The Gospel was written in Greek originally but it contains some Aramaic words which Jewish Christians would understand. But non-Jewish Christians would not have been able to read these Aramaic words. Mark explains what these words mean in Greek which suggests that he was writing for non-Jewish. Jewish customs such as Corban were also explained in Mark’s Gospel, this furthers the suggestion that Mark was writing for non-Jewish that were being persecuted at the time of Nero.
The parables told by Jesus in Mark’s Gospel appear to be describing persecution and trying to give the people hope. In Mark 4:16-20 people are described as seeds. Those that fall in the good soil hear the word and take it for what it is. They prosper and grow to produce many more times the original. Others fall in the barren soil or on the rocks, hearing the word, but the meaning becomes strangled and corrupted. In Mark 4:35-41, the calming of the storm, the persecution of the Christians. Could be conveyed as a great storm, and maybe the story is trying to say that their faith would get them through the storm safely. The storm featured in the story could be seen by the Christians facing persecution at the time of the mass executions and the story could be telling them that if they kept their faith then Jesus would help them though the time of difficulty.
In the gospel of Mark 6 out of the 16 chapters are about Jesus’ final weeks of life, his eventual death and finally his resurrection. This is to show people how much suffering Jesus underwent for his beliefs and to show them that are not alone in there suffering.
a)iii) Explain how the example of Jesus might help Christians facing persecution today.
All around the world Christians are being persecuted and are being made to suffer for what they believe in. The example of Jesus, who suffered greatly at the end of his life, gives Christians of today hope.
In the gospels we see Jesus’ humanity, we see him as a normal human rather than the Son of God. There are two parts of the gospel where we see this the most. First in the garden of Gethsemane, wee see Jesus as a man who is afraid of death just like any other person, we see him ask God to take away his suffering and not to let him die. This shows how any other Christian facing death suffered the same as Jesus. This shows that if Jesus could get through the suffering because of his faith and this helps Christians in there worst suffering.
Jesus came in to conflict with authority many times throughout his life. When he came into conflict with the Pharisees in a synagogue, shortly before the Pharisees started to plot Jesus’ death, the Pharisees accused him of breaking the law of the Jewish Sabbath. A man came to Jesus with a shrivelled hand and asked Jesus to heal him. If he healed the man then the Pharisees would accuse him of working on the Sabbath which was against the Jewish Law. When Jesus asked whether it was right to do good or evil on the Sabbath the Pharisees were stubborn and would not reply even though they new that Jesus was right and Jesus then healed the man. When Jesus was faced with conflict he did not back down, even if the consequences were death, he stood up for what he believed in. Jesus did not go looking for trouble, the trouble came looking for him.
In the calming of the storm Jesus is sleeping at the stern and the disciples cry out to him for there help. Jesus was testing there faith because even though he seem asleep he was still protecting and helping them though the storm. This story is telling Christians no to lose faith because even though it may seem as if god has deserted them he is still there to protect and help through their suffering and he is never ignoring them.
b) ‘Christians today are not prepared to suffer as Jesus did’
I do not agree with this statement because many people who are Christians and openly say they are have to suffer the ridicule of the people around them. Many people and bullied and made fun of because they are a Christian. Other people are imprisoned for what they believe in. In many countries governments put people in prison for their Christian beliefs. For example Dr. Sheila Cassidy was imprisoned and beaten just as Jesus had as is stated in Mark 15:16-20, for carrying out her beliefs. As a doctor she saw that it was her duty to care for the sick and injured no matter what they had done or what they believed even when they were the enemy of government and treating them would cost her dear. Also Nelson Mandela was imprisoned for most of his life in South Africa for campaigning for the abolishment of the apartheid, the apartheid has since been abolished and Nelson Mandela is now one of the most famous people in the world.
Members of the Christian belief such as nuns and monks also suffer for they’re faith. They do just as the disciples of Jesus did as is stated in Mark10:21, they all give up they’re money and possession. On top of that they give up all of their family and take a vow of poverty so long as they are a nun or a monk.
Many Christians have been prepared to give up their lives; just a Jesus did, for the Christian religion. Martin Luther King is such a person. He fought for equal rights for black people in the United States of America. His belief that black people should have exactly the same rights as white people was based on Christianity. He read the words of the bible and put them into practice. Sadly he was assassinated, but his work was not in vain because what he strove for, simple things like being able to sit anywhere on a bus and not being pushed behind white people in queues, are now a reality in the United States of America. Archbishop Oscar Romeo of El Salvador was assassinated while celebrating the Eucharist. He spoke out for the people who had no voice, the poorest of the poor. He spoke out against the regime that kept the poor, poor and used violence to stay in control. Both of these men did as Jesus said in Mark 834, they took up his cross and were willing to die.
Some people may agree with the statement because ordinary Christians of today, in countries such as England or America, do not suffer as the Christians of the age of Nero. They do not suffer persecution for they’re beliefs. They do not have to give up all of their possession and money to be a Christian as nuns or monks do.
Today it is considered by many that all that you have to do to be a Christian is to follow the most important commandment of them all-‘Love thy neighbour and thy God.’ Many people are not prepared to suffer and die for their Christians beliefs. All people, Christian or not, have to suffer the death of loved ones, so Christians of today do have to suffer just as Jesus did.
