Put on your spiritual running shoes!   Mark begins his Gospel with urgent news, “Prepare the way of the Lord!”  He’s bursting with good news.  There’s an air of breathless excitement.  There’s no fancy narrative, no prologue, no genealogy – Mark jumps right in with the message.

Mark’s uses a story-telling style to tell this action-packed story of the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus.  It’s good news and he wants the Gentiles to know just how good it is!  Mark tells parables, miracles, and controversies.  Jesus is a man on the move; Mark focuses on his power.  As he tells the stories, he often includes more details than the other gospels. 

If you compare the original-language word count, Mark’s is the shortest of the gospels.  It’s also the oldest of the four gospels.  Mark makes no attempt to present a historical, chronological, or biographical record.  He tells the stories, likely the way Peter preached them in Rome. Writing to Gentile readers, he doesn’t assume that his readers would be familiar with the language common in Palestine.  When he uses an Aramaic term, he explains it.  Mark made the Good News come alive for his readers.

Can we follow Mark’s lead?   We don’t need deep theology and doctrine here.  We have Good News.  We know the power and love of Jesus seen in his marvelous acts.  We’ve experienced the power of Jesus in our own lives.  We’ve felt his love.  (It’s unconditional, remember?)   Like Mark, we can share this Good News! 

Judy