stephen L. The New Testament: A Student´s Introduction. New York: McGraw Hill, 2009.
NIV rainbow study Bible Holy Bible, New International Version. El Reno, OK: Rainbow Studies, 1992.
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