MARK'S ARRANGEMENT OF THE TRADITIONS CONCERNING JESUS

MARK

First half:   Chapters 1-8

This half of the Gospel contains miracle stories and Jesus' parables. The second half has Jesus plain teaching by contrtast with parables and no miracles, with a couple of exceptions that are really not just miracles!

The theme of the first half is: The blindness of Pharisees, Jesus’ own family and countrymen, and even the inner circle of his disciples. This is arranged in three sequences as follows:

Preface:  1: 1-13    Mark declares is hand: this is the good news of Jesus, the Son of God.

Jesus activity            1:14-15                  3:7-11                          6:5b

(NB v.14 John arrested)

Jesus calls/sends     1:16-20                  3:12-19                       6:7-13

                                                                                                 The 12 are sent out

                                                                                                             6:14-29

                                                                                                         Execution of

                                                                                                      John the Baptist

                                                                                                             6:30-33

                                                                                                        The 12 return

1:21-45                                                     3:20-35                          6:34-56

(NB v.22)                                                (NB v.23a)                      Feeding (5000)

Authority                                                Beelzebul

2:1-3:5                                                     4:1-34                              7:1-37

(NB 3:2)                                                  (NB 11,13,34)                (NB v.17-18)

Controversy                                           Why parables?               Syro-Phoenecian

                                                                                                               woman

                                                                                                              8:1-13

                                                                                                             Feeding (4000)

Jesus rejected 3:6                                   6:1-5a                            8:14-21

Pharisees                                       Family and                    Disciples

                                                   Countrymen      

             (NB 4:12; 6:52)

                                                                                                              8:22-26

                                                                                                             A miracle of sight

                                                                                                            The Blind man

                                                                                                             who sees by

                                                                                                             stages. (just as

                                                                                                              the  point of the

                                                                                                              parables is

                                                                                                              perceived by

                                                                                                              stages)

MARK

Second half: Chapters 9-16

 The theme is: Blindness, sight and true discipleship

Blindness of Peter            8:27-30 

Passion Predictions         8:31                       9:31                     10:32-34

                                            NB 8:32a                   

Misunderstandings          8:32b-33             9:33-4                  10:35-7

                                      Peter              James/John      Others on           

                                                                               the road

True discipleship              8:34-9:1              9:35-10:31           10:38-45

Two miracles?                   9:2-29                                                   10:46-52

                                       Transfiguration                             Blind Bartimaeus

                                      God’s beloved Son                                Paradigm of the

                                            ‘Hear him’                                         True Disciple

                                         Epileptic boy                                   who follows Jesus

                                         Prayer to God                                       ‘on the way’

                                                                                                           11:1-15-39

                                                                                              The way of the Cross

The way of the Cross

God’s purpose for the nations                                                     11:12-21

                                                                                       Fig Tree/Temple/Fig tree

                                                                                        NB 11:17 – the meat in 

                                                                                                            the sandwich

A parable (? )          The king who sent servants who were

                             mistreated, who then sent his Son              12:1-12

The nations inherit the vineyard                                                 12:9-12

Nations hear the Gospel before the End                                      13:8

The first Gentile Confessor          The Roman Soldier               15:39

                                                                                                  ‘Truly this was the

                                                                                                       Son of God’

(but anticipated by 7:24-30       The Syro-Phoenecian

                                            (Greek) woman           ‘even foreigners

                                                                                                         eat the crumbs’

The Empty Tomb     ‘Go into Galilee’                                             16:1-8