A Simple Guide to Mark

by Paul J. McCarren, SJ

Overview

The Gospel writers state they aim to tell the story of Jesus in a clear manner, but throughout Paul McCarren’s years in ministry, he has seen that these simple and important messages are too often missed. In his Simple Guides to the Gospels series, McCarren provides a new translation of each Gospel book, leading readers chapter by chapter through the text. Each section includes scripture and a brief, engaging commentary about how readers can relate to the material. The Simple Guides introduce readers to life in early Christianity, describe points of controversy, and show how each section fits with those that went before. The Simple Guide to Matthew highlights many of Jesus’ compelling sayings, stories such as the Sermon on the Mount, and key themes of Jesus’ ministry, such as trust.

The books in the Simple Guides to the Gospels series are available individually or together as a complete set.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781442218840
Publisher:	Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc.
Publication date:	11/23/2012
Series:	Simple Guides to the Gospels , #2
Pages:	138
Product dimensions:	5.60(w) x 8.60(h) x 0.60(d)

About the Author

Paul J. McCarren, SJ, works at Loyola Retreat House and at St. Ignatius Church, both in Maryland, while continuing to write Simple Guides to the Bible. A Jesuit priest, he has spent many years in both parish and campus ministry.

Table of Contents

Introduction
Who Needs a Simple Guide to Mark's Gospel?
A Simple Message
Some Big Questions Answered by Mark's Gospel
Acknowledgments

The Gospel According to Mark
Chapter 1 - John the Baptist Proclaims Repentance and Forgiveness; Jesus Demonstrates Them
1:1-8 - John the Baptist, witness to repentance
1:9-20 - Jesus is drawn to baptism, repentance, and teaching
1:21-28 - Jesus teaches and heals
1:29-45 - Jesus teaches again through healing

Chapter 2 - We Turn to God Because God Answers our Needs
2:1-12 - Returning to Capernaum, Jesus forgives and heals
2:13-22 - A call to a sinner; an argument about religious practice
2:23-28 - Another argument about religious practice

Chapter 3 - Who Needs Forgiveness, Healing, and Wholeness?
3:1-6 - Another disagreement about healing
3:7-19 - Many seek healing; Jesus asks disciples to heal
3:20-30 - Confusion about healing; explanation of healing and forgiveness
3:31-35 - Jesus’ worried family appears

Chapter 4 - How Does God Get At Us?
4:1-9 - A gift of plenty
4:10-20 - The gift of plenty explained
4:21-25 - More lessons about learning
4:26-34 - Lessons about the Kingdom–in parables
4:35-41 - A lesson in trust

Chapter 5 - Two Healings Provoke a Desire to Testify
5:1-10 - An encounter with a sick man across the lake
5:11-20 - The healing across the lake continues
5:21-34 - Returning to Galilee; more pleas for healing
5:35-43 - Jairus’ daughter

Chapter 6 - Incidents of Rejection; More Examples of Care and Healing
6:1-6 - Jesus gets a poor reception at home
6:7-16 - Jesus shares his mission with the twelve—Herod is puzzled
6:17-29 - A look back at why Herod killed John the Baptist
6:30-34 - Jesus’ disciples return; so do the crowds
6:35-44 - The crowd is hungry; Jesus asks for a blessing
6:45-52 - Another lesson in trust
6:53-56 - More healing

Chapter 7 - Resistance from Jerusalem Officials; Acceptance Among Strangers
7:1-13 - Some officials claim to know God’s will
7:14-23 - Jesus describes what it’s like to ignore God’s will
7:24-30 - Travel to Gentile territory, and a healing
7:31-37 - More traveling in Gentile territory, and another healing

Chapter 8 - More Compassion and Care; Unbelief; Suffering
8:1-10 - Another hungry crowd
8:11-21 - Jesus confronts disbelief
8:22-30 - Jesus encounter belief
8:31-38 - Those chosen by God suffer and die

Chapter 9 - More Travels, More Teaching about Faith
9:1-13 - A vision of the glory of God’s Kingdom—not understood
9:14-29 - Jesus teaches about repentance, healing, and trust
9:30-37 - Trust in God leads to service of others
9:38-50 - Notice others' needs, not yours

Chapter 10 - Heading to Jerusalem, Teaching and Healing on the Way
10:1-9 - Jesus is still willing to teach the Pharisees
10:10-16 - Two lessons for the Disciples
10:17-22 - A rich man asks about sharing God’s life
10:23-31 - The disciples ask about riches
10:32-45 - Suffering and glory
10:46-52 - Again, faith brings healing

Chapter 11 - A Mixed Reception in Jerusalem
11:1-11 - Jesus is acclaimed in Jerusalem
11:12-19 - Jesus experiences two disappointments
11:20-26 - Jesus explains how faith, repentance, and forgiveness work
11:27-33 - Jesus challenges officials to recognize their ignorance

Chapter 12 - A Day of Teaching in the Temple
12:1-12 - A lesson about accepting God’s desires
12:13-17 - A trick question from some reluctant students
12:18-27 - Another trick question
12:28-34 - Another question, but not a trick
12:35-44 - Jesus asks about the Messiah, warns against pride, praises generosity

Chapter 13 - Jesus Speaks of Life as a Struggle
13:1-8 - Human endeavors tend to collapse
13:9-13 - The disciples will face much opposition
13:14-23 - While waiting for fulfillment of God’s plan, beware other schemes
13:24-37 - Jesus continues his lesson on watching

Chapter 14 - The Authorities Plot Jesus’ Death - Jesus Plans to Accept Death
14:1-9 - Jesus rejected - Jesus embraced
14:10-17 - A betrayal is prepared; Passover is prepared
14:18-31 - Jesus and the disciples share a Passover meal
14:32-42 - Jesus prays at Gethsemane
14:43-52 - The authorities arrest Jesus; his disciples flee
14:53-65 - Jesus in court
14:66-72 - Peter discovers his faithlessness

Chapter 15 - Death Sentence, Execution, Burial
15:1-15 - The Roman governor is asked to pass sentence
15:16-32 - Execution
15:33-47 - Death and burial

Chapter 16 - Rising from the Dead - Spreading the Good News
16:1-8 - Women disciples find the tomb empty, then fail to fulfill a mission
16:9-20 - Jesus appears to his disciples

Index

Editorial Reviews

With many years of background in ministry, Jesuit author Paul McCarren has simplified each gospel for readers to understand the important messages that often go unnoticed.. .. McCarren provides commentary to each gospel writer’s style, how each is engaged in the reader’s life today, and how the sections in each gospel relate to each other.

U.S. Catholic

Rather than follow the standard form of Bible commentaries, which often don’t reproduce the passages under consideration, Father McCarren presents each of the four Gospels piece by piece, accompanied by his helpful explanations to the texts. With a Simple Guide to the Gospels, readers will be able to make their way through Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John in order, along with the author’s insights on every page. Reading these books is like studying the Gospels with a learned, literate, and lively guide who will help you better understand the most important books ever written.

James Martin SJ

Father Paul McCarren’s simple guides to the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, John, and Luke are exactly what their titles claims they are, clearly written guides to the four canonical Gospels that makes them accessible to the everyday reader. Drawing on the best critical resources of New Testament scholarship, McCarren introduces the Gospels without encumbering the reader with an excess of technical exegetical details. These valuable guides may be profitably used for ones' s own spiritual growth and prayer life, or in group study of the Gospels at the parish or catechetical level. They may also serve as a preparation for further exploration of the Gospels.

Alan C. Mitchell

Written in a lively style with fresh translations and original insights, this guide should appeal to a wide spectrum of contemporary readers and especially to those teaching the Gospels. Readers will be stimulated to think creatively about familiar texts.

John R. Donahue