Mark 4-8:26

03/19/2026 · Tue/Thu 12:00-1:15 PM · Brad Bannon · Boston College

📄 Synopsis

This class session explored Chapters 4 through 8 of the Gospel of Mark, focusing on the pedagogical function of parables and the nature of Jesus's authority. The discussion began with the 'Sower' and 'Mustard Seed' parables, where students analyzed why Jesus used intentionally opaque language to distinguish between those 'inside' and 'outside' the kingdom. A significant portion of the dialogue addressed the 'Messianic Secret' and the requirement of inner transformation to move from seeing to truly understanding. The class then examined the healing of the Gerasene demoniac ('Legion'), interpreting the event as a symbolic liberation from both spiritual uncleanness and the Roman occupying force. Further analysis focused on the dichotomy between fear and faith, particularly in the context of Jesus calming the storm. Finally, the class discussed Jesus's redefinition of purity, shifting the focus from external ritual to internal intention, a theme the students compared to Hindu texts and the Mahabharata's emphasis on inner motive.

⚡ Key Takeaways

Jesus utilizes parables not just to simplify complex truths, but as a pedagogical tool that requires active engagement and communal discourse to uncover meaning.
The 'Messianic Secret' in Mark suggests that divine truth is often intentionally obscured or 'hidden to be disclosed' at a later, appointed time.
The healing of the Gerasene demoniac (Legion) serves as a symbolic liberation from both spiritual 'unclean spirits' and the physical 'occupying force' of the Roman army.
In Markan theology, faith and fear are frequently presented as opposing forces, where faith is the necessary catalyst for experiencing 'deeds of power' or miracles.
The disciples' recurring lack of understanding, despite witnessing miracles like the feeding of the multitudes, reflects the difficulty of the 'inner transformation' required to perceive the kingdom of God.
Jesus challenges traditional Jewish purity laws by asserting that defilement comes from the heart rather than external contact or food.
The obscurity of Jesus's teaching is discussed as a form of pedagogy, similar to how a teacher might require a student to work through a problem rather than providing the answer immediately.
Students noted parallels between the 'seed' analogies in Mark and concepts in Hindu texts regarding the growth of consciousness and the 'one is the many' philosophy.

🎤 Transcript Tap any timestamp to jump the audio player

Opening Meditation and Breathing Exercise

Brad

Okay gang, let's, uh, let's take a moment to—

Student

8 or 4—

Brad

take a moment to transition, put screens away, and just take a moment to keep your mind and body still.

Student

Let's take a breath together.

1:08

Quiz and Attendance

Brad

Go ahead and breathe in and out. Word? Word. Um, okay, let's, uh, let's do this little quiz. Oh, yeah, sorry, go ahead. My bad. Thank you for waiting. ⚠

Student

Bless you.

Brad

Good, looks like most plugs are done. Yeah, going to pass them up. Please. Um, we are missing Hannah, Aiden, Elliot, and Devin's on the way. ⚠

Student

Yeah, thank you.

Brad

By the way, I'm never trying to ask any trick questions. It's not like, like it was like, no, there were only 6 loaves or something like that. You know, I'm trying not to. Somebody in the previous class was like, I don't think there was a cushion mentioned in the, you know, Jesus laying in the boat. Like, it was It's not about the cushion. Cool. Let's start as usual in a little bit of group time and chat with your teammates. What we really want to do today is go progressively, chapter 4, chapter 5, chapter 6, 7, 8. And so try to have something ready to say about a verse from each one of those chapters. Not that we're going to cover all of them, but we're going to go— you got the idea. So take at least 5 minutes or so. ⚠

Student

What is that mug doing?

Student

It looks like that's not like a very casual drink. ⚠

Student

I just think it's interesting how they're like doing a lot more of the craft brew and artisanal brewing and stuff here and not like some of the big grocery stores or the coffee shops. ⚠

Student

How could a coffee shop do that, right?

Student

Um, I think one thing I was noticing about Quake House, I do think it's kind of like When the grain is ripe, that one's going to visit sick old people to harvest their corn. I didn't know if that was symbolizing, you know, the rat, like all the good souls get taken to God or just in terms of analogy or metaphor would be less that and more sort of just, you know, them as being a whole group of people. Accordance with God and the righteousness that he has harvested, or is it actually used to transcend? ⚠

Brad

Oh, oh, oh, oh. ⚠

Student

The other thing I was thinking about is when it was like in terms of sort of Legion, just to rid him of the unclean spirits, Jesus was sending the spirits into the swine. But I think for all of the other parables or stories, Augustine was just cleansing people of the demons and the unclean spirits. ⚠

Student

They never had to actually resurrect them.

Student

So like, by sending them in as like mass creatures, like that's supposed to be a metaphor for the army themselves? Like the destruction that they're causing is more parallel to that interpretation? Was that his goal there? Because like the truth is so hard for people to understand that through parables is the only way they would get it. But I don't know if that was because they still don't understand it. ⚠

Brad

All right.

Student

Yeah, Olivia, get us started.

13:51

Discussion of Parables and the Theme of Seeing vs. Understanding

Student

I was just going to start by saying how I thought it was really interesting how Jesus uses parables to speak to the people. And I kind of took that as like a way of like the divine truth that he's trying to get out is like so complex that like the only way you can like iterate it is through that. And like starting off, I think like the biggest parable that we see is like the example of the mustard seed and how like that's like the metaphor for God's kingdom. And I think it's interesting that like it's a seed because we can also relate that to like the seed that we talked about when we we were reading the other texts and how that resembled the one is the many. So I thought it was interesting how we could compare the two seed analogies. ⚠

Brad

Okay, so it starts small and gets big. Yep. Yeah.

Student

We talked a lot about 4:19 where they're discussing how desires can choke the word. And we thought this was interesting because normally you think of I think of the only way that would prevent faith would just kind of be blatant rejection or refusing to hear. But this kind of makes the point that it also could just be overcrowding or distraction in a way that chokes the word, which we thought was interesting. ⚠

Student

Yeah. Yeah. I thought the theme of having a lot of plants and emphasizing growth is kind of important. And like, I think it relates to like the Hinduism text we've been reading a lot, like in the past, a lot of like creation stories are built on growth of something. So I think there's a different context here. But I think like the fact that there's 4 seeds and then the mustard seed, like that emphasis on growth kind of shows like, because like the whole story is about Jesus going to people who weren't really like looked after and like helping them. So I feel like going from like a seed to like a plant, it's kind of like the progression from the seed. ⚠

Student

Okay.

Brad

Yeah, Tam.

Student

Um, also kind of going back to the parable thing, my first thought when, um, reading that part was just like, it's interesting that like God would want to just like say this in a complex way so that people, like certain people, wouldn't be able to understand. And that seems kind of contradictory to like my thought of, oh, it should be like easily accessible for everybody to understand this word. But like the more I thought about it, um, I guess I understood that it's more about like the people who truly like have the heart to like understand and have the ears to hear. It's not about your own like attitude towards it. And then also in verse 22, it says, but there's nothing hidden except to be disclosed, nor is anything secret except to come to light, let anyone with ears to hear listen. And that part kind of reminded me about like Ātman and how that's something that's also always within us and not like something extra that we need to like seek. We just need to realize, like we need to recognize that it's within us. ⚠

Student

And I kind of found similarities between those two.

Brad

Okay, good. Yes, Sophia.

Student

I also kind of related that to when we talked about like discipline and like memorizing the Śruti, like showing your commitment, almost like the discipline of like understanding the parable, maybe memorizing it, not to compare them, but like, yeah, I don't know. I saw like a connection there. ⚠

Brad

Yeah. Okay.

Student

Yep.

Brad

I mean, we talked about how like throughout the majority of the chapters, there's like this big theme of like seeing versus understanding. ⚠

Student

Repeatedly, even his disciples are seeing Jesus perform these healings and miracles, but they're still not understanding the deeper meaning of it.

Brad

And I feel like Jesus is also pretty explicit about this.

Student

And even early on in 4:12, he says, they may indeed look but not perceive.

Student

They may indeed listen but not understand.

Student

And I feel like we've seen this theme very recurring throughout the entire semester, understanding requiring an inner transformation and not just viewing it as not enough.

Brad

Okay, requires like a different way, a transformation of thinking. Yeah, yeah, yeah. ⚠

Student

Something our team picked up is, you know, from verse 3 to verse 8, which is a sewer analogy where, you know, Jesus basically said, you know, the seed is like the word of God, that, you know, like, word of God is like a seed where, you know, like, but they ended up differently. Not every seed grows because of, you know, they have different environments. So we think it's like fairly similar to like some of the Hindu ideas of like, you know, consciousness, you know, because of different personal experience and you have different like perception of all the world. So that's something to think about. ⚠

Student

Okay. Yeah.

Brad

Yeah.

Student

He basically said something similar where they're all technically the same seed, but since they have different environments, they're basically a different product based on the environment. So we talked a lot about like sticking true to like the word of God and looking towards him and not getting distracted by the things that you're reading. ⚠

Student

Okay.

Student

I think another thing that was important throughout the chapters is the importance of the teacher because I know we talked a lot about when we were reading the Hindu texts, especially with the Mahabharata, this self is Brahman. You need a teacher to be the one who points at you and tells you that. But I also think that that same idea is evident in this because Jesus is the one teaching them the parables and he's always preaching to them. And without him being present, they may not have been able to understand that. Because even with him being present, some are still unable to understand. ⚠

Brad

I mean, for sure.

Student

Yeah.

Brad

Yep.

Student

Cooper.

Student

Going back to the theme of Jesus's power getting clearer, but even understanding, kind of not following. We liked the line at the end of 4. 4:40, 4:41, where they're on the boat, and it's right after Jesus rebukes the wind, and he says, why are you afraid? Have you still no faith? Um, we thought this was interesting because originally the disciples seem to be, uh, like super scared of like this, like natural, like the wind, and then suddenly they say, who then is this that even the wind and the sea obey him? I feel like this is the transition from them fearing like these natural elements to almost like fearing Jesus in this sense. ⚠

Brad

I mean, I think throughout this, this, uh, all these chapters that we read, this theme keeps coming up, um, of fear versus faith. So, you know, right there we see, um, in the verse he read, why are you afraid? Have you still no faith? So faith and fear seem to be opposites. See, you know, at least frequently here. Good. Yeah, Tana. ⚠

Student

I was also gonna connect that. I know we're not really there yet, but like at the end of 8, it's like after all these miracles are happening and the disciples like question Jesus and like the bread, and even after they see see like both times of Jesus like providing like enough bread for everybody, in the end, they're still like, how are we going to feed ourselves with only this many? And that kind of is— I think like the disciples questioning and doubting Jesus is very representative of like the human heart and how even if all these miracles happen, like even if we try to believe, it's just like There are all these obstacles and it's hard to lose, but you can't physically. ⚠

Brad

Okay, got it. Yeah. Before we move past chapter 4, let's zoom in here a little bit on this quotation of Isaiah 6, which is verse 12, really. So in verse 9, well, I guess in verse 2, he began to teach them many things in parables, right? And then he teaches this parable about the grain on the ground. And then ending that with verse 9, let anyone with ears to hear listen, which is exactly repeated again in verse 23, let anyone with ears to hear listen. And then in between those, then we've got this episode that happens alone, right? So when he was alone, well, not alone, but alone with the 12, those who are around him along with the 12, so not just the 12, asked him about the parables. And he said to them, to you has been given the secret of the kingdom of God. But for those outside, everything comes in parables. ⚠

Brad

So then the question is, is it what Olivia was saying, which is that Jesus is trying to teach something very complex and abstract and therefore speaks in parables in order to make it easier, or kind of more along the lines of what I think Tana was saying, that he speaks in order to intentionally be parabolic, right, to kind of speak around the issue. So what he says, right, to you has been given the secret of the kingdom of God, but for those outside everything comes in parables in order that— and then quotes Isaiah 6— they may indeed look but not perceive, they may listen but not understand, so that they may not turn again and be forgiven. And then he's like, well, you guys understand the parable, right? Then it turns out that they also don't. And he's like, bruh, right? So what's— why does that say the opposite of what you expected to say? Why is it saying— why is he speaking in parables in order that they won't understand? Why does he not want them to understand? Is that jarring at all? Yeah. ⚠

Student

Does that tie back to the topic of the video last time we read Mark? Kind of mysteriousness about hiding his identity. ⚠

Brad

So it's just a secret for now, but then later? I mean, and there's also like, to that point, he's telling us all of this stuff, right? So they don't understand, but we're different than them, right? So we're hearing it. Yep.

Student

I think it's also like there's a difference between being told what's going do and understanding by yourself what to do. So like through these parables, you may not initially understand them, but like, as you like read them more and then like kind of resonate with them more, you say, okay, this is how I should live, rather than Jesus just coming out and tell you do XYZ. I think there's like a big difference between— or actually, I think that's what Jesus wants us to do. He wants us to come to that conclusion by ourselves rather than him pushing us to it. ⚠

Brad

So if I gave you some math problems and then I gave you all the answers to the math problems and then you just write them down, you didn't learn anything, right? But like, if you go through the process and like the working— so the obscurity is part of the pedagogy?

Student

No?

Brad

Could be? Yeah?

Student

Well, yeah, I think like kind of thinking on it and like resonating with it and like battling with it is part of the process, but also like I think if you just was to kind of go around and just like say bluntly like the answer, and people would be like, oh, that's pretty cool, and like kind of go home. But like now this way, like they can like stop and like think and like discuss among themselves like, what do you guys think like that was? Like, what were your like, you know, what are your thoughts? And like this way there's like a conversation, like there's more to be thought about, and like they actually interact with it rather than just going home and being like, okay, whatever, cool. You know, like there's more to think about. ⚠

Brad

So kind of along the same lines that Eduardo was saying, so like I give this not only so that you can work it through, but so that you can work it through with others and kind of talk it through. Yeah, Sophia, and then Jaden.

Student

I was going to bring up a question about like the lamp analogy, I guess, he uses. Like then he says, for there is nothing hidden except to be disclosed. ⚠

Brad

I mean, I read that passage 4 times, and yeah, it is— it is— wait, where is that exactly? Oh yeah, yeah. Is a lamp brought in to be put under the bushel basket or under the bed and not on the lampstand? I mean, obviously the answer is lampstand, right? For there is nothing hidden except to be disclosed, nor is anything secret except to come to light. Let anyone with ears to hear listen. Yeah, I don't know. Yeah, yeah, yeah. ⚠

Student

Jaden, I was going to kind of echo what you were saying before about like regarding like him not wanting them to understand.

Student

I feel like it's not something that's supposed to be like easily perceived were understood. It's something that's supposed to be kind of like what looks at, like, just like reflected upon. And like, I feel like they wouldn't— if it's not like put in like this parable form and like teachings, then like they're not getting the most out of like what he wants them to. They're not taking from the stories like what he needs them to. ⚠

Student

Okay, all right.

Brad

So it kind of needs to like take root and grow and— yep, good. Yeah, Lucas?

Student

He's saying that they don't understand right now, and I don't think he's hiding it. I think he's just saying that, like, he's like, prophecy, like, has a new point to fill. Like, I feel like Isaiah, like, well, Isaiah is about like Jesus is like coming, and like, it was like prophesied to like the Jews like a long time ago. So he's like saying that, like, like, the story is not done yet, and then like, it was after a sacrifice that they'll like understand. I think the lamp thing is kind of talking about how there's like, like, imagine the answer is like a lamp and then like you put a blanket kind of over it, like, and then now it's like a parable. ⚠

Brad

Does that make sense?

Student

So like the answer is still in there. And like it's hidden, like there's nothing secret, it just hasn't really come to light yet. I think that's kind of what it's saying. Like there's, it's there, it's just, it's not yet disclosed, but it can't not be disclosed, like it will be disclosed. ⚠

Brad

So kind of back on what Nicholas brought up, like it's intended for the, so Mark's audience, is different than Jesus's audience, right? So Jesus— but it still raises the question, doesn't it? Like, why is Jesus speaking intentionally in this opaque, confusing way? So yeah, granted, we're supposed to be able to understand it despite the fact that they weren't. But why the— you know, why the— that way at all? Yeah, I don't have an answer to it. ⚠

Student

I'm just— yeah, I just like— I know we talked about this with the veda, where it's like if you have a different opinion than the text, that doesn't mean the text is wrong. It means you need to look at it through a different way. But I'm just like really having trouble comprehending like that this is the case because like even though he says like, but not understand, I don't get why like Jesus would come to earth just to say something confusing and then like leave. I think that that's kind of contradictory because why would he bother doing teachings anyway? I just, I don't know. I think that's kind of confusing to me because I do think that if he just said like, I am like, I am the Holy Spirit, I am God, people like wouldn't comprehend that. And I think they would be able to understand the parables more because like they're more, it's more related to like their earthly examples. Like when he says I'm the shepherd, like at least for me that's easier to comprehend than like this like whole idea. So maybe I'm just lost. ⚠

Brad

No, no, no. I think you're no more lost than any of us. Yeah, Samuel?

Student

I think he speaks in parables so that the wrong people don't take it and twist it in a way that doesn't relate to the message that he wants to pass on. So the people that genuinely want to take the parables to heart and uncover what they have to say are able to do that, but at the same time, aren't the bad people that would like twist it, the reason like he has come to Earth in order to like save them and like lead them to the kingdom of God. ⚠

Brad

Like, I don't know, yeah, gotcha. ⚠

Student

Yeah, I think like a major reason is to kind of include people's perspectives, because if you tell someone a story, like, you don't know how they're going to process it. If you tell them how to process it, they might like take it wrongly or like think of it differently and like disagree with you instantly. By like using a visual example in a way kind of lets them go down their own path. And like, because like at the time, like these ideas were very progressive, and like kind of slowly like convincing people that using like parables instead of telling them like the truth, I think is a better way to kind of push the message through. And it's like easy to remember like parables because like there's like certain things like stories that you remember well, so like it's easier to pass on I mean, I hear you, but, but he's saying I teach in parables in order that they may hear and not understand. I feel like understand in this sense could be like immediately understanding the theme of it, like the main point. ⚠

Student

But he wants them to kind of— I mean, it's like speculation, but like I feel like he'd want them to know what the parable is, but like what the main point of it is. Maybe like he's waiting on that for some reason.

Student

Okay.

Student

I kind of feel like the way I am interpreting it is how the structure says in the first page that Jesus wished that it would be necessary to carry out the agenda of the martyr Messiah. So that kind of allows not only Jesus to be worshipped and understand what he's saying, but for the people who were confused by it, then he would be able to be condemned by the rulers and then be killed and rise again. Like sets forward like a prophecy where like making him a messiah at the same time like the ability to be like a martyr and like condemned or like not like viewed as like right or like preaching something that's like normal because people are just confused. ⚠

Brad

So he knows the plan, he's working the plan, the plan's gonna happen. They aren't supposed to understand the plan at that time, but us looking back on it later, kind of. ⚠

Student

Yeah. Okay. Yeah.

Brad

Delaney.

Student

I'm kind of looking at it in relation to the different grounds in which the seed is planted. Like with the rocky seed, that's only the shallow understanding.

Student

That just is derived from hearing the parable but not actually taking the next steps to understand. And I think those steps can be reflected in the type of ground in which the seed comes forth and actual fruit is produced, because like that fruit comes from actually attempting to understand and explore like the meaning of the parable, like taking that extra step and like viewing the parable with intention rather than just hearing it.

Brad

So he's speaking in order that some people will hear but not understand, but the small few that will hear and understand are the ones that more open to it and more going to receive it in the right way. Okay. Yeah.

Student

I think also a simple answer is human knowledge and human understanding is very limited. And how could we possibly expect to be on the same level of understanding as God? Even human words, God transcends that. And so in a way, kind of has to dumb it down for us. Um, and maybe it's less that he doesn't want us to understand, but just that like simply we can't understand. And like, this is the best way to get us to at least like start to grasp these like huge ideas. Like, you know, no one has it perfect, and so like, you know what I'm trying to say? Like, yeah, like Because human understanding is flawed. ⚠

Brad

Okay, sure.

Student

I know like in psychology, especially when they're trying to do experiments with little kids who haven't really kind of developed, you know, full understanding. I forget what exactly the experiment was, but they had two stuffed animals and one of them like started beating up the other one or stole something from the other one. And they asked the kids which stuffed animal they liked and they picked the good one, like the one who is getting beaten up or getting abused because they just kind of intrinsically knew that it was the right thing to do, but they weren't speaking yet. They were like little baby toddlers. So through that, they were teaching them through a parable of what the right thing to do was before they could actually teach them through words what it was. So maybe it's kind of the same thing. ⚠

Student

He doesn't expect people to be able to understand the word of God because they're just not ready to hear it, but you can kind of teach it to them by showing it to them first, and then eventually when they get older and when they've experienced more, lived more, then they can really understand what the message actually is.

Student

Okay, good.

Brad

Um, I think we're gonna move forward unless there's anything else to say on this. Oh, we'll just add one more thing about this, which is that, um, this little excerpt here from Isaiah chapter 6, um, it is quoted in all four of the Gospels. So not super surprising, it's in all three synoptics, but it's also in the Gospel of John. And Luke actually uses it twice. Luke uses it at the end of his gospel, at the end of his gospel, not at the beginning. And then he repeats it again at the end of— or Paul, through the voice of Paul, repeats it again at the end of Acts. So it comes up 5 times in the gospels and Acts. And I don't know, I think a bit perplexing in every case. I mean, it's a perplexing passage even in Isaiah. All right, let's move forward. Chapter 5. ⚠

Student

Yeah?

Brad

Yeah, Tana?

Student

I know we talked about like the greatest secret, but in that verse Jesus says to go home to your friends and tell them how much the Lord has done for you and what mercy he has shown you. And like even later in, in this chapter, he goes back to saying like, oh, no one should know, don't tell anyone. So I'm just like wondering like what the difference is and why I think this is It does stand out, right? ⚠

Brad

It stands out, right? Every other time he said, "Don't tell anybody," but in this one instance says to go and tell. Yeah, definitely worth drawing attention to. We'll hear from Yang next, but before we do, I just want to read it. Let's just read it together. And then, so if we could, we'll just start with Brian and then go person by person. Each person read one verse. Yeah? Just start at the beginning of chapter 5. This is a— I mean, we're taking time here because this is a very important scene, very important passage. ⚠

37:33

Exegesis of the Gerasene Demoniac (Legion) and Roman Symbolism

Student

They came to the other side of the sea to the country of the Gerasenes.

Brad

And when he had stepped out of the boat, immediately a man out of the tombs with an unclean spirit met him.

Student

He lived among the tombs, and no one could restrain him anymore, even with a chain.

Student

For he had often been restrained with shackles and chains, but the chains he wrenched apart and the shackles he broke in pieces, and no one had the strength to subdue him. Night and day among the tombs and on the mountains he was always howling and bruising himself with stones.

Student

When he saw Jesus from a distance, he ran and bowed down before him, and he shouted at the top of his voice, "What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God?" I adjure you by God, do not torment me, for he hath said to me, "Come out of the And Jesus asked him, what is your name? ⚠

Student

And he replied, my name is Legion, for we are many.

Student

And he begged him earnestly not to send them out of the country, but to throw them into a swineherd and let us enter them. ⚠

Student

And the unclean spirits begged him, send us into the swine, let us enter them.

Student

So he gave them permission, and the unclean spirits could not and entered the swine, and the herd numbering about 2,000 rushed down the steep bank into the sea and were drowned in the sea. The swineherds ran off and told it in the city and country. ⚠

Student

Then people came to see what it was that had happened.

Student

They came to Jesus and saw the man, the man sitting there clothed and in his right mind, the very man who had the leon And they were afraid.

Student

Those who had seen what had happened to the demoniac and the swine reported it. Then they began to beg Jesus to leave their neighborhood.

Student

As he was getting into the boat, the man who had been possessed by demons begged him that he might be with him.

Student

But Jesus refused and said to him, go home to your friends and tell them how much the Lord has done for you and what mercy he has shown you.

Student

And he went away and began to proclaim in the Decapolis how much Jesus had done for him, and everyone was amazed.

Brad

Okay, good. So we'll stop there. Um, so yeah, and you had something lined up, um, on this.

Student

Yeah, so like, it's just like, you know, chapter 5, like, part of Jesus' challenges pick up. Like, there are a lot of sort of like stories and parables about healing. So, uh, we believe that, you know, those kind I think really solidifies like, you know, sort of like, you know, Jesus' status as, you know, the Son of God because like he's, you know, performed ability, but also like he performed, you know, miracles. And, but that's not for show, like, 'cause every time like he heals someone, he would say, "Oh, don't tell anyone about it." So that's something that we picked up. And, you know, we think that could be part of the parables too. 'Cause like if he just simply say, "Oh, I'm the Son of God," everyone will be like, what's so special about you, but being able to perform so many miracles really kind of solidifies the story. ⚠

Brad

Okay, great. Yeah, Samuel.

Student

I thought it was really interesting that when Jesus healed the Legion, especially since it was many of them and they seemed very violent and unrestrained, that people were more scared of how Jesus actually healed them instead of the, I guess, the crowd of them itself.

Student

I thought that was really interesting.

Student

And I was looking in Bart Ehrman's view on this.

Student

Yeah.

Student

Jesus often stirs up fear and opposition, most likely because his healings and supernatural powers shock everyone, and that typically goes against status quo. And it said in the footnotes here that I guess people cared more about the balance within their society rather than the betterment of those Possessed the person. ⚠

Brad

Yeah, yeah, yeah. I mean, really, really, yeah, an important verse worth noticing. Verse 17: They began to— they meaning the people who lived in that area, right? They began to beg Jesus to leave their neighborhoods. So what is it? I mean, so he's performed this miracle, healed this one person, and But then everybody else is like, get out of here, right? And there's also the fact that he's— every other time he said, keep it quiet, but here saying, go and tell people, go and tell your friends. So yeah, what are some of the things that are— you know, let's kind of zoom in on this parable. The details, I think, matter here. Yeah, Olivia? ⚠

Student

Thinking about like the animal itself, like swine, like they're known to be like, like travel in herds, but also like very like dirty. And I thought like that was almost intentional because like we can associate like an unclean spirit, like unclean animal. And one thing I thought was interesting, like I, at least the way that I'm interpreting it, the people are asking Jesus to leave after they're like swine are dead. And like I think maybe they're putting their material belongings and livelihood of animals and farm over the livelihood of a human being, which I thought was interesting. ⚠

Brad

All right.

Student

Yep.

Brad

Dylan.

Student

I thought the footnotes had some good insight. This whole time, Jesus and Jews are being persecuted. In Jesus's case, speech. Synagogue, I think, or like the church, and then the Roman Empire, like they've been trying to like execute him. This might be later on, but like that. And then like going back, like obviously the Jews in Egypt and stuff like that. So like, I know it relates to like legion as in the army, and like them like going and drowning in the sea is kind of like the army kind of falling. So I think like that comparison is important. And then like relating it back to like the Hindu texts. I think it's interesting how like the Bhagavad Gita like starts with a battle, but like it's more peaceful in like meaning, if that makes sense. While this is more peaceful, but it like references a battle, if like that makes sense. ⚠

Brad

Okay, great. Yeah, Cooper.

Student

I thought it was interesting that it makes a point that the man is isolated, violent, but then also living among tombs. It almost seems like the man is like everything but dead. So he's already been removed from a normal human life. So the healing in this case is also this restoration of personhood, I guess.

Brad

OK. Yeah. Good. Yeah, Tana? ⚠

Student

I also looked at the commentary for this section. And I thought it was interesting that it mentioned that pigs can swim really well. So aspects of this parable seem to be not actually plausible. So I think this really highlights that the kingdom of God doesn't really play by the rules of society. ⚠

Brad

Okay, I didn't know that about pigs, actually. Yeah, Sophia?

Student

This reminded me of, I guess, maybe the story of the Passover in the way that it's like vicarious life or vicarious death.

Brad

Yeah.

Student

And that like the spirits are entering the swine and then they suffer, I guess, or sacrifice. Um, so yeah.

Brad

Okay. Yeah.

Student

Um, go back to like the, the difference between like him encouraging him to like spread the word of what had happened versus like him asking others to keep quiet. I, I guess that a bit of just like maybe a way to like see if, um, they would obey the word of God. Like these people are seeking out Jesus, like, heal them. ⚠

Student

But are they just using it for that?

Brad

Are they also following his word?

Student

Like, are they doing both?

Brad

Okay, I want to touch on a couple of details here. Just let's try and unpack some of the symbolism going on here, because this might also be another parable, you know, for our sake. Maybe one way to look at it, right? So Legion is What comes to mind when you say— when you hear Legion? Or what would come to mind for this audience when they hear Legion? ⚠

Student

Probably like Roman army.

Brad

Definitely, 100%, right? So the Roman occupying force, right? And that Roman occupying force is, well, Roman, so not Jewish, right? Not local. They're not from here, right? And one of the things that a couple of you pointed out, that from a Jewish perspective, from a Hebrew scripture perspective, swine are unclean, right? They're strictly forbidden. You're not even supposed to touch them, right? Much less eat them. So then if that's the case, right, so why are there 2,000 swine even here in this part of the country, which is Most Jewish people, I mean, most of the people there are Jewish. So if Jewish people can't eat swine, then why are there swine there at all? What's the most likely? What do you think? Yeah. ⚠

Student

Maybe it's food for the peasants.

Brad

It's food for the Romans. It's food for the Romans, right? So you've got this occupying force. There. So you've got the land of, right, present-day Israel, the land, the kingdom of Israel that's being occupied by this foreign, you know, army, the legion. And they like swine, right? And so the local folks are being forced to raise, you know, to raise pigs for the food for the occupying, for the occupiers, right? So the person here, the man with the unclean spirit, he, his body is also being occupied by a foreign force, right? And that foreign force has got the same name of the Roman occupying force, right? So you've got the legion which is literally occupying the, you know, the land the kingdom of Israel. Then you've got this occupying legion of unclean spirits that are occupying the person, right? And Jesus takes care of both of them in one fell swoop, right, by having the unclean spirits that are occupying the man go into the unclean animals that are being occupied, you know, that are there, right? So kind of two birds with one stone. Good. Yeah, so then two things. ⚠

Brad

One is that verse that I read a minute ago. So why are the people begging Jesus to leave the neighborhood? What are they afraid of? What's going on?

Student

Yeah, I mean, the Romans are probably gonna assume that they got rid of the swine in some way.

Brad

They're definitely not going to believe their story, right? Oh, this guy came in and cause this spirit and all the pigs just ran into the ocean or the river, right? I mean, even if they do believe it, they're not really gonna care, right? And they're gonna bring the wrath down on those people, right? Because they're already oppressed. And so, right, so that's probably what's something going on with why they're afraid. Yeah, I don't know. What do you think of my interpretation? Anybody have a throw a wrench in it? There's a wrench to be thrown. Um, let's fast forward a little bit to, um, Mark chapter 7, um, verse 17. It's really verse 19. But I'm going to start reading in verse 17. Actually, I'm going to start reading with verse 14. Then he called the crowd again and said to them, listen to me, all of you, and understand. So listen and understand. In this case, there's nothing outside a person that by going into the person can defile, but the things that come out are what defile. ⚠

50:26

Theology of Purity: Internal Heart vs. External Tradition

Brad

I lowkey think that's a joke, but "When he had left the crowd and entered the house, his disciples asked him about the parable. And he said to them, 'Then do you also fail to understand? Do you not see whatever goes into a person from the outside cannot defile, since it enters not the heart but the stomach, and then goes out into the sewer?'" And then Mark tells us in this parenthetical, "Thus he declared all foods clean." So what do we make of that? So are the unclean— so are the swine unclean? I mean, at least this seems to be according to Mark. All food is clean, right? ⚠

Student

No?

Brad

Makes sense?

Student

Yeah?

Student

[Speaker:AUDIENCE] Kind of foreshadowing how Jesus would [Speaker:AUDIENCE] Maybe. ⚠

Brad

I don't have an answer. I'm not trying to get you to guess what I'm thinking. But yeah, that's a fine insight.

Student

[Speaker:AUDIENCE] I feel like he's kind of like making this idea that physical and spiritual. It's like just because everything physical is clean doesn't mean your spirit is clean. I feel like that's kind of like what he's trying to get at. Also, like, you know, he's probably trying to say that, oh, you know, to sort of like clean your spirit, you can only like, you know, rely on your heart, that kind of thing, rather than like try to just wash your hands or have clean food because like those things don't matter to, you know, how your spirit is being raised. ⚠

Brad

Okay. Yeah. Yep.

Student

Cooper.

Student

Just in general, like this idea of moral corruption being rooted in the heart. As opposed to external contact reminded me of a little bit of what we read in the Gita with inner motive mattering more than whatever that outward form would be.

Brad

Okay. Yeah.

Student

Good.

Brad

Yeah, let me—

Student

I also think it's another example of Jesus reinventing tradition because he's saying this, which goes against a tradition that is called previously, and then also later when the Pharisees are criticizing him for not washing his foods and all the disciples' hands before they eat, and Jesus said that's not what really matters. I think it's another way that he's rewriting the narrative and trying to move forward with his philosophy and religion. ⚠

Brad

So if these things don't matter, if it doesn't matter what food you eat and it doesn't matter whether you wash your hands, before you eat, then what does? Yeah, Lucas.

Student

I think the bad things, they enter the body but not the heart. ⚠

Student

And I feel like he focuses a lot on the heart.

Student

And before, Jewish tradition was a lot of outwardly traditions, like not doing work on the Sabbath or not eating eggs and being really particular about these traditions. But then it was He's like breaking all these Jewish traditions down, but also letting like Gentiles and like non-Jews like read the words. Like, I feel like, like reframing the religion, like it's for everybody and saying that it's not about like what you do, it's just about the heart and what your heart is. ⚠

Brad

Okay. All right. Hear that? Yeah. Dylan, Tana, Delaney. ⚠

Student

So I think like this definitely relates to previous parables where these people were essentially untouchable in a way. No one would associate with them. I think, is it the Good Samaritan story? It's not in this, but in general, it's similar to that as well. But he's essentially saying what's important is what you do. And then also, I kind of got the feeling that after he does something, like has a miracle, or when about to do it, he's like in a way testing the person, which like I can't give you specific examples, but I think looking at like the example of the girl that touched his clothes, yeah, like he waited for her to like get down on her knees to apologize before kind of blessing her in a way. So like there's like a moment where he's like testing and like seeing that inner goodness before he like fully gives that blessing. So I feel like he's kind of trying to see that, and that's like the main thing. ⚠

Brad

Okay, we might zoom in on that in a second, but on your first point about action, as you were saying, that reminded me of chapter 3, verse 35, the last verse in chapter 3. You know, he's like, "Here are my mothers and brothers," right, and said Whoever does the will of God is my brother and sister and mother. So it's not what you think. It's not what you believe. It's not who you are. It's what you do. So whoever does the will of God. Yeah, Tana? ⚠

Student

I just want to also connect it to the heart and importance of your intentions and verse 21. Like it says directly, "Flirt is from within, from the human heart, that evil intentions come." And then it lists all the sins. So it is also— it is the action, but it's also your intention. ⚠

Student

Okay.

Student

Yeah.

Brad

I thought I saw a hand over here. I hallucinated it. Any others? Let's keep going. All right, so we got the Legion and then, yeah, this healing of the woman. So here again, here again, we've got an issue of cleanliness, right? So in the Hebrew scriptures and the the Old Testament, there's a good deal about purity rules, cleanliness rules. And one of the least clean things is a woman who's in her menstrual cycle. So usually this woman that has a hemorrhage, we don't exactly know what her hemorrhage is about, but it's most often interpreted as sort of like a a menstrual period that just doesn't end. Sounds pretty awful. But so she has this, so she's super unclean, right, because she has this. And she thinks, right, verse 28, for she said, I guess out loud or to herself, but if I touch his clothes, I will be made well. Immediately her hemorrhage stopped, and she felt in her body that she was healed of her disease. ⚠

57:24

The Hemorrhaging Woman and the Role of Faith in Miracles

Brad

Immediately aware of the that power had gone forth from him, Jesus turned about in the crowd and said, "Who touched my clothes?" So his disciples were just like, "A lot of people." And he looked around, and the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came in fear and trembling. Kind of a famous little phrase there. Yeah, fell down. So as Dylan said, fell down before him and told him the whole truth. He said to her, "Daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace and be healed of your disease." So, yeah, a number of things to take from this. One, I mentioned before the sort of frequent, you know, dichotomy, I guess, really, between fear and faith. But here we seem to have fear with faith, or faith and then fear and then faith again. So she touched him because she had faith. And then she has this fear even after she has been healed by her faith. But then he says, your faith has made you well. ⚠

Student

Yeah? Yeah?

Brad

I think it's interesting that he specifically says, your faith has made you well.

Student

Like, the fact that you believed in my power made you well.

Student

Saying like, I healed you.

Student

He's saying like, your faith in me healed you. And also, he's not mad that she touched him, right? Because like, she had that faith.

Student

Yeah.

Brad

And I think we'll see throughout Mark's Gospel, and we could jump to the next chapter, chapter 6, verse 5. That exactly as Sophia is saying, that it's really the person's faith that enables him to heal. Right? And so when he goes back to his hometown, which is unnamed here, but when he goes back to his hometown, they're like, you know, isn't this just the carpenter, son of Mary, brother of James? And all these kids and sisters. And then Jesus said to them, prophets are not without honor, except in their hometown and among their own kin and in their own house. And then this, you know, very interesting couple of verses. He could do no deed of power there, except that he laid hands on a few sick people and cured them. And he was amazed at their unbelief. So it It seems like he was unable to do, to perform miracles, except for a couple of miracles, but because of their lack of belief, right? So exactly the same thing that you were just drawing attention to. So she was cured, the woman with the bleed was cured because she had faith. ⚠

Brad

And here Jesus is unable to perform miracles because they lack.

Student

Faith, right?

Brad

So some connection between his ability to heal and perform miracles and other people's faith in what? Faith in him? Faith in his ability to do it? Faith— I mean, we're just— their faith, right? ⚠

Student

Their belief.

Brad

We have also here in verse 36 Chapter 5, verse 36. But overhearing what they said, Jesus said to the leader of the synagogue, "Do not fear, only believe." Right? So we've got, again, this constant fear versus faith. They don't often seem to go together. What do you make of the fact that the The 12 are given the authority, right? Chapter 6, verse 6: Then he went about among the villages teaching. He called the 12 and began to send them out two by two and gave them authority. We haven't seen that word authority so much in this passage as we did in the beginning of the gospel. But he gave them authority over unclean spirits. So You know, they cast out many demons and anointed with oil many who were sick and cured them. So I don't know, what do we make of all that? Yeah, Olivia. ⚠

Student

I think it's kind of a foreshadow and like Jesus preparing the disciples to like continue his mission even after he goes away and like he like returns to heaven. And I think that like he also brings up, like he tells his disciples his fate and then letting them have that authority and go out is kind of like preparing them for what they have to do and how to continue his mission. ⚠

Student

Okay.

Brad

Yeah, Cooper.

Student

I thought it was interesting that the disciples don't have guaranteed housing on this mission. It's entirely dependent on the hospitality of the homeowners. And so that kind of shows that the mission is built on this trust and faith rather than protection that Jesus could definitely give them if they needed it, but he doesn't.

Brad

And you could connect that point also to the parable of the seeds that we started with, right? That so the seeds, the word is efficacious regardless, but it depends on how that's received, right? So then if someone opens their door to them, if they— yeah, if they enter their house, then they'll be able to receive it. And if not, it's not on you, right? Shake off the dust and, um, as a testimony against them. ⚠

Student

Yeah.

Brad

Okay, others?

Student

Yeah, Tana. Disciples, this authority helps other civilians believe in the power of God more because they might know that the disciples also doubt God and they are imperfect humans themselves, and so they wouldn't be able to have this power without the divine authority of God. ⚠

Student

Okay.

Brad

So I mean, they're definitely getting their authority and their power from him.

Student

Right.

Brad

Yeah. Even though it just seems like they still don't really understand and get it, but maybe it's just they have faith even though they don't understand.

Student

Yeah.

Student

Yeah. I was going to say that maybe if they have more involvement in action, like within the teachings and the parables, that they might further their understanding of it. ⚠

Student

Okay.

Brad

Yeah.

Student

Yeah.

Brad

Samuel?

Student

I think Jesus giving his disciples power to heal people and all that stuff makes it so that civilians are able to kind of relate with the disciples since they're technically like normal people and Jesus is seen as this like supernatural, like evil and like scary unknown thing. So doing that allows like people to like want to learn more about the parables and the kingdom of God.

Brad

So Mark's audience, right, could say, well, you You know, if the, um, you know, they— I wasn't there, right? I can't— I'm not there. So, um, but it seems like they have the ability to understand what the disciples don't, or at least as much.

Student

Yeah, yeah.

Student

Olivia, um, you said that like authority— like the word authority doesn't come up like a lot like within this passage, and I think like that's kind of significant because it's demonstrating that like Jesus wants to ensure that the disciples know that, like, the power to, like, heal isn't coming from the disciples themselves. Like, God is giving them the ability to, like, perform these acts. So I think, like, authority is, like, a really key word here, so they can understand that they're not the ones performing the miracles, they're performing it through, like, a higher power. ⚠

Brad

Okay, but that power seems to come not so much from higher authority as from the people that they're healing, right? You Yeah.

Student

Good.

Brad

I just want to draw quick attention to what's called the Markan sandwich. It's a literary device. Mark makes very frequent use of it. And we've seen it many times before, but I'm just— this is the first time I'm drawing attention to it. But so it's called a sandwich because he'll just like— he'll start a story. And then he'll tell another story and then he'll finish the first story, right? So it's like bookends, you know? And so, for example, and I think it's just clearly intentional, right? He's doing this intentionally. He wants us to read these together. So, you know, here, as we were just looking at, we've got Jesus calls the 12, sends them out, right? The word apostle means one who is sent. Disciple means one who follows. Apostle means one who is sent. It's just what the words mean. And so he's sending them out to do this. And then, so that's the top of the sandwich, I guess. And then the middle of the sandwich is all this about John the Baptist, right? Herod and John the Baptist. ⚠

1:05:59

Mission of the Twelve and the Markan Sandwich Literary Device

Brad

And then that goes on for, you know, Chapter 6, verse 14, all the way up to verse 19, and then at verse 30, the apostles return, right? So we've got the apostles sent and then this John the Baptist scene and then the apostles return. So what does all that mean, right? How do we— what do these things have to do with each other? You know, let's kind of zoom in, double-click as the millennials say. And what's going on with this Herod, Herodias, John the Baptist scene? Anybody have anything to say about that? ⚠

Student

Yeah, feel free.

Student

Just looking at like the specific inner story of this sandwich, I thought it was interesting how John dies seemingly like not because he's wrong, but because truth threatens someone in power, which kind of foreshadows Jesus's own fate a little bit. ⚠

Brad

Yeah, and even the person in power didn't seem to really want to kill him, right? But did. I mean, definitely did, right? Yeah, good. All right, let's push forward then. So why, what's up with these loaves and fishes? Straight, we've got this. Why is the story in there twice? Mark, I'm sorry, Matthew and Luke, they say we don't need it twice. They just copied the first one and left the second one out. So what's going on? We also have another sandwich here, right between between the two of them. We got this— a few things happen. One which really caught my attention, chapter 6, verse 46: After saying farewell to the disciples, he went up to the mountain to pray. This is the first time, I believe, in the gospel that we've seen him praying. So yeah, I don't know if that caught anybody else's attention. In Luke's Gospel, Jesus is praying like all the time, like every paragraph, every— definitely every chapter he's praying, usually multiple times in the chapter. So this stands out to me as, you know, one of the very few times in the Gospel that he prays. And then what happens? ⚠

Brad

Yeah, I don't know. Anything from the rest of chapter 6? And it's not just discussion leaders, anybody. Yeah, Delaney.

Student

I noticed that there was like a clear distinction between the feeding of the Israelites and then the feeding surrounding people of the Israelites. ⚠

Student

So like it represents the 12 tribes, the first feast, and then the second part of the sandwich was extended beyond those Israelites, perhaps showing like everyone who is willing to hear the word like will be fed. ⚠

Brad

Yeah, good. So one is predominantly or exclusively Jewish audience, and the other one is predominantly or exclusively not Jewish audience. So Um, so probably something significant going on there. Yeah, yep.

1:11:06

Feeding the Multitudes and the 'I Am' Epiphany on the Water

Student

Chapter 6 is also the chapter where Jesus— we see Jesus walk on water. Yeah, I think the quote he says is really significant. It's, "Take heart, it is I. Do not be afraid." And I think that that like still demonstrates that like even though the disciples are like said to be the ones who like Jesus is giving the truth to, like they're still unable to comprehend his true greatness. And I think that the fact that we see the words like Jesus knows that they're afraid, that also brings up again the conversation of fear and faith. ⚠

Brad

Yeah, for sure. Definitely fear and faith. I wrote fear versus faith right there.

Student

Yep.

Brad

Good. That phrase there, it seems so unassuming in English. "Take heart, it is I." But in Greek, the part that's being translated "it is I" is actually ego eimi. And ego eimi is— I mean, you wouldn't say that in Greek. Eimi means "I am." Ego means "I." So it's kind of like "I, I am," right? It's like a little bit— it's, um, you wouldn't normally say that, ego eimi. And Jesus actually says it 7 times in John's Gospel, but we're not studying John's Gospel. But it's the only time that it happens here, and it's highly significant because of the book of Exodus. We only read a little bit of Exodus last— I mean, earlier this semester, but those of you who had me last semester, we read Exodus 3, Exodus 3, verse 14. Is when Moses goes and he encounters God in the burning bush. And Moses says, you know, what's your name? Tell me who you are. And yeah, God's response is in Greek, ego eimi, right? So the— so it's— yeah, so I— or in Hebrew, it's ayeh asher ayeh. I am who I am. I am what I will be. ⚠

Brad

So this seems to be, at least for John's Gospel, which we're not talking about, this is a really important phrase, sort of Jesus identifying himself as the divine. And here we also see another reference there. There's lots of references to Exodus in here. Again, it may seem really unassuming, but when he says in verse 48, "He intended to pass them by," What do we make of that? Do we make anything, any significance? Why you would think, right, like he's seeing them, you know, against the adverse wind and all that kind of stuff. Why wouldn't he walk to them? But instead he's intending to pass them by. Maybe a reference to Exodus 32, where, um, 32, 35, where, um, God puts Moses in the cleft of the rock and then passes him by. Right? So both of those seem to be what we call high Christology, like treating Jesus as more than just— maybe even more than just the Son of God, but almost as a God incarnate or something like that. We're out of time. So I have office hours now. ⚠

Brad

If you don't mind, push the chairs back a little bit on your way out if you have time. And I'll see you on Tuesday.