Mark was as concerned about the purpose of parables as he was about providing samples of them. Parables are designed as divine tools for the separation of receptive hearts from disinterested minds. The identity and mission of Jesus was available to all who were sensitive to the illumination of God’s Spirit: the kingdom of God has come near in Jesus Christ!

Opposition to Jesus now includes the attempted intervention of his own family and the official involvement of religious judges from Jerusalem. The claims made against Him are equally malicious and wrong-headed: mental instability or demonic allegiance. The consequences of such assessments are devastating and unending. Your determination about Jesus is the single most important decision of your eternal existence.

20th-century pastor A.W. Tozer famously said, “What comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us.” Simply put, how we see God is how we see the world. But in many ways, our earthly fathers have laid a distorted foundation for our understanding of our creator. If He has truly called us to change the world, our first step is to explore the mystery of God for ourselves to discover what real fatherhood truly looks like.

The summary report of Jesus’ ministry in Galilee indicates widespread interest and fascination. Crowds now become multitudes which require physical accommodation. However, Mark turns our attention from large numbers to deep commitments. The story now turns on the selection, training, and sending of disciples—authentic Jesus-followers.

Mark next records a series of encounters with religious authorities where they attempt to force Jesus into the box of their legalistic expectations. Jesus won’t be limited by their essentially negative view of faith. Rather, He presses forward in each instance to put the true heart of God on display. Does your Christianity look more like Jesus or the Pharisees?

Mark completes the Galilee preaching tour with a final dramatic healing of the most horrific disease spoken of in the Scriptures—leprosy. Not merely a demonstration of power over the natural realm, this encounter serves as an affirmation of both the divinity and humanity of Jesus in a single stunning episode.

Mark now presents a representative day in the public ministry of Jesus. All the major elements of His work are on display: preaching, teaching, exorcising demons, healing the sick, prayer, and instructing the disciples. Mark implies here what John affirms in John 21:25—the events of Jesus’ life and ministry are too numerous to record.