RS Coursework – Mark’s Gospel and Discipleship        

Religious Studies Coursework: Mark’s Gospel and Discipleship

A – Explain what a study of Mark’s Gospel can tell Christians about the nature of Discipleship.

Discipleship is a very prominent issue throughout Mark’s Gospel. In the opening chapter of his Gospel, Mark recounts the calling of the first disciples (114-20), and the disciples’ mission is explained by Jesus at His Ascension at the very end of the Gospel (1615-18). So discipleship is a key subject of the Gospel, representing its importance as an issue for all Christians.

One part of the nature of discipleship examined in Mark’s Gospel is the idea of being called to discipleship. Jesus literally calls His first disciples: Simon, Andrew, James and John, saying “Come, follow me, and I will make you fishers of men” (117). This shows Christians Jesus’ great power and authority, to cause the first disciples to leave everything for Jesus. Christians should understand this, and take from it that Jesus calls His disciples into various forms of discipleship.

The next idea that a Christian can take from Mark’s Gospel is that of mission in discipleship. Jesus sends His disciples out with a very clear mission: to go out in pairs, with nothing but a staff, sandals and only one tunic. If they were welcomed into a house, they should stay there for the duration of their time in that place; and if they were welcome, they should shake the dust of their sandals as they leave. They were sent out to preach repentance, anoint the sick and perform exorcisms (67-13). This tells Christians that having a specific mission is essential for discipleship. It also shows the need to depend on God, as the disciples were to carry nothing except the bare essentials.

Another important aspect of discipleship explored in Mark’s Gospel is that of the cost of discipleship. Jesus teaches in the Gospel that anyone that wants to be His follower “must leave self behind and take up his cross” in following Him (834). To leave self behind means that any disciple of Jesus must have no care in the world except for God. This means that all rights and privileges, all signs of status should be worthless – the only thing that matters is God. Another theme of discipleship is that a disciple must “take up his cross”, which means one must be willing to do anything, including dying, for one’s faith. A disciple must be willing to pay the ultimate price, following in Jesus’ footsteps.

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On the contrary, even though there is a cost involved, there can also be rewards. These will not be earthly rewards, as in life discipleship will cost, but will be the reward of eternal life. Jesus says that anyone who has given up something important for the Gospel will get all the more in eternal life – “many who are first will be last, and the last first” (1029-31). This shows Christians that though the nature of discipleship is hard in life; in eternal life a disciple can be rewarded.

Having said that, discipleship should never be undertaken solely ...

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