I always loved the Gospel of Mark. It is a fast paced, dynamic gospel. The opening chapter uses the word “immediately” nine times, and you get the idea that Jesus burst on the scene, gathering disciples, healing people, speaking and teaching, going places. No “Jesus meek and mild” here: he is a powerful man on a mission.
Since I loved the book of Mark, I took a class on it and heard that one of the main themes is discipleship. Hmmm. I went looking through the book to find all the descriptions of what it means to be a disciple. You know, the guidelines and characteristics of a disciple.
That’s not what it is about.
There are stories all the way through Mark that show the humanity of the disciples. You read of their fear and unbelief, their inability to pray effectively, and their failure to grasp what Jesus was saying to them. When you grow up looking at these men portrayed in glorious stained-glass windows, you cannot imagine them being so dense when they were following Jesus around Israel.
But maybe that is the point. They made mistakes. They couldn’t figure out Jesus and asked each other, “Who is this man?” They fought and argued. But, in spite of that, they kept following him. And he gave them assignments, like feeding the 5000 and preparing the Passover, and they just did what he told them to.
Maybe that is one of the best lessons on discipleship in the Gospel of Mark. Disciples stick with Jesus whether or not they understand the future or have fouled up in the past and feel bad: they just keep at it.
Discipleship is a daily apprenticeship program: we walk with Jesus in the present, listening to him and doing whatever he asks. That way we learn to live the kind of life we were created for, the life God intends us to live. We won’t be perfect, but we can grow to be more and more like Jesus throughout our lives.
Molly Deatherage 