Gospel Of Mark Analysis

The Gospel of Mark is the oldest known surviving account of the ministry of Jesus Christ that exists today. Written approximately in the year 65 CE in Rome by an unknown writer, people have attributed the name Mark to the author, although this may not have been his actual name (I will use the name Mark to refer to the author of the gospel of Mark). As the oldest record of Christ’s ministry, it is believed that through other pieces or fragments of Jesus’ teachings and sayings, as well as stories passed down from generation to generation, Mark was able to generate his Gospel– although, the physical written documents that Mark may have used are thought to be lost, or no longer exist. Mark wrote this Gospel with the intention of his audience being …show more content…
The focus of the text, which is on Jesus’ ability to cast out demons and heal the demoniac is highlighted here, and does not directly connect with the chosen pericope, which is about the faith of a sick woman who touches Jesus for healing. However, Jesus’ power and authority to cast out demons builds up and develops people’s perception of him, establishing the notion that he does indeed have some divine ability to perform miracles. In the following verses, Mk 5:21-23, Mark sets up a situation in which Jesus is begged and implored to go and heal the deathly sick daughter of a leader of a synagogue. With the daughter of the synagogue leader “at the point of death,” (Mk 5:23) it is clear that Jesus and his disciples have an urgent matter to take care of. The urgency of this situation is used to highlight the content of the chosen pericope, because it appears as if the bleeding woman is hindering Jesus and his disciples from reaching the leader’s dying daughter. The pericope starts from Mk 5:24 because from this verse onward, the focus is not the daughter of the synagogue leader, but the bleeding woman who approaches Jesus as he and his disciples are on their way to the house of the leader. Mark introduces the bleeding woman by emphasizing Jesus’ care for the woman who merely touched his …show more content…
Gundry indicates that this verse is also indicative of Jesus’ growing reputation, as the woman has faith in Jesus from just hearing what he has done for others, and especially because of all the failed attempts at healing she has encountered. However, as this woman is someone looked down upon in society and perhaps an outcast, she behaves in this way because she knows that it would have been disrespectful of her, someone ritually unclean, to touch or associate with someone who is presumably clean. By not approaching and speaking to Jesus about her disease because of societal boundaries, she tries to receive healing by touching Jesus’ cloak without anybody knowing. Her faith and trust is shown here, as she intentionally takes the risk of crossing social and society boundaries, believing that Jesus does have the power to heal