According
to a note within the Oxford Annotated Bible what we heard today was actually
part of the longer ending to Mark. This section was “possibly written in the
early second century…These sentences borrow some motifs from the other Gospels
and contain several unusual apocryphal elements.”[1]
What? Essentially, some people were not quite satisfied with the original
ending of Mark’s Gospel, and so they added an extra bit to bring it to a more
satisfying close. However, did they really end it well? The analogy that comes
to mind features a musician playing an entire piece in a major key, then
finishing with a minor chord—something feels jarring. How did the story really
end?
The
original conclusion to Mark’s good news finishes mysteriously. The Passover Sabbath
comes and goes and Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome brought
spices to anoint Jesus’ body. When the sun had risen they went to the tomb
wondering who will roll away the stone, but upon arriving they saw that it was
already open. Inside they found a man dressed in a white robe and the women
were alarmed. The young man told them not to be alarmed and said if they were
looking for Jesus who was crucified, he had been raised and so he was not
there. Then, he sent them to tell the disciples that Jesus would meet them in
Galilee, just as he had said. The story ends with the women fleeing the tomb in
amazement. That’s it! No resurrected encounter with Jesus, but instead Mark
finishes his tale with suspense! To me this stands out as just one more reason
to love the way that Mark tells the Good News.
Of
course, not everyone shares good news in the same way. Think about something
monumental in your life. Perhaps it is a family wedding, maybe it is the birth
of a child, or it could even be retiring from a long and prosperous career. How
do you share that good news? Do you send out an announcement? Do you post
something on FaceBook? Do you call all your best friends and relatives? When
you tell people about this good news do you speak in hushed tones building the
level of excitement? Do you bounce from exciting detail to exciting detail? Do
you calmly build the story until you get to the best part? I imagine that each
of us shares the good news in our lives in different ways, which is much like
the four Gospel accounts we find in Holy Scripture. Each one has a different
way of delivering the life-transforming story of Jesus.
Mark
tells the Good News of Christ Jesus with immediacy, passion, and a vulnerability
that stands out. We may forget that since Mark’s account comes second in the
Bible that his was actually the oldest Gospel account we have in our cannon.
Mark jumps right into the story of Jesus: “The beginning of the good news of
Jesus Christ, the Son of God.” There are no birth narratives, no genealogies,
and no teenage tales. Instead we immediately find ourselves planted within the
ministry of John the baptizer.
As
Mark bounces from one healing to another he speaks with such passion about Jesus’
love and connection for all of God’s people. Often this passion ties stories
together in interesting ways, as a story about actual blindness may in fact
also speak to spiritual blindness that the religious elite suffered. In Mark’s
telling of the Good News fringe characters often figured out the love of God
quickly and were never seen again, unlike the disciples who seem more stubborn.
Finally,
the simplicity of Mark’s telling of the story—it is the shortest Gospel by far—brings
out the vulnerability of God’s good news. Without all the extra details it feels
as though the Truth has nowhere to hide, and is more readily available to us
the readers. Even the true ending, leaves the listener at the edge of his or
her seat. What happened after the tomb was empty? Did Jesus really show up in
Galilee? Where are we to go?
As
we celebrate St. Mark’s Day today I invite you to go out to discover the Risen
Christ out in the world. When you meet Christ in your life share this good news
with others. It may not be exactly like the Gospel according to Mark, but still
it will be the Gospel according to you, for all of us are called to share the
Good News of Christ Jesus the Son of God!
[1] Horsley, Richard A. "Mark." In Oxford
Annotated Bible , by Ed. by Michael D. Coogan, 1824-25. New York:
Oxford University Press, 2010.
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