Here Is Stubby Fingers' Story! (Hunch 1)
The beginning of the gospel about Jesus Christ, the Son of God.
Mark
was young and inexperienced. He was involved, a member of the young church which
was setting up schools throughout the Roman Empire and elsewhere. It was not
easy. There were great dangers involved in this work.
This
young man had a great story to tell; he had been with Jesus on that terrifying
Passover night when Jesus was arrested. After some years he learned to talk
about that. He then could give his side of the story about Jesus. But older
Christian Rabbis would have had difficulty because they had to learn how to
listen to this young man who was an eye-witness of things they talked about a
lot. This is important background that helps us understand the book in our
bibles called Mark's Gospel.
Let's
imagine Paul and Barnabas walking home after teaching at a synagogue in
Iconium. They are with John-Mark. What would their conversation have been like?
Ø "Rabbi Paul can I ask you a question?" asks Mark.
Ø "What is it young fellow?" Paul replies.
Ø "More of your questions Mark?" Barnabas turns to Paul, "What are we going to do with him and these questions?" He slaps Mark on the shoulder. "Go on lad. Ask away!"
Ø "Well Rabbi Paul you said: 'We must go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God'. That's what you said, didn't you?"
Ø "Yes indeed, That's what I said."
Ø "Well, I'm just not sure you should say it exactly like that. It's like it but it's not exactly what He taught! He also said other things like, 'Unless you become as a little child you will not enter the Kingdom of Heaven …' The people at that synagogue might use your words to pass on teaching that gives a wrong picture of Him!"
Ø "Yes. I suppose you are right, young fellow, but don't we have to teach these people about the Messiah? He suffered and like Him we have to suffer many hardships."
Ø "Mark, you shouldn't forget that!" Uncle Barnabas was always quick to interrupt if he could offer some encouragement.
Ø "Uncle how could I ever forget? Rabbi," says Mark, becoming just a little distressed. "I was there on that night remember!" he held up his hands to show Paul and Barnabas his fingers.
Ø "Oh Stubby Fingers," Uncle Barnabas quickly saw the point. "What are we going to do with you!"
My
first hunch is that Mark's gospel comes to us because a young disciple of Jesus
had a lot of help to face up to his own experience. Why wouldn't he have had
deep emotional problems resulting from that night? Who could solve those? When
he accompanied Paul and Uncle Barnabas on their travels Mark may not have been
old enough to teach in Jewish synagogues, but he knew, just as well as they
did, if not with greater perception, that the Messiah had come. He was an
eye-witness and for those waiting for the Messiah an eye-witness was very
important. So, Mark's story would have challenged them; he could remind them of
what Jesus had said and done. He could help them keep a check on their own
teaching. He was not old enough to be a Rabbi but he was also not one of the
regular class. He was like the senior student who knows more than the teacher.