Although the Christian persecutions could have taken many more lives it is still a true disaster due to the sheer brutality that occurred.
A (ii) Explain why some people think that Mark’s Gospel was written for non-Jews facing persecution?
There are many factors that lead people to believe Mark was writing for the Christians being persecuted under Nero. These factors include where Mark was actually writing at the time, the language in which the gospel was written, the content that is written in the gospel – what specific events Mark writes about and what particular events he focuses on.
Firstly it is suspected that Mark is writing in Rome. The main piece of evidence that backs this up is when Peter is quoted as saying ‘ The chosen one at Babylon sends you greeting as does Mark my son’. At that time ‘Babylon’ was interpreted as a code word for Rome. If this was the case and Mark was writing in Rome it is very likely he was writing for the Christians under persecution.
If Mark was writing for non- – Jews then there would have to be many translations and explanations of the language and events. This is because many Jewish sayings are wrote in Aramaic, all of which need to be translated to Greek for the Christians. Examples of this are seen in 5:41 where Jesus brings a dead girl back to life. Jesus says ‘Talitha kum’ which is translated into Greek as ‘ Little girl, I say to you, get up’. In 15:34 a pivotal part of the gospel has to be translated from Aramaic. When on the cross on the ninth hour Jesus cries ‘Eloi, Eloi, Lama Sabachthiani’ meaning ‘My God my God why have you forsaken me?’ Mark also describes many Jewish customs in his gospel, one of which is in 15:42-43: ‘When evening had already come, because it was the preparation day, that is, the day before the Sabbath, Joseph of Arimathea came.’
Along with where Mark actually was at the time and the language translations and Jewish custom explanations he had to use, it can be also be seen that the events he described. If Mark was writing for people about to be persecuted then he would obviously want to have a calming effect on the Christians, something that would have to be reflected in what he talks about. The calming of the storm is a good example of this. Some people think this story is a representation of the persecutions happening in Rome. The boat represents the church and the storms represent the persecutions. Those inside the church (the Christians) need to have faith in God in order for them to overcome the persecutions. With help from God the storm is put to an end.
In conclusion to the question there are many reasons why people believe that Mark’s gospel was intended for Christians facing persecution. There is evidence of this throughout the gospel particularly towards the end where Mark focuses on the death of Jesus often as he himself is facing persecution.
A (iii) Explain how the example of Jesus might help Christians facing persecution today.
When first looking at this question Christian persecutions aren’t seen as a common occurrence in today’s world. There are persecutions of Christians just not on the same scale that was seen around the time of Jesus. Most severe persecution gets little recognition and is kept from the public nowadays. However quite severe persecutions take place in much of South East Asia, Sudan and Iraq. Even closer to home in Northern Ireland Christians have turned on Christians in a Catholic v Protestant battle where may lives have been lost and tension are only starting to go down. Even though the perfect solution would be to stop all persecutions around the world, it is a very far off solution. One near convenient factor however is that Marks gospel is thought to have been written for Christians facing persecution.
One thing that might help Christians facing persecution is the fact that even though Jesus was the Son of God, he was still a human being. He was bound to go through all the emotions of a person as demonstrated in the gospel. Examples of this can be seen in 11:15 ‘Jesus clears the temple’. Here he shows anger at the fact the temple – the house of God has been turned into a market place. In ‘The feeding of the five thousand’ 6:30, he shows pity for those who needed food as Mark writes ‘he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd’. Even in 4:35 ‘The calming of the storm’ at the start of the story Jesus is described as sleeping with his head on a cushion. All of these accounts act as a reminder that Jesus was a person who still did the most human things.
For Christians facing persecution there is little they can do to fight back. However if they could they should as the gospel shows Jesus who faced persecution never avoided conflict. In the gospel there are palaces Jesus doesn’t avoid conflict. By saying he is The Son of God he uses words not violence to defend himself. As well as defending himself Jesus challenges many wrongdoings. This could encourage Christians facing persecution to do the same.
It is imaginable that there is little that can be done in countries where persecutions are imminent but hope is offered in the gospel. It shows that death for religion needs courage and bravery along with the words; ‘If you take your cross and follow me – the reward is external life’. This puts across the fact that dying for Christianity is something Jesus was perhaps intent on Christians doing.
B ‘Christians today are not prepared to suffer as Jesus did’. Do you agree? Give reasons for your answer, showing that you have considered another point of view. You should also refer to Mark’s gospel in your answer.
This statement is something that surely is not considered by many ‘Christians’ today. I for one certainly don’t feel I have ever had to suffer for being a Christian or ever will. But why is this? There are several answers, many of which come from different perspectives. In my answer I will talk about my own personal opinion, what others over time have done concerning Christian suffering. I will also be referring to Mark’s gospel.
Firstly looking at the statement it can be seen as quite presumptuous. From a personal point of view and many others who live in a predominantly Christian country, it’s not a case of not being prepared to suffer, but actually not having the chance to suffer. Around and shortly after the time of Jesus, Christianity was swamped by the superior Judaism and polytheism of the Romans. This is what made it so easy for Nero and others to single the religion out. However, nowadays Christianity is the largest religious group in the world. It dominates much of the western world and there are only a few places Christians are suffering and are actually prepared to do this.
The reason why many Christians don’t suffer could be put down to the reference in the Gospel that says Christians are called in different ways with different vocations. In the ‘Parable of the sower’ Jesus talks about how seeds fall in different places and how each seed copes with where they land. This is applied to Christians, when Jesus says ‘When trouble or persecution comes because of the world were suffering takes place.’ Jesus goes on to say ‘Others, like seed grown on good soil, here the word accept it, and produce a crop’. This can be seen to be the places where Christianity is dominant. In simple terms it’s just a case of where you are that determines your job for Christianity.
Maybe not all Christians are willing to put their neck on the line for their faith, but over the years there have been those that have died for their faith. One famous example is Maximillian Kolbe a catholic priest who under Nazi rule was forced into a concentration camp. Kolbe suffered all of this because of his faith. During one day in which ten prisoners were to be executed, Maximillian Kolbe volunteered to take the place of one of the condemned. By taking the man’s place he saved his life but effectively ended his in the process. Kolbe died days later from a lethal injection and has recently been made a saint. This is just one case of Christian suffering and certainly doesn’t make the whole Christian population willing to suffer but it shows there are some. There are many other famous cases I could of chosen who died for Christianity.
However all part of being a Christian is to follow Jesus and admire what he did for us. If this is the case maybe we should be suffering like he did. Jesus went through both mental and physical pain on the cross and beforehand. In John’s gospel Jesus says, ‘no greater love hath a man than if he lays down his life for someone else’. Bearing this in mind Christians should be laying down their lives for Jesus. But again this comes down to actually having the chance to do so and even whether or not you ‘love’ Jesus enough in the first place. Throughout the gospel there are vivid teachings of what Christians are to do. However not many of these teachings are taken in a literal sense. There is a lot of talk of taking up our cross and following Jesus, but this is rarely something many Christians would think about before dying.
In conclusion to the question there are many good reasons why Christians aren’t prepared to suffer as Jesus did. It can be seen however that these reasons may be used as a scapegoat but is it really a case of we aren’t religious enough anymore. Religion aside, times have changed since the time of Jesus. The numbers attending church are slowly dwindling because there are more important even greater things to do. For me personally I wouldn’t want to suffer for Christianity, I certainly wouldn’t want to be persecuted for being a Christian and neither would many others. Overall it’s just about how the individual feels and how willing they are to go as far as to suffer for their faith. Many do and will continue to do so over time.