RELIGIOUS EDUCATION - COURSEWORK ASSIGNMENT

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Laura Mackie

BISHOP ULLATHORNE CATHOLIC SCHOOL

RELIGIOUS EDUCATION – COURSEWORK ASSIGNMENT

YEAR 10

AO1   1a) Explain what a study of St mark’s Gospel can tell                                 Christians about the nature of discipleship. (16 marks)

Discipleship is important theme in Mark’s gospel. It is as important for Christians today as it was for the first twelve disciples of Jesus. Discipleship comes from a Latin word meaning “ learner ”, not only of theoretical knowledge but also he is one who learns by putting into practice the principles of his teacher. Jesus was a teacher and his first followers learnt from him. Jesus chose his disciples to learn how to be his followers and how to give their lives to service for others, he warned them that like him they had to be willing to die and to find life they had to be willing to loose it. He told them that to be a disciple required not only learning from him but from his example. Being a disciple meant new beliefs, new values and a completely different way of life in which apparent success meant failure and apparent failure meant success.

Jesus chose twelve disciples because there were to stand for the twelve tribes in Israel, he and they together were to inaugurate the Kingdom of God on Earth. Jesus chose ordinary men to be his followers as supposed to those who might be expected to represent Israel such as religious leaders. They were now to be Jesus’ representatives in the new Israel.

The first four were just fishermen. In Mark’s Gospel 1: 16 – 20 we are told how Jesus chose them, the brothers Simon and Andrew and James and John. He called them away from the lakeside where they were mending their nets and said,

“I will make you fishers of men” (Mark 1: 17). At once they followed him. But why did Jesus choose fishermen? It was probably because they each shared qualities that Jesus liked.

They had patience, as they often fished at night, usually for long periods of time and sometimes they caught nothing. This would be a helpful quality in spreading the good news because it would mean they would be patient towards people, waiting for them to understand, rather than them getting angry with someone who needed a longer amount of time to accept the good news.

They had courage, well, they must have done because the Sea of Galilee was not a safe place, the sea could sometimes be very rough and it was

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very dangerous. Having courage would help them to be brave, to go out and preach Jesus’ teaching and to help them to stand up for what they believed was right.

They also had common sense; they were hands on people with a no nonsense attitude. Jesus felt their sensible practical manner would assist him in organising his travels, preaching and contact with the masses. Jesus was on a mission and journey to spread the Good News and therefore needed skilful helpers.

Jesus saw these qualities and saw their potential. He did not choose them because they were particularly religious or good; he just saw them as who they were. From that point on, they would no longer work for themselves; they would work and serve Jesus, drawing others into the fellowship in which each could find his real self in helping others.

Not only did Jesus surprisingly choose fishermen to be his disciples he also chose Matthew the tax collector. It is often overlooked how amazing it was that Jesus persuaded for example Simon the Zealot who was a revolutionary fighting against Rome to work together with the tax collector. It was due to Jesus’ powerful personality and sense of purpose that brought them together. He had charisma, as he was the Son of God. It is lesson to us all in human relationships.

After choosing the twelve Jesus gave them authority to share in his work of teaching and healing. Now the twelve apostles were ready to join with his work. They were helping to bring the Kingdom of God to earth by sharing in what Jesus did. We know this is important for Mark because he thinks of the apostles as the beginning of the church, the new people of God.

In Mark 6: 7 Jesus gives the disciples instructions about their journey (Mk 6: 8-11) they are to travel in the simplest way they can: with sandals and a stick, but without money, a beggars bag, food or extra clothes. They must not stay anywhere for to long or waste time on people who will not listen to them. Jesus also tells the apostles that if they are not welcomed into a town they must shake its dust of their feet when they leave it            (V 11). This is interesting because it is what the Jews did when they returned to Palestine after being in gentile country. They shook off the dust of a place that was unclean to make sure that they did not defile God’s people when they went back to them. But the people the apostles were going to visit were Jews. Mark wants his readers to understand that times have change with the journey of the apostles. What matters now is not whether or not you are a Jew; but whether you accept the teaching of

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the apostles, who bring with them the news about Gods’ Kingdom. By shaking the dust of their feet the apostles are to warn people that they could be left outside it. Mark wants his readers to be glad that they have heard and received the apostles teaching passed on to them.

The tasks they were given to do was in three parts –

  1. To preach repentance
  2. To cast out devils
  3. To anoint the sick                                       ...

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