Marks gospel shows that Jesus has power and authority over humans. While he was walking along the Shore of Lake Galilee he calls to two fishermen
“Come follow me and I will make you fishers of men” and they immediately dropped their nets and followed him. This shows that Jesus has the authority to call these men in such a way that they respond immediately. The other 10 people that Jesus called to follow him had the same reactions and immediately left their families, jobs, possessions and money behind them to follow Jesus. Throughout Jesus’ life of being a preacher the apostles denied him, protraited him, failed him and desired him, and yet Jesus still forgived them, this gives today’s Christians hope of getting accepted as a disciple of Jesus. Jesus choose ordinary people to be his apostles, he choose fishermen and taxmen. Peter, James and John become close to Jesus and Jesus brought them when they go to the top of the mountain where the most important thing that happened in his life, the transfiguration (Mk 9:2-8). Jesus also puts his trust in them to keep a look out for guards in the gardens of Gethsemane (Mk 14:32-42) as he went off to pray by himself and they fell asleep. This shows that Jesus had great trust in his disciples.
The disciples were called apon to go out and preach the good of God to all, drive demons out from peoples bodies, Jesus told them;
“Take nothing for the journey except a staff - no bread, no money in your belts. Wear sandals but not an extra tunic. Whenever you enter a house, stay there until you leave that town. And if any place will not welcome you or listen to you, shake the dust off your feet as a testimony against them.” (Mk 6:8-11).
With discipleship and becoming an apostle there was going to be costs. Jesus said;
“If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake, and for the sake of the gospel, lose their life for the sake of the gospel will save it. For what will it profit them to gain the whole world and forfeit their life? Indeed, what can they give in return for their life? Those who are ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of them the Son of Man will also be ashamed when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.” (Mk 8:34-38). With all costs their will be rewards. Jesus said;
“Truly I tell you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields, for my sake and for the sake of the good news, gospel who will not receive a hundredfold now in this age—houses, brothers and sisters, mothers and children, and fields, with persecutions—and in the age to come eternal life. But many who are first will be last, and the last will be first.” This shows Christians that no matter how much you give up u will get a hundred times more in the after life.
Marks gospel tells Christians today that discipleship is all about following Jesus, and to go out and preach the good news of God and if we do this and also give up our families and worldly possessions we will receive 100 times more in the life to come.
