Second ServiceThe Gospel of Mark has much to say about the way we live our lives. Mark, at the outset, writes of the 'way of the Lord,' which is the way of Jesus. In one sense, the way of the Lord is literal: Mark depicts Jesus' journey from Galilee in the north to Jerusalem in the south. Far more significant are why Jesus takes the journey, how he goes about it and what he accomplishes. By depicting a literal journey as the setting for the way of Jesus, Mark invites us to join Jesus on the road to Jerusalem. We learn the way of the Lord by walking with Jesus. The Gospel of Mark, then, inspires us, as individuals and as a church, to follow Jesus wherever he leads.
Jesus' family and the teachers of the law are shown to be, for the time being, outside the kingdom, while Jesus defines his family as those who are gathered around him. Allegiance to Jesus, in the face of cultural and familial opposition, is what counts.
Jesus and the Victory of God, N.T. Wright God's Smuggler, Brother Andrew