First sentence: When we listen to the text of Scripture with our heart and mind fully engaged, we should almost hear the tone of the author's voice. When I listen to the opening verse of Mark, I hear an enthusiastic young man who is almost out of breath.
Premise/plot: Mark: The Gospel of Passion is a commentary written by Michael Card. He does not go through the gospel verse by verse, but he does go through it chapter by chapter, essentially paragraph by paragraph. He approaches the gospel through the lens of biblical imagination. What is the biblical imagination? An intellectually informed imagination, a balanced engagement of the heart and mind. He writes, "when the imagination is surrendered along with the heart and mind, it becomes a unifying bridge that opens the Scriptures in new and exciting ways." Mark worked closely with Peter. And Mark is thought to be written based on stories Peter told him.
My thoughts: Michael Card has written a commentary on each of the four gospels. His commentary on Mark is the first that I've read. (I own the other three, and I do plan on reading them at some point.) Mark is the shortest gospel, and I must admit it's well-paced. But it's not my favorite of the four gospels. I thought the commentary was good. His approach definitely was thought-provoking at times. For example, I'd never thought why Mark might exclude the account of Peter walking on the water. Card poses two questions: Was it pride? Was Peter ashamed that he failed to walk on water and needed rescuing? Or was it humility? Did Peter want to avoid any attention to himself and keep the glory focused on Jesus. He doesn't definitively answer because the truth is we just do not know.
© Becky Laney of Operation Actually Read Bible
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