Mark’s story of Jesus is vitally concerned with discipleship. There is ample sayings material in which Jesus instructs and inspires the Twelve and subsequent disciples. Jesus’ disciples, especially the Twelve, are memorably presented in a complex role as representing the calling and equipping of Jesus’ followers for discipleship, and as demonstrating the difficulties and failures to which disciples are subject.
Mark also boldly and dramatically counter poses the shortcomings and failures of the Twelve to Jesus’ exemplary behavior in order to portray the demands of discipleship, with Jesus himself as the object and paradigm of discipleship. Jesus’ authoritative promise of the restoration of the Twelve to fellowship after their shameful collapse makes Jesus’ calling the sole basis of the Christian life and offers paradigmatic hope to subsequent disciples who may fail their Master.
Finally, embedded within Mark’s explicit narrative are pointers and invitations ot participate in a continuation of the narrative in the pos-Easter fellowship of Christian disciples, who, like the Twelve, are summoned to mission, witness, servant dedication and faithfulness empowered by the Holy Spirit.
Source:
Larry W,Hurtado, “Following Jesus in the Gospel of Mark and Beyond,” in Patterns of Discipleship in the New Testament, ed. Richard N.Longenecker (Grand Rapid Michigan: Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1996), p 27-28
