Mark's first eight chapters show Jesus to be the Savior. His second eight chapters show us he saves by his suffering.

Tuesday, 1/12/16

Today’s Gospel gives an account of the remarkable impression Jesus made on the people that first Sabbath day in Capernaum’s synagogue. It got the people thinking he might be the Messiah.

Let’s count the things that got the people thinking he was more than human. One, he taught with the authority of one who knew God. Secondly, the demon said, “You are the Holy One of God.” Third, the evil spirit obeyed his command to come out from the man. Fourth, “all were amazed, and asked, ‘What is this’”

St. Mark carefully constructed his Gospel’s sixteen chapters. It neatly breaks into two parts of eight chapters each. The first eight chapters showed him to be the Savior, while the second eight chapters tell us he will save through his suffering.

Beginning with today’s Gospel that begin demonstrating that Jesus was the Savior, the evidence keeps piling up until the Gospel’s halfway point at the end of Chapter Eight, Peter puts the cap on it, by announcing, “You are the Messiah.

With it then established that Jesus is the Savior, Jesus immediately launched into the second half of Mark’s Gospel when he surprisingly announces that he will save us, not by heroics, but by meekly accepting all the suffering thrown his way.