The 25th of April is the Feast Day of Mark the Evangelist, the author of Mark’s Gospel in the New Testament. Mark’s gospel influenced Matthew and Luke to write their gospels. It is the shortest account of the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. He is known as the Patron Saint of lawyers, lions, notaries, and prisoners.
Mark’s main audience is those who were facing persecution, and today, those who are questioning salvation. He wanted his audience to understand that Jesus is a model for us and that our sufferings, trials, and tribulations, are a reflection of Jesus’ life. His gospel emphasises a call to action for those it is written for, meaning those who are questioning why to remain faithful to Christ if it leads to persecution, to understand that he too had the uncertainty of whether to stay faithful to his vocation. But ultimately, he stayed true to himself and his Father, and now is a symbol of hope to those in times of suffering.
Mark implies an image of Jesus being truly human, as he yearned for human support and interactions, and felt the emotions and fears that we feel today. Being low christology, many may resonate with the image of Jesus that Mark depicts more, as he seems to be the closest to us as humans, as he to experiences emotions of fear, disappointment, betrayal, anger, and sadness. This can give Christians comfort in knowing that Jesus has already walked the journey we are currently walking, and by putting our complete trust and faith in him, he will guide us through.
