This week’s readings are all from Mark 15-16. Click here to see a full listing of each day’s reading and the full chapter of Mark 15-16. Full readings of each day’s smaller segments of the readings will be posted on this site during the week.
Today's Reading\
When the sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices, so that they might go and anoint him. 2 And very early on the first day of the week, when the sun had risen, they went to the tomb. 3 They had been saying to one another, “Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance to the tomb?” 4 When they looked up, they saw that the stone, which was very large, had already been rolled back. 5 As they entered the tomb, they saw a young man, dressed in a white robe, sitting on the right side; and they were alarmed. 6 But he said to them, “Do not be alarmed; you are looking for Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has been raised; he is not here. Look, there is the place they laid him. 7 But go, tell his disciples and Peter that he is going ahead of you to Galilee; there you will see him, just as he told you.” 8 So they went out and fled from the tomb, for terror and amazement had seized them; and they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid.
The Shorter Ending of Mark
[[And all that had been commanded them they told briefly to those around Peter. And afterward Jesus himself sent out through them, from east to west, the sacred and imperishable proclamation of eternal salvation.]]
The Longer Ending of Mark
9 [[Now after he rose early on the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, from whom he had cast out seven demons. 10 She went out and told those who had been with him, while they were mourning and weeping. 11 But when they heard that he was alive and had been seen by her, they would not believe it.
12 After this he appeared in another form to two of them, as they were walking into the country. 13 And they went back and told the rest, but they did not believe them.
14 Later he appeared to the eleven themselves as they were sitting at the table; and he upbraided them for their lack of faith and stubbornness, because they had not believed those who saw him after he had risen. 15 And he said to them, “Go into all the world and proclaim the good news to the whole creation. 16 The one who believes and is baptized will be saved; but the one who does not believe will be condemned. 17 And these signs will accompany those who believe: by using my name they will cast out demons; they will speak in new tongues; 18 they will pick up snakes in their hands, and if they drink any deadly thing, it will not hurt them; they will lay their hands on the sick, and they will recover.”
19 So then the Lord Jesus, after he had spoken to them, was taken up into heaven and sat down at the right hand of God. 20 And they went out and proclaimed the good news everywhere, while the Lord worked with them and confirmed the message by the signs that accompanied it.]]
We made it through! How was Mark for you?
As Jimmy said in the Podcast, "Where is the resurrected Jesus among you?!"
I loved going through Mark at such a slow pace! Also, I think it seems a little random and very specific that he tells the disciples that those who believe will “pick up snakes in their bare hands.” What is the significance of this and why would that be deemed necessary? Is this suppose to show that maybe they would be fearless? Or that they wouldn’t get hurt by snakes?
@mallary-malwick In the manuscripts of Mark's Gospel there is a significant issue that has been known from at least the 4th century. The ending of Mark has taken various forms (5 in all). The earliest and the best manuscripts end at verse 8 ('for they were afraid'). Everything after that has varied in the manuscript traditions, has different grammar from the rest of Mark, and for the most part they seem to have been additions made by later scribes to sort of "fix" Mark's abrupt ending that lacked an appearance from the resurrected Jesus. Most of these elements come from other Gospels (appearances to the women, journey to two travelers like Emmaus, etc), but some do not, such as the passage about taking up snakes and drinking poison.
