What can Mark's Gospel tell us about what it means to be a disciple?

GCSE Religious Studies (Philosophy & Ethics)

A01 What can Mark’s Gospel tell us about what it means to be a disciple?

The Chambers dictionary defines the word “disciple” as “someone who believes in another’s teaching”. In relation to Mark’s Gospel it is one who believes in the teachings of Jesus Christ.

In Mark’s Gospel Jesus chose twelve men none of them with great status, wealth or power instead men whom had common occupations or trades within the local community such as fishermen and civil servants. The twelve disciples represented the twelve tribes of Israel. They were to follow the example set by him as they were the men Jesus gave his authority to carry help him carry out his mission .

From marks gospel we learn that the response of the disciples was immediate (Mk 1:17) , “Jesus said to them, ‘come with me and I will teach you to catch people.’ At once they left and went with him.”

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In Mark’s Gospel he tells us that the mission of the disciples set by Jesus was to basically be like him i.e. preaching repentance, drive out evil spirits and anoint people with oil and heal them. “He instructed them (Mk 6:17-13) , ‘take nothing for the journey except a staff no bread, no beggar’s bag, and no money in your pockets. Wear sandals but don’t carry an extra shirt. Where you are welcomed, stay. If you come to a town were people will not listen to you, leave it and shake the dust off your feet. Mark describes a typical wandering preacher of his time i.e. travelling in twos and have nothing to weigh them down. The disciples were to copy the lifestyle of Jesus and depend on God and the generosity of other people. The mission of their journey was to preach repentance, drive out evil spirits and anoint people with oil and heal them.

If the men wanted to become disciples they would have to give up their families and friends and their possessions to follow Jesus. (Mk 8:34) “Anyone who wishes to be a follower of mine must deny self, take up his cross and come follow me.” Another example of this is the story of the rich young man (Mk 10:17-27) “ Good teacher what must I do to receive eternal life? You know the ten commandments? Teacher ever since I was a young ,I haveobeyed all these commandments. You need only one thing. Go and sell all you have and give the money to the poor, and you will have riches in heaven; then come follow me. It is much harder for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God than it is for a camel to pas through the eye of a needle.”

In marks gospel we learn that the rewards of following the Christian way of life are much greater than the costs. “I tell you that anyone who leaves home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for me and for the Gospel will receive much more. He will receive a hundred times more houses, brothers, mothers, children and fields, and in the age to come he will receive eternal life.” (Mk 12:41-44) “ Jesus sat near the temple tressuray, he watched the people as they dropped in their money. Many rich men dropped in a lot of money; then a poor widow woman came along and dropped in two little copper coins. I tell you this poor widow put more in the offering box than all the others. For the others put in what they could spare; but she, poor as she is, put in all she had.” From this we now know that the disciples would have needed great faith aswell as being truly devoted to Christ.

By Jason Hughes