1 Peter 5:5b-14; Psalm 89:2-3, 6-7, 16-17; Mark 16:15-20
The Bible begins with a promise given to the woman from the book of Genesis that her offspring will crush the head of the serpent. Then, we have a story of Moses’ staff turning into a snake and the great patriarch could easily handle it. Finally, we are all familiar with David cutting the head of the great giant Goliath. The motif of the snake is woven into the story of the Bible. It represents everything contrary to God and that which holds humanity in its power.
One of the promises we hear today is that we can handle snakes. What does it mean? When in the Acts of the Apostles, Saint Paul was bitten by a viper, the people who saw that event waited for Paul to drop dead. But when Paul shook the viper into the fire and remain alive they thought he was a god. As the offspring of the new Eve, the Church, we are given the grace to handle the enemy, to crush the source of evil in our lives. All other promises included in today’s Gospel - driving out unclean spirits, healing the sick, speaking new languages - carry the same message. The Gospel contains within itself a transforming power for good. We can do these things because the risen Christ from his throne of glory confirms his Gospel with accompanying signs. And that is how the Gospel of Mark, the shortest among all four gospels, ends.
According to the ancient Church tradition, the Gospel of Mark contains Saint Peter’s testimony about Jesus Christ recorded by Saint Mark, the evangelist. Three themes stand out in that Gospel. First, Mark portrays Jesus as the suffering Messiah. As Mark puts it, Jesus came to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many (Mark 10:45; see Is 52:12-53:13). Second, in the Gospel of Mark, Jesus forbids his messianic identity to be revealed. The demons who know who Jesus is are forbidden to reveal it and the disciples are commanded to keep Christ’s messianic identity secret till he rises from the dead. Finally, the third important theme of this Gospel is the meaning of discipleship. It entails following Christ in dying to our selfishness and living for God and our brothers and sisters.
When someone asks me which book to begin reading the Bible with, I always say: “Begin with the Gospel of Mark”. When someone asks me for spiritual directions, I begin by advising them to read the Gospel of Mark. And whenever I am invited to preach a retreat for the first time, I preach a retreat based on the Gospel of Mark. It can be read in one sitting. Mark writes in simple language and the action moves from one story to another. Although written nearly two thousand years ago, this small book retains its transforming power. I believe that this Gospel presents Jesus and the meaning of Christian life in the shortest, clearest, and yet extremely powerful way.
Being grateful to the author of this short and yet powerful Gospel, let us then pray:
‘St. Mark, the evangelist, pray for us. May we constantly read your Gospel. May it change us into the persons God wants us to be. May we proclaim the news of Christ’s victory over death to the whole world. Amen’.