Kingdom and Discipleship (Mark 1-4, 6, 8)

Mark 1:1–11. Prepare the Way of the Lord

Mark 1:1–8. The Beginning of the Good News

The Gospel of Mark opens with the words “The beginning of the good news of Jesus Christ, the Son of God” (Mark 1:1). These words echo the first line of the Old Testament, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth” (Genesis 1:1). The good news is that Jesus is renewing the entire world—“the heavens and the earth”—according to God’s “very good” original intent (Genesis 1:31). (See the TOW Bible Commentary on Genesis 1:1–2:3.) Jesus has not come to evacuate people from the world before it’s too late. Just the opposite; Jesus has come to fill the world with God’s presence (Revelation 21:3), overcoming every impulse to keep God out. Wherever Jesus goes, God is fully present.

God’s full presence in the world in the person of the man Jesus is news, astonishing news. Yet the prophets had proclaimed it as God’s promise for centuries. When it finally happens, what should people do? Get to work, says the prophet Isaiah. “Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight” (Isaiah 40:3 as paraphrased by Mark). Preparing for Jesus’s coming takes work. The way to greet Jesus is not to wait around passively, but to actively take stock and recognize where you have fallen short of God’s good intent.

John the Baptist calls people to repent of the things we do—and the things that we fail to do—that betray the goodness of God’s creation. As Mark tells the story, when John calls people to repent, they are already well aware of their sin. (Luke records a bit more detail; see Luke 3:10–19.) They come from everywhere to repent and be cleansed (Mark 1:5). The same is true today, in work as in every sphere of life. When it comes to your own sin at work, just a few minutes of self-reflection may bring plenty to light. Some may be individual sins of doing something wrong, such as lying or shifting the blame for your actions onto someone else or profiting from others’ misfortunes. Other sins may come from what you don’t do at work, such as not producing quality work, or not helping a coworker in need, or not giving a customer complete and accurate information. Repentance means turning away from sins of doing wrong and sins of not doing right. But repentance is more than changing what you do. It also requires changing your perspective and motivation. For example, if you are only working to earn a paycheck, repentance means also caring about how your work affects other people. If you are only seeking to advance your own career, repentance means investing in the success of the people you work among.

The good news of Jesus, enacted by John, is that God is ready to wash away our guilt and give us the power to walk in the good work he has ordained for us from the very beginning (Ephesians 2:10). We don’t have power on our own to do truly good work, or even to desire it. But God stands ready to give us both the desire and the power (Mark 1:7–8) to do the work he wants us to do in the world.

Mark 1:4–11. John Baptizes Jesus of Nazareth

Jesus himself comes to John to be baptized, as if to declare that he is the one John has been proclaiming. As Jesus emerges from the water, God’s Spirit descends upon him like a dove, and a voice from heaven confirms Jesus’s identity. “You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased” (Mark 1:10–11). Although Jesus is the Son of God, that doesn’t negate Jesus’ human ethnicity, language, culture, and family. He is from Nazareth of Galilee (Mark 1:9). Galilee was a remote region, and Nazareth had a bad reputation among the elites in the capital, Jerusalem (John 1:46). Jesus, like his ancestor Ruth (Ruth 2:6), is treated as a suspicious outsider.

Origins influence the way people present themselves and are perceived as they go about their work. Sometimes an identity may be an advantage. At other times, it creates barriers. Immigrant workers, for example, often face stereotypes about their homeland or ethnicity. They typically lose whatever status and reputation they had in their community of origin. Highly skilled workers may be shunted into unskilled jobs. Financial and emotional support networks may be torn apart.

Jesus’ identity as uniquely beloved of God is deeper and more fundamental than the circumstances of his origin. In God’s eyes, Jesus is not some suspicious character from Nazareth, but God’s beloved, born to bring God’s own Holy Spirit throughout the world (Mark 1:8). Jesus’ obedience to his calling, opens the way of the Lord to all creation (Mark 1:3), and his work on the cross fulfills and perfects all good work (Mark 16:9). If Jesus can embrace his particular human origin, each of us can embrace ours. No one has the right to treat us as inferior because of our identity. And none of us have the right to treat another person as inferior because of their identity. For most of us, this alone is cause to repent.

Even so, our origin does not dictate or limit our identity. Through baptism—the visible sign of turning to Jesus’ way—we accept our identity as children of God above and beyond any identity the world confers. The identity that we have as children of God is the starting point by which we live out our lives, even in the workplace.

Mark 1:12-13. Temptation at Work

Before Jesus can even begin his work of proclaiming the good news, God’s Spirit drives him into the wilderness to be tempted by Satan. In many passages in Scripture, God calls people through a place of testing and refinement, for example, Moses (Exodus 3–5), Joseph (Genesis 37, 39), and Paul (Acts 9, 11). Recognizing that your work matters to God will make work more fulfilling, more meaningful, less frustrating, and probably more difficult too. If the aims of your workplace—or the habits of your heart—do not fully align with God’s path of restoring the world for the good of all people, you can expect tensions, temptations, and difficulties at work. For example, is there any workplace where all people are treated by everyone with the dignity they deserve as people made in the image of God? Once you start to follow Jesus at work, you can no longer feel complacent when anyone in your workplace is mistreated or belittled. All the more so if you are the one doing the mistreating.

This does not make Jesus an enemy of work. Jesus chose to go into the place of hardship and temptation, and he found that God was with in him the wilderness (Mark 1:13). Maybe God puts his people in difficult workplaces because you can do more good there. Maybe it is for your own growth and formation. As marketplace theologian R. Paul Stevens says, “Work can shape our identity, form our character, and influence our relationships.” [1] Maybe by God’s grace you can help make your workplace more as God intends, or maybe it will take all God’s strength simply to endure it until God opens another door for you. Whatever the circumstances, God is with you where you work.

Mark 1:14–20. Kingdom Calling

Mark 1:14–15. The Kingdom of God

In Mark 1:15, Jesus speaks of the kingdom of God. “The kingdom of God has come near.” The kingdom of God coming near is, in fact, the good news that Jesus is proclaiming (Mark 1:14–15). The entire gospel is the story of the kingdom of God coming from heaven into every square inch of the universe. The good news is not a story of God abandoning the universe and retreating to heaven with a few special people.

When Jesus speaks of the kingdom of God, he means all of God’s creation, but as it will be when God transforms it into what God originally meant it to be, rather than what it is now. For example, shortly after speaking about the kingdom of God, Jesus heals a man with an unclean spirit (Mark 1:21–28). The man is a creature of God and therefore a part of the kingdom of God. But being tormented by an unclean spirit is NOT part of the kingdom of God. When Jesus banishes the unclean spirit, the man is restored to what God originally intended him to be. Thus, the kingdom of God has become real, or “come near,” for this man at this time and place. The kingdom of God is in God’s created world, even though the power of God that makes the kingdom of God become real comes from beyond the created world.

Jesus’ picture of the kingdom of God follows from the Bible’s picture of the creation of the world. God created the world and called everything in it good (Genesis 1:1–31). But God did not keep all the fun for himself. God gave people the job of bringing his good creation into its full potential (Genesis 1:28–30, Genesis 2:15). But people rebelled against God and chose to learn how to cultivate evil alongside God’s good creation (Genesis 3:5). Ever since then the world and its people have existed in a state of good entangled with evil, life with death, productivity with poverty, love with contempt, freedom with bondage, justice with oppression. When Jesus says that the kingdom of God is near, he is talking about the restoration of people to God’s good graces and the transformation of the world into what God intended it to be from the beginning.

The kingdom of God transforms the world. It does not obliterate the world. Every bit of the world can become the kingdom of God by returning to proper relation with God. Wherever and whenever people turn to Christ and live and die according to his teaching and example, his death and resurrection, the kingdom of God is coming to reality then and there. The kingdom of God has come near, as Jesus put it. For example, the kingdom of God comes near in something as small as when a manager gives a junior staff member the opportunity to make a presentation instead of claiming it themself. Doing so emulates Jesus’ example of empowering his disciples to do the work he himself is doing (Mark 3:14–15, for example).

The kingdom is near in every moment like these, but it is not completely fulfilled until Christ returns and all creation is transformed entirely and permanently (Revelation 21:1–5). We live in between the time of Jesus bringing the kingdom near to those who experienced him in person and the time of him bringing the kingdom to fulfillment everywhere and for all time when he returns in person. Our work here and now can help bring the kingdom near, or more accurately, when we allow the kingdom to come near through us, we can help do God’s work in the world (John 12:14). But we must do our work in the midst of all the ills of the world and the ills within ourselves. So to live under God’s reign and to work under his kingdom has serious challenges. It may bring social disrepute, conflict, and suffering because it often challenges sinful structures such as corrupt governments, criminal overlords, or exploitative companies, and evil powers such as racism, terrorism, and demagoguery. If you confront structures and powers like these, you can expect them to fight back. And if you yourself benefit from those structures, you will have to give up the ill-gotten benefits yourself. To serve the gospel and to honor God will not necessarily bring what people commonly consider success in this life. But, by the power of God’s Spirit, Christians can serve their neighbors and help to overcome the world’s ills, as the healings of Jesus will later demonstrate (Mark 1:23–34, 40–45). Working for the kingdom of God may bring gain as well, of course, for the kingdom of God is justice and peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit (Romans 14:17). Hopefully each of us finds gain from justice, peace, and joy in the presence of God!

Mark 1:16–20. Fishing for People

See also Jesus calling the disciples in Matthew 4:18–21 and Luke 5:1–11.

The first people Jesus calls to follow him are fishermen (Mark 1:16). As Jesus walks along the seashore, he calls these fishermen specifically to fish “for people” (Mark 1:17). As Suzanne Watts Henderson notes, “not just nets are left behind, but a named father, a boat and indeed an entire enterprise.”[1] These fishermen were leaving what appears to be a successful family business. For these disciples to follow Jesus, they have to allow their identity, status, and worth to be determined in relation to Jesus rather than to their occupation and possessions.

Fishing was a major industry in Galilee, with a connected subindustry of fish salting.[2] At a time of social turbulence in Galilee, these two related industries supported each other and remained stable. The willingness of the disciples to forsake such stability is remarkable.

There is another side to the story, however. Even when Jesus calls these disciples to fish for people (Mark 1:17), he affirms their occupation as an image of the new role to which he is calling them. And in fact, Jesus uses their fishing and boating skills continually: to help him get around (i.e., Mark 4:35–41, Matthew 8:23–27), as a platform for speaking to crowds (i.e., Luke 5:1–11), and as a means of feeding Jesus’ followers (also seen in Luke 5:1–11). The fact that they still had access to boats while they followed Jesus may imply they had not completely abandoned their businesses. Peter will even go fishing after the Resurrection (John 21:3).

Although most Christians are not called to leave their jobs, and many are called to stay in them (Luke 3:7–14), they are called to ground their identity in Christ and his kingdom (see “Calling & Vocation (Overview)”). Whether Christians leave their jobs or not, our most important identity becomes “follower of Jesus.” Being open to Christ’s call to follow him as the supreme authority of our lives and work rather than some other political or economic authority is paramount.

Mark 1:21–28. Jesus Heals on the Sabbath

See Mark 2:23–3:6 below for a further discussion of Sabbath. The topic of Sabbath is also discussed in depth in the article “Rest and Work .” Recognizing that there is no single Christian perspective about the Sabbath, the Theology of Work Project explores a somewhat different point of view in the section on “Sabbath and Work” in the article “Luke and Work.”

Jesus goes to the synagogue in Capernaum (which means “city of consolation”) on the Sabbath, the day of rest. This recalls the creation story from Genesis, with days of work followed by the seventh day when God rested (Genesis 2:1–3), as well as one of the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:8–11). The Sabbath consecrates a portion of time free from the demands of work.

For working people, the Sabbath allows time to focus on God in a different way than the working week allows and to enjoy God’s blessing in a distinctive way. Worship on the Sabbath flavors work on the other six days. Work is entwined with worship, and worship does not contradict work. True Sabbath observance is not only about the halting of work, but about finding rest in the Lord who calls out to the weary and heavy-laden to take his gentle yoke upon them (cf. Matthew 11:28–30).

For working people, the Sabbath allows time to focus on God in a different way than the working week allows and to enjoy God’s blessing in a distinctive way. Worship on the Sabbath flavors work on the other six days. Work is entwined with worship, and worship does not contradict work. True Sabbath observance is not only about the halting of work, but about finding rest in the Lord who calls out to the weary and heavy-laden to take his gentle yoke upon them (cf. Matthew 11:28–30).

While we should avoid legalism about the Sabbath, this does not mean letting go of the rhythm of work and rest. It may mean that we find a way to set aside time for rest each week despite all the demands on our time. It may mean that we discover how to rest in a particular way that refreshes us from and for our particular work, such as doing mental work for a job and physical activity for rest. Employers can assist Sabbath rest by enabling ways of working that reduce stress at work, such as scheduling time to work uninterrupted or providing tools that reduce strain and injury on the job.

Jesus observes the Sabbath, yet does not shun his work of teaching and healing if he encounters people in need on the Sabbath.[1] No one else raised any objections to him teaching on the Sabbath, either.

In the midst of teaching, Jesus casts out an unclean spirit from someone in the congregation. Healing is also a kind of work, and likewise in this incident, no one objected to it. Instead, they marveled at the authority Jesus had over the demonic, oppressive powers of the world (Mark (1:27).[2] By Jesus’ own example, the Sabbath is not kept by ignoring people’s needs one day a week, but by establishing a rhythm of rest and work throughout the week, centered on regular encounters with God.

The exact nature of unclean or demonic spirits is not explained in the Bible. Encounters similar to this still happen today, but what is their root cause? Disembodied evil personalities? Mental illness? Oppression? Social structures of destruction? A wide variety of perspectives exists among Christians, not to mention among others. But whatever unclean spirits are, we can expect to encounter them wherever we work. The unclean spirit in Mark 1:27 is the first entity to perceive who Jesus really is. Jesus’ teaching has the power to change lives, and when we bring Jesus’ power of good to work, we can expect those who benefit from evil to recognize the danger it poses to them and to respond aggressively. We need to be alert and to anticipate opposition and suffering. But we do not need to fear, for Jesus’ power is greater than every evil spirit.

An unclean spirit we encounter at work may be in the form of individuals in bondage to shame, greed, envy, despair, or acts of malice, abuse, self-harm, or spiritual forces beyond their ability to handle. It may be the possession of one person by another through slavery, bonded debt, fear, or extreme poverty. It may be adherence to demagogues or to ideologies of hate, exclusion, exploitation, or genocide. It may be illness and lack of care. It may be self-enslavement to sin or many other forms of bondage. By the grace of Christ, we may be able to discern and drive away some of the unclean spirits where we work. We may be able to challenge damaging work cultures and ideologies that deface God’s image in the people we work among. We may be able to offer physical, mental, or spiritual healing to those around us who need help. Our work may bring justice and relief to people in need. We may be able to tell the saving grace of Jesus and invite others to be set free by faith in him. To follow Jesus’ example, we need to accept the opportunity to serve people where we work, as Jesus did in this episode in the synagogue, when it would be easier to ignore people suffering around us and hope they would just go away. And we need to serve them in humility and compassion.

It may be no mere coincidence that Jesus encounters an unclean spirit while teaching. Teaching the truth can be a kind of spiritual warfare, for truth has many opponents. According to Mark, the authority of Jesus’ teaching is what causes the unclean spirit to come out. “What is this? A new teaching—with authority! He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey him” (Mark 1:27). None of us are the Son of God, so we need to remain humble about our knowledge and opinions. Yet teaching the truth, to the degree God gives us to understand it, can still be life-giving to people caught in webs of lies, manipulation, or self-deception.

Mark 1:29–39. Rhythms of Work and Rest

After healing a person in the synagogue, Jesus goes directly to Simon and Andrew’s home and heals Simon’s mother-in-law. Her immediate response is to work, providing hospitality in an act of service. Service is always an appropriate response to an encounter with the love of Jesus.

Jesus’ healing in this episode occurs through personal touch. “He took her hand” (Mark 1:31). Physical touch conveys powerful connection. The touch of a human being may be a power for good or for evil. The touch of Jesus is always a power for good. In the midst of a very busy schedule, Jesus takes the time to reach out to one person who needs him. At work, there may be people we could serve if only we took the time to connect with them in some manner. Instead of striving for time only with the powerful, the well connected, the strong, and those able to advance your agenda, what if you found time to connect with the overlooked, the low in status, the needy, and the unheralded? Physical touch may not be necessary, or appropriate, in every situation, but the attention of one person to another—when it is employed for good, rather than domination—is an act in the imitation of Christ.

When the sun falls, the Sabbath is over, and crowds come to Jesus for healing. He heals them but tries to it keep it quiet (Mark 1:34). Fame is not his purpose, but compassion, and he casts out spirits, cures the sick, and makes the unclean clean.

The next day, Jesus rises to pray while it is still very dark (Mark 1:35). As well as the weekly Sabbath rhythm of work and rest that we saw in Mark 1:21–28, Jesus establishes a daily rhythm. After a long period of work or before a major decision, Jesus withdraws to a solitary place, for stillness with God and to pray. His prayer is not a public performance, but a matter of personal communion with the Father. In this case, after Jesus spends time in prayer, he recognizes it is time to go to another village, even though he is in great demand where he is (Mark 1:37–38). The routine work may sometimes obscure the need to make a change. Your ability to please those you know may keep you from finding where you can make the most difference. Prayer can give you the time, space, and guidance to recognize your true path.

Daily prayer seems to be a very difficult practice for many Christians, perhaps nearly everyone. Between home responsibilities, long commutes, early working hours, a desire to get ahead of the day’s responsibilities, and late nights spent on unfinished work (or entertainment), it seems almost impossible to establish a consistent routine of prayer.

Jesus does not speak judgment against people who do not or cannot pray daily about the work that lies ahead of them. But he himself—though busier than anyone around him—does pray constantly about the work and the people God sets before him.

Regular time set apart is good, but it is not the only way to pray. Prayer can be simply a conversation with God—ideally an ongoing dialogue throughout the day. If you have any moments free for your own thoughts while at work, you have opportunities for prayer. Prayer involves listening as much as talking. Taking a moment to be still and silent before the Lord during the workday is as much prayer as is stating petitions, praise, and thanks.

One practice many have found helpful is to pray briefly at multiple times during the day. “Daily Devotions for Individuals and Families,” found in the Book of Common Prayer, pages 136–43 (available online here), provides brief structures for prayer in the morning, at noon, in the evening, and at night. The TOW Project also offers an online devotional, “How to Pray for Your Work.” Even briefer examples include

• a one- or two-sentence prayer when moving from one task to another;
• praying with eyes open;
• offering thanks silently or out loud before meals; and
• keeping an object or verse of Scripture in a pocket as a reminder to pray.

Among many books that can help establish a daily prayer rhythm are Finding God in the Fast Lane by Joyce Huggett, The Spirit of the Disciplines by Dallas Willard, and Working in the Presence of God: Spiritual Practices for Everyday Work by Denise Daniels and Shannon Vandewarker.[1]

Mark 1:40–45. Jesus Heals a Leper

After finishing a time of prayer, Jesus heals a person suffering from leprosy. It is not clear in modern terms exactly what specific disease or diseases are meant by the biblical term “leprosy.” An easily visible skin condition was the chief hallmark. Whatever the cause, leprosy was a disease of exclusion. According to the purity laws in Leviticus chapters 13 and 14, anyone with leprosy “shall live alone; his dwelling shall be outside the camp”; and he must cry out “unclean, unclean” to warn others away (Leviticus 13:45–46). Anyone touching a leper would become unclean themselves (Leviticus 5:3), so lepers were to be avoided at all costs.

But Jesus is filled with compassion for this leper, and instead of being defiled, Jesus’s touch brings complete cleansing from both the physical illness and the social isolation. Jesus’s power to cleanse and heal overcomes the physical, emotional, and social disabilities that exclude people from full participation in the community.

In ancient Israel, lepers were excluded from their communities due to a skin condition. Today people may be excluded from full participation in work because of medical conditions, disability, color, caste, prejudice, or fear, or because of differences in language, dress, culture, education, and other status markers. In the wider society, many people are disrespected because of their occupation, job status, social class, national origin, and other factors.

Following Jesus, Christians are called to dismantle these barriers. Would a woman wearing a head scarf be marginalized where you work? Would a man with dirt under his fingernails feel welcome where you worship? There are probably people feeling excluded or unwelcomed in your workplace, your community, your church. Like Jesus, you may have an opportunity to reach out to someone who otherwise would remain isolated or left out. Doing so may require risking your own comfort or social status, much as Jesus risked becoming ritually impure when reaching out to the leper in this passage.

The Paralytic Man (Mark 2:1-12)

The story of Jesus healing the paralytic man raises the question of what the theology of work means for those who do not have the ability to work. The paralytic man, prior to this healing, is incapable of self-supporting work. As such, he is dependent on the grace and compassion of those around him for his daily survival. Jesus is impressed by the faith of the man’s friends. Their faith is active, showing care, compassion, and friendship to someone who was excluded from both the financial and relational rewards of work. In their faith, there is no separation between being and doing.

Jesus sees their effort as an act of collective faith. “When Jesus saw their faith he said to the paralytic, ‘Son, your sins are forgiven’” (Mark 2:5). Regrettably, the community of faith plays a vanishingly small role in most Christians’ work lives in the modern West. Even if we receive help and encouragement for the workplace from our church, it is almost certain to be individual help and encouragement. In earlier times, most Christians worked alongside the same people they went to church with, so churches could easily apply the Scriptures to the shared occupations of labourers, farmers, and householders. In contrast, Western Christians today seldom work in the same locations as others in the same church. Nonetheless, today's Christians often work in the same types of jobs as others in their faith communities. So there could be an opportunity to share their work challenges and opportunities with other believers in similar occupations. Yet this seldom happens. Unless we find a way for groups of Christian workers to support one another, grow together, and develop some kind of work-related Christian community, we miss out on the communal nature of faith that is so essential in Mark 2:3-12.

In this brief episode, then, we observe three things: (1) work is intended to benefit those who can’t support themselves through work, as well as those who can; (2) faith and work are not separated as being and doing, but are integrated into action empowered by God; and 3) work done in faith cries out for a community of faith to support it.

The Calling of Levi (Mark 2:13-17)

The calling of Levi is another incident that occurs as Jesus is moving (Mark 2:13-14). The passage stresses the public nature of this summons. Jesus calls Levi while teaching a crowd (Mark 2:14), and Levi is initially seen “sitting at the tax booth.” His employment would make him a figure of contempt for many of his Galilean contemporaries. There is a measure of debate over just how heavily Roman and Herodian taxation was felt in Galilee, but most think that the issue was rather sore. The actual collection of taxes was contracted out to private tax collectors. A tax collector paid the tax for his entire territory upfront, and collected the individual taxes from the populace later. To make this profitable, he had to charge the populace more than the actual tax rate and the tax collector pocketed the mark-up. The Roman authorities thereby delegated the politically sensitive work of tax collection to members of the local community, but it led to a high rate of effective tax, and it opened the doors to all sorts of corruption.[1] It is likely that this was one of the factors contributing to land loss in Galilee, as landowners took loans to pay monetary taxes and then, if their harvests were poor, lost their properties as collateral. The fact that we initially encounter Levi in his tax booth means that he is, in effect, a living symbol of Roman occupation and a reminder of the fact that some Jews were willing collaborators with the Romans. The link made in Mark 2:16 between tax collectors and “sinners” reinforces the negative associations.[2]

Where Luke stresses that Levi leaves everything to answer Jesus’ call (Luke 5:28), Mark simply recounts that Levi follows him. The tax collector then throws a banquet, opening his house to Jesus, his disciples, and a mixed group including other tax collectors and “sinners.” While the image is suggestive of a man seeking to share the gospel with his business colleagues, the reality is probably a little more subtle. Levi’s “community” comprises his colleagues and others who, as “sinners,” are shunned by leading figures in the community. In other words, their work made them part of a sub-community that had high-quality social relationships internally, but low-quality relationships with the communities around them. This is true for many kinds of work today. Our co-workers may be much more open to us than our neighbours are. Being a member of a work community may help us facilitate an encounter with the reality of the gospel for our co-workers. Interestingly, the hospitality of communal eating is a major part of Jesus’ ministry and suggests a concrete way by which such encounters might be hosted. The hospitality of lunch with colleagues, a jog or workout at the gym, or a shared beverage after work can build deeper relationships with our co-workers. These friendships have lasting value themselves, and through them the Holy Spirit may open the door to a kind of friendship evangelism.

This raises a question. If Christians today were to host a meal with colleagues from work, friends from their neighbourhood, and friends from their church, what would they talk about? The Christian faith has much to say about how to be a good worker and how to be a good neighbour. But do Christians know how to speak about them in a common language understandable to their colleagues and neighbours? If the conversation turned to workplace or civic topics such as a job search, customer service, property taxes or zoning, would we be able to speak meaningfully to nonbelievers about how Christian concepts apply to such issues? Do our churches equip us for these conversations? It appears that Levi — or Jesus — was able to speak meaningfully about how Jesus’ message applied to the lives of the people gathered there.

The question of taxation will recur later in the gospel and we defer until then some of our questions about Jesus’ attitude towards it.

The Twelve Disciples (Mark 3:13-19)

In addition to the accounts of the calling of specific disciples, there is also the account of the appointing of the apostles. There is an important point to be noted in Mark 3:13-14, namely, that the Twelve constitute a special group within the broader community of disciples. The uniqueness of their apostolic office is important. They are called to a distinctive form of service, one that may depart significantly from the experience most of us will have. If we are to draw lessons from the experience and roles of the disciples, then it must be through recognition of how their actions and convictions relate to the kingdom, not merely the fact that they left their jobs to follow Jesus.

The qualifications listed for Simon, James, John, and Judas in Mark 3:16-19 are relevant here. Simon’s name is, of course, supplemented with the new name given to him by Jesus, “Peter,” which closely resembles the Greek word for “rock” (petros). One cannot help but wonder if there is both a certain irony and a certain promise in the name. Simon, as fickle and unstable as he will prove to be, is named The Rock, and one day he will live up to that name. Like him, our service to God in our workplaces, just as elsewhere in our lives, will not be a matter of instantaneous perfection, but rather one of failure and growth. This is a helpful thought at times when we feel we have failed and brought the kingdom into disrepute in the process.

Just as Simon is given a new name, so too are the sons of Zebedee, referred to as the “Sons of Thunder” (Mark 3:17). It is a quirky nickname, and seems humorous, but it also quite likely picks up on the character or personality of these two men.[1] It is an interesting point that personality and personality types are not effaced by inclusion in the kingdom. This cuts both ways. On one hand, our personalities continue to be part of our identity in the kingdom, and our embodiment of the kingdom in our place of work continues to be mediated through that personality. The temptation to find our identity in some stereotype, even a Christian one, is challenged by this. Yet, at the same time, our personalities may be marked by elements that themselves ought to be challenged by the gospel. There is a hint of this in the title given to Zebedee’s sons, since it suggests a short temper or a tendency toward conflict and, even though the name is given with fondness, it may not be a nickname to be proud of.

The issue of personality makes a significant contribution to our understanding of applying the Christian faith to our work. Most of us would probably say that our experiences of work, both good and bad, have been greatly affected by the personalities of those around us. Often the very character qualities that make someone an inspiring and energizing colleague can make that person a difficult one. A motivated and excited worker might be easily distracted by new projects, or might be prone to quickly formed (and quickly expressed) opinions. Our own personality plays a huge role too. We may find others easy to work with or difficult, based as much on our personalities as theirs. Likewise, others may find us easy or difficult to work with.

But it is more than a matter of getting along with others easily. Our distinctive personalities shape our abilities to contribute to our organization’s work — and through it to the work of God’s kingdom —for better or worse. Personality gives us both strengths and weaknesses. To a certain degree, following Christ means allowing him to curb the excesses of our personality, as when he rebuked the Sons of Thunder for their misguided ambition to sit at his right and left hands (Mark 10:35-45). At the same time, Christians often err by setting up particular personality traits as a universal model. Some Christian communities have privileged traits such as extraversion, mildness, reticence to use power, or — more darkly — abusiveness, intolerance, and gullibility. Some Christians find that the traits that make them good at their jobs — decisiveness, skepticism about dogma, or ambition, for example — make them feel guilty or marginalized in church. Trying to be something we are not, in the sense of trying to fit a stereotype of what a Christian in the workplace ought to be like, can be highly problematic and can leave others feeling that we are inauthentic. We may be called to imitate Christ (Philippians 2:5) and our leaders (Hebrews 13:7), but this is a matter of emulating virtue, not personality. Jesus, in any case, chose people with a variety of personalities as his friends and workers. Many tools are available to help individuals and organizations make better use of the variety of personality characteristics with respect to decision making, career choice, group performance, conflict resolution, leadership, relationships at work, and other factors.

While on one level this needs to be related to a theology of wealth or property, on another level it needs to be related to the point at which the theologies of church and work meet. It is always tempting, and in fact can seem like an obligation, to maintain a network of Christians within the working environment and to seek to support one another. While laudable, there needs to be a certain reality injected into this. Some of those who present themselves as followers of Jesus may, in fact, have misplaced hearts, and this may affect the opinions they advocate. At such times, our responsibility as Christians is to be prepared to challenge one another in love, to hold one another to account as to whether we are truly operating according to the standards of the kingdom.

Discipleship in Process (Mark 4:35-41; 6:45-52; 8:14-21)

The Gospel of Mark, more than the other Gospels, highlights the ignorance, weakness, and selfishness of the disciples. This comes despite the many good things Mark has to say about them, including their response to Jesus’ initial call (Mark 1:16-20) and to his commissioning of them (Mark 6:7-13).[1]

​Certain incidents and narrative devices develop this portrait. One is the repetition of boat scenes (Mark 4:35-41; 6:45-52; 8:14-21), which parallel one another in emphasizing the disciples’ inability to truly comprehend Jesus’ power and authority. The last boat scene is closely followed by the unusual two-stage healing of a blind man (Mark 8:22-26), which may function as a kind of narrative metaphor for the only partial vision of the disciples regarding Jesus.[2] Then follows Peter’s confession of Christ (Mark 8:27-33), with his dramatic moment of insight followed immediately by Satanic blindness on the apostle’s part. The disciples’ limited grasp of Jesus’ identity is matched by their limited grasp of his message. They continue to desire power and status (Mark 9:33-37; 10:13-16; and 10:35-45). Jesus challenges them several times for their failure to recognize that following him requires a fundamental attitude of self-sacrifice. Most obviously, of course, the disciples desert Jesus at the time of his arrest and trial (Mark 14:50-51). The juxtaposition of Peter’s threefold denial (Mark 14:66-72) with the death of Jesus throws the cowardice and courage of the two men, respectively, into sharper relief.

Yet Peter and the others will go on to lead the church effectively. The angel who speaks to the women following the resurrection (Mark 16:6-7) gives them a message to the disciples (and Peter is singled out!), promising a further encounter with the resurrected Jesus. The disciples will be very different following this encounter, a fact that Mark does not explore but that is well developed in Acts, so that the resurrection is the key event in effecting such change.

What relevance does this have to work? Simply and obviously, that as disciples of Jesus with our own work to do, we are imperfect and in process. There will be a good deal that we will be required to repent of, attitudes that will be wrong and will need to change. Significantly, we must recognize that, like the disciples, we may well be wrong in much of what we believe and think, even about gospel matters. On a daily level, then, we must prayerfully reflect on how we are embodying the reign of God and prepared to show repentance over our deficiencies in this regard. We may feel tempted to portray ourselves as righteous, wise, and skilled in our workplaces, as a witness to Jesus’ righteousness, wisdom, and excellence. But it would be a more honest and more powerful witness to portray ourselves as we really are—fallible and somewhat self-centred works-in-process, evidence of Jesus’ mercy more than demonstrators of his character. Our witness is then to invite our co-workers to grow along with us in the ways of God, rather than to become like us. Of course, we need to exercise ourselves rigorously to growth in Christ. God’s mercy is not an excuse to be complacent in our sin.