What Can A Study Of St Marks Gospel Tell Christians Today About What It Means To Be A Disciple?

St Marks Gospel has many stories that tell Christians many things. Something that it teaches Christian’s is what it means to be a disciple.

Disciple is the term used to describe a follower of the doctrines of a teacher or school of thought. The disciples of Jesus went out to preach in His name. Christians today try to be followers of Jesus like the twelve disciples were. However the disciples were not always perfect followers of Jesus.Firstly Jesus tries to show that a good disciple must make sacrifices.

A story that tells Christians that disciples needed to make sacrifices is, “The Widow at the Treasury”. In this story many rich men came in to the temple treasury and Jesus, who was sitting nearby, watched as they dropped in a lot of money. Jesus then saw a poor widow come along and drop in two little copper coins. He then told his disciples that the widow had put more in the offering box than all the others. When Jesus told His disciples that the widow had put in “more”, he was speaking metaphorically.

She gave all that she could give to God, hoping that because of her kindness, God would help her. This tells Christians that Jesus wanted his disciples to be like this, to give all they could to God.Jesus tells His disciples, what they will need to do to one of His followers. A story in St Marks Gospel that tells Christians what the disciples would have to do is, “The Cost of Discipleship”. In this story Jesus called His disciples together and told them, that if they wanted to be one of His disciples they must, “forget self, carry his cross, and follow me.

For whoever wants to save his own life will lose it; but whoever loses his life for me and for the gospel will save it”. When Jesus told them to, “forget self”, this meant to forget their past and what they have done. Secondly, Jesus told them to “carry his cross”. This quote shows that Jesus wants them to take responsibility for their actions. Thirdly Jesus said that they will have to follow Him. He also said that they should give their life for Him and the Gospel.

Jesus then continued and said that if someone is ashamed of Him, then Jesus, God, and the Holy Angels will be ashamed of them in the Kingdom Of God. This story can tell Christians that we should follow Jesus in the way he told his disciples to.Some stories in St Mark’s gospel tell Christians that the disciples were not perfect. Firstly, in “Jesus Predicts Peter’s Denial”, Jesus told his disciples, “All of you will run away and leave me, for the scripture says, God will kill the shepherd, and the sheep will all be scattered. But after I am raised to life, I will go to Galilee ahead of you”. When Jesus quotes from the scriptures, he means that He is the shepherd and the disciples are the sheep.

When Jesus is killed the disciples will run away. Jesus also says that after He is raised to life He will go to Galilee ahead of the disciples. Jesus is predicting his resurrection. After this Peter promises that he will never leave Jesus even if the others do. Jesus replied,”I tell you that before the cock crows twice tonight, you will say three times that you do not know me”. Peter answered very strongly, “I will never say that even if I have to die with you”.

In a later story in St Marks Gospel, called Peter Denies Jesus, Peter was in a courtyard when one of the High Priests servant women came by. She saw Peter and said, “You, too, were with Jesus of Nazareth”. Peter denied it. He then went out into the passage. Just then a cock crowed. The women saw Peter again and said,”He is one of them”.

Peter denied it again. A little while later, a bystander said, “You can’t deny that you are one of them, because you too are from Galilee”. Then Peter said, “I swear that I am telling the truth! May God punish me if I am not I do not know the man you are talking about”. Just then a cock crowed a second time, and Peter remembered what Jesus had said to him. And then he broke down and cried. Peter didn’t admit because he was scared that he would be put to death.

He then realized what he had done and he showed his remorse. This tells Christians that the disciples also made mistakes and they were not perfect.St Marks Gospel tells Christians that the disciples had to make sacrifices, to forget their pasts, take responsibility for their actions and to follow Jesus. These are all things that Christians should try to aspire to. However, it also tells Christians that they made mistakes, and sometimes betrayed Jesus.