Ash Wednesday: We begin…and end (Devotions for Lent from the Gospel of Mark)

The Gospel of Mark is the earliest and shortest of the four gospels.

It is a ground-breaking literary work, the first in a new genre of literature. The gospel writer (hereafter called “Mark”) draws upon the structure of the epic Greek tales of his era, stories of gods, demi-gods and heroes who overcome seemingly insurmountable obstacles, usually in the form of natural disasters, angry gods, and/or terrifying beasts, to rescue the lost, forsaken, innocent, or defenseless. In this way, a “gospel” is true to the epic Greek form. In another way entirely, Mark gives us new literature. His “gospel” is new piece of art. His “hero” is not a god, demi-god, nor one with super-human intellect and power fighting supernatural forces of one sort or another, but Jesus, the flesh and blood of the one true God. This Jesus comes not to save us from powers outside ourselves, but from ourselves.

Mark’s gospel begins with a sentence fragment, “The beginning of the euangellion of Jesus Christ, the Son of God,” and ends-mid sentence, “And they said nothing to anyone; fear seized them, for….” Both the beginning and the ending of Mark’s gospel have been massaged and smoothed over for modern readers, as translators worked to make sense of ancient document fragments and puzzled over Mark’s motives.  For sure, this is a weird way to start and a weird way to end. More about that as we go.

This Lenten journey will work with the entire gospel of Mark, asking questions of his style, choice of words, characters, and intent. We will look at his original words and wonder together. Along the way, perhaps, this story will live in us, as Mark intended.

Text for the day:

Mark 1:1 and Mark 16:8b

Things to think about:

What have you massaged or smoothed over to make things more palatable for yourself and the people around you?

What have you been idolizing instead of God?

Things to do:

Receive ashes today, as a reminder of the disciplines of Lent and the possibility of being restored to right relationship with God and your true self.

God, remind me who you are. Remind me who I am.