Street Language

Mark is the shortest of the four Gospels. Mark is the most dramatic of the four Gospels:

When Mark wrote his Gospel, to become a follower of Jesus was a radical decision.

It could mean incurring disapproval or outright rejection from friends and family (Healy, Gospel of Mark, 17).

It was not until the early middle ages that the first commentary appeared on Mark.

Why?

The Gospel of Mark is deceptively simple.

Mark writes in a plain, ‘street language’ style of Greek that made his writing accessible to the uneducated but led others to disparage his work as unrefined and vulgar (Healy, 23).

No wonder Mark appeals to me more than the other Gospels.

I lived in a country town during childhood and worked in retail and encountered that ‘street language.’

Well, we have entered a new liturgical year where Mark is front and centre stage.

Thank God for this:

Mark writes with consummate skill.

His narrative style is the most vivid of the Gospels.

One of his favourite words is euthys, ‘immediately,’ used over 40 times, giving his narrative a sense of urgency and fast-paced action (Healy, 23).

Sit back and enjoy the urgency and action.

Amen.