REFLECTIONS TODAY
“Gospel” means not just the word of Jesus but also the message about Jesus. The disciples who hear him speak and witness his powerful deeds see him as more than a prophet or miracle worker. In the light of his resurrection, they believe him to be the Messiah and the Son of God. Their Gospel includes both the word of Jesus and their belief about Jesus. The apostolic preaching would soon be put into writing, and Mark is credited to have begun the literary genre called Gospel. In the Gospel of Mark, we find for the first time the words and deeds of Jesus as remembered and proclaimed in a written form. But “Gospel” is intended neither as a formal historical treatise nor a biography of Jesus—it is a proclamation. It is a document of faith intended to call people to faith. The earliest statement about the authorship of Mark’s Gospel came from Papias, bishop of Hierapolis (around AD 140). He cites the testimony of an elder: “Mark, having become the interpreter of Peter, wrote down accurately whatever he remembered of the things said and done by the Lord, but not however in order.” As evangelist, St. Mark is symbolized by a lion, the king of beasts, at home in the wilderness. This fits the opening scene of his Gospel: the desert where John the Baptist proclaims a baptism of repentance (1:4).
Gospel • Mark 16:15-20
Jesus appeared to the Eleven and said to them: “Go into the whole world and proclaim the Gospel to every creature. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved; whoever does not believe will be condemned. These signs will accompany those who believe: in my name they will drive out demons, they will speak new languages. They will pick up serpents with their hands, and if they drink any deadly thing, it will not harm them. They will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.” Then the Lord Jesus, after he spoke to them, was taken up into heaven and took his seat at the right hand of God. But they went forth and preached everywhere, while the Lord worked with them and confirmed the word through accompanying signs.
Source: “365 Days with the Lord 2023.” E-mail: [email protected]; Website: http://www.stpauls.ph.