Mark as Story by David Rhoads & Joanna Dewey & Donald Michie

Author:David Rhoads & Joanna Dewey & Donald Michie [Rhoads, David]
Language: eng
Format: azw3
Publisher: Fortress Press
Published: 2012-03-31T16:00:00+00:00

The development of the conflict in the plot

There is suspense in the conflict with the disciples, for the audience does not know whether the disciples will succeed. Nevertheless, there are developments to this conflict, because the disciples do make several breakthroughs—and then they fail again in similar or different ways. The progressive stages of this conflict between Jesus and the disciples are usually marked by a series of three similar episodes.

Galilee. In the first part of the story, the disciples seem to succeed effortlessly. In a series of three episodes, Jesus makes them fishers for people: First he calls four fishermen; later he appoints twelve to be with him; and still later, he sends them out to proclaim and to heal.14 This first stage establishes the disciples as on Jesus’ side, as belonging to the rule of God. Nonetheless, there soon are indications that the disciples have trouble following Jesus. They do not understand his riddle about sowing seed in the rule of God. Even after Jesus explains the riddles privately for the disciples, their subsequent behavior and later misunderstandings suggest they have not understood.

In the series of three boat scenes and three bread scenes, the disciples show that they have neither faith nor understanding. In the boat, Jesus expects them to have faith during the storm at sea. When they do not, he calms the storm himself. And they learn nothing from his action, for when they have a chance to deal later with the wind on their own, they only struggle at the oars. Jesus expects them to have faith to feed a crowd in the desert, and he even shows them by having them distribute the food. Later he gives them another chance to supply food for a crowd in the desert, but they are incredulous at the idea, as if they had not witnessed the first feeding. Both the lack of faith and the failure in understanding come to a head in a scene that is a climax both to the boat series and to the bread series. In this scene, the disciples worry about having only one loaf; and Jesus realizes their blindness. He becomes impatient and asks them a series of questions about the two earlier feedings. The disciples’ minds are hardened, and they are dangerously close to being like the authorities. They do not trust God’s power in this age. And they do not recognize “the mystery about the rule of God” being established throughout creation.

The journey to Jerusalem. Halfway through the story, the disciples have a breakthrough and recognize that Jesus is the anointed one. This resolution leads immediately, however, to further conflict at a different level when Jesus predicts his execution and resurrection. Rock rejects Jesus’ statement, for the death of the anointed one is intolerable to him. Jesus then calls him “Satan” and tells him that he is not thinking in God’s terms. At this point, Jesus announces a new standard for discipleship: those who want to follow him are to renounce self, take up their cross, and risk losing their lives for the good news.

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