According to tradition, the author, Mark is not an apostle himself. Not one of the original disciples, but rather the follower of one of them. Traditionally, he's supposed to be the disciple of Peter We don't know exactly where this Mark was or where he actually wrote. However, tradition places him at Rome, but one more tradition also has him located at Alexandria, and it may be the case that the story that we call Mark's gospel, which supposedly derived from Peter, is also an example of this passing on of an oral tradition. It owes its history to Mark, whether Mark is the person who actually wrote it down or not.
Mark's is the first of the written gospels. It's really the one that establishes the life of Jesus as a story form. It develops a narrative from his early career, through the main points of his life and culminates in his death. And, as such, it sets the pattern for all the later gospel traditions. We know that both Matthew and Luke used Mark, as a source in their composition and it's also probable that even John knew something of Mark in tradition. So, Mark is really the one that sets the stage for all the later Christian gospel writings.
As Diana Butler Bass referenced in a recent Sunday sermon on this text, this may be the most harrowing and gloomy talks Jesus gave to disciples. As they marveled at the size of the temple which was the hub and heart of their lives he predicts not a stone will be left on stone. He is saying this to a people who have lost everything under Roman oppression. He predicts physical, cultural and spiritual devastation (earthquakes, war and spiritual leaders guiding people astray) and is asked by the disciples the natural question, "When will all this happen?". No one wants to be around for the devastation when all this will take place.
Jesus answer is "do not be alarmed... all this must happen but this is but the beginning of the birth pangs."
Only two of the four canonical gospels, Matthew (Matthew 1:18-25) and Luke (Luke 2:1-7), offer traditional narratives regarding the birth of Jesus. Of these two, only Luke offers the details of Jesus' birth in Bethlehem.
This text, however, speaks to a true, important birth narrative in Mark, and to be aware of the inevitable birth of the kingdom of heaven that is happening as Jesus tells his disciples of the future. This then can become the first, and most important, of the Gospel birth narratives. Perhaps Mark's Gospel can bring us the most hope in our time of troubles.
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