Sweetland - Our Journey with Jesus - Discipleship according to Mark

What does it mean to be a disciple of Jesus Christ? What does “following” Jesus entail in terms of one’s daily life? This book looks at how the author of Mark’s Gospel answers these questions. As we examine Mark’s narrative it will become clear that discipleship is one of his most important themes. Mark tells his readers what it means to “follow” Jesus not only in the stories and the discipleship discourses, but throughout the Gospel. The recognition that there is a communal dimension to discipleship will lead us into a discussion of the place of the Eucharist and baptism in the life of the Christian. We will see that prayer is an important element of discipleship,_and that “following^ Jesus has radical Implications for one’s attitude toward possessions. In the end, however, one’s understanding of discipleship and one’s ability to follow as a disciplg are directly dependent on one’s understanding of Jesus. Thus we will be led to discuss Christology and its relationship to discipleship. According to Mark, the nature of discipleship becomes clear only in the light of the cross. This means that one must understand Jesus as the Suffering Servant who is the Son of God. Jesus came “to serve, not to be served”; the Christian disciple must, therefore, adopt a lifestyle that follows Jesus’ example of service to all.

 

This book is directed to the informed and educated general reader as well as to the college theology student. Although not primarily written for the specialized scholarly community, I believe that it also will be of use to this constituency.

 

My professional interest in Christian discipleship began in the early 1970s when I had the privilege of studying with Dr. Werner H. Keiber at the University of Dayton. It grew and developed at the University of Notre Dame under the guidance of Dr. Elisabeth Schussler Fiorenza. To both these scholars I owe an undying debt of gratitude.

 

Research for this volume began in 1985 and was made possible by a Saint Anselm College Summer Research Grant. I would like to thank the members of the Grant Review Committee and the Governing Board of the College for their confidence and support. A debt of gratitude is also owed to Fr. Peter J. Guerin, O.S.B., Dean of the College; Dr. James McGhee, chair of the Theology Department; and my colleagues in the Theology Department for their support and encouragement over the years. The members of the faculty and staff of Saint Anselm College as well as the students in my classes also deserve my thanks for their thought provoking questions which have assisted me in presenting my positions more carefully.

 

My special thanks are due to several good friends who read over the entire manuscript, Bob and Lorry Roy of Goffstown, NH, for their helpful comments, and Dr. Patrick F. O’Connell of Villa Maria College for his valuable stylistic and exegetical suggestions. Their assistance has resulted in numerous improvements; any remaining errors are my responsibility.

 

Wilmington, Delaware: Michael Glazier, 1987. – 189 p.

ISBN 0-89453-621-4

 

Abbreviations

Introduction

1. Call Stories

                The Call of the First Disciples (1:16-20)

                The Call of Levi (2:13-17)

                The Selection of the Twelve (3:13-19)

                The Missionary Charge to the Twelve (6:7-13)

                The Call of the Rich Man (10:17-22)

                Conclusion

2. Where Does One Find Mark’s Teaching on Discipleship?

                Are “the Disciples” and “the Twelve” Identical?

                What is the Role of the Twelve?

                Conclusion

3. The Central Section of Mark’s Gospel

                The First Discipleship Discourse (8:34-9:1)

                The Second Discipleship Discourse (9:35-37)

                The Third Discipleship Discourse (10:42-45)

                Conclusion

4. The Markan Disciples and Discipleship

                The Negative Picture of the Disciples in Mark

                Conclusion

5. Discipleship and Community

                The Community Exists

                The Structure of the Community

                The Community and the Kingdom

                Conclusion

6. Life Within the Community

                United and Inclusive

                Eucharist and Baptism

                Eucharist

                Baptism

                Marriage, Children, and Possessions

                Marriage

                Children

                Possessions

                Prayer

                Conclusion

7. Christology and Discipleship

                Markan Christology

                The Christ

                Son of God

                Son of Man

                Servant of the Lord

                Conclusion

8. The Importance of Mark For Us Today

Bibliography

Index of Authors

Index of Scripture References