LIBRARY
OF THE
UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA.
CONSTRUCTIVE BIBLE STUDIES
EDITED BY
WILLIAM R. HARPER AND ERNEST D. BURTON
STUDIES IN THE GOSPEL
ACCORDING TO MARK
ERNEST DE WITT BURTON
Copyright by The Bible Study Publishing Co.
^i lo}e. /VT. rt^k ^Ew^d.L.
Studies in the Gospel
According to Mark
FOR THE USE OF CLASSES IN SECOND-
ARY SCHOOLS AND IN THE SECONDARY
DIVISION OF THE SUNDAY SCHOOL
BY
ERNEST DEWITT BURTON
PEOFESSOE IN THE
UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO
*
Constructive Bible Studies
secondary series
^ OF THE
V
I'N/VERS/TY
or
TY j
CHICAGO
THE UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO PRESS
1904
Copyright 1904
The University of Chicago
TABLE OF CONTENTS p^^E
A Foreword to the Pupil - - - - - xiii
Preface: To the Teacher xvii
The Title of the Gospel ------ 1
Section I. The Preaching of John the Baptist,
1:1-8 ------- 3
Section II. The Baptism of Jesus, 1:Q-11 - - 7
Section III. The Temptation in the Wilderness,
1:12,13 ------ 9
Section IV. Jesus Begins Preaching in Galilee,
1:14,15 - - - - - - 11
Section V. The Call of the Four Fishermen,
1:16-20 ------ 13
Section VI. A Sabbath in Capernaum, 1:21-34 - 15
Section VII. A Preaching Tour in Galilee, 1:35-45 19
Section VIII. A Paralytic Healed 2:1-12 - - 23
Section IX. The Call of Levi, 2:13-17 ' - - 27
Section X. Jesus' Answer to a Question con-
cerning Fasting, 2:18-22 - - - 29
Section XI. Plucking Grain on the Sabbath,
2:23-28 - - . - - 32
Section XII. A Withered Hand Healed on the
Sabbath, 3:1-6 ----- 35
Section XIII. The Widespread Fame of Jesus,
3:7-12 - - - - - - 38
Section XIV. The Choosing of the Twelve, 3: 13-19 40
Section XV. Concerning Eternal Sin, 3:20-30 - 42
Section XVI. Natural and Spiritual Kinsmen,
3:31-35 ------ 45
vii
127fif)5
viii Studies in the Gospel of Maek
Section XVII.
Section XVIII.
Section XIX.
Section XX.
Section XXI.
Section XXII.
Section XXIII.
Section XXIV.
Section XXV.
Section XXVI.
Section XXVII.
Section XXVIII.
Section XXIX.
Section XXX.
Section XXXI.
Section XXXII.
Section XXXI : I.
Section XXXIV.
Section XXXV.
The Parables of the Kingdom's
Growth, 4:1-34 - - - -
Stilling of the Tempest, 4:35-41
The Gerasene Demoniac, 5:1-20
Jairus's Daughter Raised to
Life, 5:21-43 - . - .
The Rejection at Nazareth, 6: 1-6
The Sending out of the Twelve,
6:7-29- - - - - .
The Feeding of the Five Thou-
sand, 6:30-46 - - - .
Jesus Walking on the Sea,
6:47-52 . - - . .
Many Healed in Galilee, 6:53-56
On Eating with Unwashen
Hands, 7:1-23 - - ^ -
The Syro-Phoenician Woman's
Daughter, 7:24-30 -
The Deaf and Dumb Man
Healed, 7:31-37
The Feeding of the Four Thou-
sand, 8:1-10 - . . -
Pharisees Demanding a Sign
from Heaven, 8:11-21
A Blind Man Healed near Beth-
saida, 8:22-26 . - - -
Peter's Confession of Jesus'
Messiahship, 8:27-30
Jesus' Prediction of his Death
and Resurrection, 8:31—9:1
The Transfiguration, 9:2-13 -
The Demoniac Eoy Healed,
9:14-29 - - . - -
47
00
02
67
72
75
81
85
87
89
96
101
103
106
108
111
117
120
Tab
Section
XXXVI.
Section
XXXVII.
Section I
KXXVIII.
Section
XXXIX.
Section
XL.
Section
XLI.
Section
XLII.
Section
XLIII.
Section
XLIV.
Section
XLV.
Section
XL VI.
Section
XLVII.
Section
XLVIII.
Section
XLIX.
Section
L.
Section
LI.
Section
LII.
LE OF Contents ix
Jesus again Foretells his
Death and Resurrection, 9:30-
32 ------ 123
The Ambition and Jealousy of
the Disciples Reproved, 9: a3-50 124
Departure from Galilee 10:1 - 132
Concerning Divorce, 10: 2-12 - laS
Blessing Little Children, 10: 13-
16 ------ 136
The Rich Young Man, 10: 17-31 138
Jesus' Announcement of his
Crucifixion, 10: 32-31 - - 143
The Ambition of James and
John Reproved, 10:35-45- - 145
The Blind Man near Jericho
Healed, 10:46-52 - - , - 148
The Triumphal Entry, 11:1-11 150
The Cursing of the Fig Tree,
11:12-14 ----- 154
The Cleansing of the Temple,
11:15-19 ----- 156
Comment on the Withered Fig
Tree, 11:20-25 - - - - 159
Christ's Authority Challenged,
11:27-33 - - - - - 161
The Parable of the Vineyard,
12:1-12 ----- 163
Three Questions by the Jewish
Rulers, 12:13-34 ■ - - 166
Jesus' Question concerning
David's Son, 12:35-37 - - 174
Studies in the Gospel of Mark
Section
Section
Section
Section
Section
Section
Section
Section
Section
Section
Section
Section
Section
Section
LIII.
Warning against the Scribes,
12:38-40 - - . _ .
LIV. The Widow's Two Mites, 12: 41-44
LV. The Prophetic Discourse con-
cerning the Downfall of the Tem-
ple and the City, chap. 13 -
LVI. The Plot of the Jews, 14 : 1, 2
LVII. The Anointing in the House of
Simon the Leper, 14:3-9
LVIII.
LIX.
LX.
LXI.
LXII.
LXIII.
LXIV.
LXV.
LXVI.
The Bargain with Judas, 14: 10, 11
The Last Passover of Jesus and
his Disciples, 14: 12-26
Prediction of Peter's Denial,
14:27-31 - - . - -
Section LXVII.
Section LXVIIL
The Agony in Gethsemane, 14:
32-42
The Betrayal and Arrest, 14:43-52
The Trial before the Jewish
Authorities, 14:53-65 -
The Denials of Peter, 14 : 66-72 -
The Trial before Pilate, 15:1-20 -
The Crucifixion and the Death
of Jesus, 15:21-41
The Burial, 15:42-47 -
The Resurrection of Jesus, 16: 1-8
Section
LXIX. Appendix : Summary of the Ap-
pearances of Jesus, 16:9-20
176
177
179
187
188
190
191
195
196
200
202
206
208
213
217
220
222
225
Review Questions on the Whole Gospel -
Analysis op the Gospel ------ 231
Dictionary of Words Used in the Gospel - - 235
TABLE OF MAPS
Map of Palestine Frontispiece
Map op the Sea op Galilee - - - opposite 60
Map op Jerusalem and the Roads to Bethany - 151
Plan of the Temple ------- 157
' ^ or THE \
v:
A FOREWORD TO THE PUPIL
This little book has been prepared and pub-
lished with a twofold purpose: first, to help you,
through the study of the Gospel of Mark, to ac-
quire a knowledge of the life of Jesus and to come
into sympathetic acquaintance with him ; and,
secondly, to help you to form the habit of coming
to all the books of the Bible with the question:
What does it mean ? These two purposes will not
at all conflict with one another, but each will help
to fulfil the other. Every book is the expression
of the thought of some person or persons. That
thought is the meaning of the book. If that
meaning is good and valuable, the book is good
and valuable. If we are to get from the book
that in it which is good and valuable, we must find
out its meaning. Having found this meaning we
must, if we would gain the largest good from the
book, lodge it in our minds, make it our own, that
when we find ourselves in those circumstances to
which this truth is applicable, it may be at hand,
a guiding influence to shape our conduct and mold
our lives.
How to find the meaning of the Gospel of
Mark, section by section, and finally as a whole,
this book will try to show you. But one or two
things may well be emphasized at the outset.
xiv The Gospel according to Mark
First, begin your study of each section — the
teacher will indicate how many sections are to be
studied for a given lesson — by reading the Scrip-
ture text of the section through attentively, mak-
ing it your aim to discover as fully as possible the
thought of the writer, or of the speaker whose
words he records. Attentive reading will give you
much of the thought of the passage.
Secondly, if there are in the section any words
or phrases the meaning of which you do not know,
or the reference of which you do not understand,
look up these words or phrases in the Dictionary
at the end of the volume. Then read the section
again to see if, with the meaning and reference of
these words in mind, the meaning of the passage
is clear to you.
Thirdly, if the meaning is still not wholly clear
to you, try to frame a definite question which will
express what you need to know in order to grasp
the whole meaning of the passage, and then look
through the Explanatory Notes on the section,
and see if these notes will furnish you the needed
information. If you still lack something of a clear
understanding of the passage, write down your
question and refer it to your teacher, or some
other person who is competent to answer it.
Fourthly, with these questions answered as
fully as you can answer them before going to the
class^ read the passage attentively again, storing
A Foreword to the Pupil xv
its words and meaning in yonr memory, and think-
ing them over, so that you may gain from them
whatever of helpfulness and suggestiveness they
may have for you.
Fifthly, turn to the questions and answer them
one by one, writing out the answers to those that
are marked with *. Always use paper of the
same size for these answers ; write at the head of
the sheet the number of the section and the Scrip-
ture reference as given in the book, the date of the
Sunday when you are to hand in the paper, and
your name. These papers are to be handed to the
teacher, who will correct them and return them to
you the following Sunday. When you receive
them back, look carefully over the corrections, and
then' put the papers away in a safe place. A large
envelope properly labeled will be useful for pre-
S3rving them. Or you may copy them, incorpo-
rating the corrections, in a blank book, placing the
section number and the Scripture reference at the
top of each group of answers. Give special atten-
tion to the review questions, that you may bind
together the results of your study of the separate.
sections, and so at the end of your work have a
good understanding of the book as a whole.
It is my earnest hope, as I am sure it will be
that of your teacher, that the pupils who use
this book will grasp by diligent study the
thought of the Gospel, and by keeping toward
xvi The Gospel according to Mark
all that they thus learn an open and sensitive mind
will acquire a good knowledge of the life of Jesus,
a true acquaintance with him, and a sincere love
for him.
PKEFACE
TO THE TEACHER
Several years ago, being unable to find for a
class of pupils in a Sunday school of whose
instruction I had the general oversight precisely
the kind of lessons which both the teacher of the
class and I myself felt they ought to have, I under-
took to prepare lessons for them week by week on
the Gospel of Mark. Subsequently the same
lessons were used in another class, and both
teachers gave me the benefit of their criticisms.
The work of revising the lessons thus prepared,
completing them, and preparing them for the
press has been carried forward, chiefly in the
interstices of severer labor, for several years, and
they are now published in the hope that they may fill
a place of usefulness in the teaching of the Bible.
The editors of the series in which this volume
appears hold the firm conviction that the Sunday
school should have a curriculum of study, based
on thorough knowledge of the Bible and intelligent
understanding of the principles of teaching. Such
a curriculum will, in the nature of the case, be
graded both with respect to the Scripture material
employed in its successive years and in respect to
the method of using this material. The Epistle
to the Ephesians cannot profitably be employed in
xvii
xviii The Gospel according to Mark
teaching children six or seven years old, nor are
children of that age ready for broad historical
generalizations.
Though well aware that experience is likely to
call for modification of any curriculum that, with
the limited experiments that have yet been made
in Sunday-school teaching under a graded curricu-
lum, can now be framed, the plan which has
most commended itself to the editors of this series,
as a working scheme on which to undertake the
preparation of the text- books for such a curricu-
lum, is the following:
I. THE ELEMENTARY DIVISION
The Kindergarten. — Elementary moral and reli-
gious truths conveyed through the medium of the simple
story, and made real to the child by his having imme-
diate opportunity to express in play or picture-work his
idea of the truths presented to him.
Grades 1-3. — Stories and verses from the Bible,
with free use of pictures for purposes of illustration.
Grade 4. — The books of the Bible: an elementary
course in Biblical Introduction intended to give the
pupils a true conception of the Bible as a collection of
religious books of varied literary form and specific pur-
pose, including reading of appointed portions and the
memorizing of selected passages. Such a course should,
availing itself of the narrative character of much of the
Biblical literature, and of the historical setting of that
which is not narrative in character, cast its instruction
very largely in story-form, and so adapt it to the stage
Preface: To the Teacher xix
of intellectual development which the pupils for which
it is intended have reached.
Grades 5-1. — Biblical biography, including the
lives of Old Testament heroes, of Jesus, and of the
II. the secondary division
Grades 8-10. — Studies of separate books of the
Bible ; e. g., the Gospel of Mark and the Epistle to the
Philippians ; the first book of Samuel, and one or more
of the Minor Prophets.
Grades 11-14. — Biblical history, including both
events and teaching : a year and a half on Old Testa-
ment history, a year and a half on the life of Christ,
and a year on the apostolic age.
III. THE ADULT DIVISION
Elective courses.
The present book falls under Division II. It
is intended for classes of the eighth to tenth
grades, and for pupils of a similar degree of ad-
vancement in academies and other schools in
which instruction in the Bible is given, or in the
home. In the preceding stages of the curricu-
lum, as marked out above, the unit of instruction,
so to speak, is at first the story, lodged in the
child's quick and retentive memory, and made the
vehicle of religious instruction. Thus far he knows
the Bible only in detached fragments, and his
horizon is in each case limited to the single nar-
XX The Gospel according to Mark
rative. Next he is given (in the fourth grade) a
bird's-eye view of the whole Bible, and gains
some impression of the richness and variety of its
contents. Then the life-story of an individual is
made the unit of study, and for a period of three
years, in a series of simple biographical studies,
the pupil makes the acquaintance of the great
men of the Bible. He is presently to pass to a
constructive study of Biblical History in its suc-
cessive periods, in which the books of the Bible
are to be the sources for such constructive histori-
cal work. As the stepping-stone to this historical
study in which the pupil shall build up the great
history of divine revelation through prophets,
Christ, and apostles, this book, and pthers of a
similar kind which it is hoped will follow it, take
each a single book of the Bible as the unit, and
seek to find out its meaning.
Two specific purposes have been kept con-
stantly in mind in the preparation of this volume.
From the intellectual point of view, the aim has
been to train the pupils in the proper way of ap-
proaching and using a book of the Bible; in
short, to teach them in a simple and practical way
the art of interpretation as applied to such books
as those of the Bible. By no means losing sight
of the religious aim which must pervade all Bible
study in the Sunday school, I have endeavored to
promote the achievement of that end by joining
Preface: To the Teacher xxi
with it in this particular book the intellectual
purpose to illustrate, and by illustrating to teach,
the art of interpretation. The importance of this
has been, in my judgment, too little recognized
in Sunday-school work. Rightly emphasizing the
importance of making moral and religious impres-
sions, yet impatient to make such impressions at
once, we have overlooked the fact that it is pre-
cisely the facts and truths of the Scripture by
which these impressions are to be made, and that
these facts and truths are reached only by inter-
pretation. For interpretation is simply the process
of discovering the meaning of things ; as applied
to a book, the discovery of the thought of the
writer of that book. The conviction that to help
the pupils in our Sunday schools to acquire the
interpretative attitude toward the books of the
Bible would be to render to them a most valuable
service, has controlled my work from beginning
to end.
But the book has a specific religious purpose
also, not divorced from its intellectual aim, but
inseparably associated with it. For in the very
process of learning to interpret the Gospel of
Mark the pupils will at the same time acquire a
thorough knowledge of one of those books which
tell th e stor j_of_th^ b'fA and wnr k n f Jf^ pmi on
earth. And than this there is, in the hands of
an intelligent and spiritually sympathetic teacher,
xxii The Gospel aooording to Mark
no more effective means of bringing the pupil
into real acquaintance with Jesus and leading
him to become a true disciple of Jesus. Pupils
of the age for which this book is intended are
precisely at that stage of development in which
biography — the life o f the ind ividual— makes its
appeal to'them. And of all biographies there is
none more calculated to lead one to enter upon a
true religious life than that of Jesus. The com-
parison of the different gospels, and the construc-
tion from them as sources of a connected life of
Jesus, related, on the one hand, to the history of
the Jews and of Old Testament revelation, and
constituting, on the other hand, the first chapter
in the history of Christianity, is a task for some-
what more mature minds. But the study of the
life of Jesus — his deeds, his words, his character,
as they appear in the simplest oF the gospels —
is precisely adapted to meet the needs^f boys a nd
girls from twelve to fifteen jears^_age, and to
exert upon them the religious influence most cal-
culated to lead them into a genuinely Christian
life.
The Questions, though the last portion of the
material under each section to be used in the study
of that section, are, after the text of the Gospel
itself, the center of the book. Though no classi-
fication of them has been introduced, both because
I wished to make the structure of the book as
Preface: To the Teacher xxiii
simple as possible, and because the classification
would be of no special benefit to the pupil, they
fall in my own mind into three classes — questions
of attention, questions of investigation, questions
of refiection and application.
Much of the meaning which it is the business
of interpretation to find can be gained even by
young pupils simply by giving attention to what
stands written on the page. And the teacher who
seeks to teach interpretatively must ask many
questions which the pupil can answer by simply
giving attention to the text before him.
But not all the meaning of a book will for every
reader yield itself to mere attention. To attention
must be added investigation. Many questions are
asked in this book which a pupil twelve years of
age cannot answer by looking at the text, however
attentively. The Gospel of Mark does not tell
where all the cities which it mentions are located,
nor give the meaning of all the words that it uses,
such as "forgiveness," "life," "Pharisees." How
is the pupil to obtain the answers to these ques-
tions ? In so far as they pertain to the meanings
of words, a dictionary of the proper sort will
furnish the answer. And just because, on the one
hand, searching for these w^ords in a dictionary
slowly lodges in the pupil's mind the thought that
he is looking for meanings^ and, on the other, most
pupils of the Sunday school do not possess the
xxiv The Gospel accoeding to Mark
kind of a dictionary which is needed for the study
of this Gospel, this book contains a Dictionary,
which undertakes briefly to define or explain those
words of the Gospel which it may be supposed the
pupil may not understand without such help. To
direct the pupil's attention to the Dictionary and
to cultivate the habit of using it, the words defined
or explained are marked where they occur in the
notes or questions with a f. The teacher is urged
to insist upon the pupil looking up all such words
in the Dictionary and fixing in mind the meaning
of such words as are there defined, and the main
facts about the persons and places there described.
Indeed, the teacher should do what the book
cannot well do — teach the pupil to form the habit
of referring to the Dictionary to define or explain
all words of which, on his first attentive reading of
the text, he finds that he does not know the
meaning or reference.
But not all the information which a young
student needs consists in definitions of words or
facts concerning persons or places mentioned in
the Gospel. The necessary further information I
have endeavored to supply in the Explanatory
Notes. The pupil should be taught not to make
these his first resource for the discovering of the
meaning of the passage, but to turn to them only
when neither his own powers of attention nor the
help of the Dictionary give him the key to the
Preface: To the Teacher xxv
meaning of the passage under study. Used in
this way they will also serve the purpose of sug-
gesting to him matters that he may have so
entirely overlooked as not even to have raised a
question concerning them. Above all, let not the
teacher fall into the mistake, or allow the pupil to
commit the error, of thinking that the study of
the Explanatory Notes is the study of the Gospel.
It is the meaning of the Gospel, the thought of
the writer, that is to be sought. The Notes are
merely a last resource to assist in the achievement
of this end.
But not even thus is our whole purpose in
studying the Gospel attained. Were it so, ques-
tions of attention and investigation would be the
only ones called for. But that the results of
interpretation may really be appropriated by the
student, made a part of his mental possession
valuable for his moral development, he needs to
reflect upon the facts and truths which interpreta-
tion gives him, and to consider how these truths
concern him. And so there have been included,
though without any special label, questions in-
tended to lead to such reflection and to suggest
such applications.
The Review Questions do not differ materially
in aim from those which pertain to the separate
sections; they simply deal with the Gospel in
larger portions and finally with the whole book.
xxvi The Gospel accoeding to Mark
For true interpretation does not leave the book as
a series of detached pieces, but, while breaking it
into parts for study, seeks to bind them all
together again into the unity which the book con-
stituted in the mind of the author.
The Foreword to the pupil suggests how he
should prepare his lesson. The teacher may
profitably follow substantially the same method
in the preparation of the weekly or daily lesson.
He will do well, however, to prepare himself for
the work as a whole by making himself familiar
with the history of the Jewish people in the days
of Jesus, that he may read the Gospel against the
background of the times in which he lived, and to
gain a larger knowlege of the Gospel of Mark
than can be had by preparing the lesson week by
week or day by day. For the former purpose
he will find Seidel, In the Time of Jesus^ or
Mathews, History of New Testament Times, use-
ful helps. One or both should, if possible, be
read through before beginning to teach the pre-
sent book. To gain the needful acquaintance with
the Gospel, it should be read through repeatedly
before beginning to teach it. Further help in
the direction may also be gained by reading an
"Introduction" to the Gospel, such as may be
found in JBukton, A Short Introduction to the
Gospels, or the appropriate chapters in Luckock,
Special Characteristics of the Four Gospels.
Preface: To the Teacher xxvii
It scarcely needs to be said, but it is of the high-
est importance for the teacher to remember, that
to his study of the Scripture, he should add sym-
pathetic study of his pupils and a thoughtful con-
sideration of the question how he can so bring
the thought of the Gospel before his pupils that
it shall help them to understand the life and
teachings of Jesus and lead them to love and trust
him as their Master.
The class exercise may consist in the practical
repetition of the process of study, with the excep-
tion of the writing of answers to the Questions, or
may be devoted to reading the text, asking the
questions, and discussing the pupil's answers.
The teacher who has prepared himself to teach
in the spirit described above will, not lack for
opportunities to make his teaching religiously im-
pressive. Often perhaps he will let the deed or
teaching of Jesus make its own impression, yet
he should always be alert to respond to the
pupil's question or suggestion, and when opportu-
nity favors, to deepen by a sympathetic and judi-
cious word the effect of the Scripture on the pupil's
mind. If the pupils have difficulty at first in
grasping the method of study, it would certainly
be wise to devote the class hour for a few Sundays
to the study of the lesson, pupil and teacher to-
gether, the teacher having first made sure that he
himself has learned the method.
xxviii The Gospel according to Mark
The pupil's written answers should be handed
to the teacher, who will carefully correct them at
home, corrections and suggestions being made in
writing, and the papers returned to the pupil the
following Sunday.
Of the points already spoken of, three seem to
the writer of sufficient importance to call for an
additional word of emphasis, and suggestion to
the teacher. First, do not let the study of the
Notes displace, in the mind of the pupil or in
practice, the study of the Gospel itself. Cultivate
the habit of attentive reading of the Scripture as
the beginning and basis of all the work done on
the lesson, use the questions to stimulate attention
and start investigation, the Dictionary and Notes
to furnish answers to the Questions which atten-
tion alone cannot answer. Secondly, do not lose
sight of the interpretative nature of your work.
Your ultimate aim is the moral and religious well-
being of the pupil; but you are to achieve this by
bringing the truth before his mind, and that truth
is to be reached by interpretation of the Gospel
and to become effective by reflection. The teacher
need not, probably ought not to, say much to his
pupil about interpretation, but he will accomplish
his best work for the pupil if he keeps his own
ideals clearly before his mind, and seeks also by
example more than by precept slowly to train the
pupil to take the interpretative attitude. Tiiirdly,
Preface: To the Teacher xxix
do not neglect the pupil's written work. The
writing of answers to a few well-selected questions
each week furnishes the pupil a definite task and
gives definiteness to the results of his study. The
study of the answers by the teacher will help in
the important task of understanding his pupil,
gaining his point of view, gauging his mental
progress; and judicious written criticisms on his
answers will stimulate the pupil to make constant
improvement. It is well to encourage the pupil
to hand in his work on sheets of uniform size, and
to preserve the corrected papers with the book
itself; or, perhaps better still, to write out the
answers after correction in a book provided for
the purpose, and preserved with the text-book as
a record of a real piece of Bible-study on his part.
This will still further cultivate the feeling on the
part of the pupil that he is doing work that is to
be of permanent value to him, and tend to make
it such.
The length of the lesson to be assigned is left
to each teacher to decide. The Gospel is divided
into such sections as seem to represent the divi-
sions which the gospel-writer himself intended to
make. The structure of the Gospel is indi-
cated more completely in the Analysis printed on
pp. 231-34. Each teacher must decide each week
how many sections his pupils can successfully study.
With the consent and approval of the Uni-
XXX The Gospel according to Mark
versity Presses of Oxford and Cambridge, pub-
lishers of the Kevised Version of 1881, and owners
of the copyright in the British Dominions, the
text of th^t version of the gospel of Mark has been
employed in this book. It is reprinted without
change, save that, the better to adapt the book for
the use of those for whom it is intended, some of
the more technical of the marginal readings have
been omitted, and a few, of a simpler kind, added,
and that in one or two instances the division of
the text into paragraphs has been modified.
In the earnest hope that this book may contrib-
ute somewhat at the same time to the cultivation
of the habit of searching for and finding the
meaning of the books of the Bible, to a true
knowledge of the life of Jesus, and to a sincere
faith in him, this book is offered to my colleagues
in the teaching of the Bible, especially in the
Sunday school.
V0R ARp
^ OF THE
wN»V£RSlTY
THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO S. MARK
EXPLANATORY NOTES
"The Gospel according to S. Mark": These words were
not, of course, written by the author of the book, and are
no real part of it. Copyists who in ancient times tran-
scribed the book, knowing that it was commonly ascribed to
Mark, placed at the top of the page the words "According
to Mark," and those who in later times copied the Gospel
followed the example of these ancient scribes, but some-
what enlarged the ancient title, writing it, "The Gospel
according to Mark." The form found in the English
Revised Version (from which the title at the top of our page
is taken\ "The Gospel according to S. Mark" (S. stands
for Saint), comes down from the earlier English versions.
The American Revised Version places the words " The
Gospel" before all the gospels as a common title covering
them all, and at the beginning of the several gospels uses
th3 old short title, "According to Matthew," "According to
Mark,'-' etc. The phrase " according to Mark " means " as
told by Mark." "Mark" undoubtedly refers to the John
Mark spoken of in the New Testament (Acts 1212, 13 5, 13;
Col. 4 10; Philem. 24; 1 Pet. 5 13; 2 Tim. 4 H). The title "The
Gospel according to Mark " describes the contents of the
book as the good news (aboufTTesus) as told by Mark; or,
as we should perhaps say, MarTi's version of the gospel
story. Before we take up the study of the book itself, it
will be well to learn something about Mark, and how he
learned the story of Jesus' life. The expression used by
Peter in 1 Pet. 513, "my son," probably means that Mark
became a Christian under Peter's influence. Besides the
passages cited above, which the student should look up and
examine, there is a tradition, repeated in slightly diflferent
1
2 The Gospel according to Mark
form by various Christian writers of the second century
and later, that Mark wrote his gospel under the influence
of Peter, obtaining the facts chiefly from him.
QUESTIONS
(1)* Whose name stands at the head of our second
gospel? (2) Who first placed it there? (3)* What
does the phrase "The Gospel according to Mark"
mean ? (4) Does the author give his name in the book
itself ? (5) How did those who were responsible for put-
ting the name of Mark on this book get their informa-
tion? (6) What books of the New Testament contain
the name of the author? (7) The Mark who wrote this
gospel being undoubtedly the one mentioned in the New
Testament, what do Acts 12 12 and Col. 4 10 show about
his home, family, and full name? (8) What is the first
Christian work that we know of his doing? See Acts
13 5' 1'^ (9) Was Mark ever associated with Paul again?
See Col. 410, Philem. ^K (10) With what other apostle
was Mark also associated? See 1 Peter 5 13. (H) What
does Peter mean by calling him his son? (12) What is
the latest mention of Mark in the New Testament ? See
2 Tim. 4 11. (13) In view of these facts, is it probable
or improbable that the ancient tradition that Mark
wrote his gospel under the influence of Peter, that is,
got his facts from Peter, is correct? (14)* From the
passages cited above (Acts 12 ^'^, etc.) write a sketch of
the life of John Mark.
* For the meaning of this sign prefixed to the questions, and of t
attached to words in the notes, see the Foreword to the Pupil, p. xiii,
and the Preface, p. xxii.
SECTION I
THE PREACHING OF JOHN THE BAPTIST, 1 : 1-8
1 The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ,
HheSonofGod. \,^TuscHpir*
2 Even as it is written in Isaiah the prophet, ITood^
Behold, I send my messenger before thy face,
Who shall prepare thy way ;
EXPLANATORY NOTES
Vs. 1, "the beginning of the gospel "f: The word
" gospel " as here used refers especially to the facts of
Jesus' life which are good news to men. In Mark's mind
the gospel-story begins with the public work of John the
Baptist and Jesus' entry on his ministry. Compare what
Peter says. Acts 122, about the facts which an apostle
needed to know of his own knowledge. See also Acts
10 37. Matthew and Luke, writing a little later than
Mark, include the story of Jesus' birth. "Of Jesus
Christ": i. e., concerning him; he is the subject of the
good news. " The Son of God": The first line of the gos-
pel tells whom Mark believes Jesus to be and expresses his
faith in him. Vs. 2, "in Isaiah the prophet": The first
part of the quotation, the remainder of this verse, is really
from Mai. 31; the quotation from Isaiah (403) begins with
vs. 3. Mark combines the two quotations which so aptly
describe the mission of John the Baptist. In the passage
from Malachi, the prophet, addressing a people who pro-
fess to be very anxious for the coming of the Lord, says
that God will send his messenger before him to prepare the
way for him, and then he himself will speedily come, but
for judgment. In Isa. 40 3 the prophet predicts the return
of Israel from captivity in the poetic announcement that
3
4 The Gospel according to Mark
The voice of one crying in the wilderness,
Make ye ready the way of the Lord,
Make his paths straight;
John came, who baptized in the wilderness and
Forgiveness preached the baptism of repentance unto ^remis-
sion of sins. And there went out unto him all the
country of Judsea, and all they of Jerusalem ; and
they were baptized of him in the river Jordan,
Jehovah is coming home to his land. In dramatic language
he represents himself as hearing a voice bidding men pre-
pare a road in the desert, a highway for our God. So, Mark
says, John is God's messenger who precedes the Christ in
whose person God comes ; he is a voice announcing the
coming of Jehovah. Vs. 4, "John came," etc.: This short
verse tells the place of John's work, the two parts of his
work, preaching and baptizing, the substance of his mes-
sage, and what his baptism stood for. "Baptism of re-
pentance": a baptism which expresses in outward act an
inward repentance.! " Unto remission^ of sins ": in order to
obtain forgiveness "j" of sins. It was because the baptism
expressed repentance that it secured forgiveness. Vs. 5,
"all the country of Judea": not of course literally all the
people, but multitudes of them. "Confessing their sins":
acknowledging that they had sinned. Vs. 6, "camel's
hair": a coarse cloth made of the long, coarse hair of the
camel; it was used also for making tents, and is still in use
in eastern countries. "Locusts": an insect much like a
grasshopper. "Wild honey": probably the honey of the
wild bee (c/. 1 Sam. 14 25, 26; Judg. 14 8). This description
shows that John was a poor man, and that he lived
apart from other men, having no need to visit the towns
for either food or clothing. Cf. Luke 180. Vs. 7, "there
Cometh after me he," etc.: John does not say who this is;
The Preaching of John
6 confessing their sins. And John was clothed
with camel's hair, and had a leathern girdle about
7 his loins, and did eat locusts and wild honey. And
he preached, saying, There cometh after me he
that is mightier than I, the Hatchet of whose shoes ^^ii^se^L
8 I am not worthy to stoop down and unloose. I
baptized you with water; but he shall baptize you
with the *Holy Ghost.
dala
4 Holy Spirit,
and so through-
out this book
he only describes him.
"Mightier than I": able
to do a kind of work
which I cannot do.
"Latchet of whose
shoes": better, thong
of whose sandals, i. e.,
the narrow strap by
which the sandals were
fastened on. Vs. 8,
"water .... Holy
Spirit": The one bap-
tism touches the body
and is the outward sign
of a spiritual fact; the
other actually reaches
the soul and accom
plishes a real result.
QUESTIONS
(1) What does the
word "gospel" mean?
(2)* In what sense is the gospel told in this book the
gospel of Jesus Christ? (3) What makes this story a
JOHN THE BAPTIST, AS PAINTED
BY ANDREA DEL SARTO
6 The Gospel according to Mark
gospel (good news) ? (4)* With what event does Mark
regard the gospel-story as beginning? (5) How does
this agree with Peter's thought expressed in Acts 1 21, 22.
10 37? (6)* With what does Matthew begin his gos-
pel? (7)* With what does Luke begin his? (8)* With
what does John begin his ? (9) What title does Mark
add to the name of Jesus ? (10) What title is added in
the beginning of Matthew? (11) From what books of
the Old Testament are the passages in vss. 2, 3 quoted ?
(12) Look up these passages (Isa. 40 ^ and Mai. 3^)
and tell what they mean in their original connection.
(13) To whom are they applied by Mark, and how do
they describe him? (14)* Where did John preach?
(15)* What was the subject of his preaching? (16)*
What is repentance? (17) Why is John's baptism
called a baptism of repentance? (18) With what was
the baptism accompanied (vs. 5)? (19) What were they
to obtain who repented and received baptism? (20)
How many people came to John to be baptized? (21)*
What is the exact meaning of "camel's hair"? of
"locusts"? of "wild honey"? (22) Why, do you sup-
pose, did John adopt this way of living? (23) Form for
yourself a picture of John as he preached. (24)* What
did John, say about the one who was to come after
him? (25) What did he mean by his words in vs. 7?
(26) What is the difference between John's baptism in
water and Jesus' baptism with Holy Spirit? (27) What
part of John's preaching applies to us today? (28)*
Write a description of John's appearance and way of
living. (29) What sort of a man was he?
SECTION II
THE BAPTISM OP JESUS, 1:9-11
9 And it came to pass in those days, that Jesus
came from Nazareth of Galilee, and was baptized
10 of John ^ in the Jordan. And straightway coming i cr. into
up out of the water, he saw the heavens ^rent 2 rending
asunder, and the Spirit as a dove descending
11 upon him: and a voice came out of the heavens,
Thou art my beloved Son, in thee I am well
pleased.
EXPLANATORY NOTES
Vs. 9, "Nazareth! of Galilee "f: Here in this quiet
town Jesus had lived for nearly thirty years. " Was bap-
tized "1: Jesus recognized the message of the prophet to the
nation as a"Tnessage of God to him also. " In the Jordan"|:
the principal river of Palestine; see the map. At what
point between the Sea of Galilee and the Dead Sea Jesus
was baptized we do not know. People living in Palestine
usually say that it was a little north of the Dead Sea, oppo-
site Jericho. But it is more likely that it was farther north,
nearer to Galilee. Vs. 10, " the Spirit as a dove descend-
ing": a sign of the bestowal of the divine Spirit on him
preparing him for his great work. Vs. 11, "thou art my
beloved Son": an expression of God's approving love and
confidence, carrying with it also probably the assurance
that he is the Messiah, who is to bring in the kingdom of
God and sav§^his people.
QUESTIONS
(1)* Where is Nazarethf (vs. 9)? (2)* If Jesus was
baptized in the Jordan somewhat south of the Sea of
Galilee, iu what direction did his joiu'ney mentioned
7
8 The Gospel according to Mark
in vs. 9 lie? (3) With what did the others who received
John's baptism accompany the act (vs. 5, last clause)?
(4) Why is there no mention of this in the case of
Jesus? (5)* What did Jesus see as he came up out
of the water? (6)* What did he hear? (7) Is there
anything here to indicate that a multitude was present
and saw and heard these things? (Luke 3 21 only
means that Jesus was baptized at about the same time
with the people generally.) (8) Try to picture the whole
scene to yourself, and then tell the story. (9) For
whom were the descent of the Spirit and the voice
from heaven chiefly meant ? (10) What did they mean
to Jesus? W^as his private life now at an end? Were
these things intended to prepare him for his public
ministry?
SHEPHERDS FORDING THE JORDAN WITH THEIR FLOCKS
SECTION III
THE TEMPTATION IN THE WILDERNESS, 1:12,13
12 And straightway the Spirit driveth him forth
13 into the wilderness. And he was in the wilder-
ness forty days tempted of Satan; and he was
with the wild beasts; and the angels ministered
unto him.
EXPLANATORY NOTES
Vs. 12, " the Spirit driveth him forth into the wilder-
ness": Nothing could be more natural than that after
such a vision of the Spirit descending on him and such a
voice from heaven, he should wish to be alone, apart from
men, to think over the work which he as God's beloved
Son would have to do in the world. Vs. 13, " forty days,
tempted of Satan": Matthew and Luke tell of three
temptations which came at the end of the forty days. But
Mark speaks of temptations throughout the period without
mentioning any one in particular. The whole period of
meditation was also one of temptation. As he thought of
his work and the difficulties that he would meet, the
tempter constantly sought to turn him away from it, or to
suggest unworthy ways of doing it, ways that would not be
perfectly right.
QUESTIONS
(1)* Where did Jesus go after his baptism? (2)
Does the record tell just where this wilderness was?
(3) Under whose impulse did Jesus seek the solitude of
the wilderness ? (4) Can you think of any reason why
he should wish to be alone at this time? (5)* How
9
10 The Gospel according to Mark
long did he remain here? (6) Who were with him?
(7) Is there anything strange in his being tempted by
Satan in the place to which the Spirit had sent him?
(8) Will following the path of duty always prevent our
being tempted? (9) What will it secure ? (10)* Write
in your own words the story of Jesus' baptism and
temptation.
IN THE WILDERNESS OF JUDEA
SECTION IV
JESUS BEGINS PREACHING IN GALILEE 1:14, 15
14 Now after that John was delivered up, Jesus
came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God,
15 and saying. The time is ^fulfilled, and the kingdom i completed
of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe in the
gospel.
EXPLANATORY NOTES
Vs. 14, "delivered up" : i. e., put into prison. The rea-
sons for this imprisonment are told in 6 1'', 18. "Jesus came
into Galilee " : As Jesus' home had been at Nazareth, which
is itself in Galilee, the expression " came into Galilee " either
suggests that he had previously been living or working
elsewhere tor a time (see John, chaps. 2-4), or means that
he left his Nazareth home to begin his work in the whole
district of Galilee. Matthew mentions that he at this time
took up his residence in Capernaum. Vs. 15, " the time is
fulfilled": the time which according to the divine plan
was necessary to elapse before the new age of the kingdom
could begin. "The kingdom of God-f is at hand" : i. e., is
near. This means that a great forward step is about to be
taken in bringing about the happy condition of things
which this phrase denotes, when God should reign in the
hearts and affairs of men. How this is to come about Jesus
does not yet say. This he will unfold little by little.
QUESTIONS
(1) What is meant by the phrase "delivered up"
(vs. 14)? (2)* By whom and for what was John put
into prison? (3)* Into what region did Jesus go after
John was "delivered up"? Locate Galileef on the
map and bound it. (4) What was the character of its
11
12 The Gospel according to Mark
population? (5) What is the meaning of the statement
that Jesus came into Gahlee after John's imprisonment?
(6)* With what phrase does the evangelist describe
Jesus' teaching (vs. 14)? What does it mean? Study
this carefully. (7) What two announcements of fact
does Jesus make (vs. 15)? What do these announce-
ments mean ? (8) What two things does he definitely
command (vs. 15)? (9)* In what way was the teaching
of Jesus like that of John the Baptist ? How was it dif-
ferent? (10) Could a message containing a reproof of
sin and a command to repent be called a gospel ?f Was
John's preaching a gospel? If so, why? If not, why
not? (11) Have we today a larger or smaller gospel
than the Galileans heard from Jesus? (12)* Do these
two commands of Jesus (vs. 15) apply to men of today
as appropriately as to the Galileans ?
A BOAT ON THE SEA OF GALILEE
SECTION V
THE CALL OP THE FOUR FISHERMEN, 1 : 16-20
16 And passing along by the sea of Galilee, he
saw Simon and Andrew the brother of Simon
casting a net in the sea: for they were fishers.
17 And Jesus said unto them. Come ye after me, and
18 I will make you to become fishers of men. And
straightway they left the nets, and followed him.
19 And going on a little further, he saw James the
son of Zebedee, and John his brother, who also
20 were in the boat mending the nets. And straight-
way he called them: and they left their father
Zebedee in the boat with the hired servants, and
went after him.
EXPLANATORY NOTES
Vs. 17, " fishers of men " : persons who should go out
among men and skilfully draw them away from their pre-
vious associations, as a fisherman gathers the fish out of
the sea. Of course, the figure of speech must not be presesd
too far. Such fishers of men as Jesus would make these
men would catch men to save them, not to destroy or to
injure them. Vs. 18, "straightway they left the nets, and
followed him " : John 1 35-42 tells of their meeting Jesus
before this, but they now left their business permanently
to be his companions and helpers. Vs. 19, " James ....
and John " : It is generally supposed that the unnamed
disciple in John I'lO was John the son of Zebedee, the
author of the narrative there. There is no mention of
James having met Jesus before, but he may have done so,
13
14 The Gospel accokding to Mark
or may have known him only from John. Vs. 20, " straight-
way he called them" : gave them the same sort of an invi-
tation which he had already given the other pair of
brothers. Vs. 20, " with the hired servants " : an indica-
tion both that Zebedee and his sons were not very poor
men, so that it was something of a financial sacrifice for
them to give up their business, and that the sons were not
abandoning poverty-stricken parents who needed the sup-
port of their sons.
QUESTIONS
(1)* Locate and describe the Sea of Galilee (vs. 16).
*Name some of the cities on its shores. (2) Had Simon
and Andrew known Jesus before? (3)* What did Jesus
mean by "fishers of men" ? (4) Had James and John
ever seen Jesus before? (5) What does vs. 20 imply as
to the wealth or poverty of Zebedee? (6) What experi-
ence of men today would have much the same signifi-
cance for them that this event had for the four fishermen ?
(7)* Did this following of Jesus mean that they must
leave their business permanently? (8) To what office
did Jesus afterward appoint these four men with others?
(See Mark 3i^-i9.) (9) Was this call such a one as Jesus
gives to all men ? If not, how does it differ from it ? (10)*
Are we all called to become fishers of men? (11)* What
must w^e ourselves do before we can obey this call ?
SECTION VI
A SABBATH IN CAPERNAUM, 1:21-34
21 And they go into Capernaum ; and straightway
on the sabbath day he entered into the synagogue
22 and taught. And they were astonished at his
teaching : for he taught them as having authority,
23 and not as the scribes. And ^straightway there ^ume^^'"''^
was in their synagogue a man Vith an unclean ^o/ ^^^p'"'"^''
24 spirit; and he cried out, saying, ^What have we ^?ho^tTdo"''*
to do with thee, thou Jesus of Nazareth ? art thou
come to destroy us? I know thee who thou art,
EXPLANATORY NOTES
Vs. 21, " Capernaum "t. "On the sabbatht day he
entered into the synagogue ""f: The sabbath was the princi-
pal day of synagogue worship, though services were also held
on Mondays and Thursdays. "And taught ": i. e., delivered
the sermon, as in Luke 4 20-27. Vs. 22, "astonished at his
teaching": The next clause explains what it was in his
teaching that surprised them, viz., that he spoke "as
having authority, and not as the scribes ""j". The Ecribes
were accustomed to repeat the opinions of those who had
taught before them, as some teachers and preachers today
seem able only to repeat other men's opinions. Jesus
taught with authority, with clear and firm conviction, an3
wrth_no appeal to anyone else but God. See, for example,
Matt. 522, 28, etc. Vs. 23, "a man with an unclean spirit":
i. e., a demoniac!. Vs. 24, "what have we to do with
thee": See margin; it is as much as to say, "Let us
alone." " To destroy us " : See Matt. 8 29; Luke 8 31. " The
Holy One of God": i. e., the chosen of God, nearly equiv-
alent to "the Christ." Cf. John 6 69; Mark 8 29; Luke 4 41.
• 15
16 The Gospel according to Mark
4or.« the Holy One of God. And Jesus rebuked *him, 25
saying, Hold thy peace, and come out of him.
bor^convuis- ^nd the unclean spirit. Hearing him and crying 26
with a loud voice, came out of him. And they 27
were all amazed insomuch that they questioned
among themselves, saying. What is this? a new
teaching ! with authority he commandeth even the
unclean spirits, and they obey him. And the 28
report of him went out straightway everywhere
into all the region of Galilee round about.
And straightway, when they were come out of 29
the synagogue, they came into the house of Simon
Vs. 31, "and she ministered unto them": served them,
probably made ready and served the sabbath meal.
Vs. 32, "and at even": when the sabbathf ended. To
have come to be -healed before sunset, and so on the sab-
bath, would have been a violation of the law as the Phari-
sees interpreted it, and this not only because some of the
sick would probably have had to be carried (c/. Mark 2 3),
but because healing itself was forbidden on the sabbath.
See John 510; Luke 131*. "Possessed with devils":
Wherever this phrase occurs, it must be understood to
mean demoniacs, and when the word "devil"! occurs with
the word demon in the margin, remember that it refers,
not to the one devil, the tempter, but to one of the many
demons who were believed to torment men and make them
sick or crazy. "Suffered not the demons to speak": See
vs. 25. There were probably two reasons why Jesus did
not wish to have the demons announcing him as the Christ:
First, such testimony from those whom the people regarded
as evil spirits would have prejudiced them against him.
Words of praise from such a source would not really com-
mend him. Secondly, Jesus did not wish to turn the
A Sabbath in Capeknaum 17
30 and Andrew, with James and John. Now Simon's
wife's mother lay sick of a fever; and straightway
31 they tell him of her: and he came and took her
by the hand, and raised her up; and the fever
left her, and she ministered unto them.
32 And at even, when the sun did set, they brought
unto him all that were sick, and them that were
33 ® possessed with devils. And all the city was ^or, de-
^ •' moniacs
34 gathered together at the door. And he healed
many that were sick with Mivers diseases, and cast '> various
out many Mevils; and he suffered not the Mevils ^demons
to speak because they knew him.^ oManyancien*^
i J manuscripts
thoughts of the people to the question whether he was
the Christ at all as yet. They had so wrong an idea of the
Messiah (the Christ) and his work that he was compelled
to keep the fact that he was the Messiah in the back-
ground till they knew him (Jesus) better, and so could
form their idea of the Messiah from what they saw him to
be, not their idea of him from what they fancied the
Messiah would be. Jesus' constant effort was to draw
men to him by his own character and teaching rather than
by large names or startling evidence. And it is still true
that it is far more important for us to know and love
Jesus as he really is than without such knowledge and love
to apply to him titles, be they ever so high and ever so
true.
QUESTIONS
(1)* Where is Capernaum? (2)* What was a syna-
gogue? What was the character of the services? {Cf.
Luke 4 16-27.) How did it differ from the temple? (3)
What was it in Jesus' teaching that astonished the
people? (4) State as accurately as you can how
add to be
Christ. See
Luke 4 : 41
18 The Gospel according to Mark
his teaching differed from that of the scribes. (5)*
What were some of the effects produced by demoniacal
possession? (Mark 5 2-5; 9i'^-27). (6)* What does the
New Testament uniformly represent to be the cause of
this condition? (7) What do the demoniacs mean by
the words "The Holy One of God"? (8)* What was
Jesus* way of dealing with these unfortunate people?
Does he treat them as great sinners to be sternly
reproved or as unfortunates to be relieved? To whom
is Jesus' rebuke addressed? (9) What class of people
known to us in modern times most nearly resemble
these ancient demoniacs? (10) What are the most
noticeable differences between the two classes of cases ?
(11) What does vs. 29 imply as to the home of the
nien here mentioned? (12) What does the fact that
they tell Jesus about the sick woman imply as to their
expectation and faith? (13) What does the word
"ministered" mean? Of what is the fact that she
ministered to them an evidence?
(14) Why did the people wait till evening to bring
their sick? (15)* What is the difference in meaning
between "devil"! and "demon"? (16) Why does Jesus
forbid the demons to speak? (17)* The miracles here
narrated (121-34) are the first that are told in Mark.
What is the common characteristic of all those for
whom Jesus uses his power in this way? (18)* What
is the evident motive of Jesus in all these miracles?
(19) How far is his conduct an example that we can
follow? (20)* Picture to yourself as vividly as you can
this "sabbath in Capernaum," and then from memory
write out the story in your ov>^n words. (21)* After read-
ing Luke 4 16-27 and Acts 13 1'^-i^, and any other sources
of information that you have at hand, write a statement
of what the service of the synagogue included.
SECTION VII
A PREACHING TOUR IN GALILEE, 1:35-45
35 And in the morning, a great while before day,
he rose up and went out, and departed into a des-
36 ert place, and there prayed. And Simon and they
37 that were with him followed after him ; and they
found him, and say unto him, All are seeking
38 thee. And he saith unto them, Let us go else-
where into the next towns, that I may preach
EXPLANATORY NOTES
Vs. 35, "a desert place": an uninhabited region in the
country. It was soHtude that Jesus wanted, an "inner
chamber " (Matt. 6 6) in effect, though there were no walls
around it and no roof over it but the sky. V«. 37, "all are
seeking thee": the people of Capernaum who had seen or
heard of the events of the day before and who were doubt-
less eager to see other deeds of healing power. Vs. 38,
"unto the next towns": which, because they had not seen
him, or heard his message, needed him more than those
that having seen him were eager to have him come back.
Not those that desired him most, but those that needed
him most, appealed most strongly to Jesus. With vss. 38,
39 begin what is often called "the first preaching tour
in Galilee," because it is the first such tour distinctly re-
corded. But it is impossible to say just how many tours
Jesus made, or that this was really the first. He was con-
stantly going about Galilee preaching and teaching.
Vs. 40, " Cometh to him a leper "f: The law required a
leper to remain at a distance from other men (Lev. 13 ^^-^ 46).
But this man's eagerness to be healed led him to disregard
19
1 demons
20 The Gospel according to Mark
there also; for to this end came I forth. And he 39
went into their synagogues throughout all Galilee,
preaching and casting out Mevils.
And there cometh to him a leper, beseeching 40
him, and kneeling down to him, and saying unto
him, If thou wilt, thou canst make me clean. And 41
being moved with compassion, he stretched forth
,his hand, and touched him, and saith unto him, I
will; be thou made clean. And straightway the 42
leprosy departed from him, and he was made
the law; nor did Jesus reprove him for doing so. "If thou
wilt, thou canst": These words show of which the leper
was more sure, Jesus' power or his kindness of heart. Vs.
41, " moved with compassion "f: impelled by pity. "I will":
cf. the leper's words, "t/ thou wilt." "Clean": healed,
well. Vs. 44, "see thou say nothing to any man, but go,"
etc.: The man's first duty was to present himself to the
priest and get from him what practically amounted to a
certificate that he was cured and fit to live with other
people. But Jesus evidently desired not only that he
should conform to this useful regulation, but that he
should not go about telling of his cure, because this would
attract attention to Jesus as a healer of sickness rather
than as a teacher of truth, and so would hinder the work
he wished to do. Jesus healed the sick as he had oppor.
tunity; being moved with compassion, and possessing the
power, he could not do otherwise; but that was not his
chief business. "The things which Moses commanded":
See Lev., chap. 14. "For a testimony to them": These
words express the purpose of going to the priest and pre-
senting the offering; evidence would thus be given to them
(people in general) that he was really healed.
A Pkeaching Tour in Galilee 21
43 clean. And he ^strictly charged him, and straight- ^o^stemiy
44: way sent him out, and saith unto him, See thou
say nothing to any man: but go thy way, shew
thyself to the priest, and offer for thy cleansing
the things which Moses commanded, for a testi-
45 mony unto them. But he went out and began to
^publish it much, and to spread abroad the matter, ^S/^^""^'
insomuch that Jesus could no more openly enter
into a city, but was without in desert places : and
they came to him from every quarter.
QUESTIONS
(1)* What is meant by a desert place? Why did
Jesus seek a place of this sort for prayer? (2) Why
did he seek this opportunity for secret prayer? (3)*
In Matt. 6 6 he bids his disciples enter into the inner
chamber to pray; is his conduct here in accordance
with the spirit of that injunction? (4) What does
Jesus* conduct suggest to us as to our need of prayer?
(5) What do vss. 32-34 suggest as the reason why the
people of Capernaum were seeking Jesus? (6)* Why
did Jesus wish to press on to the other towns? (7)*
What does this show as to his estimate of the relative
importance of healing and preaching the gospel ? (8)
What does the fact that Jesus left the people that
wanted him, but had heard the gospel, to go to those
who had not heard it, suggest as to the duty of Chris-
tians in carrying the gospel to those who have not
heard it ? (9) In view of Jesus' conduct, can we excuse
ourselves from trying to send the gospel to regions be-
yond, on the ground that there is enough to do at home?
22 The Gospel according to Maek
(10)* How extensive a preaching tour did Jesus make
at this time? (11)* Of what Jewish institution did he
avail himself in this work? (12) What two features of
his work are especially mentioned? (13) How much
time would be occupied in such a tour?
(14) What kind of a disease was the leprosy spoken
of in the Bible, and what were the regulations of the
Jewish law about lepers associating with the people?
(15) How did the leper (vs. 40) show his faith in
Jesus? (16) In what do the words of the leper in vs.
40 show that his confidence was strongest, in Jesus'
power or in his, kindness of heart? (17) How had
he probably gained this confidence? (vss. 32-34)?
(18)* What moved Jesus to help the leper? What does
the word "compassion" mean? (19)* What does the
fact that Jesus touched the leper (c/. Lev. 13 ^^^ ^6) show
as to his regard for ceremonial precepts in comparison
with compassion and mercy (c/. Matt. 9^2, 13)? (20)
Was the leper ceremonially cleansed or actually healed?
(21) Does vs. 44 mean that he was never to tell anybody
what Jesus had done for him, or that he was now and
first of all to hold* his peace, and bear his testimony by
showing himself to the priest ? (22) What was the
effect of his disobedience ? (23) Are there times when
silence is better than talk, and actions a better testimony
than either? (24) What is Jesus' general injunction to
us concerning bearing testimony to him (Matt. 10 ^2, 33)?
(25)* Write out in your own words the story of Jesus'
first recorded preaching tour in Galilee.
1 Or, at home
SECTION VIII
A PARALYTIC HEALED AND HIS SINS
FORGIVEN, 2:1-12
And when he entered again into Capernaum
after some days it was noised that he was ^in the
house. And many were gathered together, so
that there was no longer room for them, no, not
even about the door: and he spake the word
unto them. And they come, bringing unto him a
^man sick of the palsy, borne of four. And when 2paraiytio
they could not come nigh unto him for the crowd,
they uncovered the roof where he was: and when
they had broken it up, they let down the bed
A PALESTINIAN HOUSE
23
24 The Gospel according to Mark
2 paralytic
Which
whereon the ^sick of the palsy lay. And Jesus 5
seeing their faith saith unto the ^sick of the palsy,
Son, thy sins are forgiven. But there were cer- 6
tain of the scribes sitting there, and reasoning in
their hearts, Why does this man thus speak? he 7
blasphemeth : who can forgive sins but one, even
God? And straightway Jesus, perceiving in his 8
spirit that they so reasoned within themselves,
saith unto them. Why reason ye these things in
your hearts? ^Whether is easier, to say to the 9
EXPLANATORY NOTES
Vs. 1, " in the house "t: See the margin. Vs. 2, " about
the door ": Probably the housej was of the simplest kind,
having but one story and but one room. Jesus was stand-
ing in this room, and the crowd filled, not only it, but
the narrow street in front of the house, thus cutting off all
approach to Jesus. If the house was built about a court,
Jesus must have stood in one of the rooms, or under the
roof that was sometimes built about the outer edge of the
court; in that case the crowd filled the court and thfe
passageway from the street. Vs. 3, "sick of the palsy":
or, as we should say today, the paralyzed man, or the
paralytic. "Borne of four": one holding each corner of
the pallet on which he lay. Vs. 4. " uncovered the roof,"
etc.: They reached the fiat roof by the outside staircase
and easily dug through it between the rafters. When the
opening was made, they passed the paralytic down to those
who stood about Jesus within the room below. Vs. 5, " their
faith": i. e., of the five men ; not simply that of the para-
lytic, since then the record would have said "his;" nor
simply of the four bearers, for it is not likely that they
would have brought the paralytic without his consent, or
that Jesus would have pronounced his sins forgiven if he
had not seen that the man himself had at least the begin-
A Paealyttc Healed 25
^sick of the palsy, Thy sins are forgiven; or to
10 say, Arise, and take up thy bed, and walk ? But
that ye may know that the Son of man hath
* power on earth to forgive sins (he saith to the ^"^^^''onty
11 ^sick of the palsy), I say unto thee, Arise, take up
12 thy bed,. and go unto thy house. And he arose,
and straightway took up the bed, and went forth
before them all; insomuch that they were all
amazed, and glorified God, saying, We never saw
it on this fashion.
nings of faith. *'Thy sins are forgivent-'": Probably
Jesus saw that the man himself was more burdened with
his sin than w ith his sickness, and more anxious to be at
peace with God than to be cured of the palsy. For it does
not seem to have been Jesus' habit to bestow a spirit-
ual blessing on one who had no desire for it or faith to
receive it. See, for example, Luke 17 11-19. According to
your faith, was Jesus' general rule of action in giving bless-
ing to men. Perhaps the man saw in his sickness a punish-
ment for liis sin ; perhaps not ; in any case he wanted to
be forgiven. Vs. 6, " scribes "f: This is the first time that
the scribes have been mentioned as opposing Jesus, and
as yet they only question his authority, do not directly
deny it. Vs. 7, "blaspheme"!: i. e., by claiming the right
to do that which they believed that God only could do,
viz., forgive sins. Vss. 9, 10: To the scribes who question
whether Jesus really has authority to forgive sins, of
which there can, of course, be no visible test, Jesus replies
that he will show his power in a thing which they can
test, since they can see whether the paralytic walks or not.
He implies that if he thus proves his words good in the
one case, it is reasonable for them to believe that they are
good in the other case. It is thus that we constantly
reason about people. Finding them good and true where
26 The Gospel according to Mark
we can test them, we believe them so where we have no
opportunity to apply a test. Vs. 10, "the Son of man"!:
This is the first occurrence of this title, by which Jesus so
frequently speaks of himself. Vs. 11, "bed": a simple
pallet, scarcely more than a heavy blanket or thin mattress,
easily carried by one person.
QUESTIONS
(1) Where is Capernaum ? What is it called in Matt.
91 ? (2) What other meaning may the words trans-
lated "in the house" have? (3) What drew the crowd
together? What had Jesus done when he was last in
Capernaum (132-34)? (4.)* jf tKere was no room about
the door, how could these men reach the roof of the
house? (5) What kind of a " bed " was it upon which
they brought the paralytic? (6) Whose faith is meant
in vs. 5? (7)* What does the fact that Jesus forgives
the sins -of the paralytic imply as to the man's attitude
toward his sins ? (8)* Does God forgive the sins of one
who is still unrepentant ? (9)* Who were the scribes ?
(10) What is blasphemy? (11) Were the scribes right
in saying that Jesus blasphemed when he forgave the
sins of the paralytic (c/. Matt. 18 18; John 20 23)? (12)
Of what did Jesus wish to convince them by his argu-
ment and action in vss. 8-11? (13)* By what name
does Jesus call himself in vs. 10? Has this name
occurred in the gospel before? (14)* What does it
mean as applied by Jesus to himself? (15)* This
section speaks of (1) a paralytic, (2) his four friends,
(3) the scribes, (4) Jesus. Tell in writing (a) what
part each took in this event, (b) what spirit each mani-
fested. (16) Consider (a) ho\\r far we ought to avoid
or to imitate the spirit of each; and (b) how we can
follow the example of those whose conduct is worthy of
imitation.
SECTION IX
THE CALL OF LEVI, AND THE FEAST IN HIS
HOUSE, 2:13-17
13 And he went forth again by the seaside; and
all the multitude resorted unto him, and he taught
14 them. And as he passed by, he saw Levi the son
of Alphaeus sitting at the place of toll, and he
saith unto him. Follow me. And he arose and
15 followed him. And it came to pass, that he was
EXPLANATORY NOTES
Vs. 13, "Seaside": Near the place now known as
Khan Minyeh, where Capernaum^ was probably located,
there are two beaches that would be suitable for a meeting-
place for crowds. Vs. 14, "Levi," or Matthew! (Matt. 9 9)
as he is also called, was one of the smaller publicans.f
"The place of toll": probably a sort of petty custom-house
for the collection of taxes on goods shipped across the Sea
of Galilee. Vs. 16, "scribes of the Pharisees": those
teachers of the law who belonged to the society of the
Pharisees.! Most of the scribes were Pharisees, though
some may possibly have been Sadducees. Vs. 17,
"they that are whole": the righteous. "They that are
sick": the sinners, who because they are sinners need
curing. "I came not to call the righteous, but sinners":
The word " the" before righteous should really be omitted;
Jesus does not say that there are any righteous, but taking
the Pharisees on their own ground, when they complained
of him for mingling with sinners, he says that sinners are
precisely the people that he came to save; righteous
people, if any such there were, did not need him. But
27
28 The Gospel according to Maek
1 collectors of
taxes
sitting at meat in his houee, and many ' publicans
and sinners sat down with Jesus and his disciples :
for there were many, and they followed him. And 16
^mrscrTpt?* the scribes ^of the Pharisees, when they saw that
Pharisees he was catlug with the sinners and publicans,
\tat^h7Jateth Said uuto hls disciples, ^He eateth and drinketh
with publicans and sinners. And when Jesus 17
'£r^' '' heard it, he saith unto them. They that are * whole
have no need of a physician, but they that are
sick: I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.
notice that he went among sinners, not to share in their
sin, but to save them from their sin, as a physician to heal
them.
QUESTIONS
(1)* What sea is referred to in vs. 13? At what
part of the shore must this event have occurred? (2)
What other name did Levi have? (3)* What was Levi's
business ? (4) What four other men had Jesus already
asked to leave their business to follow him? (5)* What
was a publican? How were the publicans regarded by
the Jews and why? (6) In whose house did this dinner
take place? (7)* What fault did the Pharisees find
with Jesus on this occasion? (8) What sort of a spirit
does this criticism show ? (9) What was Jesus' answer
to their criticism ? (10) What does his answer mean?
Put it in your own words. (11) Does this answer mean
that there really are any who are not (morally) sick,
any who are truly righteous ? (12)* Why did Jesus go
among sinners ? (13) In what way can we most perfectly
imitate his example? Give examples.
SECTION X
JESUS' ANSWER TO A QUESTION CONCERNING
FASTING, 2:18-22
18 And John's disciples and the Pharisees were
fasting: and they come and say unto him, Why
do John's disciples and the disciples of the Phari-
19 sees fast, but thy disciples fast not ? And Jesus said
unto them. Can the sons of the bride-chamber fast,
while the bridegroom is with them ? as long as they
EXPLANATORY NOTES
Vs. 18, "John's disciples": John was already in prison
at this time (Mark 1 14), but his disciples were evidently-
allowed to visit him (Matt. 11 2; Luke 7 18). "Disciples of
the, Pharisees ": probably those men who did not belong as
members to the society of the Pharisees, but who believed
in their religious ideas. "Fast": The law of Moses com-
manded only one fast a year, the Day of Atonement (Lev.
23 27-32). The prophet Zechariah mentions several others
as practiced in his day (Zech. 71--^; 819). But the Phari-
sees, some of them at least, fasted twice every week, on
Monday and on Thursday (Luke 18 12). Vs. 19, " can the
sons of the bride-chamber fast while the bridegroom is
with them? " A wedding is a time of joy; fasting expresses
sorrow. The two things are incongruous. Jesus compares
himself to the bridegroom, his disciples he calls the sons of
the bride-chamber, i. e., the friends of the bridegroom.
Having the joy of his presence, they could not rightly
profess to be sad. Notice that Jesus does not say that
fasting is in itself wrong, but (1) that, being an expression
of sadness, it cannot be right when one is not really sad;
and (2) that while he is with his disciples this is to them
29
30 The Gospel according to Mark
have the bridegroom with them, they cannot fast.
But the days will come, when the bridegroom shall 20
be taken away from them, and then will they fast
in that day. No man seweth a piece of undressed 21
cloth on an old garment: else that which should
fill it up taketh from it, the new from the old,
and a worse rent is made. And no man putteth 22
new wine into old wine-skins, else the wine will
burst the skins, and the wine perisheth, and the
skins: but they put new wine into fresh wine-
skins.
such a source of joy as excludes fasting. Vs. 20, " the
bridegroom will be taken away from them": These words
show clearly that even thus early in his ministry Jesus
was expecting that later he would be taken away; probably
he already foresaw that he would be put to death. Then
the disciples would have real occasion for real sorrow. Vs.
21, "undressed cloth": cloth that has not been shrunk.
When the patch of cloth shrinks it becomes too small to
cover the rent or tear in the garment and, drawing itself
away from the old cloth to which it was sewed, makes a
new and larger hole than before. Vs. 22, "wine-skins":
Bottles were made of the skins of goats. When the bottles
were old, the skins, having lost the power to stretch, were
not strong enough to stand the pressure caused by the
fermenting of new wine. In these illustrations the gospel
which Jesus preached is the undressed cloth and the new
wine; the religion of the Pharisees is the old garment and
the old wine-bottles. They show that it is impossible to
bind the gospel to the old forms of the Jewish religion, and
that it must be expected and allowed to express itself in
new ways.
Jesus' Answer concerning Fasting 31
QUESTIONS
(1)* What does vs. 18 show as to whether all the
disciples of John became followers of Jesus ? (2)* How
often did the Pharisees (some at least of them) fast?
(3)* What is the meaning of the reason that Jesus gives
(vs. 19) for his disciples not fasting? (4)* What does
Jesus' answer indicate as to the need of sincerity in all
religious ohservances and the value of forms that do
not express a real state of heart? (5) To what time
does Jesus refer in vs. 20 — to the days between his
crucifixion and his resurrection, or to the days after his
ascension (see John 16 16, 19, 20, 22 . Matt. 28 20)? (6) Is
Jesus continually with his disciples now (except as
they lose his presence through sin); and, if so, is there
any place for a fast set for a certain day or certain days
in the year? (7) Is fasting appropriate as an expres-
sion of sorrow because of the loss of Christ's presence
through sin? (8) Ought all the days of a Christian to
be days of sorrow or days of joy? Notice vs. 19, and
compare John 14 27 ; 16 22. (9) What is the " undressed "
cloth and why does it tear the old garment ? What are
the old wine-skins, and why does the new wine burst
them? (10)* What does Jesus teach in these two
illustrations about the possibility of patching together
(as John's cliGciples were trying to do) the old Pharisee-
ism and tho new gospel ? What about the necessity of
the new spirit of the gospel finding its own forms of
expression? (11)* What does he teach in this whole
section to be the more important, form or spirit, in
religion? Which of these ought to determine the
other?
1 Gr. began to
make their
way plucking.
SECTION XI
PLUCKING GRAIN ON THE SABBATH, 2:23-28
And it came to pass, that he was going on the 23
sabbath day through the cornfields; and his dis-
ciples ^ began, as they went, to pluck the ears of
corn. And the Pharisees said unto him. Behold, 24
why do they on the sabbath day that which is not
lawful ? And he said unto ^them, Did ye never 25
EXPLANATORY NOTES
Vs. 23, "cornfields": better, "fields of grain," probably
of wheat. This would make the month May or June.
Paths frequently run through grain-fields in Palestine.
"Pluck the ears of corn": better, "pull the heads of grain."
Vs. 24, "why do they on the sabbath day that which is
not lawful?": It was the violation of the law of the sab-
bath| as they interpreted it that offended them. The
plucking and eating of the grain on another day would not
have disturbed them. Vs. 25, "what David did": see
1 Sam. 211-6. Vs. 26, "house of God": the tabernacle,
the temple not having yet been built in David's day.
"Shewbread"!: For David, who was not a priest, to eat
this was contrary to the law, but Jesus implies that his
need made it right for him to do so; and he argues that if
human need justifies one in disregarding a technical
requirement like that about the shewbread, it will also
justify neglect of the technical law against labor on the
sabbath. Jesus does not say that the same principle
would apply as against a purely moral requirement, such
as the law of honor to parents, truthfulness, honesty, etc.
Vs. 27, "the sabbath was made for man": appointed
by God foreman's good, not laid upon him as a burden to
whi^h^man^'s,^^ Vs. 28, " the Son of
Plucking Grain on the Sabbath 33
read what David did, when he had need, and was
an hungered, he, and they that were with him?
26 How he entered into the house of God Vhen
Abiathar was high priest, and did eat the shew-
bread, which it is not lawful to eat save for the
. priests, and gave also to them that were with
27 him? And he said unto them, The sabbath was
28 made for man, and not man for the sabbath: so
that the Son of man is lord even of the sabbath.
2 Some ancient
manuscripts
read in the
days of Abia-
thar the high
priest
man| is lord even of the sabbath": Because the day was
made for man it belongs to Jesus as the Son of man —
the true man who perfectly understands man's needs and
God's will concerning man — to determine how it shall be
useSTfor the good of man. Hence Jesus is our best teacher,
our authoritative lord, to tell us how to keep the sabbath,
and to have his spirit is the surest way of using it aright.
QUESTIONS
(1)* What is meant by the word "cornfields"?
About what time of the year was this ? (2) Was such
plucking of heads of grain and eating them forbidden
or permitted by the Jewish law (Deut. 23 2^)? (3) Why
did the Pharisees object to it ? How many kinds of
labor would they find in the act of the disciples'?
(4) State wherein David's case was like that of Jesus'
disciples. (5)* What does Jesus imply in vss. 25, 26
as to the relative claims of human need and the sacred-
ness of tim.es and places, such as the sabbath and the
temple? Can we infer that he regards it as more im-
portant to satisfy legitimate human need than even to
regard the sacredness of these things? (6) Does this
34 The Gospel according to Mark
justify necessary cooking, keeping up fires, and other
like labor on the sabbath? (7) Does it imply that the
day has no sacredness, so that we may do anything
whatever on the sabbath? (8)* What great principle
respecting the sabbath does Jesus state in vs. 27? (9)
If the sabbath was made for man, ought it to continue
as long as man continues? (10) And if it was made
for man, can there be any higher law for its use than to
seek to use every sabbath so that it will accomplish
most for the good of men, women, and children? (11)
What does Jesus say in vs. 28 about his own relation to
the sabbath? (12) In view of this, can there be any
higher rule for the sabbath than to use it in his spirit
and in his service? Is this a different rule from that
suggested in question 10? (13)* Sum up Jesus' teach-
ing about the sabbath in this section.
PLOWING IN PALESTINE
SECTION XII
A WITHERED HAND HEALED ON THE SABBATH,
3:1-6
1 And he entered again into the synagogue;
and there was a man there which had his hand
2 withered. And they watched him, whether he
would heal him on the sabbath day; that they
3 might accuse him. And he saith unto the man
4 that had his hand withered, Stand forth. And he
saith unto them, Is it lawful on the sabbath day
to do good, or to do harm ? to save a life, or to kill ?
5 But they held their peace. And when he had
looked round about on them with anger, being
grieved at the hardening of their heart, he saith
EXPLANATORY NOTES
Vs. 1, "entered again into the synagogue"!: probably
in Capernaum ; c/. 2 1. "Hand withered": probably a sort
of paralysis. Vs. 2, "that they might accuse him": 1 e.,
of breaking the sabbath|. Vs. 4, " is it lawful on the sab-
bath day to do good or to do harm? ": Evidently, in Jesus'
thought, to neglect an opportunity to do good to one who
needs it is the same as to do him harm. Vs. 5, "looked
round about upon them with anger": with indignation
that they were so unmerciful to men and so blind to the
truth. Such anger good men can but feel toward wicked
men — such anger God must feel. But we ought never to
confuse it with hatred and desire to injure. God loves
those with whom he is angry, and Jesus died for sinful
men, whose sin made him indignant. "Being grieved";
35
36 The Gospel according to Mark
unto the man, Stretch forth thy hand. And he
stretched it forth: and his hand was restored.
And the Pharisees went out, and straightway q
with the Herodians took counsel against him, how
they might destroy him.
The word denotes a compassionate grief, one that mingles
love for the sinner with pain because of his sin. "At the
hardening of their hearts": not simply hardness; their
hearts were growing harder (read again the whole story
from 2 1 on to this point), less compassionate in feeling,
more blind to truth. Is anything more saddening to God
than to see men thus growing more hard-hearted?
QUESTIONS
X (1)* Where did the incident related in 3^-^ take
place? On what day? (2) How did the Pharisees
look upon the healing of disease on the sabbath? f (3)
What does the question of Jesus in vs. 4 imply as to
what he thought about doing deeds of mercy, including
the curing of sickness, on the sabbath ? (4) What did
he think about neglecting to help a man who was in
need? Does he class this as doing good or as doing
harm? Did he think that only extreme and urgent
need should be relieved on the sabbath, or did he do
good as he had opportunity? (5) What answer did the
Jews give to Jesus' question? Why? (6)* With what
feeling did Jesus look at them? Did this feeling in-
clude hatred and desire to injure them? (7)* What
other feeling mingled with Jesus' anger? Describe
this other feeling. (8) What do the statements here
made (vs. 5) about Jesus' feeling toward these men
suggest as to how God, being good and holy, must feel
toward those who sin ? (9)* What was it that called forth
Healing on the Sabbath 37
Jesus' anger and compassion ? Notice the word care-
fully and think just what it means. (10) If the harden-
ing of men's hearts calls forth the grief and anger of
Jesus, what does this imply as to the sinfulness of such
hardening? (11) How can we avoid being in the posi-
tion of these Pharisees? (12) What did Jesus say to
the man v/ho had the withered hand? (13) What did
the man do? (14) What did the Pharisees do? (15)*
What does this incident teach about the character of
Jesus ?
PREVIEW QUESTIONS
(All review questions should be answered in writing.)
(1) Notice that in all the events narrated in chap. 2
and 31-6 the Pharisees are criticising Jesus. Name in
order the things for which they found fault with him.
(2) Give Jesus' answer to each of their criticisms. (3)
Did Jesus' answers diminish their hostility, or did it
increase to the end? (4) What did they finally resolve
to do (36)? (5) What is it that is referred to in 3 5 as
causing Jesus' anger and grief? (6) What do these
facts suggest as to the effect of resisting truth? (7)
Among what class of people has Jesus thus far made
friends in Galilee? (8) Among whom has he made
enemies ?
SECTION XIII
THE WIDESPREAD FAME OF JESUS, 3:7-12
And Jesus with his disciples withdrew to the 7
sea: and a great multitude from Galilee followed:
and from Judaea, and from Jerusalem, and from 8
Idumaea, and beyond Jordan, and about Tyre and
Sidon, a great multitude, hearing what great
things he did, came unto him. ^ And he spake to 9
his disciples, that a little boat should wait on him
1 press hard bccause of the crowd, lest they should Hhrong:
upon '> <-'
him : for he had healed many ; insomuch that as 10
2 diseases; Gr. mauv as had '^plagues pressed upon him that they
scourges '' i O i 1 J
might touch him. And the unclean spirits, when- 1]
soever they beheld him, fell down before him and
cried, saying. Thou art the Son of God. And he 12
charged them much that they should not make
him known.
EXPLANATORY NOTES
Vs. 7, " with his disciples ": See also vs. 9; though the
Twelve had not yet been chosen, Jesus had a company of
disciples, pupils, who went with him from place to place.
"The sea": i. e., the Sea of Galilee. "From Galilee ....
and from Jerusalem": On Galilee, Judea, Jerusalem,
Idumea, Jordan, Tyre, Sidon, see dictionary, also the map.
Notice that the territories here spoken of "include all of
Palestine except Samaria, and also the regions south and
north of Palestine. These verses show how far Jesus w^as
known at this time. Vs. 9, "throng him": In crowding
about Jesus someone might be crushed. Vs. 11, " whenso-
38
The Widespread Fame of Jesus 39
ever they beheld him, fell down before him," etc.: The
demons, i. e., the demoniacs, are always said to have done
this, except when they were dumb or at a distance. " Son
of God "t: C/. 124.
QUESTIONS
(1) What sea is referred to in 3 "^ ? (2)* Where are
these various regions named in vss. 7, 81 (3)* What
do these verses imply as to the extent of Jesus' reputa-
tion at this time! (4) For what purpose did Jesus
desire a boat? (5) Do vss. 11, 12 refer to a single
occasion or to what happened again and again? (6)
Has anyone besides the demoniacs been reported up to
this point in the gospel as recognizing Jesus as the Son
of God?
1 Some ancient
manuscripts
ad<i whotn. also
he named
apostles. See
Luke 6:13
f
SECTION XIV
THE CHOOSING OF THE TWELVE, 3: 13-19
And he goeth up into the mountain, and 13
calleth unto him whom he himself would: and
they went unto him. And he appointed twelve/ 14
that they might be with him, and that he might
send them forth to preach, and to have authority 15
EXPLANATORY NOTES
Vs. 13, " unto the mountain ": better, perhaps, " on the
hills," i. e., the hills that bordered on the sea. It is not
certain which hills they were. Vs. 14, "and he appointed
twelve, that they might be with him," etc.: often
called apostles (Luke 6 13). Notice the purpose for which
they were chosen: they were to be his companions and
pupils, and his helpers in the work of the kingdom. "That
he might send them forth ": not once only, but from time
toTtime. Vs. 15, "to cast out devils (demons)": as Jesus
himself was doing. Vss. 16-19: Compare the lists in Matt.
10 2-4; Luke 6 12-19; Acts 1 13, Noticc that the names in each
list are in three groups of four names each, the four fisher-
men always composing the first group; the second group
begins with Philip and the third with James.
QUESTIONS
(1)* To what place did Jesus withdraw when he was
about to choose the Twelve (vs. 13)? (2)* By what
title are these Twelve usually spoken of? (3)* For
what purposes did Jesus choose the Twelve (vss. 14, 15)?
(4) How were they to be prepared to be sent out as his
preachers? (5) Learn the list of the twelve apostles.
(6) How many of these twelve have been previously
40
The Choosing of the Twelve 41
16 to cast out Mevils: and Simon he surnamed Peter;
17 and James the son of Zebedee, and John the
brother of James; and them he surnamed Boa-
18 nerges, which is, Sons of Thunder: and Andrew,
and Philip, and Bartholomew, and Matthew, and
Thomas, and James the son of Alphseus, and
19 ThaddsBus, and Simon the ^Canansean, and Judas
Iscariot, which also betrayed him.
mentioned in this gospel ? (7)* Make a list of the
events of Jesus' Galilean ministry from 1 1-^ down to 3 c,
and if possible commit it lo memory. (8)* Place in
parallel columns this list of the apostles, that in Matt.
102-i, that in Luke 6i2-i9, and that in Acts 1 13, and draw
lines across, connecting corresponding names.
3 Or, Zealot.
See I.uke 6:15;
Acts 1 ; 13
3 demons
SECTION XV
CONCERNING ETERNAL SIN, 3:20-30
And he cometh ^into a house. And the multi- 20
tude cometh together again, so that they could
not so much as eat bread. And when his friends 21
heard it, they went out to lay hold on him : for
they said. He is ^beside himself. And the scribes 22
which came down from Jerusalem said, He hath
Beelzebub, and, By the prince of the Mevils cast-
eth he out the Mevils. And he called them unto 23
him, and said unto them in parables. How can
Satan cast out Satan? And if a kingdom be 24
EXPLANATORY NOTES
Vs. 20, "into a house": See the margin. Vs. 21, "his
friends"-: i. e., his relatives. "He is beside himself": See
margin. Vs. 22, "scribes "f: See dictionary. " Beelzebubf
. . . . the prince of the demons "f: The scribes said that
Jesus, being possessed of the prince of demons, could con-
trol the demons. Jesus replies that it is absurd to sup-
pose that Satan would thus work against himself. Rather,
if he is casting out the demons of which Satan is prince,
then he is stronger than Satan and is spoiling his house.
Vs. 29, '-blaspheme! against the Holy Spirit "|: literally to
speak evil against the Holy Spirit; but the words of Jesus
are probably intended to describe a deliberate and perma-
nent attitude of opposition to the Spirit of God. " Hath
never forgiveness"!: shall never be forgiven. "An eternal
sin": The natural meaning of these words is not simply a
sin the consequences of which continue forever, but one
42
Concerning Eternal Sin 43
divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand.
25 And if a house be divided against itself, that
26 house will not be able to stand. And if Satan
hath risen up against himself, and is divided, he
27 cannot stand, but hath an end. But no one can
enter into the house of the strong wan, and spoil
his goods, except he first bind the strong man;
28 and then he will spoil his house. Yerily I say
unto you. All their sins shall be forgiven unto the
sons of men, and their blasphemies wherewith
29 soever they shall blaspheme: but whosoever shall
blaspheme against the Holy Spirit hath never for-
30 giveness, but is guilty of an eternal sin: because
they said. He hath an unclean spirit.
which itself lasts forever, and this is probably what Jesus
meant by them — a sinful attitude of heart toward the
Spirit of God which is fixed and will continue always. And
this explains why this sin (and this only) can never be for-
given. A holy God can never cease to disapprove and be
displeased with one who is still in sin.
QUESTIONS
(1) What other meaning may the words "into a
house" in vs. 20 have? (2)* To what city does this
statement refer? (3) Who are meant by "his friends"
in vs. 21? (4) What was there in Jesus' conduct that
could lead his relatives to think he was insane? Have
other men who devoted themselves with enthusiasm to
the good of others and who departed from ordinary
ways of working been regarded as crazy? (5)* What
44 The Gospel according to Maek
motive might his relatives have had for calling him
insane, even if they did not think so? (6) How did the
scribes explain his casting out demons? (7)* How
does Jesus prove to them that he cannot be casting out
demons by Satan's power? Explain his argument in
vss. 24, 25, 26. (8) Who is the strong man, and who
the stronger one, in vs. 27 ? (9) What, then, does he
say is the only explanation of the fact, if, as they ad-
mit, he is casting out demons that belong to Satan's
kingdom? (10)* What one sin does Jesus say is the
only one that cannot be forgiven t (11)* Why can an
eternal sin never be forgiven? (12) Does Jesus then
teach that God would ever refuse to forgive a repentant
sinner? (13) Does vs. 30 mean that the scribes had
already committed this eternal sin, or that their attrib-
uting of the work of the divine spirit in Jesus to Satan
showed them to be in danger of it? (14) Consider care-
fully what estimate of the seriousness of sin Jesus'
language in this passage implies.
SECTION XVI
NATURAL AND SPIRITUAL KINSMEN, 3:31-35
31 And there come his mother and his brethren;
and, standing without, they sent unto him, calling
32 him. And a multitude was sitting about him;
and they say unto him, Behold, thy mother and
33 thy brethren without seek for thee. And he an-
swereth them, and saith, Who is my mother and
31 my brethren ? And looking round on them which
sat round about him, he saith, Behold, my mother
35 and my brethren ! For whosoever shall do the
will of God, the same is my brother, and sister,
and mother.
__ 5
EXPLANATORY NOTES
Vs. 31, " his brethren ": For their names see Mark 6 3; j
cf. 321. "Sent unto him, calling him": Whether Jesus j'
went or not, the narrative does not tell. The interest of
the writer is in the lesson which Jesus took occasion from
the event to teach, viz., that for him the closest ties were
not those of blood, but of fellowship in doing the will of
God. Those that lived by his rule of life, obedience to the.
heavenly Father, were his brethren.
QUESTIONS
(1)* What were the names of the members of Jesus'
family spoken of in vs. 31 ? (2) In view of the state-
ment in vs. 21, what was the probable motive of Jesus'
kindred in sending for him as related in vs. 31 ? (3)*
Does Jesus' question (vs. 33) imply contempt of his
45
46 The Gospel according to Mark
relatives ? If not, what does it imply ? (4) According
to the teaching of Jesus (vs. 35), whom does he count
as his real kinsmen, those who are related to him by
blood or those who, like himself, do God's will ? (5)
Which is the more important relation to Jesus? (6)
Will a right relation to God lessen oui" love to earthly
friends or kindred? (7) Might it sometimes require us
to please and serve God at the cost of displeasing
earthly friends?
SECTION xvir
THE PARABLES OF THE KINGDOM'S GROWTH, IN
WHICH IS ALSO ILLUSTRATED ITS SEPARAT-
ING POWER, 4:1-34
A. The Parable of the Sower, 4 : 1-20
1 And again he began to teach by the sea side.
And there is gathered unto him a very great mul-
titude, so that he entered into a boat, and sat in
the sea ; and all the multitude were by the sea on
2 the land. And he taught them many things -in
parables, and said unto them in his teaching,
3 ^Hearken: Behold, the sower went forth to sow:
4 and it came to pass, as he sowed, some seed fell by
the way side, and the birds came and devoured it.
5 And other fell on the rocky ground, where it had
not much earth; and straightway it sprang up,
EXPLANATORY NOTES
Vs. 1, " sea ": the Sea of GaUlee.t Vs. 2, " parables " j:
Though Jesus had already used brief parabolic expressions,
which are in effect condensed parables (2 19-22; 3 27), the
first full parables which the gospels record are those in this
chapter. I n al l his parables Jesus uses an experience or
scene familiar tolbLis^l-eaders, to teach a truth concerning
the spiritual life. To understand them we must first get
clearly before us the event or scene of which the parable
presents a picture. After that we are prepared to recog-
nize the spiritual truth which the picture is intended to
suggest. Vs. 4, " wayside ": a hard foot-path running along
or through the field, and not, as is usually the case with us,
fenced off from it. Vs. 5, " rocky ground ": ground where
the soil lies thin over a ledge of rock. Vs. 7, "thorns":
47
48 The Gospel acooeding to Mark
ir#^''^&iaa
SOWER SOWING SEED
Parables of the Kingdom's Growth 49
6 because it had no deepness of earth : and when the
sun was risen, it was scorched ; and because it had
7 no root, it withered away. And other fell among
the thorns, and the thorns grew up, and choked it,
8 and it yielded no fruit. And others fell into the
good ground, and yielded fruit, growing up and
increasing; and brought forth, thirtyfold, and
9 sixty fold, and a hundredfold. And he said^ Who
hath ears to hear, let him hear.
10 And when he was alone, they that were about
thorny bushes growing on the edge of the field, like a
hedge. Vs. 8, "yielded fruit": produced a crop. "Thirty-
fold": thirty times as much as the seed that was planted.
Notice that the fact about sowing and reaping grain which
Jesus emphasizes is that the character of the soil on which
the grain is sown greatly affects the character of the har-
vests. The use that he means to make of this fact of agri-
culture will appear a little later.
Vs. 11, " Unto you is given to know the mystery of the
kingdom of God"t: The parables were intended by Jesus
to teach his disciples certain truths about the kingdom
of God — truths which were hidden from other people.
Vs. 12, "that seeing they may see, and not perceive; and
hearing they may hear, and not understand": The people
heard the parable, understood the words and their mean-
ing as applied to agriculture; but did not perceive the
truth about spiritual things Jesus intended to convey to his
disciples; and this w^as what Jesus intended should happen.
It was not yet time to tell the people generally all that his
disciples needed to know. " Lest haply they should turn
again, and it should be forgiven them": lest they should
change their minds {i. e., accept the gospel message) and be
forgiven. These seem to us very strange words ; but they
50 The Gospel according to Mark
him with the twelve asked of him the parables.
And he said unto them, Unto you is given the 11
mystery of the kingdom of God: but unto them
that are without, all things are done in parables:
that seeing they may see, and not perceive; and 12
hearing they may hear, and not understand ; lest
haply they should turn again, and it should be
forgiven them. And he saitli unto them. Know 13
ye not this parable ? and how shall ye know all the
parables? The sower soweth the word. And 14, 15
these are they by the way side, where the word is
sown; and when they have heard, straightway
Cometh Satan, and taketh away the word which
hath been sown in them. And these in like 16
can mean only that Jesus did not desire that at this time
great numbers of " those that are without " should attach
themselves to him. It would have been possible for him
to present his message in so attractive a way that great
numbers would have joined the company of his disciples,
though doubtless without a real and deep sympathy with
him. He judged it better so to teach that he should win a
smaller number, and little by little to explain to them the
" mysteries " of the Kingdom. Yet he did not arbitrarily
deny the truth to some and give it to others. He chose the
course that in the end would save the most; and those from
whom he concealed the truth (those 'that are without")
were themselves to blame that they were in such a state
of heart that Jesus could not wisely tell them the whole
truth at this time. The following verses (14-20) tell what
each element of the parable represents, and all serve to
emphasize the truth that in the "kingdom of God," in the
work of bringing men into the condition in which God
Parables of the Kingdom's Growth 51
manner are they that are sown upon the rocky
places, who, when they have heard the word,
17 straightway receive it with joy ; and they have no
root in themselves, but endnre for a while ; then,
when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of
18 the word, straightway they stumble. And others
are they that are sown among the thorns; these
19 are they that have heard the word, and the cares
of the ^ world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and iot.age
the lusts of other things entering in, choke the
20 word, and it becometh unfruitful. And those are
they that were sown upon the good ground; such
as hear the word, and accept it, and bear fruit,
thirtyfold, and sixtyfold, and a hundredfold.
desires them to be, the result of the preaching of the truth
will not always be the same, but will vary according to the
state of heart of those who hear. The application of this
truth is first of all to the disciples (see vss. 11, 12). The
seed of the kingdom of God is to be sown in hope ; for it
will fall into some good soil. Yet the disciples must be
prepared for disappointment also and seeming failure; for
there are men whose hearts are not yet ready to receive it.
This Jesus himself had already found to be true in his own
preaching.
QUESTIONS
(1) What sea is referred to in vs. 1? Picture to
yourself the scene here described. (2)* What is a
parable? (3) What is the first thing to be done in the
study of a parable ? (4) Make sure that you know the
meaning- of all the words and phrases in vss. 3-8; then
form the picture in your mind and tell the story.
52 The Gospel according to Mark
(5) Pass over for the moment vss. 10-12, and take up
Jesus' own explanation of the meaning of the parable:
What does he say the sower represents ? What is the
seed ? What in general do the different kinds of soil
represent? (6) What kind of people are represented
by the wayside? W^hat kind by the stony ground?
What kind by the thorny ground? What kind by the
good ground? (7) By describing different kinds of
soil with correspondingly different results from the
sowing of the same seed, what does Jesus teach his
disciples to expect as the result of the preaching of the
word? Will everybody accept it? Will all seeming
results last ? (8)* How had the results of Jesus' own
preaching corresponded with what he teaches in the
parable? (9) How was it in the teaching of the apostles?
How is it today ? (10) Is the difference in the results
due to a defect in the truth or to the difference in the
hearts of those that hear it? (11) Return to vs. 11:
For whom was the truth taught by the parables prima-
rily intended? Was the parable of the sower intended
to encourage or to warn the disciples, or both? (12)*
Why did Jesus teach in such a way as to hide the truth
from some? (13) Whose fault was it that they were not
in a state to be given the truth? (14) Can we go on
indefinitely resisting the truth and expect that the
truth will still remain open to us so that we can accept
it at any time, or is there danger that the truth itself
shall some time be hidden from us? (15) What, then,
is our duty respecting the truth we now know ? (] 6)*
Write out the parable itself from memory; then write
it again, substituting for the seed, and the various kinds
of soil the things which they represent.
Parables of the Kingdom's Growth 53
B. The Use That the Disciples Are to Make of the
Parables, 4 : 21-25
21 And lie said unto them, Is the lamp brought
to be put under the bushel, or under the bed, a7id
22 not to be put on the stand ? For there is nothing
hid, save that it should be manifested; neither
was anything made secret, but that it should come
EXPLANATORY NOTES
Vs. 21, "lamp": This represents the truth conveyed
by the parable. Its purpose is to give light to men, that
they may see the path of right. To hide it is as absurd as
to light a lamp and cover it up. Vs. 22: If any truth is
hidden for a time it is only in order that it may afterward
be made known. The parable, being a story easy to remem-
ber, preserves (like a husk) what it for a time hides, in
order that later it may come to light: it keeps the truth
from being forgotten until it can be understood. Vs. 24,
" take heed what ye hear": This should probably be trans-
lated " consider what ye hear." " With what measure ye
measure, it shall be measured to you": in proportion as
An earthenware lamp found in Palestine ; shown by its inscription
to have been intended for use in a Christian home. The inscription
reads: " The light of Christ shines, beautiful, for all."
54 The Gospel according to Mark
to light. If any man hath ears to hear, let him 23
hear. And he said unto them, Take heed what 24
ye hear: with what measure ye mete it shall be
measured unto you: and more shall be given unto
you. For he that hath, to him shall be given: 25
and he that hath not, from him shall be taken
away even that which he hath.
you consider or give attention to th& truth, in that propor-
tion it shall be given to you. "And more shall be given
unto you": The more one has learned, the more easily
does one learn more. This is especially true in moral
teaching. Vs. 25 states the general principle that posses-
sion of truth enables one to acquire more; lack of it hinders
one from gaining or holding what is within his reach.
QUESTIONS
(1) What answer is expected to the question, vs. 21 ?
(2)* What does the lamp represent in Jesus' thought?
(3) Notice the exact sense of vs. 22 and its application
to the parable. (4)* W^hat does this imply as to the
duty of the disciples in reference to the parables, when
they should come to understand them ? (5) W^hat does
vs. 23 mean? Compare vs. 9. (6) How does the teach-
ing in vs. 24 apply to the parable? How to truth in
general? (7) What does the principle of vs. 25 mean?
How does it apply to the gaining of truth ?
Parables of the Kingdom's Growth 55
C. The Parable of the Seed Growing of Itself,
4 : 26-29
26 And he said, So is the kingdom of God, as if
27 a man should cast seed upon the earth; and should
sleep and rise night and day, and the seed should
28 spring up and grow, he knoweth not how. The
earth beareth fruit of herself ; first the blade, then
29 the ear, then the full corn in the ear. But when
the fruit is ripe, straightway he putteth forth the
sickle, because the harvest is come.
EXPLANATORY NOTES
Vs. 26, 'jMthe kingdom of God " j: This is the subject of
all these parables. See~note on vs. 11. " Cast seed upon
the earth": sow it, scattering it by hand, as was the cus-
tom of those days. Vs. 27, "sleep and rise": i. e., go about
his work by day and sleep at night, leaving the seed in the
earth to itself. Vs. 28, "of herself": better, "of itself."
This is the emphatic thought. The farmer sows the seed,
but the earth makes it grow of itself. The seed and the
earth are made for one another, and produce a harvest by
the power that is in them, not by anything that the farmer
puts into them. "The blade .... the ear .... the full
corn in the ear": Grain, such as wheat or barley, is
referred to; we should say today, "the blade (the first shoot
that shows above ground), the head, the ripe grain in the
head."
QUESTIONS
(1) Read with care this second parable of the seed,
and notice what characteristic of the seed and the earth
is here specially emphasized. Compare this parable
with that in vss. 3-8 with reference to this point. (2)
56 The Gospel according to Mark
What two duties of the farmer are specially mentioned
in this parable (vss. 26, 29)? (3)* What power neces-
sary to the production of a harvest does the parable
imply that the farmer cannot furnish? (4)* Where is
this necessary power? Would it be of any use to sow
the seed if this power did not exist ? (5)* Is this power
exercised on seed that is not sown in the ground? (6)
Because of the existence of this power in the seed and
the earth, what must the farmer do if he wishes a har-
vest? Having sown the seed, what must he do? (7)
Would staying awake nights, or worrying about the
seed, make it grow? (8) Of what does this parable
teach us the nature (vs. 26)? (9) What does the seed
represent? What does the soil represent? (10)* What
does the parable teach about the adaptedness of truth
and the human heart to one another? (11) What du-
ties respecting the truth are here shown to belong to
the Christian teacher? What limitation of his duties
is implied? (12) Is the parable one of encouragement
or warning, or both ?
Parables of the Kingdom's Growth 57
D. The Parable of the Mustard Seed, 4:30-34
30 And he said, How shall we liken the kingdom
of God ? or in what parable shall we set it forth ?
31 It is like a grain of mustard seed, which, when it
is sown upon the earth, though it be less than all
32 the seeds that are upon the earth, yet when it is
sown, groweth up, and becometh greater than all
the herbs, and putteth out great branches ; so that
the birds of the heaven can lodge under the shadow
thereof.
33 And with many such parables spake he the
34 word unto them, as they were able to hear it: and
without a parable spake he not unto them : but pri-
vately to his own disciples he expounded all things.
EXPLANATORY NOTES
Vs. 30, " the kingdom of God": Cf. note on vs. 11. Vs.
31, "mustard": a Palestinian plant that grows from a very
small seed, but becomes a large bush, often ten feet high
or more. It is the contrast between the small seed and
the large plant that grows from it that Jesus uses to illus-
trate the nature of the kingdom of God. Vs. 32, "greater
than all the herbs": i.e., than all vegetables that grow
from seed in a garden.
Vs. 33, "unto them": i.e., to the people, as is shown
by his speaking of his disciples in the next verse in con-
trast with those here referred to. "As they were able to
hear it": as they could understand them, even though only
in part. Vs. 34, "expounded": explained.
58 The Gospel accoeding to Mark
QUESTIONS
(1) In the parable of the mustard seed what char-
acteristic of the seed is emphasized? (2) What is it
the nature of which is illustrated by this parable? (3)
What does this parable teach about the kingdom of
God? (4)* Of what one thing do all these parables
teach the nature? (5)* How far are they alike in that
which Jesus uses to illustrate the nature of this one
thing? (6)* What special characteristic of the seed
does the first of the parables emphasize? (7)* What
does the second emphasize? (8)* What the third?
(9)* What truth about the kingdom does each teach?
(10) Did the multitude who heard the parables under-
stand them at all? (11) Did the disciples understand
them perfectly? (12) In what respect did Jesus treat
the multitude and the disciples differently?
* REVIEW QUESTIONS
(These' questions may ba used as examination questions. In
answering them the pupil may use the New Testament, if he wishes,
but no other, especially no personal, help. The answers should be
carefully corrected by the teacher or examiner and returned to the
pupil.)
(1) Tell what you know about the writer of the
second gospel . (2) Who is the first person spoken of
in the narrative? Tell briefly what the gospel says
about his way r)f living and his work. (3) What are
the first two events of Jesus' life related in this gospel ?
(4) What is the first miracle of Jesus related in this
gospel ? (5) Make a list of the miracles of healing (in-
cluding cases of demoniacs) narrated in the first three
chapters of Mark. (6) What answer did Jesus give
to those who urged him to return to Capernaum (1^)?
What is the meaning of the answer? (7) For what five
things did the Pharisees find fault with Jesus, as related
Pakables of the Kingdom's Growth 59
in 21-36? (8) State briefly how he answered each of
these criticisms. (9) Write the list of the apostles.
Which of these are mentioned in the gospel previous to
the record of their appointment as apostles ? (10) What
answer did Jesus make to the charge that he cast out
demons by the prince of demons? (11) Who did Jesus
say were his brothers and sisters? (12) Name the
parables of the kingdom in the fourth chapter of Mark.
(13) State what you understand to be the central teach-
ing of each one. (14) Are these the first parables of
Jesus that are recorded in this gospel? (15) What
previous parable-like sayings of Jesus are reported?
(16) What reason did Jesus give for teaching in
parables in 4^0-12 j^^d 4''^i'22? (17^ Jn what part of
Palestine did all the events narrated in li^— 4'^-^ take
place? (18) In what city are certain of them said to
have occurred? Where is this city?
To the Teacher: On the Sunday following the week in which
these questions are answered, it would be well to discuss the answers
which the pupils have written, especially 7, 8, 12, 13, 16.
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Stilling of the Tempest 61
have acquired a stronger faith,! one which would have
kept them calm as he was. Vs. 41, "who then is this that
even the wind," etc.: Though they had been some time
with Jesus, the disciples had not yet fully understood who
and what he was. Nor did Jesus expect this. He took
them as his disciples, not because they knew all about him,
but because they were willing to follow him and to learn.
Yet he reproved them for being so slow to learn.
QUESTIONS
(1) Read carefully 43j-^i and then tell the story.
(2)* On what sea did this event take place? Is this
lake still subject to sudden storms? (3)* What spirit
do the disciples show in their question, vs. 38? (4)
Could they have asked such a question if they had
really understood Jesus' character, as with their oppor-
tunities they might have done? (5) Under what cir-
cumstances do men today often make a similar mistake ?
(6) What lesson does Jesus teach the disciples in vs. 40?
(•7) What does the whole incident suggest as to how we
should behave in times of danger? (8) Have we as
much reason for faith in God's protecting care of us as
the disciples had for faith in Jesus? (9) W^hat does
the question of the disciples in vs. 41 show as to their
knowledge of who and what Jesus was ? (10)* Did Jesus
demand that they should know and acknowledge the
whole truth about him before he would receive them
as his disciples? (11) What did he ask at the begin-
ning (see 1 17, 21^)? (12)* What did he expect that ac-
quaintance with him would do for them (see especially
vs. 40)? (13) For what did he reprove them? (14)
How far do all these things apply in respect to dis-
ciples of Jesus today ?
SECTION XIX
THE GERASENE DEMONIAC, 5:1-20
And they came to the other side of the sea, 1
into the country of the Gerasenes. And when he 2
was come out of the boat, straightway there met
him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit,
who had his dwelling in the tombs: and no man 3
could any more bind him, no, npt with a chain;
because that he had been often bound with fetters 4
and chains, and the chains had been rent asunder
by him, and the fetters broken in pieces: and no
man had strength to tame him. And always, night 5
EXPLANATORY NOTES
Vs. 1, "into the country of the Gerasenes" : The place
of the event is without doubt in the outskirts of a town
on the east side of the sea of GaUlee, now called Khersa.
Here are tombs still to be seen, and the slope extend-
ing almost to the sea, from which it is separated by a
narrow beach. Vs. 2, ''out of the tombs": not graves, but
tombs or vaults cut out of the rock above the ground.
There are many in that region today. Vs. 3, "and no man
could any more bind him": This and the following verses
present the picture of a raving madman. Vs. 6, "ran and
worshipped him": He is calmed and partly controlled by
the presence of Jesus; but the word "worshipped" does not
necessarily imply reverence, only homage of some sort.
Vs. 7, "what have I to do with thee?" etc.: As to what
the demoniacs usually said when they saw Jesus, cf.
Mark 3 11 and notes on 124. Vs. 10, "that he would not
send them away out of the country": Luke explains this
62
The Gerasene Demoniac
63
and day, in the tombs and in the mountains, he
was crying out, and cutting himself with stones.
6 And when he saw Jesus from afar, he ran and
7 worshipped him ; and crying out with a loud voice,
he saith. What have I to do with thee, Jesus, thou
Son of the Most High God? I adjure thee by
8 God, torment me not. For he said unto him,
Come forth, thou unclean spirit, out of the man.
9 And he asked him. What is thy name? And he
saith unto him. My name is Legion; for we are
10 many. And he besought him much that he would
11 not send them away out of the country. Now
there was there on the mountain side a great herd
A ROOK -OUT TOilB
64 The Gospel according to Mark
of swine feeding. And they besought him, say- 12
ing, Send us into the swine, that we may enter
into them. And he gave them leave. And the 13
unclean spirits came out, and entered into the swine :
and the herd rushed down the steep into the sea,
in number about two thousand; and they were
choked in the sea. And they that fed them 14
fled, and told it in the city, and in the country.
And they came to see what it was that had come
to pass. And they come to Jesus, and behold 15
^J^noniac ' ^Im that was possessed with devils sitting, clothed
and in his right mind, even him that had the
legion: and they were afraid. And they that saw 16
to mean "into the abyss," i. e., of hell (Luke 8 31): Vs. 13,
"and the unclean spirits came out and entered into the
swine": The demons! are spoken of here — and the evan-
gelists evidently thought of them — as beings that differ
from both men and beasts but gaining control of either do
them harm. " Rushed down the steep into the sea " : There
is near the town Khersa a steep place like this. Vs. 17,
"began to beseech him to depart from their borders":
They cared more for the loss of their swine than for the
cure of the demoniac. Vs. 19, "go to thy house .... and
tell them," etc.: a different command from the one Jesus
gave to the leper, because the circumstances were different.
Jesus was going back to the other side of the sea. So his
work would not be hindered by the man's making his cure
well known, and his telling it would do him and his friends
good. Vs. 20, "Decapolis"t: See map and dictionary.
The Gerasene Demoniac G5
it declared unto them how it befell ^ him that was ^aemoniac
possessed with Mevils, and concerning the swine.
17 And they began to beseech him to depart from
18 their 'borders. And as he was entering into the
boat, he that had been possessed with Mevils 2 demons
19 besought him that he might be with him. And
he suffered him not, but saith unto him. Go to
thy house unto thy friends, and tell them how
great things the Lord hath done for thee, and
20 lioiD he had mercy on thee. And he went his
way, and began to publish in Decapolis how great
things Jesus had done for him: and all men did
marvel.
QUESTIONS
(1) Read carefully vss. 1-13 (consulting dictionary
and notes for help on any points that are not clear),
and then tell the story. (2)* Where did this incident
take place? (3) What name should we apply today to
a man such as vss. 2-5 describe? Cf. vs. 15. (4) What
do vss. 2, 8, 9 imply as to the cause of this man's con-
dition? (5) Does the word "worshipped" (vs. 6) imply
true reverence, or in view of vs. 7, only fear? (6)* Was
this man's confession of Jesus peculiar to him, or com-
mon in the case of the demoniacs generally? (7) To
whom is the command of vs. 8 addressed? (8) Of
whom is the question of vs. 9 asked? Who answered
it? What does the answer mean? (9)* Does the man
seem to be master of his own action and words, or
to be under the control of some other power, or partly
both? (10) What is the meaning of the request of
66 The Gospel according to Mark
vs. 10? (11) What was the effect of Jesus' granting
it? (12) Read vss. 14-20, and tell the story of these
verses. (13)* What was the effect on the man of the
expulsion of the demons ? (14) What was probably the
reason for the request which the people of the place
made? (15) Was it a reasonable request? If not, why
not? (16) Why did Jesus refuse the request of the
man whom he had cured, and send him away to. tell
his friends of his cure, instead of enjoining silence
as in s(^me other cases (see, e. g., 1*^)? (17) Where and
what is Decapolis ? f The matter of possession of men
by demons is a difficult and obscure one. Try, how-
ever, to answer the following questions about them.
(18)* What were some of the external signs of this con-
dition ? (19)* What do we say today of people who show
these symptoms ? (20)* What was commonly believed to
be the cause of this condition in Jesus' day? (21)* Did
Jesus make any effort to change this common belief?
(22)* Did he say that it was correct? (23)* Did Jesus
treat this Gerasene demoniac as a great sinner, or as an
unfortunate sufferer? (24)* Is there any indication
that he thought that men possessed with demons
were any more wicked than other men? (25) In past
ages insane people have often been treated with great
cruelty on the ground that they were possessed with
devils and therefore very wicked. Was this in accord-
ance with Jesus' example or contrary to it ? (26) To-
day men build hospitals to care for the insane and to
cure them if possible. Is this in accordance with the
spirit of Jesus? (27) Is it necessary to know what
caused suffering before you try to relieve it ?
SECTION XX
JAIRUS'S DAUGHTER RAISED TO LIFE, 5:21-43
21 And when Jesus had crossed over again in the
boat unto the other side, a great multitude was
22 gathered unto him: and he was by the sea. And
there cometh one of the rulers of the synagogue,
Jairus by name; and seeing him, he falleth at
23 his feet, and beseecheth him much, saying. My
little daughter is at the point of death: / pray
thee, that thou come and lay thy hands on her,
24 that she may be ^made whole, and live. And he
went with him; and a great multitude followed
him, and they thronged him.
25 And a woman, which had an issue of blood
26 twelve years, and had suffered many things of
many physicians, and had spent all that she had,
and was nothing bettered, but rather grew worse,
27 having heard the things concerning Jesus, came
in the crowd behind, and touched his garment.
EXPLANATORY NOTES
Vs. 22, "one of the rulers of the synagogue"!: appar-
ently the synagogue in Capernaum had more than one
" ruler."
Vs. 25, " an issue of blood " : chronic hemorrhage. Vs.
28, " if I touch but his garments, I shall be made whole " :
Evidently she had real faith, though but an imperfect
idea what kind of power Jesus had. Vs. 34, "daughter" :
expressive of kindness ; cf. Mark 25.
67
1 cured, or
saved
68 The Gospel accokding to Mark
1 cured, or
saved
2 sickness
Scured thee, or
saved thee
4 Teacher
5 Or, overhear'
ing
For she said, If I touch but his garments, I shall 28
be 'made whole. And straightway the fountain 29
of her blood was dried up; and she felt in her
body that she was healed of her ^plague. And 30
straightway Jesus, perceiving in himself that the
-power proceeding from him had gone forth, turned
him about in the crowd, and said. Who touched
my garments? And his disciples said unto him, 31
Thou seest the multitude thronging thee, and
sayest thou. Who touched me ? And he looked 32
round about to see her that had done this thing.
But the woman fearing and trembling, knowing 33
what had been done to her, came and fell down
before him, and told him all the truth. And he 34
said unto her, Daughter, thy faith hath ^made thee
whole; go in peace, and be 'whole of thy ^plague.
While he yet spake, they come from the ruler 35
of the synagogue's house, saying, Thy daughter
is dead; why troublest thou the * Master any
further ? But Jesus °not heeding the "Word spoken, 36
Vs. 36, " Fear not, only believe " : i. e., cease to fear,
keep on believing. Vs. 37, "save Peter, James, and
John": so also in Mark 92; 1433. Vs. 38, " weeping and
wailing " : It was the custom at that time to hire people
to mourn and cry when anyone had died. Vs. 39, " the
child is not dead, but sleepeth " : she is so soon to live
again that it is as if she slept. Vs. 41, " Talitha cumi " :
These words are in Aramaic, a language very much like
Hebrew and in use in Palestine at this time. Vs. 43,
" charged them," etc. : unwilling to attract attention to
Jairus's Daughter Raised to Life 69
saith unto the ruler of the synagogue, Fear not, only
37 believe. And he suffered no man to follow with
him, ^save Peter and James, and John the brother ^except
38 of James. And they come to the house of the
ruler of the synagogue ; and he beholdeth a tumult,
39 and many weeping and wailing greatly. And
when he was entered in, he saith unto them. Why
make ye a tumult, and weep ? the child is not dead,
40 but sleepeth. And they laughed him "to scorn.
But he, having put them all forth, taketh the
father of the child and her mother and them that
were with him, and goeth in where the child was,
41 And taking the child by the hand, he saith unto
her, Talitha cumi; which is, being interpreted,
42 ^Damsel, I say unto thee, Arise. And straightway i maiden
the damsel rose up, and walked ; for she was twelve
years old. And they were amazed straightway
43 with a great amazement. And he charged them
much that no man should know this : and he com-
manded that something should be given her to eat.
himself as a healer. " Commanded that something should
be given her to eat " : thoughtfully compassionate even
in little things.
QUESTIONS
(1) To which side of the sea does vs. 21 refer? (2)*
To what city on this side of the sea did Jesus frequently
return? (3)* What oflSce did Jairus hold? Name it and
describe it. (4) What statement does Jairus make about
his daughter, and what request ?
70 The Gospel according to Mark
(5)* Tell the story of the woman who touched Jesus
in the crowd as he went to Jairus's house; her sick-
ness; the time it had lasted; her experience with physi-
cians; her thought in following Jesus; the effect of
touching his garments; Jesus' question; the answer of
the disciples and of the woman ? (6) What did Jesus
say had secured the cure? (7) What did the woman
believe, and how had her faith expressed itself? (8)
Would she have sought to touch Jesus if she had not
believed that he could cure her? Would she have been
healed if, believing that he could cure her, she had made
no expression of her belief? What two elements, then,
did her faith involve?
(9) What message was brought to the ruler as he
was on his way to his home (vs. 35)? (10) What
did Jesus say when he heard this message? (11)* Tell
the story of what happened when they reached the
house (notice carefully all the details, and try to tell
the story accurately). (12) What characteristics of
Jesus appear in vs. 43? (13) In what respect were
Jairus and the woman mentioned in vss. 25-34 alike in
their attitude toward Jesus? (14) Is this attitude one
which Jesus approved and sought to cultivate in men?
(15)* Do the gospels tell of any instance in which Jesus
failed, or refused to do for anyone what that one believed
he could do for him? In other words, was the faith of
any man ever disappointed? (16) Reconsider question
6, and study again the conduct of Jairus to see whether
his faith has the same two elements which appear in
the faith of the woman. (17) Will this do for a defini-
tion of faith in Jesus as we find it in the gospels — such
a belief that Jesus can and will do for one a certain
thing as manifests itself in coming to Jesus and com-
mitting one's case to him ? (18) Will the same definition
Jaieus's Daughter Kaised to Life 71
hold for faith in Jesus today ? (19) Were the specific
needs of the people who came to Jesus all the same, or
did each have his own special need? Have we all today
some common need which Jesus can supply? Have we
also each our own special needs? What would faith in
Jesus lead us to do respecting all these needs?
SECTION XXI
THE REJECTION AT NAZARETH, 6: 1-6
And he went out from thence; and he cometh
into his own country; and his disciples follow
him. And when the sabbath was come, he began
to teach in the synagogue : and many hearing him
were astonished, saying, "Whence hath this man
these things? and, What is the wisdom that is
given unto this man, and what mean such mighty
works wrought by his hands? Is not this the
EXPLANATORY NOTES
Vs. 1, "his own country": i. e., Nazareth,! where he
was brought up. See Luke 4 16, 23. Vss. 2, 3, " and many
.... were astonished .... and they were offended in
him": Though surprised at his wisdom and power, yet
because he had been brought up among them, they were
not drawn to him, but only offended, made to stumble, i. e.,
to fall into error and sin respecting him. Notice the names
of his four brothers and the use of the plural "sisters,"
showing that Jesus was one of a family of not less than
seven children. These brothers and siste:s were probably
younger than Jesus, the children of Joseph and Mary;
rather than, as some have fancied, the children of Joseph
and a former wife. This verse tells us a great deal, if we
stop to think of it, about Jesus' home life. He knew both
the joy and the discipline of life in a large family and a
humble home. Vs. 4, "a prophet is not without honour,"
etc.: It is often Harder for one's own friends to see the
true worth of one than for strangers. We do not like to
think that one brought up just as we were is really, so
much greater than we. Vs. 5, " and he could there do no
72
The Kejection at Nazareth 73
carpenter, the son of Mary, and brother of James,
and Joses, and Judas, and Simon ? and are not his
sisters here with us ? And they w.ere offended in
4 him. And Jesus said unto them, A prophet is
, not without honour, save in his own country, and
5 among his own kin, and in his own house. And
he could there do no mighty work, ^save that he i except
laid his hands upon a few sick folk, and healed
6 them. And he marvelled because of their unbelief.
And he went round about the villages teaching.
mighty work": Their narrowness and prejudice made it
impossible, because the miracle would have been no real
blessing to men who lacked the openness of mind to see
the real meaning of it. Vs. 6, " and he marvelled because
of their unbelief": was surprised that they were so /
unwilling to take him to be what his works and words
(vs. 2) showed that he was. Jesus evidently liked to
believe good of people, and when he found them narrow
an d mean it not, only grieved but^ surprised him.
QUESTIONS
(1)* What is meant by "his own country" in vs. 1?
(2) What impression did the preaching of Jesus in the
synagogue make on the people who heard it ? (3) What
feeling does their question in vs. 3 express? (4) What
does the word "offended" in vs. 3 mean? (5) Tell the
story of Jesus' visit to Nazareth. (6) By what principle
did Jesus explain the attitude of the people of Nazareth
toward him? (7) Did the fact that their (conduct was
according to this general rule make it right ? (8) Does
it make any conduct right that people generally act in
that way? (9)* How did the attitude of the Nazarenes
*-w.^5^^HE Gospel according to Mark
toward Jesus hinder his work for them? (10) Would
they have fallen into such an error if they had culti-
vated the habit of open-mindedness and fair-minded-
ness? Is the abs'ence of such open-mindedness a moral
wrong? Is the cultivation of it a duty? (11)* What
characteristic of Jesus is reflected in his surprise at the
unbelief of the Nazarenes ?
(12) How many brothers and sisters had Jesus?
(13)* Of how many, then, did the family at Nazareth
consist? (14) Were these brothers and sisters older or
younger than Jesus? See Luke 2"*. (15) What are
some of the experiences that would come into Jesus'
life at home through being a member of such a family ?
(16)* At what trade did Jesus work as a young man in
Nazareth? (17)* Was the home at Nazareth one of
wealth, or of extreme poverty, or of humble comfort?
How do you know ?
A STREET IN NAZARETH
SECTION XXII
THE SENDING OUT OF THE TWELVE TO EN-
GAGE IN WORK LIKE THAT OF JESUS HIM-
SELF, 6:7-29
7 And he called unto him the twelve and began
to send them forth by two and two; and he gave
8 them authority over the unclean spirits; and he
charged them that they should take nothing for
their journey, save a staff only; no bread, no
9 wallet, no money in their ^ purse; but to go shod lor.girdu
with sandals: and, said he, put not on two coats.
10 And he said unto them. Wheresoever ye enter into
11 a house, there abide till ye depart thence. And
whatsoever place shall not receive you, and they
EXPLANATORY NOTES
Vs. 7, '-the twelve": Cf. 314. "And began to send
them forth": as he had planned to do when he appointed
them (311; c/. notes on that passage). Vs. 8, "wallet": a
small leathern bag for carrying provisions. These they
were not to provide in advance, but were to get on the
journey. Vs. 9, "put not on two coats": The dress of a
person who lived in Palestine in those days was very
simple. Besides sandals for the feet and a covering for the
head, a man wore a tunic or coat, which was a garment
something like a long shirt, with a girdle or belt around
the waist, and a cloak, which was hardly more than a large
square piece of cloth. Some men wore two tunics, but this
was a sign of wealth (Luke 311), and it was this that Jesus
forbade. He himself appears to have worn but one (John
75
76 The Gospel according to Mar:
MAN IN ORIENTAL DRESS
The Sending out of the Twelve 77
hear you not, as ye go forth thence, shake off the
dust that is under your feet for a testimony unto
12 them. And they went out, and preached that
13 men should repent. And they cast out many
Mevils, and anointed with oil many that were idemom
sick, and healed them.
14 And king Herod heard thereof \ for his name
had become known; and he said, John Hhe Bap- ^tuer^^ ^"'^'
tist is risen from the dead, and therefore do these
15 powers work in him. But others said. It is Elijah.
And others said, // is a prophet, even as one of
16 the prophets. But Herod, when he heard thereof,
17 said, John, whom I beheaded, he is risen. For
Herod himself had sent forth and laid hold upon
John, and bound him in prison for the sake of
Herodias, his brother Philip's wife: for he had
19 23). The purpose of all these directions in vss. 8, 9, is to
prevent the disciples having anything to hinder them in
their work. They were not to burden themselves either to
get or to carry anything unnecessary. They needed neither
money nor provisions for their journey because they went
afoot, and it was the custom to give travelers food and
shelter for nothing; the people would have been insulted if
they had been offered pay. Vs. 10, "there abide": ^. e.,
have but one stopping place in each village. Vs. 11, "shake
off the dust": a sign of disapproval of their conduct. Vs.
12, "preached that men should repent": following the
example of John (Matt. 3 2) and Jesus (Mark 1 15). Vs. 13,
"cast out many demons," etc.: accompanying, as Jesus had
done, the preaching of the gospel with the relief of bodily
ills. So the Christian spirit leads us in our times to do
both together.
78 The Gospel according to Mark
married her. For John said unto Herod, It is not 18
lawful for thee to have thy brother's wife. And 19
Herodias set herself against him, and desired to
kill him; and she could not; for Herod feared 20
John, knowing that he was a righteous man and a
holy, and kept him safe. And when he heard him,
he was much perplexed ; and he heard him gladly.
And when a convenient day was come, that Herod 21
on his birthday made a supper to his lords, and
the ''high captains, and the chief men of Galilee;
and when the daughter of Herodias herself came 22
in and danced, she pleased Herod and them that
sat at meat with him; and the king said unto the
Mamsel, Ask of me whatsoever thou wilt, and I
will give it thee. And he sware unto her. What- 23
sover thou shalt ask of me, I will give it thee.
Vs. 14, "and king Herod ": Herod Antipas, tetrarch of
Galilee and Perea; not strictly king, but perhaps called so
by courtesy. "Heard thereof ": i. e., of the work of Jesus
and his disciples. "Therefore do these powers work in
him": the words of a superstitious man made more so by
his guilty conscience. His thought seems to be, not that
Jesus does miracles (powers), but that they operate in him.
Vs. 15, "Elijah .... one of the prophets": c/. Mark 828.
Those who said he was Elijah had in mind the prophecy of
Mai. 4 5, and probably thought of a real return of Elijah.
Those who called him a prophet meant that he was simply
another prophet in the line of the prophets. Vs. 17,
" Herod himself had sent forth," etc.: The evangelist turns
back to tell of the death of John which had happened some
time before. Vs. 18, "for John said unto Herod ": not once,
The Sending out of the Twelve 79
24 unto the half of my kingdom. And she went out,
and said unto her mother, What shall I ask ? And
25 she said. The head of John Hhe Baptist. And Me^'^"^
she came in straightway with haste unto the king,
and asked, saying, I will that thou forthwith give
me in a charger the head of John^ the Baptist.
26 And the king was exceeding sorry; but for the
sake of his oaths, and of them that sat at meat, he
27 would not reject her. And straightway the king
sent forth a soldier of his guard, and commanded
to bring his head: and he went and beheaded him
28 in the prison, and brought his head in a charger,
and gave it to the ''damsel; and the ° damsel gave
29 it to her mother. And when his disciples heard
thereof, they came and took up his corpse, and .
laid it in a tomb.
probably, but repeatedly. Vss. 19, 20, "Herodias ....
desired to kill him .... Herod feared John": It was
Herodias who hated John most for his courage in reprov-
ing her sin and Herod's. "Was much perplexed; and he
heard him gladly": yet did nothing about it, lacking the
courage to take a bold stand against Herodias. Vs. 21, " a
convenient day": for Herodias to carry out her cherished
purpose. "His lords, and high captains, and chief men of
Galilee": chief civil officers, military officers, and leading
private citizens. Vs. 27, "sent forth a soldier ": Josephus
says that John was put to death at Macherus, a castle on
the east side of the Dead Sea, in Perea, which was under
Herod's rule. Vs. 29, "his disciples": i. e., John's. The
whole story, vs. 17-29, is a long parenthesis relating to
what had happened before the sending out of the Twelve,
in explanation of Herod's remark, vs. 16.
80 The Gospel according to Mark
QUESTIONS
(1)* What authority did Jesus give his twelve
disciples when sending them out ? (2)* For what pur-
pose were they originally chosen by him ? (3)* What
was the probable reason for sending them two by two,
instead of singly ? (4) What various directions did he
give them about their journey (vss. 8, 9)? What was
the general reason for all these injunctions? (5) What
is the meaning of and reason for the injunction of vs.
10? What of vs. 11? (6) Could these injunctions be
applied literally to missionary work today? Do the
general principles still apply? (7)* What three kinds
of work did the apostles do on their journey?
(8) W^hat various opinions were expressed at about
this time about Jesus? What did Herod say? What
do his words mean? (9) For what had Herod
imprisoned John? (10) Tell the story of the death of
John the Baptist. (11) What element of John's char-
acter appears in the story of his imprisonment and
death ? (12) Who was chiefly responsible for the death
of John? (13) Who shared in that responsibility?
(14) W^hat does Herod's conduct suggest as to the
propriety of keeping or breaking rash and wicked
promises? (15) This section brings before us a variety
of persons and characters: Jesus, his disciples, John
the Baptist, Herod, and his family and companions.
Which of these would have been generally looked upon
then as the fortunate and enviable members of Palestin-
ian society ? Who are most honored today ? Who are
really most worthy of honor, and were so then? (16)'''
Give a brief sketch of the life, work, and death of John
the Baptist, and an estimate of his character.
SECTION XXIII
THE FEEDING OF THE FIVE THOUSAND, 6 : 30-46
30 And the apostles gather themselves toge'ther
unto Jesus; and they told him all things, what-
soever they had done, and whatsoever they had
31 taught. And he saith unto them, Come ye your-
selves apart into a desert place, and rest a while.
For there were many coming and going, and they
32 had no leisure so much as to eat. And they went
33 away in the boat to a desert place apart. And
the people saw them going, and many knew them,
and they ran there together ^ on foot from all the i or, by land
34 cities, and outwent them. And he came forth and
EXPLANATORY NOTES
Vs. 30, "gather themselves together unto Jesus":
probably at Capernaum. " Told him all things whatsoever
they had done": i.e., on their journey (612,13). Vs. 31,
"come ye yourselves apart .... and rest a while": a
needed vacation after work. Vs. 32, " in the boat to a
desert place apart": some uninhabited spot on the shore
of the Sea of Galilee. Vs. 39 shows that it was a grassy
spot, and as the comparison of the other gospels indicates
that it was at the northern end of the sea, the event is
usually thought to have occurred in the grassy plain of
Butaiha on the northeastern shore of the sea. Cf. map op-
posite p. 60. Vs. 34, " came forth ": from the boat, the people
having arrived before him. "And he had compassion on
them": the motive that constantly moved Jesus. "As sheep
not having a shepherd": as people with no competent reli-
81
82 The Gospel accokding to Mark
saw a great multitude, and he had compassion on
them, because they were as sheep not having a
shepherd: and he began to teach them many
things. And when the day was now far spent, his 35
disciples came unto him, and said, The place is
desert, and the day is now far spent : send them 36
away, that they may go into the country and
villages round about, and buy themselves some-
what to eat. But he answered and said unto them, 37
Give ye them to eat. And they say unto him.
Shall we go and buy two hundred pennyworth of
bread, and give them to eat ? And he saith unto 38
them. How many loaves have ye ? go and see.
And when they knew, they say, Five, and two
fishes. And he commanded them that all should 39
gious leaders. "And he began to teach them": giving up the
rest he was intending to take. Vs. 37, "two hundred
pennyworth ": two hundred denarii, equal to about $34, but
enough to buy much more than that amount would buy
today. The story does not state whether the disciples had
as much as this or not. A denarius was a day's wages of
a laborer. Vs. 38, "how many loaves": The loaf was a
thin cake, not unlike a large cracker. See the illustration
on p. 105. Vs. 39, " upon the green grass": This shows that
it was spring (c/. also John 6 4); the grass withers early in
the summer. Vs. 41, "looking up to heaven, he blessed":
blessed God, gave thanks for the food. Vs. 44, "twelve
basketfuls": See^'the illustration on p. 101.
Vss. 45, 46, " constrained his disciples to enter into the
boat .... while he himself sendeth the multitude away":
The compassion of Jesus leads him to feed the people; but
it is not his intention to continue feeding them. This is,
Feeding of the Five Thousand 83
^sit down by companies upon the green grass.
40 And they sat down in ranks, by hundreds, and by
41 fifties. And he took the five loaves and the two
fishes, and looking up to heaven, he blessed, and
brake the loaves; and he gave to the disciples to
set before them; and the two fishes divided he
42 among them all. And they did all eat, and were
43 filled. And they took up broken pieces, twelve
44 basketfuls, and also of the fishes. And they that
ate the loaves were five thousand men.
45 And straightway he constrained his disciples to
enter into the boat, and to go before him unto the
other side to Bethsaida, while he himself sendeth
46 the multitude away. And after he had taken leave
of them, he departed into the mountain to pray.
even less than healing the sick, the work he came to do.
"To pray": c/.135. A special reason for seeking at this
time opportunity for prayer alone is suggested by John
6 11, 15; the people that he had fed wanted to take him and
make him a king, but such a king as it was not God's will
that he should be. So he sends them away, but not with
his disciples, and himself seeks communion with God alone.
QUESTIONS
(1)* Vs. 30 refers to the return from a journey,
where is the account of the disciples going out on this
journey? (2) What do vss. 31 and 33 imply as to the
number of people who were following Jesus at this time,
and his popularity? (3) What does vs. 31 indicate as
to Jesus' care for his disciples? (4) What body of
84 The Gospel accokding to Mark
water did they probably cross in the boat journey men-
tioned in vs. 32? (5)* What does the expression '' desert
place" in vss. 31, 32 mean, and where was the place,
probably, to which Jesus and his disciples went ? Look
it up on the map. (6) How did the people reach the
spot ? Look on the map to see how this was possible.
(7) What feeling did the presence of this multitude call
forth in Jesus ? (8)* What is meant by the expression
"as sheep not having a shepherd"? (9)* What plan of
his own did Jesus give up in order to teach the people?
(10) What proposal did the disciples make with refer-
ence to the feeding of the multitude? (11) How did
Jesus propose to feed them, and how did he do it?
(12) Retell the whole story of vss. 30-44. (13)* What
qualities of Jesus does it illustrate ? Answer this fully
and carefully.
(14)* After the feeding of the five thousand, where
did Jesus send his disciples? What did he do with
the multitude? Where did he himself go, and for what
purpose? (15) What were the reasons for this action?
Why did he not take advantage of the presence of this
great company to draw after him a multitude of fol-
lowers? (16)* Is Jesus' conduct on this occasion like
or unlike that which he has previously shown? (17)
What light does it throw on his motives and aims ?
SECTION XXIV
JESUS WALKING ON THE SEA, 6:47-52
47 And when even was come, the boat was in the
48 midst of the sea, and he alone on the land. And
seeing them distressed in rowing, for the wind was
contrary unto them, about the fourth watch of the
night he cometh unto them, walking on the sea;
49 and he would have passed by them : but they, when
they saw him walking on the sea, supposed that it
50 was an apparition, and cried out: for they all saw
him, and were troubled. But he straightway spake
with them, and saith unto them, Be of good cheer:
51 it is I ; be not afraid. And he went up unto them
into the boat ; and the wind ceased : and they were
52 sore amazed in themselves; for they understood
not concerning the loaves, but their heart was
hardened.
EXPLANATORY NOTES
Vs. 48, " about the fourth watch of the night ": between
3 and 6 a. m., the night being divided into four watches of
about three hours each. This is the Roman method of
counting time ; the Jews divided the night into but three
watches. "And he would have passed by them": He
intended to do so, if they did not call to him. Vs. 52, "for
they understood not concerning the loaves": a remark
made by the writer, which means that if they had thought
how much power Jesus must have had in order to feed the
multitude, they would not have been surprised that he was
85
86 The Gospel according to Mark
able to walk on the water. " But their heart was hardened : "
their spiritual insight was dulled. The word "heart" in
Scripture often denotes the mind, especially as occupied
with spiritual truth. See Mark 28; 35.
QUESTIONS
(1) What made it difficult for the disciples to reach
the shore? (2) At what time of the night did Jesus come
to them? (3) What did they think when they saw him?
(4)* Tell in your own words the whole story of Jesus
rejoining them. (5) What does vs. 52 mean? What
is the hardening of the heart there spoken of? (6)
Where in this gospel is the hardening of the heart pre-
viously spoken of? (7)* Were the disciples at this time
in the same condition as the Pharisees spoken of in the
other passage? (8) May there be in different persons
very different degrees of hardening of heart ? Are even
sincere disciples of Jesus in danger of becoming in
some measure hard of heart ?
SECTION XXV
MANY HEALED IN GALILEE, 6:53-56
53 And when they had crossed over, they came to
the land unto Gennesaret, and moored to the shore.
54 And when they were come out of the boat, straight-
55 way tJie people knew him, and ran round about
that whole region, and began to carry about on
their beds those that were sick, where they heard
56 he was. And wheresoever he entered, into vil-
lages, or into cities, or into the country, they laid
the sick in the marketplaces, and besought him
that they might touch if it were but the border of
his garment: and as many as touched him were
made whole.
EXPLANATORY NOTES
Vs. 53, "Gennesaret": a tract of land on the west
side of the Sea of Galilee, from Magdala on the south to
et Tabghah on the north, and extending backward to the
irregular line of the hills that bound it on the west.
See map opposite p. 60. "Moored": made fast. Vs. 55,
"on their beds": see notes on 211. Vs. 56, "marketplaces"!:
the natural place for the people to assemble.
QUESTIONS
(1) Where is the land of Gennesaret ? (2)* How did
the people in this region receive Jesus? (3) Does vs.
56 refer to a single occasion, or to an extended period?
(4)* Count up the various acts and kinds of work which
87
88 The Gospel according to Mark
Jesus is reported to have done in 6^0-^6. (5) What
impression does the passage give of his daily life? (6)*
What is said or implied to have been the motive or
motives of all his work? (7)* In what respects was
Jesus' life in Nazareth (c/. notes and questions on 6 3)
before he entered on his public work different from his
life as here described? In what respects was it doubt-
less like it? (8) Is the change from a quiet, private,
home life to a busy public life likely in itself to change
the spirit and motive of one's life? (9) How far is
Jesus' life a pattern for us to imitate as respects its
motives ? How far is it possible for us to engage in the
same specific forms of activity in which he engaged?
(10) Which constitutes one a follower of Jesus, imitating
him in outward conduct, or being governed by his
motives and spirit?
A MARKET-PLACE
SECTION XXVI
ON EATING WITH UNWASHEN HANDS, 7:1-23
And there are gathered together unto him the
Pharisees, and certain of the scribes, which had
come from Jerusalem, and had seen that some of
his disciples ate their bread with defiled, that is,
unwashen, hands. For the Pharisees, and all the
Jews, except they wash their hands ^diligently,
eat not, holding the tradition of the elders: and
wlien they come from the marketplace, except they
Vash themselves, they eat not: and many other
things there be, which they have received to hold,
* washings of cups, and pots, and brasen vessels. \5;^3^"^^*^-
EXPLANATORY NOTES
Vs. 1, " the Pharisees and certain of the scribes which
had come down from Jerusalem": either Galilean scribesf
and Pharisees! who had recently been to Jerusalem, or a
party that had been sent from Jerusalem; probably the
latter; cf. 3 22. Vs. 3, " holding the tradition of the elders":
a phrase which shows that all these regulations were
looked upon as religious, not as sanitary regulations or
maTters of social propriety. The tradition of the elders is
that body of teachings and usages which had gradually
grown up among the Pharisees and which were regarded
by them as sacred and binding, as much so as the Old
Testament law. Cf. Gal. 1 1^. The elders are the teachers
of preceding generations. Vs. 4, " except they wash them-
selves": bathe themselves; the law required this for many
kinds of defilement (see Lev., chaps. 14, 15, 16), and the
89
90 The Gospel according to Mark
And the Pharisees and the scribes ask him, Why 5
walk not thy disciples according to the tradition
iGr. common of the elders, but eat their bread with Mefiled
hands? And he said unto them, Well did Isaiah 6
prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written,
This people honoureth me with their lips,
But their heart is far from me.
But in vain do they worship me, 7
Teaching as their doctrines the precepts of men.
Ye leave the commandment of God, and hold fast 8
' the tradition of men. And he said unto them, 9
Full well do ye reject the commandment of God,
that ye may keep your tradition. For Moses said, lo
Honour thy father and thy mother; and. He that
Pharisees had added to these such defilement as one might
get, even without knowing it, in the marketplace."!" Vs. 6,
"well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites": in his
preaching to the people of his day, aptly described your
nation, your ancestors and you. The implication is that
the nation still retained the characteristics that Isaiah
reproved in his day. See Isa. 2913. Vs. 10, "for Moses
said," etc.: an illustration of the statement made in vss. 8,
9. The commandment to honor one's parents is a com-
• mand of God. Cf. Matt. 15 4. Vs. 11, "Corban": For a
man to say that his property was "Corban" properly
meant that it was devoted to God, and the Pharisees in-
sisted that one who had made such a vow must not employ
his property for the relief even of father and mother. But
strangely enough they did not insist that he should in any
practical way devote it to God. He could keep it and use
it for himself just as before. Thus in putting a strained
emphasis on the sacredness of the vow, they set aside the
Eating with Unwashen Hands 91
speaketh evil of father or mother, let him ^die
11 the death: but ye say, If a man shall say to his
father or his mother, That wherewith thou might-
est have been profited by me is Corban, that is to
12 say, Given io God; ye no longer ^suffer him to do g permit
13 ^aught for his father or his mother; making void i anything
the word of God by your tradition, which ye have
14 delivered : and many such like things ye do. And
he called to him the multitude again, and said
unto them. Hear me all of you, and understand:
15 there is nothing from without the man, that going
into him can defile him: but the things which
proceed out of the man are those that defile the
17 man. And when he was entered into the house
plain duty to care for one's parents. Vs. 13, " making void
the word of God": setting aside and disregarding the
command to honor one's parents (Exod. 20 12; 21 15). For
he who allows his parents to suffer for lack of that which
he might give them certainly does not honor them. Vss.
14, 15: Having spoken in vss. 6-13 of the authority and
value of the tradition of the elders in general, taking an
illustration from the treatment of parents rather than
from ceremonial cleanness, of which the Pharisees had
spoken, Jesus comes back in vss. 14, 15 to speak of the
particular matter about which the Pharisees had com-
plained ^ — eating with unwashed hands. The Pharisaic
handwashing was based on the fear that there might be
something on the hands that was ceremonially "unclean,"
which, in eating his food, a man might swallow without
knowing it, and so defile himself. " There is nothing from
without the man," etc.: The contrast is between food that
goes into the man, and moral action which proceeds from
92 The Gospel according to Mark
from the multitude, his disciples asked of him the
parable. And he saith unto them, Are ye so 18
without understanding also? Perceive ye not,
that whatsoever from without goeth into the man,
it cannot defile him ; because it goeth not into his 19
heart, but into his belly, and goeth out into the
draught? This he said, making all meats clean.
And he said. That which proceedeth out of the 20
man, that defileth the man. Forirom within, out 21
of the heart of men, evil thoughts proceed, forni-
cations, thefts, murders, adulteries, covetings, 22
wickednesses, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye,
railing, pride, foolishness: all these evil things 23
proceed from within, and defile the man.
him. Vs. 18, "perceive ye not": Jesus appeals to the
moral perception7ttre' common sense of his disciples. Vs.
19, "making all meats clean": a remark of the evangelist,
who perceived that the principle which Jesus laid down
swept away the whole system of clean and unclean foods.
(C/. Acts 109-16; 1 Tim. 4 3). Vs. 23, "all these evil things
proceed from within, and defile the man": Notice the last
clause : the evil that men do, their evil thoughts and
deeds, do not simply show their wickedness, but defile
them, make them wicked. Men are not, then, the helpless
victims of evil hearts born in them, but the creators of
their own evil characters. What Jesus is emphasizing is
that a. man is not made sinful by eating something that is
ceremonially unclean, but by thinking and doing what is_ \
morally wrong.
Eating with Unwashen Hands 93
QUESTIONS
(1) In what previous passages of this gospel have the
scribes or the Pharisees been mentioned? (2)* What
has been their usual attitude toward Jesus? (3) Were
the persons mentioned in vs. 1 GaUleans or from Jeru-
salem ? (4) Was the eating with unwashed hands an
offense, in the eyes of the Pharisees, against cleanliness
or against ceremonial purity — in other words, a social
or a religious fault ? (5)* In what various ways did the
Pharisees endeavor to avoid the possibility of cere-
monial defilement ? (6) What complaint did they make
to Jesus? (7)* What is meant by the " tradition of the
elders" ? (8) With what two sins mentioned in the quota-
tion from Isaiah does Jesus charge the Pharisees?
Which of these two does he emphasize in vs. 8? (9)
Does vs. 9 simply repeat the thought of vs. 8, or does it
add something to it ? (10) What illustration does Jesus
give in vss. 10-12 of the setting aside of the command-
ments of God? (11) What does Jesus say is the effect
of this strange custom of the Pharisees (see explanation
in the notes) by which a man might by nominally devot-
ing his goods to God, refuse to use them for his parents,
yet still keep them for himself? What does Jesus think
of the command of the Old Testament that children
should honor their parents? (12)* Looking back now
over vss. 1-13, state what was Jesus' estimate (a) of the
authority of the Pharisaic traditions; (b) of the effect of
them as taught and practiced by the Pharisees; (c) of
the value of a religion which not only permitted but
encouraged such things; (d) of a worship which is not
of the heart but of the lips only? (13) Do men today
ever make the mistake of putting traditions of men
above commands of God? How? (14) What does Jesus
94 The Gospel according to Mark
teach in vs. 15 about the possibility of "defilement" by
what one eats ? (15) To what kind of things does the
latter part of vs. 15 refer, and what does it mean? (16)*
Study carefully Jesus' explanation of his teaching in vss.
18-23; see that you understand each word and sentence,
and then state clearly the principle that he lays down.
(17)* Does his teaching here abolish the distinction be-
tween "clean" and "unclean" meats as taught in the Old
Testament (Lev., chap. 11)? Notice the comment of the
evangelist at the end of vs. 19. (18) Would it be a fair
use of Jesus' teaching to say that what we eat and drink
has no moral effect on us whatever, direct or indirect?
Or does he rather teach the broad principle that a man's
character and standing before God are determined, not
by the food he eats, but by his thoughts and actions?
(19) What kind of purity does Jesus commend in Matt.
58? What blessing does he pronounce on those who
possess such purity? How is such purity attained?
(20) Whence does Jesus say evil thoughts and deeds
come? (21) Does every human heart produce these evil
things? If not, how can we see to it that our hearts
produce only good things? See Matt. 1233-35. (22) In
this passage Jesus declares that the teaching of the
Pharisees, handed down from the past, was seriously
wrong (vss. 6-9); one commandment of the Old Testa-
ment he calls the commandment of God (vs. 9) and
the word of God (vs. 13); while another command of
the Old Testament (vs. 19) he entirely sets aside as not
fitted to the moral nature of man; what must we think
of the authority of one who had the right to teach in
this way? (23) If the rules of the Old Testament and
the teachings of Jesus differ in any respect, which ought
we to follow?
Eating with Unwashen Hands 95
*REVIEW QUESTIONS
(1) Where does Mark's account of the Galilean
ministry begin? (2) Who are the first four disciples
that Jesus is recorded as having called? (3) Whom
did Jesus choose as his apostles ? (4) With what has
Jesus been occupied during the time spent in Galilee?
(5) What different kinds of miracles has he wrought ?
(6) In what form has he put his teaching so far as Mark
records it ? (7) What are some of the principal subjects
about which he has taught ? (8) What is the subject of
the parables in chap. 4? (9) Does this gospel record
Jesus as having up to this time announced himself as
the Messiah ? (10) What has been the general attitude
of the Pharisees and scribes toward him? Of the peo-
ple generally? (11) Are any disciples mentioned ex-
cept the twelve apostles? Is it to be supposed that
none others had believed in him?
' SECTION XXVII
THE SYRO-PHCENICIAN WOMAN'S DAUGHTER,
7 : 24-30
And from thence he arose, and went away into 24
1 territory the ^ borders of Tyre and Sidon. And he entered
into a house, and would have no man know it:
and he could not be hid. But straightway a 25
woman, whose little daughter kad an unclean
spirit,- having heard of him, came and fell down
2 gentile at hls feet. Now the woman was a ^ Greek, a 26
Syrophoenician by race. And she besought him
3 demon that he would cast forth the Mevil out of her
daughter. And he said unto her. Let the children 27
first be filled: for it is not meet to take the chil-
dren's bread and cast it to the dogs. But she 28
answered and saith unto him. Yea, Lord : even the
EXPLANATORY NOTES
Vs. 24, " into the borders of Tyre and Sidon ": i. e., into
Phoenicia, of which Tyre and Sidon were the chief cities.
Tyre is about thirty-five miles, in an air hne, northwest
from the Sea of Gahlee, and Sidon about twenty-five miles
farther north, both on the Mediterranean coast. See the
map. This journey carries Jesus entirely out of Jewish
territory. "Would have no man know it": This whole
journey was not for preaching, but for rest and for teach-
ing the disciples. Vs. 26, "a Syrophoenician by race": a
descendant of the Phoenicians of Syria as distinguished
from the Carthaginians or Phoenicians of Africa. Vs. 27,
" let the children first be filled," etc.: Jesus' personal work
96
Syro-Ph(enician Woman's Daughter 97
dogs tinder the table eat of the children's crumbs.
29 And he said unto her, For this saying go thy way;
30 the Mevil is gone out of thy daughter. And she
' went away unto her house, and found the child
laid upon the bed, and the Mevil gone out.
was limited to his own nation, not because the gentile was
of less worth than the Jew (see Luke 4 25-27), or because
Jesus cared nothing for the gentiles, but because he had to
begin with his own people and limit his personal efforts to
them (Matt. 15 24) in order to do his great work for the
world. Yet he could go outside the Jewish nation if it
seemed wise, and the woman's eagerness to have her
daughter healed, and her humility shown in her answer
to Jesus, made an appeal to his compassion that led him
in this case to do so.
QUESTIONS
(1)* Where are Tyre and Sidon? In what direction,
and how far from the Sea of Galilee? In what country?
(2) Was the country around Tyre and Sidon Jewish or
gentile territory? (3)* Did Jesus make this journey in
order to preach to the people of this region, or for rest
and quiet? (4) Who sought out JesUs, and what
did she want? (5) Of what race was she? (6) How
did Jesus first answer? What did the woman reply?
What did Jesus finally do for her? (7)* What does vs.
27 imply as to the limits of Jesus' personal mission
(Matt. 15 24)? (8) What was it in the woman, and what
in Jesus himself, that led him finally to overstep these
limits and heal the girl? (9) How does he treat the
sabbath law in comparison with the demand made by
human need? See Mark 3i-5; Luke 142-6; Matt. 12 7.
W^hat do these things suggest as to what was for Jesus
98 The Gospel according to Mark
the law that is above every other law? (10) Remem-
bering that Jesus showed us in his life what the
character of God is, consider carefully whether this
story has anything to teach us concerning prayer;
for example, concerning persistence and earnestness in
prayer; concerning the compassion of God for the
suffering; whether strong desire for a good thing
expressing itself in prayer may be one of the conditions
on which God can consistently give us the things we
ask for, and without which it may be impossible for
him consistently to give them; concerning the propriety
and use of praying for others. Does it teach that God
can be teased into doing for us things that are not good
for us; or that, being unwilling to do things that are
good, needs to be teased into doing them? Cf.
Matt. 7 11.
SECTION XXVIII
THE DEAF AND DUMB MAN HEALED, 7 : 31-37
31 And again he went out from the 'borders of i territory
Tyre, and came through Sidon unto the sea of
Galilee, through the midst of the borders of
32 Decapolis. And they bring unto him one that
was deaf, and had an impediment in his speech;
and they beseech him to lay his hand upon him.
33 And he took him aside from the multitude pri-
vately, and put his fingers into his ears, and he
34 spat, and touched his tongue; and looking up to
heaven, he sighed, and saith unto him, Ephphatha,
35 that is. Be opened. And his ears were opened,
and the bond of his tongue was loosed, and he
36 spake plain. And he charged them that they
should tell no man, but the more he charged
them, so much the more a s^reat deal they ^pub- "itoidu
37 lished it. And they were beyond measure aston-
ished, saying, He hath done all things well: he
maketh even the deaf to hear, and the dumb to
speak.
EXPLANATORY NOTES
Vs. 31, " from the borders of Tyre .... through Sidon
unto the Sea of Galilee, through the midst of the borders
of Decapolis": These words show that the journey was
long and not in a direct line. It was almost entirely out-
side of Jewish territory, and was not a preaching tour, but
99
100 The Gospel according to Mark
doubtless, like the journey from Galilee northward (vs. 24),
for quiet and rest. If Jesus took the road going east from
Sidon, he crossed the Lebanon and anti-Lebanon mountains,
and passed on toward Damascus, then south, and finally west
to the Sea of Galilee. If he followed the road leading
southeast from Sidon, he went to Cesarea Philippi, thence
southeast, and then southwest toward the sea, passing
through the midst of the Decapolis.t Vss. »32-37: This
incident probably took place on Jesus' return into the
vicinity of the Sea of Galilee; there is nothing to show
that the man was a gentile.
\,
QUESTIONS
(1) Trace on the map the course of Jesus' journey as
described in vs. 31, by each of the two routes which he
may have followed. (2)* Was this journey mainly
through Jewish or gentile territory? (3) What was its
probable purpose ? (4) Where did the incident related
in vss. 32-37 take place? (5)* Kelate the story.
SECTION XXIX
THE FEEDING OF THE FOUR THOUSAND, 8:1-10
In those days, when there was again a great
multitude, and they had nothing to eat, he called
unto him his disciples, and saith unto them, I have
compassion on the multitude, because they con-
tinue with me now three days, and have nothing
to eat: and if I send them away fasting to their
home, they will faint in the way; and some of
them are come from far. And his disciples an-
swered him. Whence shall one be able to fill these
men with bread here in a desert place ? And he
PALESTINIAN BASKETS
[Reprinted by permission of the Sunday School Times]
101
102 The Gospel according to Mark
asked them, How many loaves have ye? And
they said, Seven. And he commandeth the mul- 6
titude to sit down on the ground : and he took the
seven loaves, and having given thanks, he brake,
and gave to his disciples, to set before them ; and
they set them before the multitude. And they 7
had a few small fishes: and having blessed them,
he commanded to set these also before them. And 8
they did eat, and were filled : and they took up, of
broken pieces that remained over, seven baskets.
And they were about four thousand: and he sent 9
them away. And straightway he entered into the 10
boat with his disciples, and came into the parts of
Dalmanutha.
EXPLANATORY NOTES
This event is very similar to the feeding of the five
thousand. Nothing is stated about the place except that
it was upon the shore of the sea (8 lO). The motive of Jesus
is the same as on the other occasion; the numbers are dif-
ferent. See vss. 5,8,9. Vs. 10, "parts of Dalmanutha":
the region adjacent to Dalmanutha-t
QUESTIONS
(1) Tell the story of the feeding of the four thou-
sand. (2)* Point out the particulars in which the
narrative differs from that of the feeding of the five
thousand. (3) What motive moved Jesus to feed this
multitude? (4) In what respects is Jesus' conduct in
such cases an example to us? (5)* To what place did
Jesus go after the feeding of the multitude? Where is
this place?
SECTION XXX
PHARISEES DEMANDING A SIGN FROM HEAVEN,
8:11-21
11 And the Pharisees came forth, and began to
question with him, seeking of him a sign from
12 heaven, tempting him. And he sighed deeply in
his spirit, and saith, Why doth this generation
seek a sign ? verily I say unto you. There shall no
13 sign be given unto this generation. And he left
them, and again entering into the boat departed
to the other side.
14 And they forgot to take bread; and they had
not in the boat with them more than one loaf.
15 And he charged them, saying, Take heed, beware
EXPLANATORY NOTES
Vs. 11, "a sign from heaven": some striking token
from the skies. Neither the attractiveness of Jesus' strong
personality, which seems to have drawn to him his first
constant followers (see 116-20; 213,14; 313), nor his wonder-
ful teaching, which appealed to many (121, 22), nor his heal-
ing miracles, which attracted many (132, 37, 45), were sufficient
for these Pharisees. They challenged him to produce " a
sign from heaven." Vs. 12, "sighed deeply": Such a de-
mand was painful to Jesus, because it showed that men did
not feel the force of the evidence which his life already
gave in abundance. "No sign .... unto this genera-
' tion ": no sign such as the Pharisees were seeking. Honest
inquirers already possessed all the evidence they needed,
and others would not have been changed in heart at all by
such signs as they demanded. Cf. Luke 16 so, 3i.
103
104 The Gospel according to Mark
of the leaven of the Pharisees and the leaven of
Herod. And they reasoned one with another, 16
^IVailewe ^^J^^^' ^ ^^ havB no bread. And Jesus perceiv- 17
bread"^ lug it salth unto them, Why reason ye, because
ye have no bread? do ye not yet perceive, neither
understand ? have ye your heart hardened ? Having 18
eyes, see ye not? and having ears, hear ye not?
and do ye not remember ? When I brake the five 19
loaves among the five thousand, how many bas-
kets full of broken pieces took ye up? They say
unto him. Twelve. And when the seven among 20
the four thousand, how many basketfuls of broken
pieces took ye up ? And they say unto him. Seven.
And he said unto them. Do ye not yet under- 21
stand?
Vs. 15, " the leaven of the Pharisees and the leaven of
Herod": By leaven Jesus means, as Matthew says in 1612,
teachings or principles of living which change the charac-
ter of men just as yeast changes the dough when it is
mixed with it. The leaven of Herod is probably worldly,
and especially political, ambition. Vs. 17, " have ye your
hearts hardened?": see notes on 652. Vs. 21, "do ye
not yet understand?" viz., that Jesus was able to provide
for their physical wants, so that they need not be con-
cerned about that.
QUESTIONS
(1)* What sort of a sign did the Pharisees demand
of Jesus? What had Jesus already done that ren-
dered such a sign unnecessary? (2)* What was there
in this request that grieved Jesus ? (3) Why did Jesus
Pharisees Demanding a Sign 105
say that no such sign should be given to that genera-
tion? (4) Whither did Jesus go from Dalmanutha?
(5)* What warning did Jesus address to his disciples
on the journey? (6) What did they understand
him to mean? Why did the word "leaven" suggest
bread to them? (7)* For what does he reprove them
in vs. 17 ? (8) What does the phrase "heart hardened"
mean? (9) W^hat lesson does he imply they should
have learned from the feeding of the five thousand and
of the four thousand? What has this lesson to do
with their having no bread or only one loaf ? (10) What
did he really mean to warn them against in vs. 15? (11)
What would this teaching of Jesus mean, put into
words that would apply to us?
ORIENTAL LOAVES OF BREAD
[Reprinted by permiBsion of the Sunday School Times]
SECTION XXXI
A BLIND MAN HEALED NEAR BETHSAIDA, 8:22-26
And they come unto Bethsaida. And they 22
bring to him a blind man, and beseech him to
touch him. And he took hold of the blind man 23
by the hand, and brought him out of the village;
and when he had spit on his eyes, and laid his
1 anything hauds upou him, he asked him, Seest thou ^ aught?
And he looked up, and said, I see men; for I 24
behold them as trees, walking. Then again he 25
laid his hands upon his eyes ; and he looked sted-
fastly, and was restored, and saw all things clearly.
And he sent him away to his home, saying. Do 26
not even enter into the village.
EXPLANATORY NOTES
Vs. 22, "Bethsaida''! : probably Bethsaida JuUas; this
is the only one that we are sure there was; and in the next
section we find Jesus going toward Cesarea Philippi, which
is east of the Jordan. (See the map.) Vs. 26, " do not even
enter into the village": Jesus does not wish attention
drawn to his work as a healer; this is not his chief work.
This is one of the two miracles which are recorded by
Mark only; the other is that described in 7 32-37. The two
are alike in several points.
QUESTIONS
(1) Where is the Bethsaida referred to in vs. 22?
(2) Tell the story of the blind man healed there. (3)*
Compare this story with that in 7 32-37^ indicating points
106
Blind Man Healed near Bethsaida 107
of (a) resemblance and (6) difference. (4) What com-
mand did Jesus give the man after he had healed him?
What was the reason of this command! (5) Trace the
journeys of Jesus from the time he left for his first
northern tour (1-^) to this point.
SCENE ON THE SHORE OF THE SEA OP GALILEE
NEAR BETHSAIDA
SECTION XXXII
PETER'S CONFESSION OF JESUS' MESSIAHSHIP,
8:27-30
And Jesus went forth, and his disciples, into 27
the villages of C^sarea Philippi: and in the way
he asked his disciples, saying unto them, Who do
men say that I am? And they told him, saying, 28
John the Baptist : and others, Elijah ; but others,
One of the prophets. And he asked them, But 29
who say ye that I am ? Peter answereth and saith
unto him. Thou art the Christ. And he charged 30
them that they should tell no man of him.
EXPLANATORY NOTES
Vs. 27, " into the villages of Caesarea Phillippi "| : into
the villages near Cesarea Philippi which were under its
rule. The journey from the Sea of Galilee was about
twenty-five miles in length. It led through a country
whose inhabitants were gentiles. Like the preceding
journey, it was for quiet, not for preaching. "Who do
men say that I am? " : This is the first time Jesus is said
to have talked with his disciples about his name or title.
Vs. 28, "and they told him saying, John the Baptist":
c/. 614. "Elijah": cf. Mai. 45; John 121. "One of the
prophets": i. e., one of the line of prophets {cf. Mark 615)
or, as Luke 919 and Matt. 1614 would suggest, an ancient (
prophet risen from the dead. In the latter case all three |
opinions involve the idea of the reappearance of one from j
the other world. Vs. 29, " Peter answereth .... Thou art^ !
the Christ " | : So, John 1 41 tells us, Andrew thought when
Tia first saw Jesus; but Peter's confession now means far
108
Peter Confesses Jesus' Messiahship 109
more than Andrew's then, because Peter has been with
Jesus for months and has learned more about his character,
and his hopes and plans for the future, than he or Andrew
knew at first. Jesus has not been in all respects the kind
of Messiah they had looked for and expected him to be;
but, instead of leaving him because of this, they believed
in him the more as they knew him better. They believed
in Mm, and their declaration that he was the Christ was
the expression of that faith. Peter had even at this time
much still to learn concerning Jesus and Jesus' idea of his
work as Messiah. Vs. 30, "and he charged them that they
should tell no man of him": that they should not announce
that he was the Messiah. The people in general, and even
many of Jesus' followers who had not been with him as
much as the twelve apostles, had entirely wrong ideas of
the work of the Messiah, thinking it was to set up an
earthly kingdom. Therefore, Jesus did not want them to
announce him as the Messiah, lest the people should think
that he was intending to do this which they expected the
Messiah to do.
QUESTIONS
(1)* Where is Cesarea Philippi? (2) What is meant
by " the villages of Cesarea Philippi " ? (3)* Did Jesus
undertake this second northern tour {cf. 7^4) for the
purpose of preaching to the people, or for quiet and
conversation with his disciples? (4)* What question
did Jesus put to his disciples; and what various
opinions concerning himself did they say were current
among the people? (5)* What did Peter, speaking for
the disciples, say was their belief concerning him?
What do the words "the Christ" mean? (6)* How
had the disciples reached this conviction? Had they
held it from the beginning? (7) Would such a con-
fession as this mean any more now that they had
known Jesus for months than the same confession
110 The Gospel accokding to Mark
would have meant when they first met him ? (8) Which
is more important, to love and trust Jesus for what he
really is, or to have the best words in which to express
that faith and love? (9) If one is drawn to Jesus by
his real character, and loves and trusts him for what he
is, what will happen to that love and trust as one comes
to know Jesus more perfectly? What is likely to
happen to one's expression of that love and faith ? (10)
Why does Jesus forbid his disciples to tell others that
he is the Christ (vs. 30)? Would such a statement
made to the people, whose ideas of the Christ were so
different from those of Jesus himself, tend to misrepre-
sent Jesus to them? (11) Why was it safe for Jesus to
talk with his disciples about his messiahship, when it
was still unsafe to do so with the people generally?
SECTION XXXIII
JESUS' PREDICTION OF HIS OWN DEATH AND
RESURRECTION, 8 : 31—9 : 1
31 And he began to teach them, that the Son of
man must suffer many things, and be rejected by
the elders, and the chief priests, and the scribes,
and be killed, and after three days rise again.
32 And he spake the saying openly. And Peter took
EXPLANATORY NOTES
Vs. 31, "and he began to teach them that the Son of
manf must suffer many things": As the disciples are con-
vinced t hat Jesus is the Messiah, he now teaches them
another truth, viz., that he must, nevertheless, suffer many
things. "And be rejected by the elders, and the chief
priests, and the scribes": i. e., by the leaders of the Jewish
nation. "And be killed": All this — the suffering, rejec-
tion, death — is as far as possible from what it was generally
supposed the Messiah would experience. Instead he was
to be welcomed, and to reign and triumph. But Jesus sees
clearly that he is to accomplish his mission only through
suffering, rejection, and death, and that too at the hands
of the leaders of his own people. And now the time has
come when the disciples must begin to learn this lesson, to
them so hard to learn. He had intimated it before (2 20),
but this is the first clear expression of it. "And after
three days rise again": The death that Jesus foresaw did
not mean defeat of his life-purpose. He is to accomplish
his work, and death will only bring a short interruption of
it. Vs. 32, "Peter took him, and began to rebuke him":
(c/. Matt. 16 22). That Peter should venture to reprove
Jesus is surprising, but it is not strange that he found it
hard to accept Jesus' statement of his death. Not only
111
112 The Gospel according to Mark
him, and began to rebuke him. But he turning 33
about, and seeing his disciples, rebuked Peter,
and saith. Get thee behind me, Satan: for thou
mindest not the things of God, but the things of
men. And he called unto him the multitude with 34
his disciples, and said unto them. If any man
would come after me, let him deny himself, and
was all this contrary, as was said above, to the common
idea of the Messiah which Peter still held in large part,
but his strong affection for Jesus would make it still
harder for him to accept the thought of his death. Cf.
John 12 34; Luke 24 20, 21, 26. Vs. 33, "get thee behind me,
Satan": This suggestion of Peter is a temptation to Jesus;
he would gladly believe that his work could be accom-
plished without rejection and death. But he instantly,
puts the temptation away. " Thou mindest not the things
of God " : thinkest not the thoughts of God. Vs. 34, " if any
man would come after me ": be my follower, disciple. " Let
him deny himself ": This means much more than is usually
meant by the word " self-denial." To deny one's self is to
cease to follow one's own will, or to make one's own
interest and pleasure the object or end of one's life, and
instead of this to make the good of men the object of one's
life and to follow God's will. (Mark 10 42-45; John 4 34; 5 30; '
Mai*k 3 35.) "And take up his cross and follow me": To
take up the cross and follow him is not necessarily to die
on the cross, but it is to be ready, as he was (vs. 31), to die
in obedience to..the will of God and for the good of men.
Notice that these words apply not only to the twelve
apostles, but to all who would follow him. Vs. 35, "for
whosoever would save his life "f shall lose it": The word
"life" means practically "one's self," the energies and
capacities of a living being (as in the English phrase " to
waste one's life "). One who tries to hold these for himself
Jesus' Pbedigtion of his Death 113
35 take up his cross, and follow me. For whosoever
would save his life shall lose it; and whosoever
shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel's
36 shall save it. For what doth it profit a man, to
37 gain the whole world, and forfeit his life? For
what should a man give in exchange for his life?
38 For whosoever shall be ashamed of me and of my
really wastes them, throws them away. "And whosoever
shall lose his life": whosoever shall freely use his life's
energies, if need be even unto dying. " For my sake and
the gospel's": in devotion to me, for the same cause that
I died for, and for the salvation of men; this is a very im-
portant point, that of the object for which one spends his
life; he may work and suffer for some purpose which would
not help in the salvation of men; and in that case he would
not be saving life. "Shall save it": not shall escape death,
but shall, by making the highest use of life's energies and
powers, preserve life from waste and destruction. Vs. 36,
"for what doth it profit a man to gain the whole world
and forfeit his life ? " In this verse Jesus appeals to the nat-
ural and right desire to make the highest use of one's self.
Nothing that a man can get can make up for the waste of
one's life-energies, one's self. Vs. 37, " for what should a
man give": rather, what shall he give, what is there that
he can give? When one's life is wasted, there is nothing
with which, though a man possess the world, it can be
bought back; and without it everything else is worthless.
Vs. 38, "for whosoever shall be ashamed of me and of my
words ": This^verse goes back to the thought of giving up
r.fe for Jesus' sake (vs. 35), and the temptation to forsake
him rather than do so. " When he cometh in the glory of
his Father with the holy angels": another proof that Jesus
' was confident that his death would not be defeat either
for himself or for the kingdom; he would return in triumph
114 The Gospel acookding to Mark
wprds in this adulterous and sinful generation,
the Son of man also shall be ashamed of him,
when he cometh in the glory of his Father with
the holy angels. And he said unto them. Verily 9:1
I say unto you. There be some here of them that
stand 6?/, which shall in no wise taste of death, till
they see the kingdom of God come with power.
(c/. 13 26, 27). Chap. 9, vs. 1, "shall in no wise taste of death,
till they see the kingdom of God come with power": a dis-
tinct prediction that in the lifetime of some then present
the kingdom of God should come. The expression proba-
bly refers to the coming of the kingdom in the conversion
of multitudes who should believe on him in the times of
the apostles after his resurrection.
QUESTIONS
(1)* With what other teaching concerning himself
did Jesus follow up the confession of his messiahship
by Peter (vs. 31)? Notice carefully the several elements
of the teaching. Had Jesus ever told his disciples
these things before? (2)* How did Peter receive this
new teaching? (3) Would Jesus' statement that he
must die seem to Peter to contradict the statement he
had just made that Jesus was the Messiah, if he (Peter)
still held to the common Jewish idea of the Messiah ?
(4) What else would make it difficult for Peter to be-
lieve that Jesus was to die? (5)* What does Jesus
mean by calling Peter "Satan"? Was Peter's rejec-
tion of the idea of death a temptation to Jesus? (6)
Did Jesus dread suffering? (7) Which requires the
greater faith and courage, not to dread suffering, or,
though dreading it, to endure it ? (8) From what does
Jesus' Prediction of his Death 115
Jesus say Peter got his ideas about the work of the
Christ (vs. 33)? (9) What does Jesus tell the multi-
tude were the conditions of being his disciples (vs. 34)?
Notice carefully each element of this statement, the
meaning of each, and the relation between it and what
Jesus had just said about himself. (10) Does Jesus
lay down one principle of life for himself and another
for the disciples, or insist on the same principle for
himself and them? (11) Will one who does what Jesus
here indicates as the conditions of discipleship neces-
sarily die a violent death? *State Jesus' conditions of
discipleship in words that you yourself understand.
(12) How does Jesus say we really waste (lose) life, by
trying to keep it for ourselves, or by giving it out freely
for others? How do we really save it, keep it from
going to waste? (13) What is the meaning of the word
"life," and what does vs. 36 mean? How do people
really do that of which Jesus speaks in this verse?
(14) Notice that vs. 37 refers to the buying back of a
wasted life. Can this be done? (15)* These vss. 34-37,
especially vs. 35, are sometimes said to contain the
" secret of Jesus," i. e., the central principle of his life
and of his teaching. Try to state the principle as
clearly as you can. (16) Consider how your life would
be lived if lived on this principle. What will be the
result in the end of unwillingness to adopt Jesus' prin-
ciples of life (vs. 38) ? (17) To what event does 9 1
probably refer? W^hich is more important, that we be
able to interpret obscure predictions such as these, or
that we understand and adopt the great moral prin-
ciples that Jesus teaches in 8 ^^-37 '^
Few passages of the New Testament throw more
light upon the character and mission of Jesus, or contain
more truths that it is important for us to vmderstand,
116 The Gospel according to Mark
and to believe, and to follow, than this one. Do not
pass it by without understanding it as fully as pos-
sible, and considering carefully what you ought to do
in view of it.
SECTION XXXIV
THE TRANSFIGURATION, 9:2-13
2 And after six days Jesus taketh with him Peter,
and James, and John, and bringeth them up into
a high mountain apart by themselves: and he
3 was transfigured before them: and his garments
became glistering, exceeding white; so as no ^ful-
4 ler on earth can whiten them. And there appeared
unto them Elijah with Moses : and they were talk-
5 ing with Jesus. And Peter answereth and saith
to Jesus, Rabbi, it is good for us to be here: and
let us make three 'tabernacles; one for thee, and
6 one for Moses, and one for Elijah. For he ^wist
not what to answer; for they became sore afraid.
7 And there came a cloud overshadowing them : and
there came a voice out of the cloud, This is my
EXPLANATORY NOTES
Vs. 2, " after six days": i. e., six days after the conversa-
tion narrated in 831 — 91. "Peter, and James, and John": cf.
Mark 537; 14.33. "Into a high mountain": probably Her-
mon, which was near Cesarea Philippi. "Transfigured
before them": changed in appearance. Vs. 4, "Elijah with
Moses .... talking with Jesus": Luke adds that they
"spake of his decease [departure] which he was about to
accomplish at Jerusalem." Vs. 5, " Rabbi, it is good for us to
be here," etc.: Peter evidently desires to prolong the enjoy-
able experience, and for this reason proposes to erect
booths in which Jesus and his heavenly visitors can lodge.
117
118 The Gospel according to Mark
beloved Son : hear ye him. And suddenly looking 8
round about, they saw no one any more, save Jesus
only with themselves.
And as they were coming down from the 9
mountain, he charged them that they should tell
no man what things they had seen, save when the
Son of man should have risen again from the dead.
And they kept the saying, questioning among 10
themselves what the rising again from the dead
should mean. And they asked him, saying, *The 11
scribes say that Elijah must first come. And he 12
said unto them, Elijah indeed cometh first, and
restore th all things: and how is it written of the
Son of man, that he should suffer many things
and be set at nought ? But I say unto you, that 13
Elijah is come, and they have also done unto him
5 would whatsoever they ^listed, even as it is written of
him.
Vs. 7, "a voice out of the cloud, This is my beloved Son:
hear ye him ": If the disciples had found it difficult to
believe what Jesus had said about his sufferings and death,
and if this had even shaken somewhat their faith that he
was really the Messiah, this voice was calculated to lead
them to believe both in his messiahship and the things
which he had said about his sufferings.
Vs. 9, "charged them that they should tell no man," etc.:
It is still with his disciples alone that Jesus is working;
they must be prepared for his death ; they have a founda-
tion of faith which others have not and for lack of which
he cannot teach others of his death and suffering. Vs. 11,
"Elijah": The seeing of Elijah on the mount calls up to
The Transfiguration 119
their minds the prophecy in Mai. 45 about Elijah coming
before the Messiah. Jesus tells them this was fulfilled in
John the Baptist, and also reminds them that the Old Testa-
ment predicts his own rejection and sufferings.
QUESTIONS
(1) From what previous event is this interval of six
days (vs. 2) reckoned ? (2)* In what region was this high
mountain? See 8 2'^. What high mountain was there
in this region? (3)* What wonderful change of appear-
ance did Jesus undergo before his disciples? Tell the
story of the whole event. (4) What was the meaning of
Peter's proposal in vs. 5? (5) What difference is there
between the voice out of the cloud on this occasion and
the voice out of heaven at Jesus' baptism (1 n)? What
difference in the persons who heard it ? (6)* What do
these differences (notice them carefully) suggest as to
the person for whom, and the purpose for which, each
was intended? (7) If Jesus' prediction of his own
rejection and death had tended in any measure to lead
the disciples to doubt whether Jesus were after all the
Christ, what would be the influence of this transfigura-
tion experience on that doubt? (8)* Till what time did
Jesus command his disciples not to tell about this
remarkable event ? Can you see any reason why it was
not wise to tell it sooner? (9) Had Jesus before this
spoken of his own resuiTection? Did his disciples yet
understand what he meant by it ? (10) What apparently
led the disciples to ask about Elijah at just this time
(see vs. 5)? (11) Does Jesus mean in vs. 12 that Elijah
would himself come or that a prophet like Elijah would
appear? Who was the Elijah who had come (vs. 13)?
See Luke 1 1'? and Matt. 17 13.
SECTION XXXV
THE DEMONIAC BOY HEALED, 9:14-29
And when they came to the disciples, they saw 14
a great multitude about them, and scribes ques-
tioning with them. And straightway all the mul- 15
titude, when they saw him, were greatly amazed,
and running to him saluted him. And he asked 16
them. What question ye with them? And one of 17
1 Teacher the multltudc auswercd him, ^Master, I brought
unto thee my son, which hath a dumb spirit; and 18
"^him^^^^^'^ wheresoever it taketh him, it ^dasheth him down:
and he foameth, "and grindeth his teeth, and
pineth away: and I spake to thy disciples that
they should cast it out; and they were not able.
And he answereth them and saith, O faithless 19
generation, how long shall I be with you? how
long shall I bear with you? bring him unto
me. And they brought him unto him : and 20
3 Or, conrw/sed when he saw him, straightway the spirit Hare
him grievously; and he fell on the ground, and
wallowed foaming. And he asked his father. How 21
EXPLANATORY NOTES
Vs. 17, "a dumb spirit": i. e., one that made the boy-
dumb. Matthew describes the boy as epileptic (17 15), and
with this agree the symptoms as described by Mark. Vs.
19, "O faithless generation": addressed to the disciples,
reproving them for their lack of faith, which, if they had
possessed it, would have enabled them to cure the boy ; cf.
Matt. 1719,20. Vs. 23, "if thou canst": the words of the
120
The Demoniac Boy Healed 121
long time is it since this hath come unto him?
22 And he said, From a child. And oft-times it hath
cast him both into the fire and into the waters, to
destroy him: but if thou canst do anything, have
23 compassion on us, and help us. And Jesus said
unto him, If thou canst! All things are possible
24 to him that believeth. Straightway the father of
the child cried out, and said, I believe ; help thou
25 mine unbelief. And when Jesus saw that a mul-
titude came running together, he rebuked the
unclean spirit, saying unto him, Thou dumb and
deaf spirit, I command thee, come out of him, and
23 enter no more into him. And having cried out,
and ^torn him much, he came out: and the child ^cJnvuised
became as one dead; insomuch that the more part
27 said, He is dead. But Jesus took him by the
28 hand, and raised him up; and he arose. And
when he was come into the house, his disciples
asked him privately, ^saying, We could not cast it ''^J;;>^7 '" '*
29 out. And he said unto them, this kind can come cafuPout?
out by nothing, save by prayer.
man, reprovingly repeated by Jesus, showing that the diffi-
culty is not in his own ability, but in the man's faith. Vs.
29, "this kind can come out by nothing save by prayer":
The more difficult the task, the more necessary is prayer,
by which we enter into fellowship with God and acquire
his power.
QUESTIONS
(1)* Having read the narrative carefully, tell the
story of the epileptic boy (vss. 14^29). (2) For what
122 The Gospel according to Mark
does Jesus reprove the disciples in vs. 191 (3) For what
does he reprove the father of the boy in vs. 23? (4)
How far does the father show a right spirit in the whole
transaction? (5) What does vs. 19 suggest as the reason
why the disciples could not cast out the demon? What
does vs. 29 suggest as the reason? What is the relation
of the two causes thus suggested?
SECTION XXXVT
JESUS AGAIN FORETELLS HIS DEATH AND
RESURRECTION, 9:30-32
30 And they went forth from thence, and passed
through Galilee; and he would not that any man
31 should know it. For he taught his disciples, and
said unto them. The Son of man is delivered up
into the hands of men, and they shall kill him;
and when he is killed, after three days he shall
32 rise again. But they understood not the saying,
and were afraid to ask him.
EXPLANATORY NOTES
Vs. 30, " passed through Galilee ": made a journey from
the mountain of transfiguration to some point in Galilee,
probably Capernaum (vs. 33). " Would not that any man
should know it": His aim is still to be with his disciples
and to teach them. Vs. 31, " the Son of man | is delivered
up": i. e., is to be delivered up as a prisoner. With this
whole section compare 8 30, 31.
QUESTIONS
(1) From what place does " from thence " in vs. 30
mean? Compare 8 27; 9 2, 9, u (2) Is this a preaching
tour or a teaching tour? That is, is it for preaching to
the multitude or for teaching his disciples ? (3)* What
was the subject of his teaching? (4)* When had Jesus
first spoken distinctly to his disciples on this subject ?
(5) Why were the disciples unable to understand him?
123
SECTION XXXVII
THE AMBITION AND JEALOUSY OF THE
DISCIPLES REPROVED, 9:33-50
And they came to Capernaum: and when he 33
was in the house he asked them, What were ye
'sXf""'* reasoning in the way? But they ^held their 34
peace: for they had disputed one with another in
the way, who was the greatest. And he sat 35
EXPLANATORY NOTES
Vs. 34, "who was the greatest": i. e., who should have
the highest place in the kingdom which they believed
Jesus would establish. Vs. 35, "if any man would be
first": If one desires to be really first, he can attain this
only by becoming servant of all. Compare with this the
closely similar teaching in 8 34, a5. Vss. 36, 37: Three things
must be remembered in order to see the meaning of Jesus
in these verses: (a) He is reproving his disciples for their
ambitious strife (vss. 33, 34). (6) The characteristic of a
child is simplicity and absence of pride and ambition, (c)
" Name " in the Bible stands for the character. Thus the
thought of Jesus is: Whosoever shall receive, i. e., welcome
in a friendly spirit, a little child because he sees in the
child the character, simplicity, and sincerity of Jesus, is
in effect receiving Jesus; and he who receives Jesus
receives God, since the character of Jesus is the character
of God. It follows that if the disciples really wish to draw
men to Jesus, and to God, they must first of all put away_
their selfish ambitions and seek to be like Jesus in the — -
simplicity and absence of ambition that was characteristic
of him. The teaching is very important for us, and in two
ways: If we love people that are like Jesus, we are really
124 «
Jealousy of Disciples Reproved 125
down, and called the twelve; and he saith unto
them, If any man would be first, he shall be last
36 of all, and ^minister of all. And he took a little
child, and set him in the midst of them: and
37 taking him in his arms, he said unto them, Who-
soever shall receive one of such little children in
my name, receiveth me: and whosoever receiveth
me, receiveth not me, but him that sent me.
38 John said unto him, ^Master, we saw one
loving him, and loving him we are loving God; and if we
would draw men to Jesus, we must be like him.
Vs. 38, "casting out demons in thy name": claiming
the authority of Jesus, and no doubt using the name of
Jesus in commanding the demon to go out. Cf. Acts 1913.
We know nothing of this man beyond what these verses
tell us of him. Vs. 39, "forbid him not: for," etc.: Jesus
argues simply from what the disciples told him; though
this man did not keep company with Jesus, yet that he
used Jesus' name and actually cast out demons showed
that, so far from being opposed to him, or simply trading
on Jesus name, he was in sympathy with Jesus' work, and
had at least some measure of faith in him. Such a man,
Jesus says, will not easily turn against him. Vs. 40, "for
he that is not against us is for us": a principle, which as
the connection in which Jesus used it shows, is to be
applied in the judgment of others, and from its very nature
applicable only thus, and not in excusing ourselves for our
inactivity. Cf. Matt. 1230. One cannot be neutral in
respect to Jesus; each one's life must hinder or help his
work and kingdom. In judging of others, whose hearts
we cannot know, and who, like the man of whom John
spoke, are doing good work, we should reason from this
good work that they are on Christ's side, are helping on
126 The Gtospel according to Mark
casting out * devils in thy name: and we forbade
him, because he followed not us. But Jesus said, 39
Forbid him not: for there is no man which shall
do a mighty work in my name, and be able quickly
to speak evil of me. For he that is not against 40
us is for us. For whosoever shall give you a cup 41
of water to drink, because ye are Christ's, verily I
say unto you, he shall in no wise lose his reward.
And whosoever shall cause one of, these little ones 42
his work, even though their acknowledgment of him does
not take the form which we most approve. It is a very
important lesson which Jesus here teaches, and one that
has often been forgotten by those who have borne his
name. Vs. 41. "for whosoever shall give you a cup of
water to drink, because ye are Christ's": whoever even in
a very slight act, is influenced by a desire to serve Christ.
In such a case, as in that of the man spoken of above, the
two things that show real, even though imperfect, disciple-
ship are recognition of Jesus and kindly, helpful action
springing from such recognition. "He shall in no wise
lose his reward": God will recognize the motive of the
act, and treat it accordingly. Vs. 42, " one of these little
ones that believe ": not necessarily a child in years, but, as
the words " that believe " show, in faith — one who, whether
young or old, has, like the man of whom John had spoken,
only an imperfect, immature faith. "Cause .... to
stumble": put obstacles in his way, making it harder for
him to follow the right path. In vss. 43-48 Jesus, having
previously spoken of hindering others, causing them to
stumble, turns to speak of things by which we cause our-
selves to stumble, to fall into sin. "If thy hand cause thee
to stumble, cut it off": a strong expression, indicating the
necessity of sacrificing even the dearest things if they lead
Jealousy of Disciples Keproved 127
that believe on me to stumble, it were better for
him if a great millstone were hanged about his
43 neck, and he were cast into the sea. And if thy
hand cause thee to stumble, cut it off: it is good
for thee to enter into life maimed, rather than
having thy two hands to go into ^hell, into the
45 unquenchable fire.^ And if thy foot cause thee to
stumble, cut it off: it is good for thee to enter
into life halt, rather than having thy two feet to
6 Vss. 44 and 4fi
(which are
identical with
vs 48^ are
omitted by the
best ancient
manuscripts
US into sin. It is not to be supposed that Jesus meant that
we should actually cut off a hand or a foot (vs. 45), or pluck
out an eye (vs. 47). Sin comes from the heart ( 720 23 ), and
mutilating the body would not prevent it. But he did
mean that we should, if necessary, sacrifice things as dear to
us as hand or foot or eye, rather than go on sinning. Vs.
33,"t6 enter into lifef maimed f rather than .... to go
into hellf': The contrast of "life" and "hell" indicates
that Jesus has especially in mind the blessed future life of
the righteous, and the punishment of the wicked after
death. He implies that by falling into sin we may incur
the punishment of hell. Cf. 329. "Into the unquenchable
fire": fire that is never put out. Carrying on the illustra-
tion, which is involved in the word "hel^"t Jesus uses
unquenchable fire as a symbol of that utter ruin which
comes to the soul that falls hopelessly into sin. His lan-
guage, being thus figurative, should hardly be pressed to
mean that we either enter the future life of blessedness or
endure the punishment of sin after death in our bodies,
either maimed and halt, or having two hands and two feet.
He is rather saying in vivid language that it is better to
lose hands or feet or eyes and enter into life than to save
them and be cast into hell. The warnings of Jesus against
sin are very solemn; to him nothing was so dreadful as sin.
128 The Gospel according to Mark
be cast into ^hell. And if thine eye cause thee to 4.1
stumble, cast it out: it is ^ood for thee to enter
into the kingdom of God with one eye, rather than
having two eyes to be cast into ^hell; where their 48
worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched. For 49
every one shall be salted with fire. Salt is good: 50
but if the salt have lost its saltness, wherewith will
ye season it? Have salt in yourselves, and be at
peace one with another.
Vs. 47,"^' into the kingdom of God": Here, too, as in the
expression " enter into life," Jesus doubtless has specially
in mind the future life. Cf. note on vs. 43. But it should
be remembered that the kingdom of God begins now, and \
they who are in it hereafter are those who enter it now. ^
And the same is true of life.-f- Vs. 48, " where their worm
dieth not": another figure taken from or suggested by the
valley of Hinnomf; worms that consume dead bodies repre-
sent the dreadful suffering of those who, rather than give
up something that is dear to them, go on in sin. Vss. 49,
50 are difficult to understand. But we may get some light
on them by remembering that salt is that by which things
are kept from decay, and that fire is a means of testing,
that either purifies or destroys. This suggests as the
general thought that none of us can escape discipline,
trial (such as is suggested in vss. 43-48). If we accept it
in the right spirit, it becomes a purifying fire. But we
shall have to endure it anyhow; if not as purifying, then as
punishing. The salt that has lost its saltness is either
discipline that is ineffective, because we do not accept it,
or people who have ceased to be morally helpful in the
world. The words "have salt in yourselves" seem to
refer to the spirit of love, which is the preserver of true
social life, and which brings "peace" and harmony.
Jealousy of Disciples Reproved 129
QUESTIONS
(1)* When they reached Capernaum, what question
did Jesus ask his disciples ? (2) Was the subject of
their conversation the personal superiority of the dis-
ciples one to another, or their rank in the kingdom, which
they expected Jesus to found? (3) What does the fact
of this dispute show as to the ideas which they still held
concerning the nature of the kingdom and of Jesus'
future? Cf. vs. 32. Recall also 8 31-33. (4)* What
principles of leadership and rank did Jesus teach them
(vs. 35)? State this principle in your own words.
(5) What further lesson did he teach them by the use
of a little child? (Study vs. 37 carefully, and state as
clearly as you can the thought of Jesus.) (6) What
important applications had this teaching to the dis-
ciples, and what has it to us ?
(7) Relate in your own words the incident of the
man who was casting out demons in Jesus' name (vs.
38). (8) What great principle does Jegus teach his
disciples in his answer to John (vs. 39)? By what are
we to judge others — by the organization to which they
belong, or by the work they are doing and the spirit
they show? Cf. Matt. 7 16-I8. (9) Was vs. 40 spoken
with reference to one who was doing nothing, or one
who was actively doing good? (10) Does it mean that
not to be actively working against Jesus puts one on
his side? (11) What does, it mean? (12) Did Jesus
give it as a rule by which the disciples could judge
themselves, or as one by which to judge others?
(13) What is the other half of the truth (Matt.
12 30)? (14)* Put the teaching of vs. 41 into words of
your own. (15) Whom does Jesus mean by "one of
these little ones that believe . on me" (vs. 42)?
130 The Gospel according to Mark
(16) What does "cause to stumble" mean? (17) State
the teaching of this verse. (18) To what new phase of
the subject of "stumbling" does Jesus pass in vs.
43? (19) What do the words " stumble," f "life,"t
" maimed," t "hell,"t "halt"t mean? (20) State the
teachings of vss. 43-48 in your own words, and give
examples showing how they apply. (21) How does
Jesus always treat of sin? (22) What does the last
sentence of vs. 50 mean? (23) State several teachings
of this passage that you think will be useful to your-
self.
♦REVIEW QUESTIONS
(1) In what portion of Palestine is Jesus said to
have begun his work after the imprisonment of John
the Baptist? (2) In what region was he working, as
recorded in chap. 9? (3) How much of the intervening
record refers to work in this same region? (4) Name
the events which are recorded previous to his first con-
flict with the Pharisees (1 ^^-^^y (5) Name the events
of 2 1 — 3 6. What is the common characteristic of all
these events ? (6) Name the events of the remainder of
the third chapter. Which is the most important of
these events? (7) What does 41-34 contain? (8) Name
the four events that next succeed the chapter of para-
bles. (9) What is the subject of 6 ^-29? (lO) Name the
events of 6 ^o — 7 23^ beginning with the feeding of the
five thousand. (11) In 7 2^ — 8 26 there is a record of a
journey which extended partly outside of Jewish lands;
name the events of this journey. (12) In 8 2" — 9 so is the
record of another northern journey; name the events of
this journey. (13) Which of these events seem to you
of peculiar importance in the ministry of Jesus ? (14) In
what chapter is the story of the call of the four fisher-
Jealousy of Disciples Repkoved 131
men? (15) What passage contains the series of events
in which Jesus comes into conflict with the Pharisees ?
(16) What chapter contains the record of the choosing
of the Twelve? the sending out of the Twelve? (17)
What chapter consists mainly of parables? (18) In
what chapter is the story of Jairus's daughter? What
other story is imbedded in this one? (19) In what
chapter is the story of the feeding of the five thousand?
(20) In what chapter is the discourse on eating with
unwashen hands? (21) In what chapter is the record
of the journey to Tyre? (22) In what chapter is the
story of the transfiguration? (23) Name and locate
all the cities spoken of in chaps. 1-9. (24) Which of
these are in Galilee? In what territory are the
others? (25) Who are the first four recorded disciples
of Jesus? Tell the story of their call. (26) Did Jesus
at this time ask them for an acknowledgment of his
messiahship ? (27) Had they made any such acknowl-
edgment when Jesus chose the Twelve? (28) What
was the basis of Jesus' fellowship with his first disci-
ples, an intellectual assent to his messiahship, or moral
sympathy and friendship? (29) State the circumstances
under which Jesus at length called forth an explicit
acknowledgment of his messiahship. (30) Why were
the scribes and Pharisees opposed by Jesus? (31)
Why was Jesus displeased with them ? (32) What was
Jesus' attitude toward the publicans? (33) In what
kinds of work has Jesus been engaged while in Galilee
and adjacent regions ? (31) What has he accomplished
by his work there as recorded by Mark?
SECTION XXXVIil
DEPARTURE FROM GALILEE INTO PEREA, 10:1
And he arose from thence, and cometh into the 1
1 territory ^ borders of Jud{©a and beyond Jordan: and mul-
titudes come together unto him again; and, as he
2 accustomed was ^wout, hc taught them again.
EXPLANATORY NOTES
Vs. 1, "arose from thence": i.e., he departed from
Capernaum (see 9 33), and, as the rest of the verse shows,
from Galilee. Nor do we again read in this gospel of his
returning to Galilee. The ministry in Galilee, the begin-
ning of which is recorded in 1 14, is now at an end. " Cometh
into the borders of Judea and beyond Jordan": i.e., into
Judeal and Perea,t the southern sections of Palestine,
the one on the west and the other on the east of Jordan.
This chap. 10 relates events that happened before he
reached Jerusalem. This period is often called the Perean
ministry. "As he was wont, he taught them again":
During the latter part of the ministry in Galilee Jesus had
devoted himself to the disciples and rather avoided the
multitudes. On coming into Perea, however, he again
takes up the work of teaching the multitude.
QUESTIONS
(1)* Into what region did Jesus go on leaving
Capernaum? (2) Of what period of his ministry does
this verse mark the end? (3) * With what kind of work
does the new period begin ? (4) Is this an altogether
new form of work for Jesus? If not, when had he
been engaged in it before ? (5) Why had he interrupted it I
132
SECTION XXXIX
CONCERNING DIVORCE, 10 : 2-12
2 And there came unto him Pharisees, and asked
him. Is it lawful for a man to put away his wife ?
3 tempting him. And he answered and said unto
4 them, What did Moses command you ? And they
said, Moses ^ suffered to write a bill of divorce- i permitted
5 ment, and to put her away. But Jesus said unto
them, For your hardness of heart he wrote you
6 this commandment. But from the beginning of
EXPLANATORY NOTES
Vs. 2, "is it lawful ": better, is it right? There was no
question about its being legal. The husband was per-
mitted to do so by law; no action of court was required as
with us. Vs. 5, "but Jesus said," etc.: Jesus does not
deny that the law gave such permission, but he says that
the law permitted it only because men's hearts were hard;
they were not yet able to see and appreciate the better and
right way. But because the law permits it, that does not
make it the right thing to do. Vs. 6, "from the beginning
of the creation, male and female made he them ": Marriage
is not an invention of man, but something that is made
natural and right by the very constitution of man (men and
women), as God himself created them from the beginning;
and the marriage which is thus made right is a lifelong
union of a man and a woman, not an arrangement which,
like a business contract, can be canceled at will. Vs. 9,
" what therefore God hath joined together, let not man put
asunder": Though a man and a woman marry one another
of their own free choice, and under no compulsion, yet
133
134 The Gospel according to Mark
the creation, Male and female made he them. For 7
this cause shall a man leave his father and mother,
2«wo and shall cleave to his wife; and the Hwain shall 8
become one flesh: so that they are no moreHwain,
but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined 9
together, let not man put asunder. And in the 10
house the disciples asked him again of this matter.
And he saith unto them. Whosoever shall put 11
away his wife, and marry another, committeth
adultery against her: and if she herself shajl put 12
away her husband, and marry another, she com-
mitteth adultery.
since the law of marriage as written in the constitution of
man is a lifelong union, they who marry are under the
sanction of God's law, and are in that sense joined together
by God. "Let not man put asunder": Jesus means espe-
cially, let no husband put away his wife, since it was thus
that marriages were usually broken among the Jews. But
the principle makes every divorce wrong: either itself a vio-
lation of God's law, or made necessary by the fact that either
husband or wife has already grievously broken that law:
What Jesus is saying is that there ought not be any
divorces. Vs. 11, "commits adultery against her": He is
still before God the husband of the woman whom he first
married; his living with another is therefore itself grievous
sin. Vs. 12: And the same principle applies to the wife.
QUESTIONS
(1) Relate the conversation between Jesus and the
Pharisees concerning divorce. (2) What does Jesus
teach concerning the lasting character of a marriage?
(3)* On what does he base his teaching? (4) If Jesus'
Concerning Divorce 135
teaching were followed, would there ever be any divorce
at all ? (5) In view of this teaching, ought a marriage,
or a promise to marry, be hastily made, or carefully,
conscientiously, prayerfully ? (6) In view of this teach-
ing, how should a marriage once made be regarded;
and how 'should one look upon all those things, even
the seemingly petty things, such as impatience, ex-
travagance, etc., which tend to alienate husband and
wife? (7) What does the fact that Jesus here sets
aside a law of Moses show as to his authority as com-
pared with that of Moses? (8)* On what previous
occasions and on what subject has Jesus given teaching
which differed from that of the Old Testament law?
(9)* In case of difference of teaching, which should we
follow, the old Testament or Jesus ?
SECTION XL
BLESSING LITTLE CHILDREN, 10 : 13-16
And they broiight unto him little children, 13
that he should touch them: and the disciples
rebuked them. But when Jesus saw it, he was 14
moved with indignation, and said unto them.
Suffer the little children to come unto me ; forbid
them not : for of such is the kingdom of God.
Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not re- 15
ceive the kingdom of God as a little child, he
shall in no wise enter therein. And he took them 16
in his arms, and blessed them, laying his hands
upon them.
EXPLANATORY NOTES
Vs. 13, "little children": simply, "children ;" the word
includes children up to twelve years old (5 39, 42), or perhaps
older. Vs. 14, "for of such is the kingdom of God": to such
it belongs. Notice the word " such ;" not to children only,
but to the childlike. The quality of childlikeness, teach-
ableness and trustfulness, whether it is found in a child or
an adult, is necessary in order to obtain the blessing of the
kingdom. -Vs. 15, " whosoever shall not receive the king-
dom of God as a little child, he shall in no wise enter
therein": The kingdom of God is something that can be
received and also entered. To receive it is to welcome it,
in effect to consent that God shall reign over us; this we
ought to do with teachableness and humbleness, as a little
child accepts the rule of his parents. To enter the king-
dom is to have part in it as members and subjects of it,
and so to share in its blessiiigs.
•-^ ~ ' 136
Blessing Little Children
137
QUESTIONS
(1) Tell the story of Jesus and the children (vs. 13-
16). (2)* What element of Jesus' character is illus-
trated in this incident ? Cf. Matt. 1 1 29. (3) Does vs. 14
mean that the kingdom of God belongs to those who
are young in years, or to those who have the teachable,
trustful spirit of children? (4)* What does vs. 15 mean?
" JESUS, THE FRIEND OF CHILDREN"
SECTION XLI
THE RICH YOUNG MAN, WHO HAD KEPT
THE COMMANDMENTS, 10 : 17-31
And as he was going forth 4nto the way, there 17
ran one to him, and kneeled to him, and asked
him, Good ^Master, what shall I do that I may
inherit eternal life? And Jesus said unto him, 18
Why callest thou me good ? none is good save one,
even God. Thou knowest the commandments. Do 19
not kill. Do not commit adultery. Do not steal. Do
EXPLANATORY NOTES
Vs. 17, "what shall I do that I may inherit eternal
life": This young man had learned that there is eternal
life (see Dan. 122,) and he desired to find out how to get it.
Vs. 18, "why callest thou me good? There is none good
save one, even God": Probably Jesus saw that the young
man applied the term " good " to him only as a compliment,
and without serious thought of its meaning. He does not
mean that he is himself sinful, but desires to turn the
thought of the young man to God, who is the source of all
goodness and the pattern of all goodness. Had the young
man really discerned in Jesus the expression of God's
goodness, he would doubtless have answered him differ-
ently. Vs. 19, "thou knowest the commandments":
It is the good that gain eternal life (Matt. 25 46). The com-
mandments were the rule of goodness, right conduct, under
which the young man had been brought up, and so Jesus
tests him by them. Vs. 21, "and Jesus looking upon him
loved him": Evidently the young man had really done well,
although, of course, his life had not been without sin.
"One thing thou lackest": This was love. He had kept
138
The Rich Young Man 139
not bear false witness, Do not defraud, Honour
20 thy father and mother. And he said unto him,
^Master, all these things have I observed from my
21 youth. And Jesus looking upon him loved him,
and said unto him, One thing thou lackest: go,
sell whatsoever thou hast, and give to the poor,
and thou shalt have treasure, in heaven : and come,
22 follow me. But his countenance fell at the say-
ing, and he went away sorrowful: for he was one
that had great possessions.
23 And Jesus looked round about, and saith unto
the individual commandments, but he had not yielded his
heart to the one great commandment that is underneath
them all. (C/. Jesus' words in 1228-31.) It was one great
defect of the teaching of the scribes that it tended to lead
men to think only of keeping single commandments and to
expect reward for each act of such obedience, instead of
bringing their whole lives into subjection to a right prin-
ciple, and so coming spontaneously to do the right thing
always. Till we learn to do this we are still only children
keeping rules.
Vss. 23-31 dwell upon the thought, naturally sug-
gested by the case of this young man, that the possession
of wealth is a hindrance to entering the kingdom of God.
On the meaning of this expression "enter into the king-
dom" cf. notes on vs. 15. Vs. 24, "the disciples were
amazed": The Jewish rabbis by their teaching that only
those who devoted themselves to the study and practice of
all the numerous commandments into which they divided
the law (the rabbis counted 613 commands in the law), and
the traditions which they had attached to it, were pleas-
ing to God, had practically taught that a poor man who
140 The Gospel aocokding to Mark
his disciples, How hardly shall they that have
riches enter into the kingdom of God! And the 24
disciples were amazed at his words. But Jesus
answereth again, and saith unto them. Children,
3 Some ancient how hard is it ^for them that trust in riches to
manuscripts
Sfc8?7n enter into the kingdom of God! It is easier for a 25
camel to go through a needle's eye, than for a
rich man to enter into the kingdom of God. And 26
they were astonished exceedingly, saying unto
him, Then who can be saved? Jesus looking 27
upon them saith, With men it is impossible, but
had to earn his bread had very little chance to enter the
kingdom. One must be fairly well-to do in order to know
and keep the law. Hence the surprise of the disciples at
the thought that riches are an obstacle to entering the
kingdom. Jesus by making religion simple, consisting in
loving trust in God and loving helpfulness to men, which
even the poorest can cherish and put into practice, opened
the door of hope to the poor; while, on the other hand, he
saw and taught that riches, which always tempt men to
trust in them rather than in God and conduce to selfish-
ness toward their fellow men, make it hard (notice that
Jesus does not say impossible, for even the hyperbole in
vs. 25, does not mean that) for those who possess them to
enter the kingdom. C/. Matt. 5 3. Vs. 25, " a needle's eye " :
a strong figurative expression, meaning just what the
words say (not, as some have supposed, a city gate called
the needle's eye), but, of course, to be understood as hyper-
bole, since it is absolutely impossible for a camel to go
through a needle's eye, while Jesus says in vs. 27 that it is
not impossible for a rich man to enter the kingdom. Vs.
30, "shall receive a hundred-fold now in this time": Not,
The Kich Young Man 141
not with God: for all things are possible with
28 God. Peter began to say unto him, Lo, we have
29 left all, and have followed thee. Jesus said.
Verily I say unto you. There is no man that hath
left house, or brethren, or sisters, or mother, or
father, or children, or lands, for my sake, and for
30 the gospel's sake, but he shall receive a hundred-fold
now in this time, houses, and brethren, and sisters,
and mothers, and children, and lands, with persecu-
31 tions; and in the* world to come eternal life. But iOv,age
many that are first shall be last ; and the last first.
of course, necessarily as reckoned in dollars and cents (or
in talents or denarii), but in real value to the one who sur-
renders these things. Following Jesus is, for the present
life even, a hundredfold more profitable than following
one's own selfish purposes. This is not hyperbole, but the
sober truth that has been proved by experience many
times over. "With persecutions": Those who will live
godly lives, will have occasion to suffer; but it will still
remain true that the devotion of the life to Christ's service
is the truest wisdom. Vs. 31, " many that are first shall be
last and the last first": God is judge and rewarder, and
not those that seem to be first or really are so in time— as,
for example, the twelve disciples to whom Jesus was speak-
ing — will necessarily have the greatest reward. God's
judgments are not always the same as men's.
QUESTIONS
(1) Tell the story of the rich young man. (2) Why
did Jesus object to his calling him good? (3)* Why did
Jesus point him to the commandments? (4) In what
sense was it true that he had kept those commandments?
142 The Gospel according to Mark
(5)* What was the defect of this young man's morality?
(6) Study the character of this young man, and deter-
mine as far as you can what was good and what was
evil in him. (7) Did Jesus ask him to give away his
property because this was an invariable rule for all his
disciples, or because this man's sin was covetousness,
which could be eradicated only by such an extreme
measure? (8) Does Jesus expect all his followers to
surrender their property in the sense that they hold it
subject to his will? (9)* What is the principle of
conduct under which Jesus acted and according to
which he desired all his followers to act? (10) Would
acting on this principle lead one to keep the great com-
mands of the law? (11)* Could any list of command-
ments be made long enough to include all the things
that this principle would cover? Answer thought-
fully. (12) The Israelites were given many specific
commands; must nations and children obey rules until
they learn to act from principle? (13) Ought we always
to remain children in this respect, or to learn to act
from principle in all things? (14) What does the
expression "enter into the kingdom of God" in vs. 23
mean? (15) What is the teaching of vss. 23-25? (16)*
Why are riches such an obstacle to entering the king-
dom of God? (17) Why were the disciples astonished
at this teaching? (18) What does Jesus say (vss. 29,
30) they shall have who surrender friends and posses-
sions for his sake and the gospel's sake ? (19) How is
this promise fulfilled? (20) Did you ever know of any-
one who was really worse off for following Christ ? (21)
Is the actual parting with friends and kindred and
property necessary in every case in order to follow
Christ? Has it often been necessary? Ought we all
to be ready to make the surrender if necessary ?
SECTION XLIl
JESUS' ANNOUNCEMENT OF HIS CRUCIFIXION,
10:32-34
32 And they were in the way, going up to Jeru-
salem; and Jesus was going before them: and
they were amazed; and they that followed were
afraid. And he took again the twelve, and began
to tell them the things that were to happen unto
33 him, saying, Behold, we go up to Jerusalem ; and
the Son of man shall be delivered unto the chief
priests and the scribes; and they shall condemn
him to death, and shall deliver him unto the
3'.!: Gentiles: and they shall mock him, and shall spit
upon him, and shall scourge him, and shall kill
him ; and after three days he shall rise again.
EXPLANATORY NOTES
Vs. 32, "Jesus was going before them: and they were
amazed; and they that followed were afraid": They
evidently noticed the earnestness and determination in his
manner. Jesus foresees the great suffering before him,
but he is determined bravely to endure it. Vs. 33, " the
Son of man shall be delivered unto the chief priests and
the scribes": to the Sanhedrin,! the Jewish court. "Shall
deliver him unto the Gentiles": This statement Jesus had
not made before when he had spoken of his death. The
Jewish court was not allowed to put a man to death. This
power belonged to the Roman procurator, an officer
appointed by the emperor at Rome to take charge of the
affairs in a province. Jesus' prediction is therefore that
he will be put to death by regular process of law, not by
mob violence.
143
144 The Gospel according to Mark
QUESTIONS
(1) What impression did Jesus' manner as he went
up to Jerusalem make upon his disciples and followers?
(Compare vs. 39 as suggesting what was in Jesus' mind
at this time.) (2)* Of what feeling and purpose
respecting his death was this manner the reflection?
(3) What prediction did Jesus make to his disciples at.
this time? (4) On what previous occasion had he made
similar announcements? (5)* In what respect does
this prediction differ from the preceding ones ?
SECTION XLIII
THE AMBITION OP JAMES AND JOHN REPROVED,
10:35-45
35 And there come near unto him James and
John, the sons of Zebedee, saying unto him,
* Master, we would that thou shouldest do for us i Teacher
3G whatsoever we shall ask of thee. And he said
unto them. What would ye that I should do for
37 you? And they said unto him. Grant unto us
that we may sit, one on thy right hand, and one on
38 thy left hand, in thy glory. But Jesus said unto
them, Ye know not what ye ask. Are ye able to
drink the cup that I drink ? or to be baptized with
39 the baptism that I am baptized with ? And they
said unto him, We are able. And Jesus said unto
EXPLANATORY NOTES
Vs. 37, "grant unto us that we may sit, one on thy
right hand, and one on thy left hand, in thy glory": a
request which shows both that the disciples still looked
for a political kingdom, and that these two at least still
had a selfish ambition to outrank their fellow-apostles.
Vs. 38, "are ye able to drink the cup," etc.: Both cup and
baptism are figurative expressions for the painful experi-
ences through which Jesus foresaw that he must pass.
Vs. 39, "the cup that I drink ye shall drink": They should
also endure suffering, although it might not be the same or
so severe. Acts 12 1-3 states some of the sufferings which
they afterward experienced. Vs. 42, "they which are
145
Sbond-
servant
146 The Gospel according to Mark
them, The cup that I drink ye shall drink; and
with the baptism that I am baptized withal shall
ye be baptized: but to sit on my right hand or on 40
my left hand is not mine to give : but it is for
them for whom it hath been prepared. And when 41
the ten heard it, they began to be moved with
indignation concerning James and John. And 42
Jesus called them to him, and saith unto them. Ye
know that they which are accol^lted to rule over
the Gentiles lord it over them ; and their great
ones exercise authority over them. But it is not 43
so among you : but whosoever would become great
among you shall be your ^minister: and whoso- 44
ever would be first among you, shall be ^servant
of all. For verily the Son of man came not to be 45
ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his
life a ransom for many.
accounted to rule": Officials, governors, etc. "Lord it
over them": domineer, rule according to their own pleas-
ure. On vss. 43, 44, cf. 9 35 and notes. Vs. 45, " for verily
the Son of mant came not to be ministered unto, but to
minister": not to be served, but to serve. Jesus himself
sets the example to the disciples. "And to give his life":
not simply to die, but to devote his life to the service of
mankind, being willing to die if need be, which in his case
was necessary. "A ransom for many": By thus giving his
life many were to be delivered from the bondage of sin.
QUESTIONS
(1) What request did the brothers James and John
make for themselves? (2)* What does the making of
James and John Reproved 147
this request show as to the ideas which they still
cherished concerning the kingdom that Jesus would
establish? (3) What does it show as to their under-
standing of what Jesus had just said about dying?
(4) * To what cup and to what baptism did Jesus refer
in his question to them ? (5) Did the disciples probably
realize how much this cup and this baptism would
mean when they said, "We are able"? (6) What did
Jesus mean when he told them that they should drink
his cup and be baptized with his baptism? Compare
8 31-35. (7) How was this prediction fulfilled? (8)*
State, if you can, the teaching of vss. 39, 40 in the form
of a general principle. (9) * What great principle con-
cerning the basis of rank and pre-eminence among his
disciples does Jesus state in vss. 42-44? Be sure you
grasp this principle. Try to give some illustrations of
how it would apply in our lives today. (10) What
does Jesus state in vs. 45 as the principle of his own
life? (11) Is the principle that applies to the Son of
man the same that applies to the sons of men who are
his disciples? (12) Does Jesus expect us to live our
lives on the same principle on which he lived his?
(13) Is the principle one which is to be applied only by
those who are called upon to suffer martyrdom or to die
for others, or by all Christians and at all times ? (14) Is
this principle any more really or perfectly obeyed by
one who dies as a martyr than by one who, not being
called upon to die, devotes all his energies continually
to the good of his fellow men and the advancement of
God's kingdom in the world?
SECTION XLIV
THE BLIND MAN NEAR JERICHO HEALED,
10:46-52
And they come to Jericho : and as he went out 46
from Jericho, with his disciples and a great mul-
titude, the son of Timseus, Bartimseus, a blind
beggar, was sitting by the way side. And when 47
he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began
to cry out, and say, Jesus, thou son of David, have
mercy on me. And many rebuked him, that he 48
should hold his peace: but he cried out the more
a great deal, Thou son of David, have mercy on
me. And Jesus stood still, and said. Call ye him. 49
And they call the blind man, saying unto him, Be
of good cheer: rise, he calleth thee. And he, 50
casting away his garment, sprang up, and came to
Jesus. And Jesus answered him, and said, What 51
wilt thou that I should do unto thee? And the
iseejohn20:i6 bHud mau sald unto him, ^Rabboni, that I may
receive my sight. And Jesus said unto him. Go 52
2 cured, ov thy way; thy faith hath ^made thee whole. And
aiinprl thee •' *' ' •'
straightway he received his sight, and followed
him in the way.
EXPLANATORY NOTES
Vs. 47, "Jesus, thou Son of David "t: This is the first
instance in the gospel of Mark in which anyone except a
demoniac has publicly addressed Jesus by a messianic
148
saved thee
The Blind Man Healed 149
title. Vs. 51, "Rabboni"!: a title applied to religious
teachers. Vs. 52, "thy faith hath rtiade thee whole"t: re-
stored thee to soundness. Cf. 5 : 24, 34.
questio:ns
(1) Where is Jericho f? (2)* Does the incident of
vss. 46-52 come near the beginning or the end of the
journey from Galilee to Jerusalem ? Compare 10 i and
10 32. (3) Tell the story of Bartimeus. (4) What does
the title "Son of David" mean? (5) Is there any
previous record in this gospel of anyone calling Jesus
by this title? (6)* What does the fact that Bartimeus
calls him by this title show as to what people were
thinking about Jesus, and what does Jesus* acceptance
of the title without rebuke show as to his willingness
now to be recognized as the Messiah ? What reason can
you give for this? (7) What commendable character-
istics does Bartimeus show on this occasion? (8) What
did he believe and how did he show his faith? Cf.
questions 7, 8, 15 on Section XX. (9) How was his
faith and persistence rewarded? (10)* What main
division of the gospel ends with this section? Where
does this main division begin? (11) Name the main
divisions that precede it.
SECTION XLV
THE TRIUMPHAL ENTRY; JESUS SALUTED AS
MESSIAH, 11:1-11
And when they draw nigh unto Jerusalem,
unto Bethphage and Bethany, at the mount of
Olives, he sendeth two of his disciples, and saith
unto them, Go your way into -the village that is
over against you : and straightway as ye enter into
it, ye shall find a colt tied, whereon no man ever
EXPLANATORY NOTES
With this section begins the account of Jesus' last
days in Jerusalem. Vs. 1, " and when they draw nigh unto
Jerusalem,"!" unto Bethphage,! and Bethany ""f: See the
map on page 151. The road by which Jesus came was
probably that which winds around the southern slope of
the Mount of Olives. Vs. 2, " into the village that is over
against you"; ^. e., opposite you, perhaps across a valley
from the spot where they stood. What the village was we
do not know, possibly Bethphage. " Whereon no man ever
yet sat": i. e., a young colt. Vs. 3, " the Lord ": i. e., Jesus.
"Will send him back hither": a promise to return the
animal. Vs. 8, " spread their garments upon the way; and
others branches": thus making a sort of a carpet for him
to ride upon. The garments were doubtless the outer
cloaks. See notes on 69. Vs. 9, "Hosanna": a Hebrew
word meaning "Save now;" it was therefore a prayer to
God now to save, meaning either to save Israel, or to be
favorable to Jesus, whom, as the rest of the verse shows,
they meant to recognize as the Messiah. " Blessed is [or be]
he that cometh in the name of the Lord ": also a prayer for
150
The Triumphal Entry
151
3 yet sat; loose him, and bring him. And if any-
one say unto you, Why do ye this? say ye, The
Lord hath need of him ; and straightway he will
4 send him back hither. And they went away, and
found a colt tied at the door without in the open
5 street; and they loose him. And certain of them
that stood there said unto them, What do ye,
6 loosing the colt? And they said unto them even
7 as Jesus had said: and they let them go. And
they bring the colt unto Jesus, and cast on him
8 their garments ; and he sat upon him. And many
God's blessing on him who comes in God's name, i. e., as
God's representative. Vs. 10, " blessed is [or be] the king-
dom that Cometh": a prayer for God's blessing on the com-
ing kingdom, or reign of Messiah, "in the highest": in
Index : A, summit of the Mt. of Olives; G, traditional site of
Gethsemane; D, St. Stephen's Gate ; R, possible site of Bethphage.
152 The Gospel according to Mark
spread their garments upon the way; and others
branches, which they had cut from the fields. And 9
they that went before, and they that followed,
cried, Hosanna; Blessed is he that cometh in the
name of the Lord: Blessed is the kingdom that 10
cometh, the kingdom of our father David : Hosanna
in the highest.
And he entered into Jerusalem, into the temple ; H
and when he had looked round about upon all
things, it being now eventide, he went out unto
Bethany with the twelve.
heaven, that is, where God dwells, who is to save. By his
entry into the city in triumph and his acceptance cf the
acclamations of the people, Jesus virtually announced him-
self to be the Messiah. Hitherto he had avoided making
such an announcement publicly, and had made declaration
of his messiahship only to his disciples, who were prepared
for it by their sympathy with him and devotion to him, or
here and there to one exceptionally ready for it. A decla-
ration that he was the Christ, made to the people gener-
ally, would really have misrepresented him, since they
would have understood the word Messiah or Christ in
their sense of it. But now, having disclosed his character
and aims, even to the people, as fully as they were able to
apprehend them, it was needful that before his death,
which he saw to be near at hand, he should publicly make
it plain that he, being what they knew him to be, one who
seeking not political but spiritual ends claimed the alle-
giance of men, was indeed the Messiah whom, unintelli-
gently, they expected.
The Triumphal Entry 153
QUESTIONS
(1) Where are the places mentioned in vs. 1? (2)*
By what road did Jesus probably enter Jerusalem?
(3) From what place had he come? (4)* Having read
carefully vss. 1-11, using the notes if necessary to make
clear the meaning, tell the story of Jesus' entry into
Jerusalem. (5)* Was this public entrance into the city
forced upon Jesus against his will, or was it planned
and accepted by him? (6) In what various ways did
the disciples and multitude show him honor ? (7) What
is the meaning of the word "Hosanna," and what did
the people mean by its utterance at this time? (8)
What is the meaning of their other cries ? (9) What is
the meaning of the whole event as an act of the people?
In what character did the people by this act, and espe-
cially by their cries, in vss. 9, 10, accept Jesus? (10)*
What did Jesus virtually proclaim respecting himself
by this act of his acceptance of the people's homage?
(11) Had Jesus before this time publicly proclaimed
himself the Messiah? (12)* Why did he do now what
he had carefully abstained from doing before? (13)
Where did Jesus go on entering the city, and to what
place did he retire on leaving the city?
SECTION XLVI
THE CURSING OF THE FIG TREE, 11 : 12-14
And on the morrow, when they were come out 12
from Bethany, he hungered. And seeing a fig 13
EXPLANATORY NOTES
Vs. 12, "on the morrow": the day after the triumphal
entry. Vs. 13, " if haply he might find anything thereon *':
This was hardly to be expected, since, although in the fig
tree the fruit forms before the leaves appear, it does not
MOUNT ZION AND THE MOUNT OF OLIVES FROM THE BETH-
LEHEM ROAD
154
The Cuesing of the Fig Tree 155
tree afar off having leaves, he came, if haply he
might find anything thereon: and when he came
to it, he found nothing but leaves; for it was not
14 the season of figs. And he answered and said
unto it, No man eat fruit from thee henceforward
for ever. And his disciples heard it.
ripen till later in the season than this event is said to have
occurred; as the narrative says, it was not the season cf
(ripe) figs, Jesus must have come in the hope that possibly
he might find a few figs ripe before the season. "He found
nothing but leaves": not even green figs; the tree bore
leaves only. Vs. 14, " no man eat fruit- from thee hence-
forward forever": The fig tree which had leaves but no
figs represents people who make others believe that they
are doing good when they are not. Jesus uses the fig tree
as an object-lesson to show what will finally be the sad
condition of such people. The application of the lesson in
Jesus' mind was probably to the Jewish nation, which at
this time loudly professed to be righteous, but showed little
of the fruit of righteousness.
QUESTIONS
(1) Tell the story of Jesus' action respecting the fig
tree (vss. 12-14). (2)* Was the purpose of Jesus, in
this action, to punish the fig tree, or to use it to teach
the disciples a lesson? (3) Of what was the fig tree, by
reason of its having leaves but no fruit, a natural sjm-
bol 1 (4) Of whom or of what class of persons did his
action express disapproval?
SECTION XL VII
THE CLEANSING OF THE TEMPLE, 11:15-19
And they come to Jerusalem: and he entered 15
into the temple, and began to cast out them th^t
sold and them that bought in the temple, and
EXPLANATORY NOTES
Vs. 15, " and he entered into the temple " t : see the
map on p. 151, and the plan of the temple, p. 157. "Them
that sold and them that bought": The traffic was doubt-
less carried on in the great court of the gentiles, so called
because gentiles were not allowed to proceed beyond it into
the inner parts of the temple, and the things bought and
sold were animals for sacrifice (c/. John 2 14). "Overthrew
the tables of the money-changers": The temple-tax was
required to be paid in Jewish money, and as Jews came
from many nations to attend the feasts, it was necessary
that somewhere they should be able to exchange the money
of other lands for Jewish coins. "Doves": for sacrifice.
Vs. 16, "carry a vessel through the temple": Probably the
people made the court of the gentiles a short cut from one
part of the city to another. Vs. 17, "a house of prayer for
all the nations": not for Jews only, but, as the very name
"court of the gentiles" might have reminded them, for
gentiles too. "Den of robbers": the word "robbers" sug-
gests that probably those who carried on the trade made
extortionate profits. But apart from this the trade itself,
carried on in the temple court, destroyed it as a place of
worship. Vs. 18, "the chief priests"!: Very likely they
had been interested in the profits of this traffic; it could
hardly have gone on, at any rate, without their consent.
" And the scribes ": These, too, as the teachers according to
whose decisions even the priests usually acted, could not
156
The Cleansing of the Temple 157
overthrew the tables of the money-changers, and
16 the seats of them that sold the dovies; and he
would not ^suffer that any man should carry a ves- i permit
17 sel through the temple. And he taught, and said
unto them, Is it not written. My house shall be
called a house of prayer for all the nations? but
PLAN OF THE TEMPLE
[ From Edersheim, r/ie Temple at the Time of Jesus Christ ]
A, Royal Tyropoeon Bridge ; B B, etc., Terrace, or Chel, outside of
which tradition places a low inclosure, called the Soreg ; C C C, South
Side Gates, the second on the right hand being the ancient Water
Gate; D D D, North Side Gates ; E E E E, Money Chests; F F, Courts
and Chambers; G, Nicanor Gate; H, fifteen steps of the Levites;
I, House of Stoves ; J, Steps of the Priests ; K, to Mount Zion ; M, To
Bezetha.
158 The Gospel according to Mark
ye have made it a den of robbers. And the chief 18
priests and the scribes heard it and sought how
they might destroy him: for they feared him, for
all the multitude was astonished at his teaching.
And every evening he went forth out of the 19
city.
escape responsibility for the traffic. Both classes therefore
had their reasons for being displeased, and both dreaded
to see Jesus' influence growing.
QUESTIONS
(1) Having carefully read the narrative with the
plan of the temple before you or in mind, tell the story
of the cleansing of the temple. (2).* Was the traffic
which was carried on in the temple court in itself a
necessary one? Why? (3) Was it necessary that it
should be carried on in the temple court ? (4) In what
part of the temple was it probably conducted? (5)*
What two things made the traffic as conducted wrong?
(6) Is the rebuking of evil a part of the duty of a right-
eous man? (7) Can you suggest for whonj and under
what conditions such rebuke is a duty? See Matt. 7 ^-^.
(8)* In view of Jesus' entry into the city the day before,
would this act seem to be an assumption of messianic ,
authority? Give a reason for your answer. (9) Why
were the priests and scribes angry ? (10) What did they
plan to do? (11) What course ought we to pursue
when someone condemns an action of ours as wrong?
SECTION XLVIII
COMMENT ON THE WITHERED FIG TREE, 11:20-25
20 And as they passed by in the morning, they
saw the fig tree withered away from the roots.
21 And Peter calling to remembrance saith unto him,
Kabbi, behold, the fig tree which thou cnrsedst is
22 withered away. And Jesus answering saith -unto
23 them, Have faith in God. Verily I say unto you,
Whosoever shall say unto this mountain. Be thou
taken up and cast into the sea; and shall not
doubt in his heart, but shall believe that what he
24 saith cometh to pass; he shall have it. Therefore
EXPLANATORY NOTES
Vs. 20, "And as they passed by in the morning": i.e., of
the third day, counting from the day of the triumphal
entry as the first. Vs. 22, " and Jesus answering saith unto
them, Have faith in God": The fig tree with its leaves, but
no fruit, was like the Jewish nation, which made outward
profession of being good, but was not so in reality. Cf.
notes on vs. 14, §XLVI. But the nation was also like a
great mountain in the way, because by its refusal to receive
Jesus, by its lack of real goodness, it stood in the way of
the establishment of the kingdom of God. Yet, though
like a mountain, Jesus sees that it is to be taken out of the
way (as, in fact, came to pass in large part through the
destruction of Jerusalem in 70 A. D.). So from the fig
tree Jesus passes to the mountain as an illustration, and
from the curse that falls on unfruitfulness to the faith
which the children of God may and ought to have even in
159
160 The Gospel according to Mark
I say unto you, All things whatsoever ye pray and
ask for, believe that ye have received them, and
ye shall have them. And whensoever ye stand 25
praying, forgive, if ye have aught against any
one; that your Father also which is in heaven
may forgive you your trespasses.
the face of the greatest difficulties and obstacles. Vs. 25
"and whensoever ye stand praying, forgive": But though
we pray in faith for the removal of obstacles, this must not
be in a vindictive spirit, as if we should ask for vengeance
on our enemies. We who need forgiveness must ourselves
forgive.
QUESTIONS
(1) In what condition was the fig tree found the
next morning after Jesus had spoken his word con-
cerning it ? (2) What lesson did Jesus draw from the
fact ? (3) How is this lesson suggested by the incident
of the fig tree? (4)* Of what are both the unfruitful
fig tree and the mountain symbols? (5)* In what
respect does each resemble the thing illustrated? (6)
Does vs. 24 teach us to ask for anything whatever that
we fancy and believe that we shall obtain it, or that
whatever we do pray for we should ask for in faith? (7)
In what spirit does vs. 25 teach that we should pray ?
(8) In consistency with this teaching, can we pray in a
vindictive, unforgiving spirit for the overthrow or re-
moval of those people who seem to us to be obstacles
in the way of the kingdom? (9)* In what different
aspects of his character and mission is Jesus presented
to us in the last three sections? (10) What lessons
helpful to us today are taught or illustrated in them ?
SECTION XLIX
CHRIST'S AUTHORITY CHALLENGED, 11:27-33
27 And tliey come again to Jerusalem: and as he
was walking in the temple, there come to him the
28 chief priests, and the scribes, and the elders; and
they said unto him, By what authority doest thou
these things ? or who gave thee this authority to
29 do these things? And Jesus said unto them, I
will ask of you one question, and answer me, and
I will tell you by what authority I do these things.
30 The baptism of John, was it from heaven, or from
31 men ? answer me. And they reasoned with them-
selves, saying, If we shall say. From heaven; he
32 will say. Why then did ye not believe him ? But
should we say. From men — they feared the
people: for all verily held John to be a prophet.
33 And they answered Jesus and say, We know not.
And Jesus saith unto them. Neither tell I you by
what authority I do these things.
EXPLANATORY NOTES
Vs. 27, " the chief priests,t and the scribes,! and the
elders"!: the three classes which, both as separate classes
and as those from which the Sanhedrin-f was made up,
were most influential among the Jews. Cf. 8 31; 10 33. Vs.
28, "these things": the things Jesus had been doing,
probably especially the cleansing of the temple. Vs. 29,
"I will ask of you one question ": Had they come to him
with open minds, really wishing to know the truth about
161
162 The Gospel according to Mark
him, Jesus would probably have given them a direct and
plain answer. Cf. his answers in 2 8,9; 1018-21. Yet even
his question did in fact answer theirs. John had not been
proved to be a prophet by signs from heaven, or even by
miracles that he wrought. Yet the people generally had
recognized him as a prophet because of the character of
his teaching. Had the Jewish leaders been even as open-
minded and discerning as the people, they would have
received John, and still more Jesus; for not only were
Jesus' teachings and life superior to those of John, but he
also had John's testimony to his superiority. By his
answer Jesus in effect points therii to these evidences.
What they needed was not more evidence, but more open-
ness of mind to accept the evidence they had.
QUESTIONS
(1) What question did the chief priests, scribes, and
elders put to Jesus when he came again to the temple?
(2)* Describe each of these three classes, and their
position in the Jewish nation. (3) What important
national court was made up from these classes? (4)
What did they mean by "these things" in their ques-
tion? (5)* Why did Jesus answer their question l?y
another instead of giving them a plain reply? (6)*
What was Jesus' habit in the matter of answering
questions put to him? Give some examples. (7)* Did
his question really answer theirs? If so, explain how.
(8) How did they answer, and why did they answer in
this way? (9) What vice of mind did they display
both in their question and in their way of answering
Jesus' question ? (10) Is this vice of mind also a moral
fault? Does it lead to serious consequences? If so,
indicate some of these?
SECTION L
THE PARABLE OF THE VINEYARD, 12:1-12
1 And he began to speak unto them in parables.
A man planted a vineyard, and set a hedge about
it, and digged a pit for the winepress, and built a
tower, and let it out to husbandmen, and went into
2 another country. And at the season he sent to
the husbandmen a servant, that he might receive
from the husbandmen of the fruits of the vine-
3 yard. And they took him, and beat him, and sent
4 him away empty. And again he sent unto them
another servant ; and him they wounded in the head,
6 and handled shamefully. And he sent another ; and
him they killed : and many others ; beating some,
6 and killing some. He had yet one, a beloved son :
EXPLANATORY NOTES
As a story this parable requires little explanation, and
its application and general teaching are almost equally
plain. It tells in brief the history of God's dealing with
the Jewish nation. The vineyard represents the nation as
a field of opportunity and responsibility. The husbandmen
are the people to whom this opportunity is intrusted. The
servants are the prophets and teachers who centuries long
have exhorted the nation to render to God the honor and
service that was due him. The son is Jesus himself. Vs.
9 is a prediction that the nation is finally to be overthrown,
and that the opportunities and responsibilities which had
been peculiarly theirs are to be given to others, i. e., not to
las
164 The Gospel according to Mark
he sent him last unto them, saying, They will
reverence my son. But those husbandmen said 7
among themselves, This is the heir; come, let us
kill him, and the inheritance shall be ours. And 8
they took him, and killed him, and cast him forth
out of the vineyard. What therefore will the lord 9
of the vineyard do? he will come and destroy the
husbandmen, and will give the vineyard unto
others. Have ye not read even this scripture ; 10
The stone which the builders rejected,
The same was made the head of the corner:
This was from the Lord, 11
And it is marvellous in our eyes?
And they sought to lay hold on him ; and they 12
feared the multitude; for they perceived that he
spake the parable against them: and they left
him, and went away.
any particular nation, but to all, Jews or gentiles, who would
accept the truth. In vs. 10 a passage from Ps. 118 22, 23,
which as originally uttered referred to the Jewish nation,
which, though despised by other nations, was given a place
of peculiar responsibility by God, is applied by Jesus to him-
self. The principle is a general one: God rules in the
world, not according to the ideas of men, but according to
his own wisdom and choice. That the passage was origi-
nally spoken with reference to the nation makes its applica-
tion to Jesus the more forcible. The same principle that
once exalted them, now that they have been unfaithful to
their opportunities, means their downfall.
The Pakable of the Vineyard 165
QUESTIONS
(1) Having carefully read the parable of the vine-
yard, first tell it simply as a story. For any words that
are not clear see the dictionary. (2)* Remembering
that the parable undoubtedly applied directly to the
people to whom Jesus was speaking (see vs. 12), con-
sider whom the vineyard, the husbandmen, the servants,
and the son respectively represent. (3) To whom did the
passage quoted in vss. 10, 11, apply as originally uttered
by the psalmist? (4) To whom does Jesus apply
it? (5)* What is the principle that it sets forth and
that is applicable in both cases? (6) Retell the para-
ble with its application as intended by Jesus. (7) How
was the prediction of vs. 9 fulfilled? (8) Is the lesson
of this parable limited to the Jewish nation, or does it
convey a general warning applicable today also and
always? If so, state the lesson and suggest applica-
tions of it.
a coin of Philip the Tetrarch, bearing the image and superscrip-
tion of Tiberius Csesar.— [From Madden, Coins of the Jews.]
SECTION LI
THREE QUESTIONS BY THE JEWISH RULERS,
12:13-34
A. The Question about Tribute to C^sar
And they send unto him certain of the Phari- 13
sees and of the Herodians, that they might catch
EXPLANATORY NOTES
Vs. 13, " and they send unto him certain of the Phari-
sees •!■ and of the Herodians ""f: an unusual combination of
men, brought together by their hostility to Jesus. " That
they might catch him in talk ": lead him into saying some-
thing which they might make the ground of a charge
against him. Vs. 14, " is it lawful to give tribute to Caesar,
or not?": i.e., is it right to pay taxes to the Roman
emperor? Caesar, originally a personal name, had come to
be simply a general name for the Roman emperor at any
time on the throne, as still today the German emperor is
called Kaiser, and the Russian emperor Czar. Judea, the
southern part of Palestine, was directly subject to Rome
(being governed by a governor, procurator, appointed by
the Roman emperor), and paid taxes to Rome. It was a
point of dispute among the Jews whether this was right,
the Pharisees questioning whether it was right for them
as God's people to pay taxes to any foreign ruler, while the
Herodians doubtless maintained the rightfulness of such
payment. Whichever side of the question Jesus took, it
seemed to them he would be in difficulty. If he said that
it was right to pay tribute, they could urge that this was
disloyalty to God, and, so discredit him with the people,
perhaps even raise a riot against him. If he said it was
not right, they would complain of him to the Roman gover-
nor on the ground that he was encouraging disloyalty to
166
Thkee Questions by Jewish Kulers 167
14 him in talk. And when they were come, they say
unto him, ^Master, we know that thou art true, and i Teacher
carest not for any one : for thou regardest not the
person of men, but of a truth teachest the way of
God: Is it lawful to give tribute unto Csesar, or
15 not ? Shall we give, or shall we not give ? But
he, knowing their hypocrisy, said unto them, Why
Rome. Vs. 15, "knowing their hypocrisy": i. e., in pro-
fessing to ask his opinion, while, in fact, only wishing to
entrap him. Vs. 16, " whose is this image and superscrip-
tion? ": The head of the emperor stamped on the coin, and
his name written about the head (as they may still be seen
on coins preserved from that time — see p. 165) were the
symbols of the fact that Judea was subject to the Roman
emperor, that a Roman governor and Roman soldiers
maintained peace in Judea — a service for the expenses of
which taxes were necessary. This was all the more
impressive because, in fact, the Romans were in authority
in no small measure because of the dissensions of the Jews
among themselves and their proved inability to rule them- t
selves. However much it was against their will, they were
obliged in effect to pay the Romans to maintain peace in
their country. Vs. 17, "render unto Caesar the things
that are Caesar's": not, pay tribute with his coin because
Caesar's head on it proves that it is Caesar's, but if you owe
Caesar anything for that government of which the coin is
the symbol, pay your debts. " And unto God the things
that are God's": and if you owe to God reverence and
obedience, reverence and obey him. This is as much as to
say, that the two things are not inconsistent, and that to
pay taxes to Caesar is not disloyalty to God. But it is
saying it in such a way that they could not make any use
of his words against him with the people or the governor.
The principle is a very important one and has many appli-
168 The Gospel according to Mark
^t^oTr^worth ^^J^pt ye me? bring me a ^ penny, that I may see
cente/^ ' it. And they brought it. And he saith unto them,
Whose is this image and superscription? And
they said unto him, Caesar's. And Jesus said
unto them. Render unto Caesar the things that are
Caesar's, and unto God the things that are God's.
And they marvelled greatly at him.
cations. Real duties to God and men never conflict. We
are not disloyal to God by rendering to men the honor or
the service that is due them. Real duties to parents never
conflict with real duties to God.
QUESTIONS
(1) What v^^as the first of the three questions put to
Jesus by the Jewish rulers? (2)* What two classes
joined in putting this question? Describe each briefly.
(3) In what spirit and with what purpose did they ask it ?
(4)* What was the political situation that gave occasion
to the question? (5) How was Jewish opinion divided
on. it? (6) What danger to Jesus was there in his
answering Yes? What in his answering No? (7) How
did Jesus answer them (vs. 15)? (8) Of what fact in
reference to the condition of their nation were the image
and name on the coin an indication? What obligation
did this fact create? (9)* What principle does Jesus
S3t forth in vs. 17 ? (10) What did that principle mean
as applied to the Jews to whom he spoke? (11) How
did this answer defeat the purpose of the questioners ?
(12) Suggest some ways in which this principle applies
to us today.
Three Questions by Jewish Eulers 169
B. The Question about the Resurrection
18 And there come unto -him Sadducees, whicli
say that there is no resurrection; and they asked
19 him, saying, ^ Master, Moses wrote unto us. If a i Teacher
man's brother die, and leave a wife behind him,
and leave no child, that his brother should take
his wife, and raise up seed unto his brother.
20 There were seven brethren: and the first took a
21 wife, and dying left no seed; and the second took
her, and died, leaving no seed behind him; and
22 the third likewise; and the seven left no seed.
23 Last of all the woman also died. In the resurrec-
expxjAnatory notes
Vs. 18, " Sadducees, which say that there is no resur-
rection"!: The Sadducees did not believe in the conscious
existence of the soul after the death of the body, holding
that "in the death of a man there is no remedy " (Wisd. Sol.
21). Cf. Acts 23 8. Vs. 19, "Moses wrote": see Deut,
25 5, 6. Vs. 23, " in the resurrection, whose wife shall she
be of them?" The question assumes that if there is a
resurrection and a future life, the family relations of this
life are to continue in that, and the men who asked it
imagined that they had pointed out an insuperable diffi-
culty in the notion of a life after death. Vs. 24, " know
not the Scriptures, nor the power of God ": They had failed
to see what the Old Testament implied, and they had too
small an idea of the power of God. Vs. 25, " are as angels
in heaven ": This shows the power of God, which does not
simply restore men after death to a life like this, but intro-
duces them to a higher one. "As angels": not that they
170 The Gospel aoooeding to Mark
tion whose wife shall she be of them? for the
seven had her to wife. Jesus said unto them, Is 24
it not for this cause that ye err, that ye know
not the scriptures, nor the power of God ? For 25
when they shall rise from the dead, they neither
marry, nor are given in marriage; but are as
angels in heaven. But as touching the dead, 26
that they are raised ; have ye not read in the book
of Moses, in the place concerning the Bush, how
God spake unto him, saying, I am the God of
Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of
Jacob? He is not the God of the dead, but of 27
the living: ye do greatly err.
are to he angels, but like them in that they are not to live
a bodily, earthly life. Vs. 26 points to the Scripture and
its evidence of a future life. "The book of Moses": the
Pentateuch, Genesis to Deuteronomy. "The Bush": the
passage that has the story of Moses at the burning bush,
Exod., chap. 3. Vs. 27, "he is rot the God of the dead,
but of the living": This does not, of course, mean that
God is not the God of those who have died, as Abraham,
Isaac, and Jacob had died; for this is just the opposite of
what Jesus was affirming. And it can hardly mean that
because God uses " am " instead of " was " in speaking of
them after their death they therefore still " are " in exist-
ence. The thought is deeper than this, and the mean-
ing is doubtless this, that when God comes into such
fellowship with a man as to say of him "I am his God," he
cannot suffer that fellowship to cease, hence cannot suffer
that man to cease to be. Though dead to men, he must
live to God. They of whom God says " I am their God "
can never really die.
Three Questions by Jewish Rulers 171
QUESTIONS
(1) What question did the Sadducees put to Jesus
(vs. 23) ? (2)* What did they think their question proved?
(3) What error did Jesus first point out in their reason-
ing (vs. 25)? (4) What does this answer imply as to
the character of Ufe beyond the grave? (5) What was
Jesus' second answer to their question? (6) Explain
the meaning of this answer.' (7)* What important
truth about the character of God does Jesus teach in
this passage? (8)* What truth about the future life?
172 The Gospel aocokding to Make
C. The Question about the Great Commandment,
12:28-34
And one of the scribes came, and heard them 28
questioning together, and knowing that he had
answered them well, asked him. What command-
ment is the first of all? Jesus answered, The 29
first is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God, the
Lord is one: and thou shalt love the Lord thy 30
God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and
with all thy mind, and with all thy strength.
The second is this. Thou shalt love thy neighbour 31
EXPLANATORY NOTES
Vs. 28, "what commandment is first of all?" First in
importance the question means, of course. This question
was often discussed. Vs. 29, "hear, O Israel; The Lord
our God, the Lord is one ": These words Jesus quotes from
Deut. 6 *. They were commonly regarded by the Jews as
the central element of their belief, because they expressed
their doctrine that there is one God as over against
the polytheism and idolatry of the nations around them.
Every Jew was supposed to repeat these words every
day. Vs. 30, "and thou shalt love," etc.: These words
are from Deut. 6 5, with only slight variation. "With
all thy heart," etc.: i. e., completely, unreservedly. Vs. 31,
" the second is this. Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thy-
self ": a quotation from Lev. 19 18, where, however, it is not
assigned any such place of importance as Jesus gives it
here by placing it alongside the command to love God
supremely, and where also " neighbor " means fellow-
Hebrew, while Jesus, as Luke 10 27-37 shows, meant by it
fellow-man. Luke 10 27 suggests that some even of the
Thkee Questions by Jewish Ruleks 173
as thyself. There is none other commandment
32 greater than these. And the scribe said unto
him, Of a truth, ^Master, thou hast well said that i Teacher
33 he is one ; and there is none other but he ; and to
love him with all the heart and with all the
understanding, and with all the strength, and to
love his neighbour as himself, is much more than
34 all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices. And
when Jesus saw that he answered discreetly, he
said unto him. Thou art not far from the kingdom
of God. And no man after that ^ durst ask him 2 dared
any question.
scribes had learned to join these two commands together.
Vs. 34, "not far from the kingdom of God": in a state of
heart and mind near akin to that which makes one a sub-
ject and member of the kingdom.
QUESTIONS
(1)* What is the meaning of the scribe's question
in vs. 28 ? (2)* What two passages of the Old Testament
does Jesus use in his answer? (3)* What does he say
that is not said in those passages? (4) Would all the
scribes have agreed to the statement of Jesus in the
latter part of vs. 31 ? (5) Do you think of any command
which they ranked higher than loving one's neighbor?
See Mark 2i6,i7; 31-6. (6)* What is the meaning of
Jesus' words in vs. 34? (7)* Why did Jesus not say that
this scribe was in the kingdom of God? What does
one need beside a clear perception of the truth to give
him place in the kingdom of God? Cf. 10 1^, 17-22.
multitude
SECTION LII
JESUS' QUESTION CONCERNING DAVID'S SON,
12:35-37
And Jesus answered and said, as he taught in 35
the temple, How say the scribes that the Christ is
the son of David ? David himself said in the 36
Holy Spirit,
The Lord said unto my Lord,
Sit thou on my right hand,
Till I make thine enemies the footstool of thy
feet.
David himself calleth him Lord; and whence is 37
Or, the great h© ^is son ? Aud Hhe commou people heard him
gladly.
EXPLANATORY NOTES
Vs. 35, "the Christ"!: the Messiah. Notice that the
statement refers, not to Jesus as a person, but to the
Christ, the Messiah predicted by the prophets and ex-
pected by the Jews, whoever he might be. " The son of
David": This was a favorite name for the Messiah among
the Jews, and emphasized those qualities of the Messiah,
as they thought of him, in which he was Hke David, the
(earthly) king, the warrior. These were just the qualities
which Jesus did not wish associated with the idea of the
Messiah. Vs. 36, "in the Holy Spirit": under the influ-
ence of the Spirit of God. The words that follow are
from Ps. 110, which was generally believed to have been
written by David. "The Lord said": i. e., Jehovah, God,
said. "Unto my Lord": i.e., David's Lord, the Christ.
Vs. 37, "David himself calleth him Lord; and whence is he
his son?" Jesus desires to show them that, according to
174
Question concerning David's Son 175
their own understanding of this psalm, the Messiah is
something more and greater than the title " son of David '*
meant to them ; he is David's Lord, not simply his son,
another king like David. If the scribes had had a truer
idea of the Messiah, it would not have been so difficult for
them to see that Jesus was the Messiah.
QUESTIONS
(1) After answering the three questions of the Jew-
ish rulers, what question did Jesus ask in the temple?
(2)* Explain the meaning of the question. Does it
refer to Jesus personally, or to the Christ as such?
(3)* From what Old Testament passage did Jesus quote?
(4) Whom does he speak of as the author of the pas-
sage, and imder what influence does he say that he
uttered it? (5) For what purpose did he direct atten-
tion to this passage? (6) What character that the
scribes attributed to the Messiah and emphasized, did
Jesus wish to dissociate from the idea of the Messiah?
(7)* What element of the character of the Messiah did
he wish to emphasize? (8)* What made it diflScult for
the scribes to see that Jesus was the Messiah? (9)
Why did Peter and the other disciples perceive this,
when the scribes failed to do so?
SECTION LIII
WAKNING AGAINST THE SCRIBES, 12:38-40
And in his teaching he said, Beware of the 38
scribes, which desire to walk in long robes, and to
have salutations in the marketplaces, and chief 39
seats in the synagogues, and chief places at feasts :
they which devour widows' houses, and for a pre- 40
tence make long prayers ; these shall receive
greater condemnation.
EXPLANATORY NOTES
Vs. 38, "long robes": the distinctive garment of a
rabbi; the mark of a professor, as we should perhaps say.
Vs. 39, "chief seats in the synagogues ": the seats of honor,
probably located before the ark that contained the books
of scripture and facing the congregation. "Chief places
at feasts": the places of honor near the host. Cf. Luke
14 7-11. Vs. 40, "devour widows' houses": i. e., are so hard
on them in money matters, perhaps in enforcing the pay-
ment of debts, or in insisting upon the payment of tithes,
etc., as to "eat up" the little property the poor women
had, even the houses that sheltered them.
QUESTIONS
(1) What does the word "beware" (vs. 38) mean?
(2) With what various kinds of wrong conduct does
Jesus charge the scribes ? (3)* Explain the meaning of
each of the phrases in vss. 38-40, and point out what
vice of character is implied in each.
176
SECTION LIV
THE WIDOW'S TWO MITES, 12:41-44
41 And he sat down over against the treasury, and
beheld how the multitude cast money into the
treasury: and many that were rich cast in much.
42 And there came a poor widow, and she cast in
43 two mites, which make a farthing. And he called
unto him his disciples, and said unto them, Verily
I say unto you, This poor widow cast in more than
44 all they which are casting into the treasury: for
they all did cast in ^of their superfluity; but she loM^qr
' of her want did cast in all that she had, even all
her living.
EXPLANATORY NOTES
Vs. 41, "over against the treasury": in the so-called
court of the women, along the side of which were the
trumpet-shaped vessels to receive the gifts of the people.
"Cast money into the treasury": free-will offerings for the
temple, probably. Vs. 42, "two mites": about equal to
two-fifths of a cent, or about one-fortieth of a day's wages
of a laborer. Vs. 44, "of their superfluity": out of what
they had over and above their needs.
QUESTIONS
(1) Tell the story of Jesus and the poor widow in
the temple. (2) Explain the words "treasury" and
"mites." (3)* Is the statement of Jesus in vs. 43 in-
177
178 The Gospel according to Mark
tended to be arithmetically accurate? If not, what did
he mean by it? (4) What does it show as to the stand-
ard by which Jesus measures the actions of men? (5)
Does the incident justify us in thinking that Jesus
would be pleased with a trifling gift from one who had
abundance to give? (6)* What elements of Jesus'
character are seen in this section and the preceding?
* REVIEW QUESTIONS ON CHAPS. 11, 12
(1) Chaps. 11 and 12 narrate incidents which oc-
curred in and near Jerusalem on three successive days
of the last week of Jesus' life before his crucifixion; the
first of these days was doubtless Sunday. Write a list
of the events of these three days, in the order in which
Mark relates them, distinguishing the events of each
day. (2) ^jLicarn the list of the events of each day. (3)
Study the events of each day, and name each day, if
you can, by the characteristic which its events give it;
thus, Sunday: a day of ... .
A HALF-SHEKEL
[From Madden, Coins of the Jews.]
SECTION LV
THE PROPHETIC DISCOURSE CONCERNING THE
DOWNFALL OF THE TEMPLE AND CITY,
CHAP. 13
1 And as he went forth out of the temple, one of
his disciples saith unto him, ^Master, behold, what i Teacher
manner of stones and what manner of buildings !
2 And Jesus said unto him, Seest thou these great
buildings ? there shall not be left here one stone
upon another, which shall not be thrown down.
3 And as he sat on the mount of Olives over
against the temple, Peter and James and John
4 and Andrew asked him privately. Tell us, when
EXPLANATORY NOTES
The whole of this thirteenth chapter of the gospel is
occupied, after the first four verses, which are introductory,
with a discourse of Jesus concerning the destruction of
Jerusalem, and associated woes. It is one of the most
difficult to interpret of all that are contained in the gospels.
The student should get clearly before his mind what the
question of the disciples was, and then notice that Jesus
does not so much answer this question as warn them
against expecting these great events too soon and being
disturbed and misled.
It will further aid in understanding the chapter to notice
the parts into which it naturally falls: (1) Conversation
about the temple which led to the discourse, vss. 1-4. (2)
Warning against being misled, and enumeration of things
which the disciples must expect to see and endure before
179
180 The Gospel according to Mark
shall these things be? and what shall he the sign
when these things are all about to be accom-
plished ? And Jesus began to say unto them, Take 5
heed that no man lead you astray. Many shall 6
come in my name, saying, I am he; and shall lead
many astray. And when ye shall hear of wars 7
and rumours of wars, be not troubled: these
things must needs come to pass ; but the end is .
not yet. For nation shall rise against nation, and 8
kingdom against kingdom: there shall be earth-
2varioiu quakcs in Mlvers places; there shall be famines:
3woe8,distre8s these thlugs are the beginning of ^travail.
But take ye heed to yourselves: for they shall 9
deliver you up to councils; and in synagogues
shall ye be beaten; and before governors and
kings shall ye stand for my sake, for a testimony
" the end " comes, vss. 5-13. (3) Events which will indicate
that the downfall of the temple and Jewish nation is near
at hand, vss. 14-23. (4) The awful disasters which will
accompany the downfall of the temple and nation, vss. 24-
27. (5) Indications that the Christ's coming is near at
hand, and exhortations to watchfulness, vss. 28-37.
Vs. 1, "out of the temple": The word used in the
Greek means the templet including all its courts, etc., not
the sanctuary only. Vs. 2, "these great buildings": both
the temple building itself and its courts and colonnades.
"There shall not be left here one stone upon another": an
expression denoting utter destruction. The prediction
was fulfilled in the overthrow of the city by the Romans in
70 A. D. Vs. 4, "when shall these things be," etc.: a natu-
ral question, but one to which, as said above, Jesus does
Downfall of Temple and City 181
10 unto them. And the gospel must first be preached
11 unto all the nations. And when they lead you to
judgment^ and deliver you up, be not anxious be-
forehand what ye shall speak: but whatsoever
shall be given you in that hour, that speak ye: for
12 it is not ye that speak, but the Holy* Ghost. And ^spint
brother shall deliver up brother to death, and the
father his child ; and children shall rise up against
13 parents, and ^ cause them to be put to death. And tldecah* *^^'''
ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake:
but he that endureth to the end, the same shall be
saved.
14 But when ye see the abomination of desolation
standing where he ought not (let him that readeth
understand), then let them that are in Judaea flee
15 unto the mountains: and let him that is on the
not reply directly, his answer being chiefly a warning
against expecting immediately the events which he pre-
dicted, and being deceived by false leaders and events that
are not signs of the end.
Vss. 5-13, Warning against being misled. Vs. 6, "in my
name, saying I am he" : claiming the name of the Christ, and
professing to be the Christ. Vss. 7 and 8 speak of general
disturbances in the world at large; vss. 9-13, of sufferings
and persecutions which the disciples themselves must
suffer; but neither of these, Jesus says, show that the end
has come. Vs. 9, "councils": Jewish courts (as in Acts
4 5,6,15). "Governors and kings": gentile rulers, such as
the governor of Roman provinces (Acts 18 12), or Herod,
king of Judea (Acts 121). Vs. 13, "he that endureth to
the end shall be saved": patient endurance to the end
proves the genuineness of one's faith.
182 The Gospel according to Maek
housetop not go down, nor enter in, to take any-
thing out of his house: and let him that is in the 16
field not return back to take his cloke. But woe 17
unto them that are with child and to them that
give suck in those days ! And pray ye that it be 18
not in the winter. For those days shall be tribu- 19
lation, such as there hath not been the like from
the beginning of the creation which God created
until now, and never shall be. And except the 20
Lord had shortened the days, no flesh would have
been saved: but for the elect's sake, whom he
chose, he shortened the days. And then if any 21
man shall say unto you, Lo, here is the Christ ; or,
OT.him Lo, there; believe %Y not: for there shall arise 22
false Christs and false prophets, and shall shew
signs and wonders, that they may lead astray, if
Vss. 14-23, Events which will indicate that the downfall
of the temple and of the Jewish nation is near at hand.
Vs. 14, "the abomination of desolation": The phrase is
taken from Dan. 11 31; 12 ii; 1 Mace. 1 54, in all of which
places it doubtless refers to the heathen sacrifices offered
on the altar of the Jewish temple in the time of Antiochus
Epiphanes. As employed by Jesus it refers to any like
desecration of the temple or perhaps of the city. Luke has
at this point " Jerusalem encompassed with armies." The
parenthesis " let him that readeth understand " is a note
of the evangelist calling the reader's attention to this
warning; probably when the gospel was written these
things were already near. The substance of the warning
is that, while wars and disasters in general are not to be
taken as signs of the end, yet when Jerusalem itself is
Downfall of Temple and City 183
23 possible, the elect. But take ye heed: behold, I
have told you all things beforehand.
2d But in those days, after that tribulation, the
sun shall be darkened, and the moon shall not give
25 her light, and the stars shall be falling from
heaven, and the powers that are in the heavens
26 shall be shaken. And then shall they see the Son
of man coming in clouds with great power and
27 glory. And then shall he send forth the angels,
and gather together his elect from the four winds,
from the uttermost part of the earth to the utter-
most part of heaven.
28 Now from the fig tree learn her parable : when
her branch is now become tender, and putteth
forth its leaves, ye know that the summer is nigh ;
29 even so ye also, when ye see these things coming
actually invaded (or besieged), then they may know that
the downfall of the city is near, and that they must flee.
Vss. 15, 16 mean simply: " Go without delay." Vs. 19: The
sufferings of the Jewish nation in the siege of A. D. 70 were
terrible beyond behef. Vs. 20, "except the Lord had
shortened the days": unless God had limited the period
of disaster, no one would escape. Vss. 21-23: Not even
then they are to expect the Christ to return. Anyone
who announces his return is a false prophet announcing a
false Christ.
Vss. 24-27 speak of the awful disasters to the nation
which will follow the overthrow of the city, and of the
coming of Christ in power. The language is highly figura-
tive, closely resembling that which the prophets often used
to describe similar events. On vss. 24, 25 see Isa. 13 lO;
184 The Gospel according to Mark
to pass, know ye that ^he is nigh, even at the
doors. Verily I say unto you, This generation 30
shall not pass away, until all these things be ac-
complished. Heaven and earth shall pass away: 31
but my words shall not pass away. But of that 32
day or that hour knoweth no one, not even the
angels in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father.
Take ye heed, watch and pray: for ye know not 33
when the time is. It is as when a man, sojourn- 34
ing in another country, having left his house, and
given authority to his servants, to each one his
work, commanded also the porter to watch. Watch 35
therefore: for ye know not when the lord of the
house cometh, whether at even, or at midnight, or
at cockcrowing, or in the morning; lest coming 35
suddenly he find you sleeping. And what I say 3r^
unto you I say unto all, Watch.
34 4; Ezek. 32 7, 8; Am. 8 9. On vs. 26 see especially Dan.
7 13. Jesus probably thought (vss. 26, 27), of his coming in
the establishment of his kingdom, rather than of a visible
appearance.
Vss. 28-37 speak of the indications of the coming
of Christ. Vss. 28, 29 tell the disciples that when they see
the momentous events of which he has spoken (as in
vss. 25, 26), then they may know that Christ is drawing
near. Vs. 30 says, and vs. 31 solemnly confirms it, that all
these things will happen within the space of a generation,
i. e., within the lifetime of men then living. Vs. 32 affirms,
however, that the exact time no one knows, not even Jesus
himself, but only God. Vss. 33-37 bid them therefore
be on their guard, watching and praying, always ready, yet
not idly waiting, but each at his own work.
Downfall op Temple and City 185
As a whole, therefore, the discourse gives no definite
answer to the question of the disciples, except that all
these things would happen within the lifetime of men then
living, and that the sign of their approach would be the
desecration of the temple, as, for example, by gentile
armies. It speaks of things that will precede the downfall
of Judaism and the establishment of Christianity in power
on the earth, and its general aim is to warn the disciples
against expecting these events too soon or looking for a
personal return of Jesus in connection with them.
QUESTIONS
(1) What prediction did Jesus make concerning the
temple when his disciples called attention to it ? (2) To
what did he refer — the sanctuary proper, or the temple
with its courts and colonnades? (3)* When and how
was this prediction fulfilled? (4)* Where was the
conversation related in this chapter, beginning with
vs. 3, held? Describe the situation, telling, on which
side of the city the temple was; in what direction the
Mount of Olives lay; what valley lay between the temple
and the mount. (5) What question did the disciples ask
(vss. 3, 4)? To what does "these things" in their
question refer? (6)* Against what does Jesus put his
disciples on their guard in vss. 5, 6? (7) What does he
say in vss. 7, 8 will happen in the world at large before
the end {i.e., of the nation, see vs. 2) comes? (8)*
What great trials does he tell the disciples in vss. 9-13
they themselves must endure? Give some examples of
the fulfilment of this prediction. (9) Does Jesus expect
that the persecution of his followers will prevent the
spread of the gospel through the world ? See vs. 9.
(10) Does vs. 11 mean that no one should ever prepare
to speak for Jesus, or that the disciples are not to be
186 The Gospel according to Mark
anxious when summoned before courts? (11) What
does Jesus in vs. 13 teach them to do in reference to
these trials and what promise does he give them ? (12)
We are living in a very different age of the world from
that in which the disciples were living. Is it possible
for us to apply directly to ourselves all the things that
Jesus said to the disciples ? (13) To what do we owe the
fact that we live under so much more favorable condi-
tions than the early disciples? (14) Do the words of
Jesus in these verses suggest any general principles
which we may still apply to ourselves? (15)* What does
Jesus tell his disciples to regard as a sign that the time
had come for them to flee from Jerusalem ? What does
the expression. " abomination of desolation " probably
mean? What do vss. 15, 16 imply as to the need of
haste? (16) What does Jesus say of the afflictions
which at this time will come upon the Jewish nation
(vss. 17-20)? (17)* By whom in particular does Jesus
warn the disciples, in vss. 21-23, not to be misled at this
time? (18) What still greater portents does Jesus say
will follow "in those days" (vss. 24-27)? Upon whom
were the disasters, thus figuratively described, to fall?
(19) W^hen all these things happen, what does Jesus
then say the disciples may infer to be near (vs. 39; c/.
vs. 26, and notes)? (20) Within what time does Jesus
say all these things are to happen (vs. 30)? (21) Who
alone knew the exact time? (22) What great practical
lesson did Jesus teach his disciples in view of the
coming disasters and the uncertainty of their time (vss.
33-37)? (23) Does watching mean sitting idly looking
out of the window, or keeping faithfully at our work?
See vs. 34. (24) What is the spirit in which we should
look toward, and go forward into, the unknown future?
SECTION LVI
THE PLOT OP THE JEWS, 14 : 1, 2
Now after two days was ihe feast of the pass-
over and the unleavened bread: and the chief
priests and the scribes sought how they might
take him with subtilty, and kill him: for they
said, Not during the feast, lest haply there shall
be a tumult of the people.
EXPLANATORY NOTES
Vs. 1, "after two days was the passoverl and the
unleavened bread": Mark gives the names of the two
feasts that occurred together in the same week. Since
it appears from 15 '12 that Jesus was crucified on Friday,
and from 15 1 that this was the day after the night in
which the passover was eaten, the day referred to in this
expression must have been Tuesday. "With subtilty":
Not openly, but secretly and treacherously. Vs. 2, "for
they said. Not during the feast" : The plans of the Sanhedrin
were apparently changed by the offer of Judas. With his
aid, they were able to do what they had thought to be
impossible, viz., to arrest Jesus during the feast without
causing a great disturbance among the people.
QUESTIONS
(1)* Where and how was the feast of the passover
and of unleavened bread celebrated ? By each family,
at home, or in Jerusalem ? How long did it last ? (2)
In what way did the leaders of the people wish to put
Jesus to death ? (3) Why did they wish to do it in this
way? (4) How and why did they afterward change
their plan ?
187
SECTION LVII
THE ANOINTING IN THE HOUSE OF SIMON THE
LEPER, 14 : 3-9
And while he was in Bethany in the house of s
Simon the leper, as he sat at meat, there came a
iot, aflask woman having ^an alabaster cruse of ointment of
spikenard very costly; and she brake the cruse,
and poured it over his head. But there were some 4
that had indignation among themselves, saying,
To what purpose hath this waste of the ointment
been made? For this ointment might have been 5
EXPLANATORY NOTES
Vs. 3, "in Bethany t in the house of Simon the leper":
Of this man we know only what is told here. John 12 2
suggests that he was perhaps a relative of Mary and
Martha. "A woman": see John 12 3. "Alabaster": a soft
limestone, resembling onyx and easily cut into various
shapes. "Spikenard"!: a fragrant oil. Vs. 6, "pence" :
dsnarii: see note on 6 :37. Vs. 8, " anointed my body afore-
hand for the burying": c/. John 1939.
QUESTIONS
(1) Read vss. 3-9 carefully, considering the meaning
of each word and phrase, and tell the story. The les-
son taught by this incident is a very important one, but
not always clearly understood. Consider carefully the
following questions: (2)* What was it in the woman's
action which Jesus approved? (3) What was it in the
attitude of the disciples that he disapproved? (4)* Did
he disapprove of giving to the poor, or of their fault-
188
Anointing in the House of Simon 189
sold for above three hundred pence,^ and given to 2 denarH:
6 the poor. And they murmured against her. But
Jesus said, Let her alone; why trouble ye her?
7 she hath wrought a good work on me. For ye
have the poor always with you, and whensoever ye
will ye can do them good: but me ye have not
8 always. She hath done what she could : she hath
9 anointed my body aforehand for the burying. And
verily I say unto you, Wheresoever the gospel
shall be preached throughout the whole world,
that also which this woman hath done shall be
spoken of for a memorial of hsr.
finding and failure to appreciate what was good and
beautiful in the woman's act? (5)* Rememering Matt.
25 *o, do you judge that Jesus would have acted just as
he did in this case, if the woman had given generously
to the poor, and the disciples had found fault with her
for extravagance? Give a reason for your answer. (6)
Does Jesus say that the woman had necessarily made
the wisest use of the 300 denarii — as good as $300 today
— or does he commend her spirit, in contrast with the
censoriousness of the disciples? (7) Do you judge that
he disapproved of discretion and would always have us
act from impulse? (8) If one must choose, which is
better, to follow noble impulses at the sacrifice of dis-
cretion, or to be discreet at the sacrifice of noble
impulses ? (9) Is there such a thing as a noble reck-
lessness ?
SECTION LVIII
THE BAKGAIN WITH JUDAS, 14 :10, 11
And Judas Iscariot, he that was one of the 10
twelve, went away unto the chief priests, that he
might deliver him unto them. And they, when 1]
they heard it, were glad, and promised to give him
money. And he sought how he might conven-
iently deliver him unto them.
EXPLANATORY NOTES
Vs. 10, "Judas Iscariot": or Judas, the inhabitant of
Kerioth (in Judea). He was probably the only one of the
twelve apostles who was not an inhabitant of Galilee.
"Went away unto the chief priests that he might deliver
him unto them": John tells of Judas being covetous and
dishonest (124-6). It is likely that besides this he was dis-
appointed when he found that Jesus was not going to
establish a political kingdom, such as he supposed the
Messiah would establish, giving him, as one of his followers,
a place of honor in it. Matthew says that Judas received
for his work thirty shekels, the ordinary price of a slave,
which was equal to about $20, but would buy in Pales-
tine much more than $.0 can buy in our country.
QUESTIONS
(1) From what part of Palestine did Judas come?
(2)* How do you explain the fact that Judas, one of
the disciples of Jesus, was willing to betray him? (3)
What serious warning is there in this fact ? (4) Why
did Judas make this bargain with the chief piHests'i
(5)* How long had the priests been opposed to Jesus ?
190
SECTION LIX
THE LAST PASSOVER OF JESUS AND HIS
DISCIPLES, 14: 12-26
12 And on the first day of unleavened bread, when
they sacrificed the passover, his disciples say unto
him, Where wilt thou that we go and make ready
13 that thou may est eat the passover ? And he send-
eth two of his disciples, and saith unto them. Go
into the city, and there shall meet you a man
14 bearing a pitcher of water: follow him; and
wheresoever he shall enter in, say to the goodman
of the house. The ^Master saith, Where is my
guest-chamber, where I shall eat the passover
EXPLANATORY NOTES
Vs. 12, "on the first day of unleavened bread, when
they sacrificed," etc.: See notes on vs. 1 and cf. Exod. 12 6;
Lev. 23 5; Numb. 9 3. "Where wilt thou that we go and make
ready," etc.: A brotherhood like that of the disciples would
naturally, as a family, eat the passover lamb together. Vs.
14, "the goodman of the house": or, as we should say, the
man of the house. "Where is my guest-chamber?" The
use of the term "mi/ guest-chamber" clearly indicates that
he had had some previous understanding with the owner
of the house. Probably the bearing of a pitcher of water,
ordinarily the work of a woman, had been agreed upon as
the sign of recognition. It has been thought by some that
this unknown host was the father of John Mark, the evan-
gelist (c/. Acts 1212). Vs. 15, "a large upper room": see
article " House " in dictionary. Vs. 16, " made ready the
passover " : the lamb, which had to be selected the tenth of
191
192 The Gospel according to Mark
with my disciples ? And he will himself shew you 15
a large upper room furnished and ready : and there
make ready for us. And the disciples went forth, 16
and came into the city, and found as he had said
unto them: and they made ready the passover.
And when it was evening he cometh with the 17
twelve. And as they sat and were eating, Jesus 18
said. Verily I say unto you, One of you shall
betray me, even he that eateth with me. They 19
began to be sorrowful, and to say unto him one
by one, Is it I? And he said unto them, It is one 20
of the twelve, he that dippeth with me in the dish.
For the Son of man goeth, even as it is written of 21
him: but woe unto that man through whom the
Nisan, was on the afternoon of the fourteenth taken to the
temple and slain by a priest. On the more ancient custom
see Exod. 126. Vs. 20, "he that dippeth with me in the
dish": The passover lamb was eaten with unleavened
bread, and a sauce made of figs, dates, almonds, spice, and
vinegar. It is the dish that contained this sauce to which
Jesus refers. Vs. 22, "he took bread": The unleavened
bread of the passover was doubtless in thin cakes. See
illustration p. 105. It is one of these that Jesus took and
broke. "This is my body ": i. e., it represents my body, as
today we say looking at a picture, " This is my father." Vs.
24, "this is my blood of the covenant": The word "cove-
nant " is probably intended to remind the disciples of the
covenant of Exod. 243-8. The blood sprinkled on the altar
and on the people symbolized the covenant of peace
between God and the people, they agreeing to obey him
and he accepting them. So Jesus shed his blood — gave-
his life — that through the shedding of it men might be
The Last Passover 193
Son of man is betrayed! good were it for that man
if he had not been born.
22 And as they were eating, he took bread, and
when he had blessed, he brake it, and gave to
23 them, and said. Take ye : this is my body. And
he took a cup, and when he had given thanks, he
24 gave to them: and they all drank of it. And he
said unto them. This is my blood of the covenant,
25 which is shed for many. Verily I say unto you,
I will no more drink of the fruit of the vine, until
that day when I drink it new in the kingdom of
God.
26 And when they had sung a hymn, they went
out unto the mount of Olives.
brought into fellowship and peace with God. Vs. 25, " I
shall no more drink," etc.: His death is near at hand, and
this is his last passover with his disciples. " Drink it new
in the kingdom of God ": have fellowship with the disciples
in a new way, but with the same significance which this
meal had. Jesus looked upon his death as a means of
bringing men into fellowship with God, and he expected
death, not to sever his relations with his disciples, but only
to change the form of their intercourse. Vs. 2G, ' a hymn ":
The passover feast closed with the chanting of Pss, 115-18.
QUESTIONS
(1)* How many days did the feast of the passover
and of unleavened bread continue? See Deut. 161-'^,
On what day of the month was the lamb sacrificed? See
Exod. 126. (2)* Where and by whom was the pass-
over, i. e., the passover lamb, sacrificed? Was this the
194 The Gospel according to Mark
original custom? See Exod.12 6. (3)* Was the pass-
over eaten on the same day on which it was sacrificed or
later? See Exod. 12 8. Remember that according to
Jewish reckoning the day ended at sunset. (4)* Who
and how many were accustomed to unite in eating the
passover together? See Exod. 12 3, 4. Who constituted
the "household" in this instance? (5) Where had
Jesus planned that his "household" should eat the
passover? (6) How did he identify for the disciples
the man in whose house they were to eat the passover?
(7)* What sad prediction did Jesus make to his dis-
ciples, as they were eating? (8) What does vs. 21
mean? (9)* What further most significant thing did
Jesus do as they were eating? Tell the story, vss. 22-25.
(10) What did Jesus mean by the words, "This is my
body " ? Think carefully of all the circumstances, and
try to determine for yourself what you would have
understood these words to mean if you had been of the
company around the table. (11) What did Jesus mean
by the words of vs. 24? (12) What does vs. 25 imply
as to a coming separation between Jesus and his dis-
ciples? W^hat does it imply as to a future reunion?
Does the " drinking it new " refer, in Jesus' mind, to an
actual drinking of wine or to the new spiritual fellow-
ship in the kingdom which after his death he would
establish? (13) In view of vss. 23-25, of what great
truths ought the "Lord's Supper" to remind us? (14)
With what did this meeting in the upper room close?
SECTION LX
PREDICTION OF PETER'S DENIAL, 14:27-31
27 And Jesus saith unto them, All ye shall be
offended: for it is written, I will smite the shep- ^Swl'"
herd, and the sheep shall be scattered abroad.
28 Howbeit, after I am raised up, I will go before you
29 into Galilee. But Peter said unto him, Although
30 all shall be ^offended, yet will not I. And Jesus
saith unto him, Verily I say unto thee, that thou
to-day, even this night, before the cock crow twice,
31 shalt deny me thrice. But he spake exceeding
vehemently. If I must die with thee, I will not
deny thee. And in like manner also said they all.
EXPLANATORY NOTES
Vs. 27, "offended": see note on "stumble " in dictionary.
Vs. 28, "after I am raised up": see 831; 16 6. "I will go
before you into Galilee": see 166,7. Vs. 30, "before the
cock crow twice": As the cocks usually crow about mid-
night and again at early dawn, this is equivalent to saying,
" tonight, before day breaks again."
QUESTIONS
(1) What does the word " offended " in vs. 27 mean ?
(2)* To what event do the words "raised up" in vs. 28
refer? (3) What does the expression "before the cock
crow twice" in vs. 30 mean? What expression should
we use instead of it today? (4) What kind of feeling
do the words of Peter in vss. 29, 31 express? Was it
right or wrong?
195
SECTION LXI
THE AGONY IN GETHSEMANE, 14 : 32-42
And they come unto a place which was named 32
Gethsemane: and he saith unto his disciples, Sit
ye here, while I pray. And he taketh with him 33
Peter and James and John, and began to be
greatly amazed, and sore troubled. And he saith 34
unto them. My soul is exceeding sorrowful even
'f..,^
--!i
'piiife
THE GARDEN OF GETHSEMANE
196
The Agony in Gethsemane 197
35 unto death: abide ye here, and watch. And he
went forward a little, and fell on the ground, and
prayed that, if it were possible, the hour might
36 pass away from him. And he said, Abba, Father,
all things are possible unto thee ; remove this cup
from me: howbeit not what I will, but what thou
37 wilt. And he cometh, and findeth them sleeping,
and saith unto Peter, Simon, sleepest thou?
38 couldest thou not watch one hour? Watch and
pray, that ye enter not into temptation : th^ spirit
EXPLANATORY NOTES
The agony in Gethsemane is one of those events in the
life of Jesus that call for meditation rather than explana-
tion. What is true of his whole life is here peculiarly true,
that all our study of details is of little value unless it
bring us into an intelligent sympathy with him and appre-
ciation of his motives and of himself. Vs. 32, " a place which
was named Gethsemane": an estate known as Gethsem-
ane, or " the oil press." Its precise location is unknown.
The traditional site is in a grove of very ancient olive trees
on the western slope of the Mount of Olives, just above the
valley of the 'Kedron. See the map on p. 151. " While I
pray": As at other times, but now especially, Jesus feels
the need of communion with his Father in heaven. Vs.
33, "amazed": rather, terrified, appalled. Though Jesus
had for months foreseen that he must die a violent death,
and had gone resolutely forward to meet it, yet now, as he
comes face to face with that death, rejected by his nation,
and betrayed by one of his own disciples, it becomes inex-
pressibly painful and dreadful. Vs. 34, "my soul is
exceeding sorrowful even unto death": my grief is so
great that it threatens to kill me. There is no need to
198 The Gospel according to Mark
indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak. And
again he went away, and prayed, saying the same
words. And again he came, and found them
sleeping, for their eyes were very heavy ; and they
^wist not what to answer him. And he cometh
the third time, and saith unto them. Sleep on
now, and take your rest : it is enough ; the hour is
come; behold, the Son of man is betrayed into
the hands of sinners. Arise, let us be going:
behold, he that betrayeth me is at hand.
think that there was any hyperbole or exaggeration in
this language. Vs. 35, "the hour"; Vs. 36, "this cup":
Both expressions, the hour and the cup, refer to his ap-
proaching death with all that was connected with it; not
especially, we must believe, the pain of dying, even the
death on the cross, but the grief of having his own people
and nation reject him, whom God had sent to them to be
their Savior from sin. "Not what I will": Jesus in his
agony could yet trust God as Father (notice also the words
at the beginning of the verse, "Abbat, Father"), and believe
his will to be loving. Here is the true model prayer. Vs. 37:
Compare the boast of Peter only a few hours before. Vs.
39, "prayed, saying the same words": not in mere idle
repetition, as we sometimes do, but having one all-absorbing
desire, which could but express itself again and again in
the same words. Vs. 41, "sleep on now," etc.: rather an
expression of surprise than a command: "You are, then,
sleeping and resting! " While Jesus had been struggling
in agony, they had not even given him the help and
sympathy of keeping awake.
The Agony in Gethsemane 199
QUESTIONS
(1) What was Gethsemane, and where was it? (2)
Read vss. 33-42 carefully, and tell the story of Gethsem-
ane. (3)* On what previous occasions had Jesus
taken Peter, James, and John only with him? (4) Why
did he select these three? (5)* What was it that
caused Jesus to be amazed (appalled) and sore troubled
(vs. 33)? (6) What does the expression "exceeding
sorrowful even unto death" (vs. 34) mean, and what
made Jesus thus sorrowful? (7) What was the "hour "
(vs. 35) and the "cup" (vs. 36) that Jesus so desired to
escape? (8) Had Jesus foreseen his death for some
time? See 831; 9 31; 1032-34. (9) Had the thought of
rejection and death been terrible to him from the first ?
See 8 32, 33; 10 32-34^ and the questions on 8 32. (10) Was
it a weakness in him that he dreaded thus to die?
(11)* Was it merely dying that he dreaded? If not,
what was it? (12)* What does the word "Abba"
mean, and what spirit does Jesus show in the words of
vs. 36? (13)* What does the fact that Jesus prayed
the same prayer three times over show? (14) Was
Jesus' prayer answered in the removal of the "cup"?
If not, how was it answered? (15) What element of
Jesus' prayer ought to be in every prayer of ours?
(16) What is the best answer, either in words or
in thought, to our prayer, that God can give us — to do
the precise thing we ask, or to do what is according to
his will, and to prepare us for that? (17) What strong
reasons were there why the disciples should have kept
awake, "watching and praying"? (18) What spirit
does Jesus show toward the disciples in his words in
vs. 38 and vs. 41 ? (19) Think over and read this whole
narrative, and consider what it shows about the
character of Jesus.
1 sticks or
clubs
SECTION LXII
THE BETRAYAL AND ARREST, 14 : 43-52
And straightway, while he yet spake, cometh
Judas, one of the twelve, and with him a multi-
tude with swords and ^staves, from the chief
priests and the scribes and the elders. Now he
that betrayed him had given them a token, say-
ing. Whomsoever I shall kissj that is he; take
him, and lead him away safely. And when he
was come, straightw^ay he came to him, and saith.
Rabbi; and kissed him. And they laid hands
EXPLANATORY NOTES
Vs. 43, "the chief priests and the scribes and the
elders": i. e., probably, the Sanhedrin. Vs. 45, " and saith
Rabbi; and kissed him": professing reverence (Rabbi was
a title of high honor) and affection, he in the same instant
betrayed him to his enemies. Vs. 47, "a certain one of
them": cf. John 1810. Vs. 49, "that the scriptures might
be fulfilled": that he might accomplish that work of suffer-
ing for others, the righteous for the wicked, which the
scriptures set forth as the mission of the Servant of the
Lord. These words show how thoroughly Jesus recognized
such suffering as a part of his mission. Cf. Luke 24 25-27, 44, 45.
Vs. 51. This young man is generally supposed to have
been the evangelist Mark.
QUESTIONS
(1) Read carefully the story of the arrest of Jesus
(vss. 47-50). (2) Who were with Judas? (3) By what
200
The Betrayal and Arrest 201
47 on him, and took him. But a certain one of them
that stood by drew his sword, and smote the ser-
vant of the high priest, and struck off his ear.
48 And Jesus answered and said unto them, Are ye
come out, as against a robber, with swords and
49 ^staves to seize me? I was daily with you in the
temple teaching, and ye took me not: but this is
50 done that the scriptures might be fulfilled. And
they all left him, and fled.
51 And a certain young man followed with him,
liaving a linen cloth cast about him, over liis
52 naked body : and they laid hold on him ; but he
left the linen cloth, and fled naked.
token did Judas point out Jesus to the officers f (4)*
What made his act peculiarly despicable? (5)* In what
words did Jesus protest against his arrest ? (6)* Why
did he submit to arrest? (7) What do his words in vs.
49 mean, and what do they show as to Jesus' thought
about his work?
(8) Who has the young man mentioned in vss. 51,
52 been supposed to be?
SECTION LXIII
THE TRIAL BEFORE THE JEWISH AUTHORITIES,
14 : 53-65
And they led Jesus away to the high priest: 53
and there come together with him all the chief
priests and the elders and the scribes. And Peter 54
had followed him afar off, even within, into the
court of the high priest; and he was sitting with
the officers, and warming himself in the light of
the fire. Now the chief priests and the whole 55
council sought witness against Jesus to put him to
EXPLANATORY NOTES
Vs. 53, "the high priest": named Caiaphas, as Matt.
2657 shows. "All the chief priests," etc.: i.e., the entire
Sanhedrin. Vs. 55, " sought witness ": In Jewish courts it
was necessary that at least two witnesses should agree in
the testimony they gave in order to frame an indictment;
if their testimony did not agree the prisoner was set
free. "And found it not ": i. e., the testimony of the wit-
nessess did not agree; see vs. 56. Vs. 58, " we heard him say,
I will destroy this temple": There is no record of Jesus
having used this language. John 2 19 reports him as having
said, " Destroy this temple {%. e., if you destroy it) and in
three days I will raise it up." If it was to these words
that the testimony referred, it was false in the very im-
portant point of changing a statement that if they de-
stroyed the temple he would raise it up {i. e., restore the
true worship of God) into a threat that he himself would
destroy it. Vs. 59, "not even so did their witness agree":
According to its own rules, the Sanhedrin ought now to
have released Jesus. There was no basis even for a legal
202
Tkial before Jewish Authorities 203
56 death; and found it not. For many bare false
witness against him, and their witness agreed not
57 together. And there stood up certain, and bare
58 false witness against him, saying. We heard him
say, I will destroy this temple that is made with
hands, and in three days I will build another
59 made without hands. And not even so did
60 their witness agree together. And the high priest
stood up in the midst, and asked Jesus, saying,
Answerest thou nothing? what is it which these
61 witness against thee? But he held his peace, and
answered nothing. Again the high priest asked
accusation, no two witnesses having exactly agreed. In-
stead, however, the high priest (vs. 60) attempts to compel
the prisoner to testify against himself — a thing as contrary
to Jewish as to English and American law. Vs. 61, " held
his peace ": kept silence, as legally he had the right to do,
no legal charge having been framed against him. "Art
thou the Christ": To this question Jesus could no longer
refuse to reply, not because he was compelled by law to
answer, but because he could not lose this opportunity to
bear witness to his own mission. Up to the time of the
triumphal entry Jesus had avoided making his messiahship
prominent, doubtless because it was certain to be mis-
understood. But now, before he dies, he must leave no
doubt in their minds that he had come to be the Messiah
of God, the Savior of his people. Vs. 62, "ye shall see the
Son of man," etc.: a prediction that they who were now his
judges would yet see him triumphant in the establishment
of his kingdom; c/. 13 26 and notes, and X)an. 713. Vs. 63,
"rent his clothes": an expression of grief or horror; see
2 Kings 18 37; 19 1. Vs. 64, " the blasphemy ": For one not
204 The Gospel according to Mark
him, and saith tinto him, Art thou the Christ, the
Son of the Blessed? And Jesus said, I am: and
ye shall see the Son of man sitting at the right
hand of power, and coming with the clouds of
heaven. And the high priest rent his clothes,
and saith. What further need have we of witnesses ?
Ye have heard the blasphemy: what think ye?
And they all condemned him to be worthy of
death. And some began to spit on him, and to
cover his face, and to ^buffet him, and to say unto
him, Prophesy : and the officers received him with
blows of their hands.
really the Messiah to claim to be such was blasphemy in
the sense of falsely claiming to be the representative of
God. But that Jesus' claim to be the Messiah, the son of
God, was false, was precisely that which had not been
proved, and which had to be proved to establish a charge
of blasphemy. This essential question the Sanhedrin does
not even pretend to investigate. Vs. 65, "spit on him,"
etc.: This abuse implied that he had already been con-
demned, whereas, in fact, he had had no legal trial at all.
Aside from the fact that the charge on which they con-
demned him lacked the essential element of proof, the
trial was illegal, since Jewish law forbade (1) the trial of
criminals at night, (2) the passing of judgment of death
without allowing at least one night to elapse after the
trial, (3) the trial of criminal cases on the day before a
sabbath or a feast.
QUESTIONS
(1) To whom was Jesus led by those who arrested
him? What was his name? (2) Who were assembled
Trial before Jewish Authorities 205
to examine Jesus? What is the name of the body
which they constituted? (3) What success did the
council (Sanhedrin) have in finding witnesses to testify
against Jesus (vss. 55, 56)? (4) What basis of truth
was there for the testimony in vss. -57, 58? Wherein
was the testimony false? (5) What question did the
high priest put to Jesus (vs. 60)? (6) Why did Jesus
not answer it? (7) What further question did the high
priest put (vs. 61)? Consider carefully what the ques-
tion meant. (8) What was Jesus' answer to this ques-
tion? What does the answer mean? (9) Why did
Jesus answer this question instead of remaining silent,
as he had previously done? (10) To what passage of
the Old Testament is there reference in the expression
"coming with the clouds of heaven"? (11) Of what
crime did the high priest then declare Jesus guilty?
(12) If Jesus' claim to be the Christ, the Son of God,
was true, was it blasphemy for him to make the claim ?
(13) If not making the claim, but making it falsely,
made the act blasphemous, what ought the high priest
to have done and decided before condemning Jesus?
(14) What sentence did the Sanhedrin pronounce, and
how did they treat Jesus after pronouncing sentence?
(15)* Name five particulars in which the trial and sen-
tence of Jesus were illegal. (16) Think carefully over the
whole story of Jesus' betrayal, arrest, and trial, and in
dicate what were the various influences that brought
about Jesus' death, and with what spirit he went to his
death.
SECTION LXIV
THE DENIALS OF PETER, 14 : 66-72
And as Peter was beneath in the court, there 66
Cometh one of the maids of the high priest; and 67
seeing Peter warming himself, she looked upon
him, and saith, Thou also wast with the Nazarene,
even Jesus. But he denied, saying, I neither 68
know, nor understand what thou sayest: and he
went out into the porch; and the cock crew. And 69
the maid saw him, and began again to say to
them that stood by, This is one of them. But 70
he again denied it. And after a little while
again they that stood by said to Peter, Of a truth
thou art one of them; for thou art a Galilgean.
But he began to curse, and to swear, I know not 71
this man of whom ye speak. And straightway 72
the second time the cock crew. And Peter called
to mind the word, how that Jesus said unto him,
Before the cock crow twice, thou shalt deny me
thrice. And when he thought thereon, he wept.
EXPLANATORY NOTES
Vs. 66, "beneath in the court": The house| was doubt-
less a large one of two stories built about a court, itself
open to the sky, or perhaps having two or more such
courts with rooms about each. Vs. 67, "seeing Peter
warming himself": c/. vs. 54. The fire was doubtless of
charcoal in a brazier of some sort. See John 18 1«. Vs. 68,
206
The Denials of Peter 207
" went out into the porch ": not what we mean by a porch
or veranda, but the outer one of the two or more courts
of the house, or the corridor which led from the street to
the court. Vs. 70, " for thou art a Galilean ": The Gali-
leans had some slight peculiarities of speech which Judeans
would notice. See Matt. 26 73, " for thy speech betrayeth
thee." Vs. 72, "the second time the cock crew": i.e., it.
was second cock-crowing, about 3 a. m.
QUESTIONS
(1) Having read vss. 66-72 carefully, tell the story
of Peter's denials. (2)* Recall the account of Peter's
confident assertion that he would not deny Jesus
(1427-31)^ and consider what led him to do so. (3) How
might he have escaped so sad a blunder and sin? (4)*
Does this incident show Peter to have been wholly
unworthy of Jesus' confidence in him ? (5) Under what
circumstances are we today in danger of repeating
Peter's sin, and how can we guard against this danger?
SECTION LXV
THE TRIAL BEFORE PILATE, 15 : 1-20
And straightway in the morning the chief 1
priests with the elders and scrilDes, and the whole
council, held a consultation, and bound Jesus,
and carried him away, and delivered him up to
Pilate. And Pilate asked - him, Art thou the 2
King of the Jews ? And he answering saith unto
him. Thou sayest. And the chief priests accused 3
him of many things. And Pilate again asked 4
EXPLANATORY NOTES
Vs. 1, " the chief priests with the elders and scribes,
and the whole council": i.e., the Sanhedrin. As this
body included both Sadducean priests and Pharisaic
scribes, both parties were united in the act. " Delivered
him up to Pilate": The Sanhedrin could try a prisoner
and condemn him, but could not put him to death. The
power of life and death was in the hands of the Roman
procurator, who was the governor of Judea — at this time
Pontius Pilate — who could carry out the decision of the
Sanhedrin or try the prisoner himself. In this case Pilate
decided to do the latter, or rather to make some inquiries
before deciding to do the former. Vs. 2, " and Pilate asked
him, Art thou the King of the Jews?": The Sanhedrin
had condemned Jesus for blasphemy in calling himself the
Christ. But blasphemy was not a charge that would hold
in a Roman court. So they converted it into an accusation
of treason against Rome in making himself the king of the
Jews. Thus they accused him of being just what he had
208
The Trial before Pilate 209
him, saying, Answerest thou nothing? behold
5 how many things they accuse thee of. But Jesus
no more answered anything ; insomuch that Pilate
marvelled.
6 Now at the feast he used to release unto them
7 one prisoner, whom they asked of him. And
there was one called Barabbas, lying bound with
them that had made insurrection, men who in
8 the insurrection had committed murder. And
the multitude went up and began to ask him to do
9 as he was wont to do unto them. And Pilate
answered them, sayings Will ye that I release
always refused to be and carefully avoided seeming to be,
viz., the Christ such as popular expectation looked for, a
king who would throw off the Roman yoke. See the fuller
account in John 18 29-32 and Luke 23 2, 3. " Thou sayest ":
in effect a refusal to answer. To say Yes to Pilate's ques-
tion would be to confess himself guilty of treason, which of
course he was not. To say No might be understood as
saying that he was not the Christ, which he was. So he
leaves it for Pilate to prove whether he had made any
treasonable claim to be a king. Vs. 5, " no more answered
anything": He continued this policy of silence.
Vs. 7, "insurrection": revolt against the Roman
authorities. This man had been really doing what the
Jews falsely tried to make it appear that Jesus had done.
Vs. 8, "the multitude went up": The common people
came to ask for the pardon of a prisoner according to
Pilate's custom, and Pilate took advantage (vs. 9) of this
fact to escape from the perplexity into which the action of
the more aristocratic leaders had thrown him. Vs. 11,
"but the chief priests stirred up the multitude": The
210 The Gospel ACcORDiNa to Maek
unto you the King of the Jews? For he per- 10
ceived that for envy the chief priests had delivered
him up. But the chief priests stirred up the 11
multitude, that he should rather release Barabbas
unto them. And Pilate again answered and said 12
unto them, What then shall I do unto him whom
ye call the King of the Jews? And they cried 13
out again, Crucify him. And Pilate said unto 11
them, Why, what evil hath he done? But they
cried out exceedingly. Crucify him. And Pilate, 15
wishing to content the multitude, released unto
them Barabbas, and delivered Jesus, when he had
common people and the priests were at first interested in
two entirely different things. The former wanted the par-
don of a prisoner, the latter the condemnation of Jesus.
But when the priests saw that the request of the people
was likely to result in the release of Jesus and the defeat
of their plan, they shrewdly persuaded the people to ask
for a particular prisoner, Barabbas. This man, represent-
ing hatred of the Roman authority, was very likely popular
with the common people. Thus Pilate's plan of satisfying
everybody failed. Vs. 15, " wishing to content the multi-
tude": and so keep hiniself popular with them as a gover-
nor. He evidently saw that there was nothing in the
charge against Jesus, and preferred to release him, but
was not brave enough to do it at the cost of displeasing
both the priests and the people. "Scourged him": This
cruel beating with loaded whips was a common prelude to
the crucifixion. Like crucifixion itself, it was a Roman
punishment.
Vs. 16, "the Praetorium": the official residence of the
procurator, probably closely connected with, or a part of,
The Trial before Pilate 211
scourged him, to be crucified.
16 And the soldiers led him away within the
court, which is the ^ Prsetorium ; and they call i or, paiace
17 together the whole ^ band. And they clothe him ^cohort
with purple, and plaiting a crown of thorns, they
18 put it on him; and' they began to salute him,
19 Hail, King of the Jews ! And they smote his
head with a reed, and did spit upon him, and
20 bowing their knees worshipped him. And when
they had mocked him, they took off from him the
purple, and put on him his garments. And they
lead him out to crucify him.
the castle of Antonia, which stood just north of the west
end of the temple area. The court within which they led
Jesus was evidently a different place from that in which
the hearing before Pilate had taken place. It was per-
haps connected with the soldiers' quarters. " The whole
band": the whole cohort or garrison of soldiers stationed
in the castle of Antonia. Vs. 17, " and they clothe him
with purple ": in mockery of his kingship, purple being the
emblem of royalty. "A crown of thorns": a further mock-
ery of his royalty. Vs. 18, " Hail, King of the Jews": sar-
castic, of course ; they mingled mock homage and direct
insult.
QUESTIONS
(1) What action did the Sanhedrin take in the
morning? (2) To whom did they lead Jesus? (3)*
What was Pilate's office, and why was it necessary to
take Jesus before him ? (4) What question did Pilate
put to Jesus? (5) What does this question show to
212 The Gospel accokding to Makk
have been the charge brought by the Jews against
Jesus? (6)* Is this the same charge on which they
had themselves condemned him ? If not, what was the
relation between the two, and why was the change
made? (7) What was Jesus' answer to Pilate's ques-
tion (vs. 2), and why did he answer thus? (8) How
did Jesus treat the further accusations of the Jews?
(9)* Read vss. 6-15 and tell the story of Barabbas,
bringing out clearly the part played by the people, by
the priests, and by Pilate. (10) By what motives was
each of these moved, and for what was each to blame
in the transaction? (11) What was the outcome of it
all (vs. 15)? (12) To what indignities was Jesus sub-
jected at the hands of the soldiers? (13) Were these
soldiers Romans, or Jews? (14) Where did these things
take place? (15)* How long before this time had Jesus
foreseen and foretold to his disciples his rejection and
condemnation by the chief priests ? (16) When did he
first speak of being put to death at the hands of the
Romans (gentiles)? See 1033, 34. (17)* Could he have
avoided dying thus, rejected by his own people and
slain by the gentiles, if he had chosen to do so ? How ?
(18) Why did he go unflinchingly on to meet his death?
See 10 45. (19) What does he expect of those who fol-
low him as his disciples? See 8 3^; 10 ^2-45.
SECTION LXVI
THE CRUCIFIXION AND THE DEATH OF JESUS,
15:21-41
21 And they compel one passing by, Simon of
Cyrene, coming from the country, the father of
Alexander and Kufus, to go with them, that he
22 might bear his cross. And they bring him unto
the place Golgotha, which is, being interpreted,
23 The place of a skull. And they offered him wine
24 mingled with myrrh : but he received it not. And
they crucify him, and part his garments among
them, casting lots upon them, what each should
25 take. And it was the third hour, and they cruci-
26 tied him. And the superscription of his accusa-
tion was written over, the king of the jews.
27 And with him they crucify two robbers; one on
EXPLANATORY NOTES
Vs. 21, " Simon of Cyrene ": a Jew, as the name Simon
indicates, whose home was or had been in Cyrene,| but
who was for the time at Jerusalem. "Alexander and
Rufus": doubtless Christians well known when Mark
wrote; possibly then living in Rome, where it is supposed
by some that Mark wrote his gospel; see Rom. 16 13. " That
he might bear his cross ": That they compelled this passer-
by to carry the cross of Jesus was probably due to Jesus'
having been exhausted by the scourging. Vs. 22, "and
they bring him unto the place Golgotha"!: a point out-
side the city wall as it then was; see John 19 20; Heb. 13 12.
Vs. 23, "wine mingled with myrrh "I: to diminish the
213
214: The Gospel acookding to Make
his right hand, and one on his left. And they 29
that passed by railed on him, wagging their heads,
and saying, Ha! thou that destroyest the temple,
and buildest it in three days, save thyself, and 30
come down from the cross. In like manner also 31
the chief priests mocking him among themselves
with the scribes said, He saved others ; himself he
cannot save. Let the Christ, the King of Israel, 32
now come down from the cross, that we may see
and believe. And they that were crucified with
him reproached him.
And when the sixth hour was come, there was 33
darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour.
And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud 34
voice, Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani? which is, be-
ing interpreted. My God, my God, why hast thou
forsaken me? And some of them that stood by, 35
pain by partially deadening the senses. " But he received
it not": being unwilling to have his mind in any measure
clouded. Vs. 24, "and they crucifyt him": In this act
the hatred and opposition of the Jews to Jesus culminated,
as Jesus had long foreseen it would. " Part his garments
among them": It was the custom to give the clothing of
the condemned man to his executioners. "It was the
third hour": nine o'clock in the morning. Vs. 29, "thou
that destroyest the temple": see 14 58 and notes.
Vs. 33, "the sixth hour": noon; the ninth hour was of
course three in the afternoon. " Darkness over the whole
land": symbolic of the blackness of the sin which cul-
minated in the crucifixion of the Christ, the Son of God.
Vs. 34, "Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani": The words are
Ckuoifixion and Death of Jesus 215
when they heard it, said, Behold, he calleth Eli-
36 jah. And one ran, and filling a sponge full of
vinegar, put it on a reed, and gave him to drink,
saying, Let be; let us see whether Elijah cometh
37 to take him down. And Jesus uttered a loud
38 voice, and gave up the ghost. And the veil of
the temple was rent in twain from the top to the
39 bottom. And when the centurion, which stood
by over against him, saw that he so gave up the
ghost, he said, Truly this man was the Son of
40 God. And there were also women beholding from
afar: among whom ivei^e both Mary Magdalene,
and Mary the mother of James the less and of
41 Joses, and Salome; who, when he was in Galilee,
followed him, and ministered unto him ; and many
other women which came up with him unto Jeru-
salem.
Aramaic, the language (kindred with Hebrew) which Jesus
probably usually spoke in his boyhood home. The lan-
guage is taken from Ps. 22, which Jesus may well have
had in mind as a whole; by it he expresses an unshaken
faith in God (notice the words, my God, my God), even in
the face of sufferings that produce the sense of having
been forsaken of God. " He calleth Elijah": They misun-
derstood, it would seem, his words " Eloi, Eloi." Vs. 36,
"vinegar": sour wine, intended to relieve his sufferings a
little. Vs. 37, "gave up the ghost": expired. "Give up
the ghost " is an Old English phrase meaning to die. Vs.
38, "and the veil of the temple was rent in twain": The
old system with its temple and ritual was at an end; cf.
Heb. 1019-22, Vs. 39, " centurion "|: the officer in charge of
216 The Gospel according to Mark
the soldiers. " The Son of God ": rather, a son of God. It
was a Roman who uttered these words, and he probably
meant by them a sort of demi-god.
QUESTIONS
(1) Read carefully vss. 21-32, and, after considering
the meaning of each sentence, tell the facts about the
crucifixion as here recorded. (2) Why did they compel
Simon to carry the cross? (3)* What was the purpose
of the wine mingled with myrrh, and why did Jesus
refuse it ? (4) How did death on the cross compare with
other methods of execution? (5) Why was this method
used in Jesus' case? (6) What time of day is denoted
by the "third hoiu:" in vs. 25? (7) To what do the
words of the mockers in vs. 29 refer? (8)* Were the
words of the chief priests in vs. 31 true in any sense?
Could Jesus have saved himself from death and still
have been, as he has been, the Savior of the world? Is
it a general principle for us as well as for Jesus that we
lose our lives in order to save them? (9) Read care-
fully vss. 33-37, and tell the story as there related.
(10) What time is denoted by the sixth and ninth
homrs? (11) What does the darkness spoken of in vs.
33 symbolize? (12) In connection with vs. 34 read Ps.
22, from which the words of Jesus are derived, and
consider what these words express as used by Jesus.
(13) Read vss. 38-41, and relate the incidents con-
nected with the crucifixion here narrated. (14) What
did the rending of the veil symbolize? (15) What
does the word "centurion" in vs. 39 mean? Of what
nation was this man? (16)* Name the various classes
of persons who stood about the cross, and describe the
feelings of each class, so far as you can.
SECTION LXVII
THE BURIAL, 15:42-47
42 And when ^even was now come, because it was i evening
the Preparation, that is, the day before the sab-
43 bath, there came Joseph of Arimathsea, a councillor
of honourable estate, who also himself was looking
for the kingdom of God ; and he boldly went in
44 unto Pilate, and asked for the body of Jesus. And
Pilate marvelled if he were already dead: and call-
ing unto him the centurion, he asked him whether
45 he had been any while dead. And when he learned
it of the centurion, he granted the corpse to Joseph.
46 And he bought a linen cloth, and taking him down,
wound him in the linen cloth, and laid him in a
tomb which had been hewn out of a rock ; and he
47 rolled a stone against the door of the tomb. And
Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses
beheld where he was laid.
EXPLANATORY NOTES
Vs. 43, " of honourable estate ": rather of good standing
in the community. " Looking for the kingdom of God"!:
expecting and hoping for the estabhshment of the reign of
God on earth. Vs. 46, " wound him in a linen cloth ": This
was the usual way of preparing for burial among the Jews.
They did not use coffins. See John 19 -to. " Rolled a stone
against the door of the tomb""f: This also was a common
way of burying; cf. John 1138. Circular stone doors of
tombs cut in the living rock are still to be seen in Palestine.
217
218 The Gospel according to Mark
QUESTIONS
(1) Read attentively vss. 42-47, and explain the fol-
lowing words and phrases: " Preparation," f "coun-
cilor,"! "honourable estate," "looking for the kingdom
of God." f (2)* Describe in general how the Jews buried
their dead. (3)* What do the various gospels tell us
about Joseph f of Arimathsea? (4) Tell the story of
the burial of Jesus.
A ROCK -CUT TOMB
The Burial 219
* REVIEW QUESTIONS
(1) For what did the Pharisees first find fault with
Jesus? See 2 6, 7. (2) For what other things did they
find fault with him apparently about this same time?
See 2 13 — 3 6, (3) Yot what was Jesus displeased with
them? See 3'^. (4) What was the great question on
which Jesus and the Pharisees disagreed ? See 7 ^-^^.
(5) When did the chief priests, according to the record of
this gospel, first show opposition to Jesus ? See 11 27, 28,
(6) What two great parties, of the Jews, represented
respectively by the scribes and chief priests, were thus
united in opposition to Jesus? (7) Who had Jesus pre-
dicted would put him to death? See 8^1; 1033,34.
1418-20. (8) Review the steps that led to the death of
Jesus and consider what two nations finally participated
in his death. (9) What different classes and persons of
the Jewish nation united in bringing it about? (10)
By what motives were these people influenced in their
action? (11) How did different people treat Jesus in
the time of his trial and suffering? (12) What made
death so terrible to Jesus? (13) Did he foresee his
death, and might he have adopted a course by which he
could have escaped it? (14) W^hy did he choose to go
forward to death rather than adopt such a course? (15)
Many of the Jews of Jesus' day refused to accept him
as the Messiah in part just because he died as he did,
on the cross, rejected by the leaders of the people : what
ought we to think of him and how ought we to feel
and act toward him in view of the fact that he died as
he did?
SECTION LXVIII
THE RESURRECTION OF JESUS, ATTESTED BY
THE EMPTY TOMB AND THE WORD OF THE
YOUNG MAN, 16:1-8
And when the sabbath was past, Mary Magda- 1
lene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome,
bought spices, that they might come and anoint
him. And very early on the first day of the week, 2
they come to the tomb when the sun was risen.
And they were saying among themselves, Who 3
shall roll us away the stone from the door of the
EXPLANATORY NOTES
Vs. 1, "when the sabbath was past": i. e., in the
evening, when the sabbath, which closed at sunset, was
over ; Saturday evening, according to our way of speaking.
" Spices": in part at least aromatic oils (cf. 2 Kings 2013).
as is shown by the fact that they were to be used to
anoint the body. Vs. 2, "on the first day of the week ": Sun-
day. Vs. 3, "who shall roll us away the stone from the door
of the tomb?" cf. 15 46. Vs. 7, "he goeth before you into
Galilee," etc.: c/. 1428; see also John 211; Matt. 2816,17,
Vs. 8, "trembling and astonishment .... for they were
afraid": Ihe vision which they had seen and the wonder-
ful, incredible, news which they had been told, overpowered
for the time the joy which otherwise they would have felt
in the fact that Jesus was alive. The story here breaks off
abruptly. See note at beginning of Section LXIX.
220
The Resurrection of Jesus 221
4 tomb? and looking up, they see that the stone is
5 rolled back: for it was exceeding great. And
entering into the tomb, they saw a young man sit-
ting on the right side, arrayed in a white robe;
6 and they were amazed. And he saith unto them.
Be not amazed : ye seek Jesus, the Nazarene, which
hath been crucified: he is risen; he is not here:
7 behold, the place where they laid him! But go,
tell his disciples and Peter, He goeth before you
into Galilee: there shall ye see him, as he said
8 unto you. And they went out, and fled from the
tomb; for trembling and astonishment had come
upon them ; and they said nothing to a'ny one ; for
they were afraid.
QUESTIONS
(1)* Read carefully vss. 1-8, and state when — on
what days of the week — and where these events took
place. (2) What stone is referred to in vs. 3? (3)*
What previous saying of Jesus is referred to in vs. 7?
(4)* Tell the story of what the women saw at and in the
tomb? (5) What feeling would the fact that Jesus was
risen from the dead in itself produce ? (6) What then
caused the trembling, astonishment, and fear spoken of
in vs. 8?
SECTION LXIX
APPENDIX: SUMMARY OP THE APPEARANCES
OF JESUS, 16:9-20
iThe-two oldest ' Now wheii liG wRs risen early on the first day 9
Greek manu- •' J "
»ome*othe"/ of the Week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene,
omit from vs. froHi wliom he had cast out seven Mevils. She 10
9 to the end.
different
ending to the
Kospel.
2 demons
Authorities went and told them that had been with him, as
they mourned and wept. And they, when they 11
heard that he was alive, and had been seen of her,
disbelieved.
And after these things he was manifested in 12
another form unto two of them, as they walked, on
their way into the country. And they went away 13
and told it unto the rest: neither believed they
them.
And afterward, he was manifested unto the H
eleven themselves as they sat at meat; and he
EXPLANATORY NOTES
With vs. 8 ends, probably, all that we have of the
gospel of Mark as Mark wrote it. See note on the margin
of the text. This, however, can hardly have been the end
of the gospel. Mark would not have finished the gospel
with the words, " they were afraid," and without narrating
any appearance of Jesus at all. By some accident, we
know not what, the concluding verses of the gospel were
very early lost, and someone else added vss. 9-20 to finish
the gospel. These verses are not a continuation of Mark's
222
SuMMAKY OF Jesus' Appeaeances 223
upbraided them with their unbelief and hardness
of heart, because they believed not them which
15 had seen him after he was risen. And he said
unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach
16 the gospel to the whole creation. He that
believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he
17 that disbelieveth shall be condemned. And these
signs shall follow them that believe: in my name
shall they cast out Mevils ; they shall speak with
18 new tongues ; they shall take up serpents, and if
they drink any deadly thing, it shall in no wise
hurt them ; they shall lay hands on the sick, and
they shall recover.
19 So then the Lord Jesus, after he had spoken
unto them, was received up into heaven, and sat
20 down at the right hand of God. And they went
forth, and preached everywhere, the Lord working
with them, and confirming the word by the signs
that followed. Amen.
story, but a brief account of various appearances of Jesus,
very likely condensed from other gospels, but with the
addition of matter not contained in any of the gospels.
QUESTIONS
(1) Read vss. 9-11, and the fuller account of the
appearance to Mary in John 20 n-is. (2) Read vss. 12,
13, and the fuller account in Luke 24 13-35, (^3) Read
vs. 14, and the fuller account in Luke 24 ^6-43^ or John
20 19-25, (4.) Read vss. 15, 16, and the fuller account in
224 The Gospel according to Mark
Matt. 28 16-20. (5) Read vss. 17, 18 (there is no parallel
in the other gospels), and see Acts 2 1-^; 5 15; 19 12 ; 28 1-6.
C6) Read vss. 19, 20, and the fuller account in Luke
24 50-53. (7) When had Jesus predicted that he would
rise again? See 8 si; 9 9; 10 34; U 28. (8)* What three
kinds of evidence did the disciples have that he had
risen? (a) In what condition was the tomb (16 ^-7)?
(b) What did the angel testify (16 6)? (c) What did
the disciples themselves see (169, 12, 14)? (9)* What
other gospels contain in substance the command of vs.
15? (10) What reasons occur to you why it was right
and necessary for the immediate disciples of Jesus to
obey this command to the extent of their power? (11)
Do these same reasons apply to the disciples of Jesus
today? (12) Would it be in accordance with the spirit
of Jesus -for us, possessing the truth and blessings of
the gospel, not to seek to give these to those who do not
possess them? (13) What book of the New Testament
gives an account of the work referred to in vs. 20?
(14) Where can we read the history of the continuance
of that work in the efforts which the disciples of Jesus
have made in accordance with the thought and spirit of
Jesus expressed in vs. 15?
Keview Questions on Gospel 225
PREVIEW QUESTIONS ON THE WHOLE GOSPEL
To THE Pupil. — The object of these review questions
is to help you to fix the main features of the gospel of
Mark in your mind, so that they will stay with you always.
If you can do this, it will make this gospel more helpful to
you all your life. Take time enough for this review to do
the work thoroughly. On the questions that refer to the
names of events and sections you can find help in the titles
given at the head of the successive sections in the body of
the book; yet it will be wise before looking at these to try
to give names to the events for yourselves. To assist you
in gaining a clear idea of the gospel as a whole, and of the
plan of the book as it lay in the mind of the writer, there is
printed near the end of the book, after these questions, an
analysis or outline of the gospel. In the body of the book
the successive sections of the gospel are for convenience
numbered continuously. But in the analysis the effort is
made to show the larger natural divisions of the book of
which these sections are really subdivisions, while for pur-
poses of cross-reference the continuous numbers are also
placed on the margin of the page. Thus Section XXIII,
"The Feeding of the Five Thousand, 6:30-46," is more
correctly described as Part II (of the gospel), subdivision
7, section a.
1. How many chapters are there in Mark's gospel?
How many in each of the others ?
2. What is the first event of Jesus' life narrated in
this gospel? In what part of the New Testament have
we stories of his earlier years ?
3. Of whom do the first verses of this gospel speak
before narrating any event of Jesus' life?
4. Name the three sections which precede the record
of Jesus' public life w hich begins in 1 1^. What general
title would describe these three events ?
226 The Gospel accoeding to Mark
5. In what region of the country did Jesus begin to
preach after the imprisonment of John?
6. How large a part of this gospel is occupied with
the work of Jesus in and about this region? See
the analysis, and notes on 10 i, if necessary, to help
you answer this question.
7. Name the events of Jesus' ministry in Galilee
which are narrated in the first chapter of the gospel
(1 14-45).
8. What dififerent kinds of work is he related to be
doing in these sections ? (For example, is he gathering
disciples, teaching the people, or engaged in some still
other kind of work ?)
9. It is an old tradition that Mark wrote in his gospel
the things that he had heard Peter tell about Jesus.
How many of these events could Peter have told from
his own knowledge?
10. What class of people are mentioned in every
event narrated between 2 i and 3 ^ ?
11. In what attitude to Jesus do they appear in
each event?
12. Name these events and tell what the scribes (or
Pharisees) said or did in each one. Give a general title
to this group of events.
13. Thus far in the narrrative has Jesus made*
friends only or enemies only, or both ? Who are his
friends, and who are his enemies?
14. What important event of Jesus' ministry is
narrated in 3 13-19?
15. Of what is chap. 4 chiefly made up ?
16. What is a parable? How many parables of
Jesus are there in this gospel?
17. Name the events which are related in 4 3"j-6 6.
18. Name the events recorded in 6 '^-7 23.
Keview Questions on Gospel 227
19. What kinds of work do we find Jesus doing in
these chapters 5, 6, 7 ? Compare Question 8.
20. Trace on the map the journey narrated in
724 — 826^ and write a list of the places visited in the
order in which they were visited. See especially 7 24, 3i ^
gio, 22,
21. Into what country does the portion of this
journey recorded in 7 24-30 lead Jesus ?
22. Trace on the map the journey recorded in
8 27 — 9 50, learn the names of the events, and write the
names of the places visited.
23. In what general direction did both these
journeys lead?
24. Was Jesus chiefly occupied in these journeys
outside of Galilee with preaching to the people^ or with
the instruction of the disciples ?
25. Concerning what two things did he now for the
first time speak plainly to his disciples? See 8 29, 30^
8 31; 931.
26. What two very notable events of Jesus' ministry
belong to the second of these northern journeys ?
27. What period of Jesus' ministry ends with the
end of chap. 9? See 10 1 and notes. At what point in
the gospel does the record of this period begin ?
28. Name the different kinds of work which Jesus
did in Galilee, in the order in which each first appears.
29. The Galilean ministry may be subdivided into
ten parts. See the analysis. Fix these ten parts in
mind, learning a short title for each (to the first comma
or other mark of punctuation in the title given in the
' analysis); recall some of the events of each, and try to
see how the work of Jesus moved on from stage to
stage. Write the names of the ten parts, from memory
if possible.
228 The Gospel according to Mark
30. With what journey is chap. 10 occupied? Write
out from the gospel a list of the events of this chapter,
and then compare your list with that given in the
analysis.
31. What three main divisions of the gospel occupy
chaps. 1-10? Fix in mind the names of these divisions.
Write these names, adding to each name a brief state-
ment of the characteristics of the period.
32. In what city and its suburbs do we find Jesus in
chaps. 11-15?
33. The events of these chapters cover approximately
a week, and Mark has to a considerable extent indicated
the events of these successive days. What events does
he record for the first day?
34. What for the second day?
35. What for the third day?
36. With what classes of the people did Jesus
repeatedly come into conflict in these days ? Which of
these classes had been Jesus' earliest opponents ?
37. What was Jesus seeking to do for his disciples
in these three days ?
38. What is the subject of the discourse in chap. 13?
39. What chapters of the gospel tell the story of
Jesus' death and the events immediately connected
with it?
40. Name the events of these two chapters.
41. W^hy are these events called the Passion f history?
42. Chap. 15,^2 shows that Jesus was crucified on
Friday. On what day of the week, then, was he tried
before Pilate?
43. On what night was he arrested? What other
events occurred on the same night ?
44. On what day of the week was the passover
prepared for (14 12-16)?
Review Questions on Gospel 229
45. All the events of 11 20— 1337 seem to belong to
one day. If this day was the second day preceding
that referred to in 14 12 (see 14 1), on what day of the
week did these former events occur?
46. What events are then recorded for Tuesday?
What for Monday?
47. Write down the several days of the week from
Monday to Friday, and place under each the names of
the events recorded by the gospel for that day.^
48. Recalling, now, the significance of the triumphal
entry, of the cleansing of the temple, and the other
leading events of the week, try to give a descriptive
name to each day, as, for example, Monday: A Day of
Triumph and Assertion of his Messiahship; or in some
other way describe briefly the character of each day.
49. What event is recorded in lQ^-^1
50. Did 16 9-26 originally belong to the gospel as
Mark wrote it?
51. What shows that Mark did not intend to end
his book with vs. 8?
52. Name the six great divisions of the gospel, and
tell with what chapter and verse each division begins
and ends.
53. By what names is Jesus called in the first line
of this gospel ?
54. What other names are used of him in this gospel ?
55. Did Jesus announce himself as the Messiah at
iln this distribution 141,2 falls on Tuesday, and the events of
11 20—13 37 on the same day, since to carry them back to Monday would
put the triumphal entry back to a sabbath, which would be impossible.
The events of 14 3- n might then also fall on Tuesday evening, or on
Wednesday. The gospel of John seems to place the feast in Bethany
before the triumphal entry, hence on the sabbath ; but Mark, while
not definitely stating when it took place, would leave us with the
impression that it fell in the midst of the week, Tuesday or Wednesday.
230 The Gospel accoeding to Mark
the beginnicg of his ministry, or did he gradually
prepare people's minds to see that he was the Messiah?
56. What kind of work did Jesus do in Galilee
before he said distinctly that he was the Christ ?
57. What different effects did this work produce on
people's minds 1
58. From what class of people did Jesus draw his
disciples, so far as this gospel shows?
59. What attitude did the Pharisees take toward
him?
60. What did Jesus teach in the parable of the
Sower and elsewhere concerning the effect which was
to be expected from the preaching of the gospel ?
61. W^hat did Jesus perceive would be the effect on
him of the opposition of the Jews to him ?
62. What was his own feeling beforehand about his
death? Could he have escaped death ? How?
63. What great principle did he announce as the
principle of his life, and the explanation of hjs death
(1045)?
64. What did he teach his disciples concerning the
principle on which his followers also must live (8 3i) ?
What does the study of this gospel lead you to
believe about Jesus, and how does it lead you to feel
toward him ? Do you approve the action of those who
accepted and followed him, or of those who rejected
him and put him to death ?
What have you learned from this gospel as to the
principles on which a human life ought to be lived?
Would you be willing to live your life on any other
principles than those that Jesus taught and exemplified?
ANALYSIS OF THE GOSPEL
I. Introduction: Preparation for the Public
Work op Jesus. 1 : 1-13
Sec. ' i. 1. Preaching of John the Baptist. 1 : 1-8
ii. 2. Baptism of Jesus. 1 : 9-11
iii. 3. Temptation in the Wilderness. 1 : 12, 13
II. The Galilean Ministry. 1:14—9:50
1. The work begun and favorably received. 1 : 14-45
iv. a) Jesus begins preaching in Galilee. 1 : 14, 15
V. b) Call of the four fishermen. 1 : 16-20
vi. c) A sabbath in Capernaum. 1:21-34
vii. d) A preaching tour in Galilee. 1 : 35-45
2. The opposition of the scribes and Pharisees. 2 : 1—3 : 6
viii. a) A paralytic healed and his sins forgiven. 2:1-12
ix. b) Call of Levi, and the feast in his house. 2 : 13-17
X. c) Jesus' answer to a question concerning
fasting. 2 : 18-22
xi. . d) Plucking grain on the sabbath. 2 : 23-28
xii. e) A withered hand healed on the sabbath. 3 : 1-6
3. The beginnings of the separation between the
followers of Christ and the rest of the com-
munity; the organization of the band of
twelve personal attendants and helpers. 3:7-35
xiii. a) The widespread fame of Jesus. 3 : 7-12
xiv. b) The choosing of the Twelve. 3 : 13-19
XV. c ) Concerning eternal sin. 3 : 20-30
xvi. d) Natural and spiritual kinsmen. 3 : 31-35
xvii. 4. The parables of the kingdom's growth, in
which is also illustrated its separating power. 4 : 1-34
5. Sundry manifestations of Jesus' power, which
meet with varied reception, some believing,
some unbelieving, some slow to believe. 4 : 35 — 6 : 6
231
232 The Gospel according to Mark
xviii. a) Stilling of the Tempest.
xix. b) The Gerasene demoniac.
XX. c) Jairus's daughter raised to life.
xxi. d) The rejection at Nazareth,
xxii. 6. The sending out of the Twelve to engage in
work like that of Jesus himself.
7. The continuance by Jesus of his work in Gali-
lee, with the reappearance of the same feat-
ures: he heals .and feeds the multitudes; his
disciples are slow of understanding: the mul-
titudes follow him; the Pharisees oppose
him.
a) The feeding of the five thousand.
b) Jesus walking on the sea.
c ) Many healed in Galilee.
d) On eating with unwashen hands.
8. A withdrawal from Galilee into gentile terri-
tory, and the ready faith which Jesus finds
there.
a) The Syrophoenician woman's daughter.
b) The deaf and dumb man healed.
9. Further experiences in Galilee, in which the
same features as before appear.
a) The feeding of the four thousand.
b) Pharisees demanding a sign from heaven.
c ) A blind man healed near Bethsaida.
10. A second withdrawal from Galilee: tour to
Cesarea Philippi and return to the sea. Jesus
draws out from Peter the confession of him as
the Christ, and begins to teach his disciples
concerning his own sufferings, and the condi-
tions of discipleship to him.
a) Peter's confession of Jesus' messiahship.
b) Jesus' prediction of his own death and
resurrection.
c ) The transfiguration.
d) The demoniac boy healed.
XXlll.
xxiv.
XXV.
xxvi.
xxvii.
xxviii.
XXIX.
XXX.
xxxi.
xxxii.
xxxiii.
xxxiv.
XXXV.
Analysis of the Gospel
233
XXXVlll.
xxxix.
xl.
xli.
xlii.
xliii.
xliv.
xlv.
xlvi.
xlvii.
xlviii.
xlix.
1.
li.
Hi.
liii.
liv.
Iv.
e ) Jesus again foretells his death and resur-
rection. ' 9 : 30-32
/) The ambition and jealousy of the disciples
reproved. 9 : 33-50
III. The Journey from Galilee to Judea, and in-
structions on the way; on nearing Jerusalem he
is publicly saluted as son of David. chap. 10
1. Departure from Galilee into Perea. 10: 1
2. Concerning divorce. 10 : 2-12
3. Blessing little children. 10:13-16
4. The rich young man who had kept the com-
mandments. 10 : 17-31
5. Jesus' announcement of his crucifixion. 10:32-34
6. Ambition of James and John reproved. 10:35-45
7. The blind man near Jericho healed. 10 : 46-52
IV. The Ministry in Jerusalem: Jesus causes him-
self to be announced as Messiah: comes in con-
flict with the leaders of the people; predicts the
downfall of the Jewish temple and capital. chaps 11-13
1. The triumphal entry; Jesus saluted as Messiah. 11:1-11
2. The cursing of the kg tree. 11 : 12-14
3. The cleansing of the temple 11 : 15-19
4. Comment on the withered fig tree. 11 : 20-25
5. Conflict with the Jewish leaders. 11 : 27—12 : 40
a) Christ's authority challenged. 11 : 27-33
b) The parable of the vineyard. 12 : 1-12
c) Three questions by the Jewish rulers. 12 : 13-34
d) Jesus' question concerning David's Eon. 12:35-37
e ) Warning against the scribes. 12 : 38-40
6. The widow's two mites. 12 : 41-44
7. The prophetic discourse concerning the down-
fall of the temple and city. chap. 13
Ivi.
Ivii.
Iviii.
V. The Passion History. chaps. 14, 15
1. The plot of the Jews. 14 : 1, 2
2. The anointing in the house of Simon the leper. 14 : 3-9
3. The bargain with Judas. 14 : 10, 11
234 The Gospel according to Mark
lix. 4. The last passover of Jesus^and his disciples. 14:12-26
Ix. 5. Prediction of Peter's denial. 14 : 27-31
Ixi. 6. The agony in Gethsemane. 14 : 32-42
Ixii. 7. The betrayal and arrest. 14 : 43-52
Ixiii. 8. The trial before the Jewish authorities. 14 : 53-65
Ixiv. 9. The denials of Peter. 14:66-72
Ixv. 10. The trial before Pilate. 15 : 1-20
Ixvi. 11. The crucifixion and the death of Jesus. 15:21-41
Ixvii. 12. The burial. 15 : 42-47
Ixviii. VI. The Resurrection op Jesus, attested by the
empty tomb and the word of the young man. 16 : 1-8
Ixix. Appendix: Summary of the appearances of Jesus. 16:9-20
DICTIONAKY
Abba. A Hebrew word signify-
ing father ; an expression of filial
affection. (14:36.)
Alabaster. A soft limestone of
light color found in large quan-
tities in the region between the
Euphrates and Tigris rivers and
in Egypt. It was easily chiseled,
and was much used for making
vases and vessels for holding un-
guents. The word is used also of
the vessel itself . (14:3.)
Andrew A brother of Simon
Peter, and one of the twelve
apostles. (1 : 14, 29 ; 3 : 18 ; 13 : 3.)
Anoint. To rub with oil, or to
pour oil upon. (6:13; 14:8.)
Arimathea. A Jewish city
whose exact location is unknown ;
referred to in the gospels only as
the residence of one Joseph of
Arimathea. See "Joseph" in this
dictionary. (15 : 43.)
Authority. Moral right to do
a certain thing, as to teach, to
command, to forgive sins. (1 : 22 ;
2:10; 3:15; 6:7; 10:42; 11:28, 29,
33; 13:34.)
Baptize. To dip, immerse,
plunge; used in the New Testa-
ment (a) of bathing (Mark 7:4
margin) ; (6) of the immersion of
a person in water as a religious
rite accompanying confession of
sin or profession of faith in
Jesus; (c) figuratively, of the
complete subjection of one to the
Holy Spirit. (1:4, 5, 8, 9; 7:4;
10:38,39; 16:16.)
Baptizer. One who baptizes :
A title applied to John, more
commonly called the Baptist, be-
cause he baptized those who
accepted his preaching and, ac-
knowledging their sins, sought
forgiveness. (6 : 14, 24. )
Beelzebub. A name (probably
more correctly written Beelze-
bul) which the Jews applied to
Satan as the prince of the evil
spirits. The precise sense of the
word is not certainly known. It
perhaps meant "lord of filth,"
and was intended to express con-
tempt. (3:22.)
Bethany. A village on the
eastern slope of the Mount of
Olives, now a poor Moslem vil-
lage of about forty houses known
as El Azariyeh, "the place of Laz-
arus." It was a little less than
two miles east of Jerusalem
(John 11:18) from the sight of
which it was entirely cut off by
the Mount of Olives. See the
map on p. 151. It was the home of
Martha and Mary and their
brother Lazarus (John 11:1, 2),
and it is natural to think that it
was to their house that Jesus
went to spend the nights after the
busy and trying days in Jerusa-
lem, in the week before his cru-
cifixion. John 12:1-8 tells ex-
pressly of a supper which was
given in Jesus' honor in Bethany
and at which Martha served.
(11:1,11,12; 14:3.)
Bethphage. A village, or pos-
sibly a district, on the Mount of
Olives, and near Bethany ; but un-
like Bethany its exact location
has never been determined.
(11:1.)
Bethsaida. There is some
difficulty in determining pre-
cisely where the town of this
name referred to in Mark 6:45
was. From 6:32 and 53 it is
evident that the^feeding of the
five thousand took place across
the Sea of Galilee from Genne-
saret, and from vs. 45 that it
was across the sea from Beth-
saida. Since, then, the tract of
Gennesaret was on the west side
of the sea, we naturally think
that Bethsaida was on that side
also. But the only Bethsaida of
which we have certain knowledge
is Bethsaida Julias, on the east
bank of the Jordan at or near its
entrance into the Sea of Galilee.
The matter might be explained
by supposing that the feeding
of the five thoiisand occurred
farther south than the plain of
235
236
The Gospel according to Mark
Butaiha in which Bethsaida
Julias lay, so that one might set
out from the place where it oc-
curred to cross to Bethsaida and
then, departing somewhat from
the intended course, arrive at
Gennesaret. But the several ac-
counts in Mark and the other
gospels could be more easily in-
terpreted if we could suppose
that beside Bethsaida Julias, on
the eastern side of the sea, there
was a Bethsaida of Galilee (John
12:21) on the western side of the
sea, in or near the tract of Gen-
nesaret. Many have supposed
this to be the case ; but it is not
quite certain whether this is
really so, or whether we must
suppose all the passages to refer
to Bethsaida Julias,. (6:45; 8:22.)
Blaspheme. To speak or act
defiantly and contemptuously of
God. (3:28,29.)
Camel's hair. The camel has
both a long coarse hair and a
fine soft hair which is covered by
the longer coarser hair. From
the fine hair there is made a very
fine cloth, such as is seen in
camel's hair shawls. From the
long coarse hair a very coarse
cloth is made, which is used for
the coarsest kind of clothing and
for tents. It is this latter kind
only that is spoken of in the
Is. (1:6.)
Capernaum. A city on the
northwestern shore of the Sea of
Galilee, about the exact location
of which there is difference of
opinion. Probably, however, it
was at the place now known as
Khan-Minyeh. It had a syna-
gogue (Luke 7:5) ; a detachment
of soldiers was stationed there,
as is shown by its being the resi-
dence of a centurion (Luke 7:1,2);
and it was a place for the collec-
tion of duties, probably on prod-
ucts brought across the sea or
along the road that led past
Khan-Minyeh from the north.
Jesus made it his home during
his public ministry. (Matt, 4: 13.)
(1:21:2:1:9:33.)
Centurion. An officer in the
Roman army, or in armies organ-
ized on the Roman model, in
charge of a company of fifty to
one hundred men ; hence of nearly
the same rank and authority as
a captain in the United States
army. (15:39,44,45.)
fh?%®*^.®^ ?<?^*^*PRi- A city at
the foot of Mount Hermon (see
the map), near the headwaters
of the Banias, one of the three
s_treams that unite to make the
Jordan. Itself 1,050 feet above
sea-level, snow-capped Hermon
towered above it 8,000 feet more.
From the Sea of Galilee to Her-
mon was a journey of about
twenty-five miles, involving an
ascent of about 1,700 feet. (8 : 27.)
Charger. A platter. (6:23,28.)
Chief-Priests. The word so
translated is simply the plural of
the word translated high-priest,
bee that word in this dictionary
According to ancient Jewish cus-
tom, the high-priest held his of-
fice for life, so that there could
never be more than one living
high-priest. In the time of Jesu«,
fiowever, it had come to pass that
the political authorities, Roman
or Herodian, appointed and re-
moved the high-priest at will.
Ihus there might be living several
men who had been high-priests,
and who by reason of this fact,
as well as because they were
chosen original l;sr from certain
influential families, were men of
special influence. To them was
applied the name "high-priests "
or, as the word is translated
/? ^."'^^I^^o^i^"' "chief priests."
(8:31; 10:33; 11:18, 27; 14:1, 10,
43,53,55; 15:1, 3, lo] 11, 31.) '
Christ. A title employed in
Jsew Testament times to desig-
nate the deliverer whom many
among the Jewish people were
expecting to come and save their
nation. From very ancient times
the Jewish prophets had taught
the people to look forward to a
time of prosperity and blessing
m the future. Especially in times
of evil or distress did the proph-
ets insist that God would deliver
and bless his people, though they
often coupled with this the an-
nouncement that the people must
first be chastened by aflfliction
because of their sins. In some of
these predictions of the prophets
Dictionary
237
it is said that this deliverance
will come through David, or the
son of David, or a personal de-
liverer otherwise described. In
the course of time the general
hope of deliverance tended more
and more to assume the personal
form, and in Jesus' day, and
just before that time, the word
"Christ," which, like its Hebrew
equivalent, "Messiah," means
"anointed," and conveys a refer-
ence to the fact that a king was
inducted into office by being
anointed (1 Sam. 16 : 1, 3, 13), came
to be a common title, apparently
the most common title, to desig-
nate this hoped-for savior of the
nation.
Different people evidently had
very different ideas of what the
Messiah would do, when became.
Some emphasized the righteous-
ness of his character and of his
reign ; others, the political deliv-
erance of the nation from the
Roman power; others, the pun-
ishment which he would inflict
upon the wicked. Apparently no
one thought of the work of the
Chr i st just as Jesus did, and least
of all dreamed that it involved
suffering, rejection, and death.
This word, with the article,
"the Christ," at first simply a
title for the expected deliverer
without reference to who he was
personally (as we might say, "it
is the duty of the president to do
this," without reference to who
might at the moment fill the
president's chair, or even in ad-
vance of the election of a presi-
dent), was naturally applied to
Jesus when his disciples came
distinctly to recognize him as the
Messiah (see Mark 8: 29). Still
later, used alone, or combined
with the name "Jesus," it became
almost a personal name, like
Jesus itself, yet perhaps always
retaining in the New Testament
a reminiscence of its meaning as
a title. Of this later usage, how-
ever, we have only a trace in
Mark's gospel. In 12 : 35 ; 13 : 21 ;
14:61 it is purely a title, not
designating Jesus personally, but
the Messiah without reference to
his personal identity. In 8 : 29 we
have Peter's acknowledgment
that Jesus is this expected de-
liverer, and in 15 : 32 an ironical
acknowledgment by those who
did not at all accept him as
Messiah. Chap. 1:1 and 9:41
reflect the later usage. (1 : 1 ; 8 : 29 ;
9:41; 12: 35; 13: 21; 14: 61; 15: 32.)
Compassion. Kindly, sympa-
thetic feeling toward those in
suffering, such as leads one to
wish to help them. (1:41; 6:34:
8:2; 9:22.)
Confess. To acknowledge ; as
one's own conduct, especially
one's sins (1:5); or another per-
son, i. e., his authority or good-
ness, or relationship to one (Matt.
10:32).
Corban. Properly a gift ; and,
by usage, a gift devoted to God.
Yet with extraordinaryperversity
the Pharisees held that a man
might by applying to his property
the term "Corban" exclude it
from the use of a particular per-
son, but retain it for himself.
(7:11. See Edersheim, Life of
JesMS,Vol. II, pp. 19ff.)
Councillor. A member of the
Sanhedrin. See also "Sanhedrin."
(15:43.)
Crucify. To put to death on
a cross. The cross was a Roman,
not a Jewishj instrument of exe-
cuting criminals, and was the
most disgraceful, as it was one of
the most painful, instruments of
torture and death in use among
the Romans. The condemned
man was fastened by nails, or
otherwise to a cross-piece, which
was then drawn up by a rope and
fastened to the upright post al-
ready fixed in the ground. The
weight of the body rested on a
peg driven into the upright post,
but nails were also driven
through the feet. Death resulted
from starvation or pain. (15:13,
14, 20, 24, 27.)
Cyrene. The chief city in
Libya, in Africa, but inhabited
by Greeks, among whom were not
a few Jews. (15:21.)
Dalpaanutha. A citv on the
shore of the Sea of Galilee, the
precise location of which has
never been determined. It was
most probably on the southwest-
ern shore of the sea. (8 : 10.)
238 The Gospel according to Mark
Decapolis. A name applied to
a region in which were located
ten Greek cities, which had been
established since the days of
Alexander's conquest, and which
had in the days of Jesus recently
formed a league. The cities in-
cluded Gadara, Gerasa, Philadel-
phia, Scythopolis, and others, all
but Scythopolis, the capital of
the confederation, lying east of
the Jordan. (5: 20; 7: 31.)
Demon, demoniac, de-
moniacal possession. See
"Devil."
Devil. There are two words
which are translated "devil" or
"devils" in the New Testament,
which really have different mean-
ings. The one of these, used only
in the singular, refers to the great
evil spirit, called also Satan, and
the tempter. In this sense there
is but one devil spoken of in the
New Testament. The other word,
for which you will always find in
the margin of the Revised Version
the word " demon," is used either
in the singular or the plural, and
denotes one of those malicious
spirits who were believed by the
Jews and many other peoples to
plague and torment men by
taking possession of them and
making them sick or insane. Of
these malicious spirits, Satan
was thought of as the prince.
Jesus and the Evangelists speak
after the custom of the time. If
Jesus had any different thought
on the subject, he did not think
it worth while to attempt to cpm-
municate it to his d*isciples or
the people. Yet it is to be noticed
that, while Jesus always con-
demns sin, and the yielding to
temptation, he treats the de-
moniacs, those who were pos-
sessed of demons (unclean
spirits), as unfortunate beings to
be pitied and helped, rather than
as in any special sense sinners.
Whatever was the cause of the
peculiar and sad condition of the
, demoniacs, there is nothing in
Jesus' treatment of them to sug-
gest that they were peculiarly
sinful. The men whom he un-
sparingly condemned were not
demoniacs, but men who in pos-
session of their senses were doing
wrong, and in this sense "chil-
dren of the devil." (1 :32, 34, 39;
3:1.5, 22; .5:1.5, 16, 18; 6:13; 7:26,
29,30; 16:9,17.)
Elders . Properly "older
men ; " but in the New Testament
usually an official title. It is
used in four different senses. In
Mark 7:3, 5, it means the an-
cients, the forefathers of those
then living. In Mark 8 : 31 ; 11 : 27 ;
11:43, 53; 15:1, it designates the
members of the great Sanhedrin
(see " Sanhedrin " in this diction-
ary) or those among them who,
being neither scribes nor priests,
owed their position to their per-
sonal reputation. In Luke 7 :3 it
refers to members of the local
council having in charge the syn-
agogue and local public affairs
generally. In the book of Acts
and the epistles it usually re-
fers to the men who presided
over Christian churches, having
somewhat the same office as
those whom we commonly call
pastors. (7:3, 5; 8:31; 11:27;
14:43,53; 15:1.)
Eternal. The word so trans-
lated in the New Testament is
derived from a (rreek word mean-
ing age, or period of time, and
then an unlimited period, and it-
self means continuing without
limit (except such as lies in the
nature of the thing to which the
adjective is applied). It is used
in Mark both of sin (or its pun-
ishment) (3:29), and of life
(10: 17, 30). See the word "Life"
in this dictionary.
Faith. Belief, confidence,
trust. The faith commonly spoken
of in the gospels is a belief that
Jesus can do a certain thing
(sometimes one thing, sometimes
another; see Mark 4:40; Matt.
9 : 28, 29 ; Luke 7 : 50) such as led
him who had it to come to Jesus
and commit his case to him. To
such faith Jesus always re-
sponded by doing that which men
believed he could do. Faith in
God is a like confidence that God
can and will do for him who be-
lieves that which he believes (see
Mark 11: 22, 23), or a more general
confidence in God's fatherly good-
ness and love, and t'rust that
he will do for us what we need
DiCTIONAKY
239
( Luke 12 : 22-30 ; cf. Matt. 7 : 7-11) .
Jesus constantly sought to lead
men to have such faith in him
and in God. A mere belief that
something is true, which belief
in no way afPects one's actions,
is never in the gospels called
faith. (2:5; 4:40; 5:34; 10:52;
11:22.)
Forgive. To forgive a person
is to cease to take account of the
wrong which he has done one,
either judicially, by releasing
him from the penalty of his sin,
or personally by ceasing to cher-
ish any anger against him and
taking him again into one's
favor. To forgive sins is to cease
to take account of them either as
requiring punishment or as
ground of anger against the of-
fender. (2:7, 9, 10; 3:28; 4:12;
11:25, 26.)
Forgiveness of Sins. Re-
lease of the wrong-doer from
penalty and restoration to favor.
(3:29.)
Galilee. The northern portion
of Palestine west of the Jordan.
It was bounded on the west by
Phoenicia, on the north by Syria,
on the east by the Jordan River
and the east shore of the Sea of
Galilee, on the south by Samaria.
Together with Perea (the south-
ern part of Palestine east of the
Jordan), it was ruled in the time
of Jesus by Herod Antipas the
tetrarch, who held his authority,
however, subject to the consent
of the Romans, who at this time
ruled almost the whole civilized
world. The entire area of Gali-
lee was about 1,600 square miles.
It was thickly populated, mainly
with Jews, but contained a good
many gentiles also. The people
were somewhat less under the in-
fluence of the priests and rabbis
than those of Jerusalem and
Judea. (1:9, 14, 39; 3:7; 6:21;
9:30: 14:28; 15:41; 16:7.)
Galilee, Sea of. A beautiful
lake thirteen miles long from
north to south, and eight miles
wide at its greatest width, near
the north end. The Jordan River
flows into it from the north end,
and out again at the south. The
whole Jordan valley lies very low,
and the Sea of Galilee lies 682
feet below the sea-level, and even
more than this below the adja-
cent hills of Galilee. Partly be-
cause of this position, it is now,
and must always have been, sub-
ject to sudden and severe storms.
In ancient times there were
several flourishing cities on its
shores, particularly the western ;
the lake abounded in fish, and a
considerable business was carried
on upon its waters and along its
shores. No small part of Jesus'
evangelistic work in Galilee was
done on and near this body of
water. (1:16; 7:31.)
Gentiles. Nations, the term
applied by the Jews to other
peoples than Jews; sometimes
used with nearly the meaning
that we express by the word
" heathen," foreign people who
follow a false religion. (7 : 26 ; 10 :
33, 42.)
Gethsemane. A place, r.e., a
field or an estate, on the Mount
of Oliveg. The word means " the
oil press." The expression "Gar-
den of Gethsemane " does not oc-
cur in the New Testament, but
arises from the combination of
Mark 14:32 and John 18:1. The
traditional site of Gethsemane is
in a grove of very ancient olive
trees on the western slope of the
Mount of Olives, just above the
valley of the Kidron. (14 : 32.)
God, Kingdom of. See " King-
dom of God."
Golgotha. "Place of a Skull."
"Why the place of Jesus' crucifix-
ion was so called is not certainly
known. Three views are held:
(1) that it was derived from a
tradition that the skull of Adam
was preserved in the place; (2)
that it was so called because it
was the public place of execu-
tions and abounded with the
skulls of executed criminals; (3)
because Golgotha in some fashion
or other resembled a human
skull. The third is the most
generally accepted view, though
scholars are now inclined to
the first. There has been much
discussion as to the location
of Golgotha. It was outside
the " second " city wall (John
240 The Gospel according to Mark
19:20), but it is difficult to deter-
mine precisely where the wall
was then, A church called the
Church of the Holy Sepulcher
was centuries later built, and
still stands over the traditional
site, within the present city
walls. Many, however, think the
true site is north of the city, iust
outside of the present wall, a
skull-like hill in which is the so-
called Jeremiah's Grotto. (15 :22.)
Gospel. Good news, the facts
about Jesus and the kingdom of
God, which are good news to
men, because they tell them how
they may be saved. In modern
times the word is also used of
the book which contains the
story of Jesus' life ; but it is not
so used in the New Testament.
Even in the titles of our "gos-
pels," which were added by copy-
ists, not by the author, the book
is called, not "the Gospel of
Mark," etc., but " the Gospel ac-
cording to Mark," meaning "the
good news as recorded by Mark,"
etc. (1:1, 14, 15; 8:35; 10:29;
13:10; 14:9; 16:15.)
Halt. Having a halting gait;
lame. (9:45.)
Head of the Corner. The
corner-stone, which, binding to-
gether the two walls which meet
at the corner, occupies a place of
special prominence and impor-
tance. (12:10.)
Hell. The word so translated
in Mark 9:43, 45^ 47, is, in Greek,
Gehenna. This is in turn taken
from a Hebrew expression mean-
ing the valley of Hinnom. This
valley, lying on the south and
east of Jerusalem, was employed
as a place for the throwing of
refuse and the dead bodies of
animals and criminals. It is
supposed that fires were always
kept burning for the purpose of
consuming these bodies. But
whether so or not, the name
came by reason of the association
with it, to be used of the place
of the punishment of the wicked
after death, and in this sense it
is always used in our gospel. In
Matt. 5:22 it is called "the
Gehenna of fire." (9:43; 4:5;
4:7.)
Herod. Three men of the
name Herod are mentioned in tha
New Testament: (1) Herod the
Great, who when Jesus was born
(see Matt. 2:1) was, as he had
been for nearly forty years, king
of all Palestine (including Judea,
Samaria, Galilee, and the laid
east of the Jordan) ; he died in
the year 750 A. U. C, which ac-
cording to the established method
of reckoning is 4 B. C, but after
the birth of Jesus, the date of
which according to the same
method of reckoningissomewhere
between 7 and 4 B. C. (2) Herod
Antipas, son of Herod the Great,
and tetrarch of Galilee and
Perea^rom the death of his fath-
er in 4 B. C. to 39 A. D.; (3)
Herod Agrippa I., grandson of
Herod the Great and nephew of
Herod Antipas, who died in 44
A. D. (Acts 12 : 1, 21-23). The sec-
ond of these is spoken of in the
gospel of Mark. The title of King
given to him in 6 : 14 was probably
his simply by courtesy, his legal
title being tetrarch. Like all the
Herods, he held his government
subject to the consent of Rome.
Though less cruel than his brother
Archelaus (Matt. 2:22), and in
many respects a good ruler, he
was a man devoid of moral pur-
pose or principles. Politically
Jesus was a subject of Herod
Antipas, his home being in Gali-
lee. (6:14, 16, 17, 18, 20, 21, 22;
8:15.)
Herodians. Partisans of tl e
Herodian family. When Herod
the Great (see preceding article)
died his territory was divided
among his sons, who like their
father exercised their rule by
the permission and subject to the
higher power of Rome. Arche-
laus, who ruled in Judea, Sama-
ria, and Idumea, was deposed
after ten years for misrule, and a
Roman governor (procurator)
was put in his place. Thus when
Jesus was preaching, Pilate, a
Roman procurator, was in au-
thority in Judea, while Herod
Antipas, son of Herod the Great,
still ruled in Galilee. Many of
the Jews wished to throw off all
foreign rule and be independent
as they were in the days of David
DiOTIONAEY
241
and Solomon. Others preferred
the direct rule of Rome to that of
the Herods. The Herodians were
apparently — for we know but
little about them — those who fa-
vored the rule of the Herods.
(.3:6; 12:13.)
High-priest. At the head of
the great company of priests re-
quired for the carrying on of
the temple worship stood the
"anointed" priest (Lev. 4:3, 5,
16), or the "high-priest" (Lev.
21:10; Numb. 3.5:25, 28), who held
his office for life (as implied in
Numb. 3.5:25, 28), and was suc-
ceeded by his son (Lev. 16:32).
The duties of the office, as de-
scribed in the Old Testament,
were wholly religious (see, e. .gr.,
Lev., chap. 16, and cf. Heb. 9 :1 ff . ),
and the office was regarded as
hereditary in the family of Aaron.
But in the days of the Hasmo-
nean rulers (second century B. C.)
it passed into the family of the
Hasmoneans, being combined
with that of civil and military
ruler, but was still held for life
and passed from father to son.
Under the Herods, however, and
the Romans (see "Herodians")
the high-priest was appointed
and removed at the will of the
Herods or the Roman authorities.
The duties of the high-priest in
Jesus' time were partly religious
and partly governmental. He
was the presiding officer of the
Sanhedrin, and as such presided
at the trial of Jesus by the Jewish
authorities. (2:26; 14:47; 5,3, 54,
60, 61, 63, 66. See " Sanhedrin '*
and "Chief-priests.")
Hinnom. See "Hell.
Holy Spirit. The Spirit of God,
God as he manifests himself in
the hearts and to the minds of
men. (1:8; 3:29; 12: 36; 13:11.)
Hosanna. A Hebrew expres-
sion, meaning, " Oh save now,"
which came to be used in song or
praise services. (11 : 9, 10.)
House. The houses of the
poorer people of Palestine were
(and still are) of but one story,
and often of but a single room.
They were built of a mixture of
straw and mud plastered over a
frame work of posts and wicker
work. The walls and roof,
though a foot or more thick,
were not very hard, and so were
easily damaged by rains, and
could be easily dug through (see
Mark 2:4). The roof was fiat
and was reached by stairs run-
ning from the street. Such a
house would have but one door,
and the windows would be lat-
ticed, not glazed, and small, to
exclude the summer heat.
The roof of such a house was
used as a place of retirement
(Acts 10:9). Sometimes a booth
of boughs was built upon it in
summer. And again a more or
less substantial and permanent
roof might be placed over the
main roof of the house, giving a
large upper room (Mark 14:15),
or a walled chamber might be
built over a portion of it (2 Kings
4:2).
Houses of a better class were
built around a court, which was
reached from the street by a
passage-way between the rooms,
and closed at the street end by a
dooror doors as intheillustration,
GENERAL PLAN OF AN ORIENTAL
HOUSE BUILT ABOUT A COURT.
R
R
R
C
R
P
R
S
if
s
S: street. P; passageway from the street
to the court. G: gates. C: court, un-
roofed. R, R, R, R, R, rooms.
On this inner court all the
rooms opened, and from it they
gained their light and air.
Still more elegant houses would
have two or more such courts,
connected together; and would
242 The Gospel accoeding to Mark
be built in two stories, and of
stone.
(1:29; 2:1, 11, 15, 26; 3:20, 25,
27; 5:19, 35, 38; 6:4, 10; 7:17, 24,
30; 9: 28, 33; 10: 10, 29; 11: 17; 13:15,
34, a5; 14:3,14.)
Inheritance. Property re-
ceived, or to be received, by
transmission from a relative,
especially a father. In Mark
12:7 it denotes the property
which would fall to the son in
the parable, but which the ser-
vants thought to acquire by kill-
ing the heir. (12 : 7.)
James. The Gospel of Mark
speaks of three men who bore
this name: (1) James the son of
Zebedee and brother of John
(1:19, 29; 3:17; 5:37; 9:2; 10:35,
41; 13:3; 14:33); (2) James the
son of Alpheus, called also the
less (3:18; 15:40); and (3) James
the brother of Jesus (6:3).
Jericho. A city in the Jordan
valley, five miles west of the
river, about seven miles from the
Dead Sea, and 500 feet higher
than the latter, but 8(X) feet lower
than the Mediterranean. It must
always have been a very hot
place. It is often mentioned in
the Old Testament from the time
of its conquest by Joshua on. It
has been repeatedly destroyed,
and the modern town, called
Eriha. is not exactly on the site
of either the Old Testament or
the New Testament city. ( 10 : 46. )
John. The Gospel mentions
two persons of this name: (1)
John the Baptist (1:4, 6, 9, 14;
2:18; 6:14-25; 8:28; 11:30, 32);
and (2) John the son of Zebedee
(1:19, 29; 3:17; 5:37; 9:2,38; 10:
35,41; 13:3; 14:33).
Jordan Biver. The largest
stream in Palestine, and remark-
able among the rivers of the
world for running in so large a
part of its course below sea-level.
It is formed from the junction of
three streams, all of which flow
from springs on the slopes or at
the base of Mount Hermon. The
river descends rapidly to the Sea
of Galilee, which is 682 feet be-
low sea-level, and thence in a
winding and descending course
to the Dead Sea, which is nearly
1,300 feet below the sea-level.
The mountains on each side rise
far above sea-level. The river
thus runs in a deep valley, the
southern portion of which espe-
cially is extremely hot, from the
Sea of Galilee to the Dead Sea,
a muddy stream within banks
of mud. From its remotest
source to the Sea of Galilee is
about 35 miles ; from the Sea of
Galilee to the Dead Sea about 65
miles in an air-line, but much
farther as the river winds. (1 : 5,
9; 3:8; 10:1.)
Joseph of Arimathea. A
member of the Jewish Sanhedrin
who, though a disciple of Jesus,
feared to announce himself as
such. (See Matt. 27 : 57-60 ; Mark
15 : 42-46 ; Luke 23 : 50-53 ; John
19:38-42.)
Joses. Two men of this name
are mentioned in this Gospel : (1)
a brother of Jesus (G:3); (2) a
brother of James the less (15 : 40).
JudaSo Two men of this name
are mentioned in this Gospel: (1)
Judas Iscariot, one of the Twelve,
who also betrayed Jesus (3:19;
14:10, 43); (2) a brother of Jesus
(6:3).
Judea. The southern portion
of Palestine, bounded on the
north by Samaria, on the east by
Perea and the Dead Sea, on the
south by Idumea, and on the
west by the Mediterranean Sea.
Together with Idumea and Sama-
ria it was given by Herod the
Great to his son Archelaus, who
ruled it from 4 B. C. to 6 A. D. In
the latter year these territories
were made a Roman province
under a Roman procurator.
Jerusalem was its capital, and,
by reason of the presence in it of
the priests and scribes, its inhab-
itants were much more under the
control of the Jewish leaders
than those of Galilee. (1:5; 3:7;
10:1; 13:14.)
Kingdom of God. The reign
of God among men; that state of
human society in which God's
will is obeyed. In a sense the
" kingdom of God " has always
been in the world, since God has
always been present in the world
influencing men's hearts and
Dictionary
243
lives, and there have always been
men who have sought to do God's
will. But the prophets and pious
men of Israel were always hoping
for a time in which God's will
should be more fully done, and
men should be correspondingly
better and happier. It was this
better state of human society of
which Jesus spoke when he said
that the kingdom was near (1 :r2),
and to enter into the kingdom
meant to have part in it and its
blessings (10:15). Many of the
Jews of Jesus' day were looking
for the coming of the kingdom,
expecting it in connection with
the coming of the Messiah as a
civil ruler in Jerusalem. Some
emphasized the righteousness
with which he would rule, others
the material prosperity which he
would bring or his victory over
those whom they regarded as the
oppressors of the nation. But
probably none of them looked for
a kingdom so wholly moral and
spiritual in its aims as that which
Jesus came to found. (1:15;
4:11, 26,30; 9:1,47; 10:14,15,23,
24,25; 12:34; 14:25; 15:43.)
Xjamp. TheancientPalestinian
lamp was frequently only an
earthenware bowl in which olive
oil was poured; one end of a
twisted wick of flax was then in-
serted in the bowl and the other
lying on the edge of the bowl was
lighted. The bowl was sometimes
made with a closed top with two
openings, one in the center, and
one in the projecting end for the
wick. (4:21.) See the illustration,
p. 53.
Lamp-stand. The place for
setting the lamp, probably some-
times a projection on the wall or
the window-ledge, sometimes a
simple portable stand. (4 : 21. )
Leper. One afflicted with the
disease called leprosy, which,
though in its early stages not
easily distinguished from com-
paratively harmless skin diseas-
es, became ulcerous, painful, and
loathsome, and was almost al-
ways fatal. It was regarded as
contagious, and excluded the suf-
erer from society as well as made
him ceremonially unclean. (See
Lev., chaps. 13, 14.) (1:40; 14:3.)
Levi (2:14). See "Matthew."
Life. There ,are two different
words for life in the gospel of
Mark. One of them denotes ex-
istence according to the highest,
true ideal of existence for a moral
being— the state of being in which
men are what they ought to be
and enjoy what it is good and de-
sirable to enjoy. (9 : 43, 45 ; 10 : 17,
30.) It is life in this sense that
is eternal.
The other signifies that in man
which distinguishes him from a
dead or inanimate thing, and in
effect in certain connections in-
cludes all the energies and pow-
ers of a living being. (3:4; 8 : 35,
36,37; 10:45; 12:30; 14:34.)
In effect, though not m just
these words, Jesus says in 8:35,
36 ; 9 : 43, 45, that life in the latter
sense is to be sacrificed, if need
be, that we may enter into life in
the former sense. He himself
gave his life (in the second sense)
that he might give life (in the
first sense) to others ; and this too
he teaches his followers to do.
Locust. The term "locust,"
as used in the Bible, is a general
word for any insect of the family
to which our common grasshop-
per belongs, as well as the locusts
which occasionally sweep across
our western prairies, destroying
everything green before them.
The Arabs of today eat the locusts
prepared in various ways, espe-
cially fried in oil. Experiments
have shown that the grasshopper
of our western prairie is also eat-
able. The notion that the locusts
that John the Baptist ate were a
vegetable pod is an entire mis-
take. (1:6.)
Maimed. Crippled, mutilated
by the loss of some member of
the body. (9:43.)
Market-place. An open place
either on the edge of the town, at
the gate, or within the town,
where the people were accus-
tomed to assemble ; used for pub-
lic meetings and for the trans-
action of business, such as hiring
servants or laborers, buying, sel-
ling, etc. (6:56; 7:4; 12:38.)
Matthew. Called also Levi.
A publican (see the word " Pub-
244 The Gospel accoeding to Mark
lican" in this dictionary) who
became a disciple of Jesus and
was chosen as one of the Twelve
(3:18). It is to him that our first
Gospel is ascribed by ancient
tradition.
Mount of Olives. A hill lying
east of Jerusalem, from which it is
separated by the valley of the Kid-
ron. Being higher (2,600 to 2,824
feet above sea level) than the city
itself, from it one could look down
upon Jerusalem and the temple
(2,440 feet above sea level). On
its eastern slope was the village
of Bethany, having no view of the
city because of the intervening
ridge. On its western slope was
Gethsemane (see this word).
Three roads led from Bethany to
Jerusalem over the Mount of Ol-
ives. It was probably over the
southernmost of these that Jesus
entered the city in his triumphal
entry. (11:1; 13:3; 14:26.)
Myrrh. An aromatic gum that
exudes from a shrubby tree which
grows in Africa; used as a per-
fume, a medicine, and in the
preparation of a body for the
grave. (15:23.)
Nazareth. A city just north of
the plain of Esdraelon, amid the
h.lls of Galilee, still inhabited by
7,000 or 8,000 people, and known
as El-Nasira. The town was not
en any of the great roads of Pal-
estine, but the hills about com-
manded a wide and beautiful
view, including the plain of Es-
draelon, which with its surround-
ing hills was the scene of much
Old Testament history, the Medi-
terranean Sea with its ships, ard
the roads both north and south of
tne city, along which passed cara-
vans of trade, Roman armies, and
many travelers. (1:9, 24; 10:47.)
Offend. To cause to fall into
error or sin. To be offended is to
fall into error or sin. (4:17; 6:3;
9:42,43,45,47; 14:27,29.)
Ointment. Oil used for an-
ointing, usually perfumed. (14:
3, 4, 5.)
Palsy. Paralysis. A disease
which rendered one wholly or
partially unable to move. (2:3,
4, 5, 9, 10.)
Parables. A parable is a figure
of speech in which commonly ob-
served facts, or conceivable ex-
periences, are used to teach or
illustrate religious truths. (4 : 13,
i-O, 34; 7:17; 12:12; 13:23.)
Passover. One of the princi-
pal Jewish feasts, celebrated an-
nually in the spring (March or
April) in commemoration of the
deliverance of the people out of
Egypt under Moses. In New Tes-
tament times it was celebrated in
Jerusalem, people coming from
all parts of Palestine, and even
from more distant lands. The
lamb, itself called passover, was
slain in the temple by the priests,*
but thesupper was eaten at night,
each family in its own lodging.
The following is the probable
order of ceremonies : (1) blessing
of the first cup of wine ; (2) hand-
washing and prayer; (3) bitter-
herbs, dipped in a mixture of
fruit and vinegar, and eaten; (4)
second cup, in connection with
whi-h the father answers his
son's question about the meaning
of the feast; (5) singing of Pss.
113, 114, called (the first part of)
the Hallel; (6) sop (a bit of the
paschal lamb and bitter herb in
bread) dipped in vinegar and
eaten; (7) paschal lamb eaten;
(8) eating a piece of unleavened
bread; (9) third cup of wine; (10)
fourth cup; (11) singing of Ps.
115-118, the blessing in song. The
Fea'^t of Unleavened Bread ex-
tended through the six days fol-
lowing the passover (Lev. 23:5,
6: Deut. 16:8), and Mark 14:12
even reads as if the day on which
the passover Iamb was killed was
included in the days of unleav-
ened bread. It was forbidden to
eat leavened bread with the pass-
over, or even to have any in the
house during the days of the feast
(Exod. 13:7; Deut. 16:1-8). (14:1,
12,14,16.)
Penny, Thewordso translated
refers to the Roman denarius,
worth about 17 cents (12 : 15 ; 14 : 5).
See next word.
Pennyworth. What can be
bought for a denarius, which was
about a day's wages of a laborer ;
equivalent to 17 cents in American
money, but of course of much
Dictionary
245
greater purchasing power than
that sum with us, more nearly of
the value of a dollar. (6 : 37. )
Perea, The southern part of
the land east of the Jordan. In
the division of the kingdom of
Herod the Great after his death,
Perea and Galilee fell to Herod
Antipas, who received the title of
tetrarch.
Pharisees. A society or sect
of the Jews, which arose in tlie
second century before Christ was
born. The primary object of the
society was to keep Israel sepa-
rate ("Pharisee" means "sepa-
ratist") from the surrounding
heathenism and its own members
from everything defiling. To this
end they were very strict in ob-
serving the Mosaic law as their
scribes interpreted it, and the oral
law of the scribes known as the
"tradition of the elders." They
were the most influential portion
of the nation religiously, and
were looked up to as such even
by those who did not observe all
their customs. Unhappily they
were prone to despise others and
regard themselves alone as "the
righteous." (2:16, 18, 24; 3:6;
7:1,3,5; 8:11,15; 10:2; 12:13.)
Pilate. A Roman who was ap-
pointed procurator (governor) of
the Roman province of Judea,
which included not the whole of
Palestine, but Judea proper, Sa-
maria, and Idumea, in the year
26 A. D., and held office for ten
years, thus covering the period
of the public ministry of John
the Baptist and Jesus. "While
Jesus was in Galilee he was un-
der the jurisdiction of Herod An-
tipas, but passed under that of
Pilate when he came to Jerusa-
lem. (15 : 1, 2, 4, 5, 9, 12, 14, 15, 44.)
Pretorium. A name applied
to the palace of the governor of
a Roman province. (15 : 16.)
Preparation. As the narne of
a day of the week, "Preparation"
was applied by the Jews to Fri-
day, because on that day pious
Jews made ready for the sabbath,
which they observed on the day
we call Saturday. (15:42.)
Publican. A collector of cus-
toms. Galilee was in the time of
Jesus ruled by Herod Antipas,
subject to the general control of
the Romans. Herod's income
was probably derived largely
from customs, i. e., taxes paid on
goods carried into or out of the
country. The privilege of col-
lecting these customs was sold to
contractors, who were to turn
over a certain sum to Herod, and
must collect enough more to pay
themselves. These contractors in
turn sold to various persons the
right of collection in specific
places. As these men, too, had
to collect more than they paid in
order to get their own pay, the
system naturally led to extortion.
CSee John's words to the publi-
cans, Luke 3: 13.) This extortion,
as well as the fact that the publi-
cans, represented the government
of Rome (in Galilee indirectly,
since Herod Antipas was really
subject to Rome; in Judea di-
rect 'y, the Roman procurator
having the matter in charge), to
which many of the Jews felt it a
disgrace to be subject, made the
publicans hated and despised.
(2:15,16.)
Rabbi. A title by which the
Jews addressed their religious
teachers. The word is Hebrew
and means "my great one." (9:5;
11:21; 14:45.)
Rabboni. An Aramaic word
nearly equivalent to rabbi, and
meaning ^'my master." (10 : 51.)
Remisssion of sins. For-
giveness of sins, i. e., release of
the sinner from punishment, and
restor^ion to God's favor. (1:4.)
Repentance. Change of mind,
a turning away from a former
sinful life and turning to God in
a spirit of love and obedience.
(1:4.)
Resurrection. Rising from
the dead. Once in the New Testa-
ment (Heb. 11 : 35) the word is
used of the restoration to life of
certain Old Testament persons.
But aside from this passage it is
used of the rising of Jesus from
the tomb as an accomplished
fact, or of the future rising of
the dead. (12:18,23.)
Sabbath. The seventh day of
the week, reckoned from sun
246 The Gospel according to Maek
sct^ Friday to sunset Saturday,
waich by the law of Moses (Exod.
20:8-11; 31:15) was sacredly de-
voted to rest from every kind
of labor. Lator Jewish custom
made it also a day of public wor-
ship in the synagogue (see, for
example, Mark 1:21; Luke 4: 16).
In the days of Jesus the scribes
of the Pharisees insisted upon so
strict an abstinence from labor,
and upon the observance of so
many minute rules concerning
what could, and what could not,
be lawfully done on the sabbath,
as to make the day a burden
rather than a relief. To carry
any burden on the sabbath day
was forbidden (John 5:10; the
bed in this case was probably
only a light mattress), or to
pluck heads of grain and rub
them in the hand, this being re-
garded as including reaping,
threshing, and winnowing (Mark
2:23, 24), or to do anything for
the relief of the sick that could
possibly be delayed till the sab-
bath was past (Luke 13:10-14;
Mark 3:1-6). With these inter-
pretations of the will of God re-
specting the sabbath Jesus did
not agree, teaching instead that
the sabbath was made for man
(Mark 2:27, 28) and that it was
pleasing to God that it be used
for doing deeds of kindness to
one's feWow-men. (2:27, 28; 3:2,
4; 6:2; 15:42; 16:1.)
Sadducees. A party among
the Jews, who in many things
were opposed to the Pharisees,
but fundamentally in thig that,
while the aims and ideals of the
Pharisees were religious, those
of the Sadducees were political.
The high-priests, who since the
days of the Hasmonean princes
(second century B. C.) had been
rulers as well as priests, and
whose interest in religion was al-
most wholly on the formal side
of the temple worship, were
mostly Sadducees, and the party
represented the aristocracy of
the high-priests and ruling class,
as against the Pharisees who
stood for orthodoxy in religious
thought and strictness in reli-
gious life. The Sadducees re-
fused to be bound by the oral
"tradition of the elders," holding
that only the written law of
Moses was binding, and rejected
the belief, which the Pharisees
held, in the existence of angels,
spirits, and the resurrection of
the dead. (12:18.)
Sanhedrin. A council or court
of the Jews, which, originating
at an unknown time, but proba-
bly in a period when the Jews
had a measure of independence,
continued to exist and to exer-
cise a certain degree of author-
ity under the Herods and the
Roipans. It is said to have
contained seventy-one members.
These were called "elders," and
were largely chief-priests and
scribes. In the time of Jesus the
high-priest was president of the
Sanhedrin, and the^ Sadducean
influence predominated, though
both Pharisees and Sadducees
were included in the member-
ship. As a court the Sanhedrin
was practically t he supreme court
of the nation, and its decisions
were binding on all Jews. But at
just about the time of Jesus' pub-
lic ministry the Roman authori-
ties had forbidden them to exe-
cute a death sentence without
the consent and approval of the
Roman governor (procurator) of
Judea. Thus, though the Sanhe-
drin could try Jesus, they could
not put him to death till Pilate
had approved their sentence.
(13:9; 14:55; 15:1.)
Satan. The evil spirit, called
also the devil (Matt. 4:8, 10), who
is spoken of in the New Testa-
ment as tempting men to sin
(Matt. 4:1, 10), and hindering
them in their plans for good
(1 Thess. 2:18). The word itself
means "adversary," as the word
"devil" means "slanderer." Cf.
"Beelzebub" and "Devil." (1:13;
3:23,26; 4:15; 8:33.)
Scribes. Professional teachers
of the Jewish law. Most of them
belonged to the society of the
Pharisees, and accordingly laid
great emphasis, in their teach-
ing, on the minute requirements
of the oral law. See unaer "Phari-
sees." (1:22; 2:6,16; 3:22; 7:1,5;
8:31 ; 9: 11, 14; 10: 33; 11: 18, 27; 12:
28, 32, 35, 38; 14:1, 43, 53; 15:1,31.)
DiCTIONAKY
247
Sea of Galilee. See "Galilee,
Sea of."
Shewbread, The regulations
of the tabernacle and of the tem-
ple required that once a week on
the sabbath two rows of six loaves
should be placed on the table in
the holy place, thus "before Je-
hovah." The loaves which were
removed when new ones were pro-
vided were eaten by the priests,
who alone were permitted to eat
them. (See Lev. 24:5-9; Exod.
25:30; 1 Sam. 21:4-6.) (2:26.)
Sidon. An ancient city of
Phoenicia on the Mediterranean
coast (see the map), about
twenty-five miles north of Tyre
and sixty miles or more from the
Sea of Galilee. The inhabitants
were, of course, gentiles. The
city is spoken of in Egyptian re-
cords as early as 1500 B. C. ; in the
Old Testament (Gen. 10:19, etc.),
and by Homer in the Iliad and
Odyssey. (3:8; 7:24,31.)
Sign. A material proof of a
spiritual mission ; something
presented to the senses that
proves the existence of some-
thing else, not presented to the
senses. (8:11, 12; 13:4.)
Sin. Conduct whether of
thought or outward action, that
does not conform to God's right-
eous will, the standard that he
hasset for men. The word is used
in this Gospel in 1 : 4, 5 ; 2 : 5, 7, 9,
10 ; 3 : 28, 29 ; but sin is spoken of
without the use of the word in
other passages, such as 7:6-8, 20-
23; 10:21,22; 12:15; 16:16.
Son of David. Some of the
Old Testament passages which
express, or on which were based,
the messianic hope of the Jews
(see " Christ " in this dictionary)
predict that the deliverer of
Israel shall be a son of David
(see2Sam.7:14; Jer.23:5; 33:15).
From this fact "theSon of David "
came to be a recognized title of
the expected Messiah. Thus in
a ijsalm written by a Pharisee
about sixty years before Jesus
was born the psalmist prays:
"Behold, O Lord, and faise up
unto them their King, the Son of
David, in the time which thou, O
God, knowest, that he may reign
over Israel, thy servant." (10:47;
12:35.)
Son of God. This expression
is used both in the Old Testament
and in the New to describe a per-
son or a people as sustaining
some one or more of the relations
which a son sustains to a father.
In the gospel of Mark it is ap-
plied only to Jesus, and describes
him either as the special object
of God's approving love, or as
the one who is God's representa-
tive to men, or, with a union of
both these ideas, God's beloved
whom he made his representative
to men (see 1:1, 11; 3:11; 9:7;
14:61; and especially 12:6). In
designating Jesus as God's rep-
resentative, it approaches the
meaning of "Christ;" yet the
latter term is kingly; "Son of
God " is filial. On the excep-
tional usage in 15:39 see the
notes on that passage. (1:1,11;
3:11; 9:7; 12:6; 14:61.)
Son of Man. A title by which
Jesus often spoke of himself, but
which others never seem to have
used in addressing him. By it he
probably expressed his own con-
sciousness of being in the full
sense of the word man, all that
God intended man to be, doing
those things and suffering those
things which it is the part of man
to do_ and to suffer. With this
consciousness was doubtless con«
nected his recognition of himself
as Messiah; but "Son of Man"
was probably not a recognized
equivalent of Messiah. (2 : 10, 28 ;
3:31, 38; 9:9, 12, 31; 10:33,45; 13:
26; 14:21,41, 62.)
Sons of the bridecliamber.
Those special friends of the
bridegroom whose office it was
to see that the wedding passed
oft" pleasantly. (2:19.)
Spikenard. A kind of fragrant
oil or ointment derived from an
East Indian plant, and highly
prized among the ancients. (14:3).
Stumble. To fall away from
the right path through encoun-
tering an obstacle; to fall into
sin. (4:17; 6:13; 9:42, 43, 45, 47;
14:27,29.)
Synagogue. The Jewish place
of worship in all cities and villages
248 The Gospel according to Mark
in which Jews were numerous.
It should be clearly distinguished
from the temple, which was lo-
cated in Jerusalem. The wor-
ship of the synagogue included
no sacrifices or offering of in-
cense, but consisted of prayers,
reading of Scripture, and often a
sermon. The service was in
charge of the " ruler of the syna-
gogue" (Luke 13:14), or of the
rulers (Mark 1:22; Acts 13:15),
who, however, called upon others
to take the various parts in the
service, viz., to recite the prayers,
to read the Law and the Prophets,
and to make an address or ser-
mon. (See especially the ac-
counts in Luke 4 : 16-22 and Acts
13:14-16.) (1:21,39; 12:39; 13:9.)
Syrophoenician. A descend-
ant of the Phoenicians of Syria,
as distinguished from those or
Africa. (7:26.)
Temple. The splendid build-
ing in Jerusalem which was the
center of Jewish worship, where
all sacrifices were offered, and
where priests were continually in
attendance, performing the rites
and ceremonies required by the
Levitical law. It was quite dis-
tinct from the synagogues, of
which there were many, at least
one in almost every town, and
which were places, not for the
offering of sacrifices and the
burning of incense, but for the.
reading of Scripture and the ex-
position of the law. The temple
of Jesus' day was not that built
by Solomon, nor that rebuilt by
Zerubbabel, but a restoration
and enlargement of the older
building begun in the reign of
Herod the Great. (11: 11, 15, 16,
27; 12:35; 13:13; 14:49, 58; 15:29,
38.)
Tomb. The Jews did not burn
the bodies of the dead (save in
the case of exceptional criminals,
Lev. 20:14), but buried them.
Though many must have been
buried in graves dug in the
ground (see Luke 11:44), yet the
tombs spoken of in the gospels
are almost all either in a cave
(John 11: 38), or cut in the rock.
(5:2, 3, 5; 6:29; 15:46; 16:2, 3, 5
8.)
Tradition of the elders.
The body of teachings and us-
ages that had gradually grown
up among the Pharisees. See
also under "Pharisees." (7:3,
5; c/. 7:5, 8, 9.)
Transfigured. Changed in
appearance. (9:2.)
Tyre. An ancient city of
Phoenicia on the Mediterranean
coast, often mentioned in the Old
Testament. Its inhabitants were,
of course, gentiles. It was fa-
mous in ancient time for the
manufacture of glass, and of cer-
tain crimson and purple dyes,
and for its maritime commerce.
(3:8; 7:24, .31.)
Unbelief. Lack of trust orcon-
fidence. In the Gospel of Mark
the word refers to the refusal of
Jesus' countrymen to recognize
him for what he was, and to trust
in him (6:6), to the lack of com-
plete confidence in Jesus' power
to render needed help (9:24), and
to the slowness of the disciples to
accept the testimony that Jesus
, had risen from the dead. See
also "Faith."
Unleavened bread. Bread
made without yeast. The law
required that no other kind
should be used during the
Feast of the Passover and of
Unleavened Bread. (14:1, 12.)
See "Passover" in this dictionary.
Wallet. A small leather sack
for possessions. (6:8.)
Watch of the night. The
Romans divided the night into
four watches of about three hours
each: from 6 to 9, from 9 to 12,
from 12 to 3, from 3 to 6. The
Jews in earlier times reckoned
three watches, but in the New
Testament period followed the
Romans in making four. (6 : 48.)
Wilderness. An uninhabited
region of country. (1 : 3, 4, 12, 13.)
Wine-skins. Bottles or sacks
made of the skins of animals and
used to hold wine and other
liquids. (2:22.)
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