Readings for the Day
Psalms 41, 44, 52
Genesis 37: 1-11
I Corinthians 1: 1-19
Mark 1: 1-13
The beginning of the good news of Jesus Christ, the Son of God (Mark 1:1)
The Gospel of Mark is unique among its close brethren, Matthew and Luke. Mark was written first (65-70 A.D.). Matthew and Luke made use of Mark when writing their gospels. Because of this, the three gospels are called the synoptic gospels, meaning that they are similar to each other (syn means "with"; optic means "to see", i.e. "to see with").
However, unlike the other two, Mark has no infant narrative and no genealogy. Instead, in these first 13 verses we move quickly through the account of John the Baptist, the baptism of Jesus, and then his temptation in the wilderness. Mark wastes no time moving into Jesus' Galilean ministry and his journey to Jerusalem. It is the shortest of the four gospels and the one with the least amount of extraneous stories and accounts, because Mark is almost single-minded in his focus on Jesus' journey to the cross.
For Mark, it is the cross that most fully defines Jesus as messiah. This seeming act of defeat, the crucifixion, is actually victory; victory over sin, over the power of death, and over all the forces that seek to dominate and claim superiority in this world.
At the time of Jesus, the term gospel referred to the good news of Roman military victories abroad. However, in an act of defiance, Mark claims this designation, gospel/good news for Jesus' victory over sin, death, and yes, even the Roman empire. And all the other gospels followed suit!
Victorious God, may the cross be an ever-present reminder to us of your power, your love, and your grace. Amen.
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