Feast of Saint Mark, evangelist

 Lectionary: 555

"Go into the whole world
and proclaim the Gospel to every creature.
Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved;
whoever does not believe will be condemned.

Today's gospel is taken from the coda of Saint Mark's masterpiece. Scholars agree he didn't write it; it doesn't appear in many of the best manuscripts; but since the Council of Trent Catholics have accepted the last twelve verses as canonical. 

Certainly Saint Mark would agree with its apocalyptic tone of promise and threat: believe and be saved, disbelieve and  be condemned. You are free to choose, but don't expect much sympathy for your wrong choice. As Saint Luke's gospel warns, you have Moses and the prophets and one risen from the dead. If you don't believe them, why would you expect mercy or demand justice of God?

Saint Mark's text ended abruptly, and with an unsettling verse: 

[the women] went out and fled from the tomb, seized with trembling and bewilderment. They said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid.

It seemed inconclusive, and everyone who reads it wonders, "and then what happened?" The other canonical gospels -- Matthew, Luke, and John -- provide stories of Jesus's resurrection. Saint Luke, in his sequel The Acts of the Apostles, adds that he 

...presented himself alive to them by many proofs after he had suffered, appearing to them during forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God.

But the Lord apparently was not so available as to be seen by skeptics or enemies. I heard recently of a TV program that described Pilate's astonishment when he undertook a private investigation and discovered the Lord calmly eating an evening meal and discussing matters with his disciples. 

No. Sorry. It never happened. 

Again, Saint Luke says in the same book, 

This man God raised (on) the third day and granted that he be visible, not to all the people, but to us, the witnesses chosen by God in advance, who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead

Saint Paul tells of a series of appearances to Peter (Cephas), the twelve, and five hundred; and finally, himself. But that final appearance is odd because it's only described as an audition -- a voice -- rebuking Paul for his persecution of the Church. 

To summarize, the several accounts of Jesus's appearances in the New Testament cannot be arranged in a coherent narrative. His appearance by the seashore in John 21 seems very remote, as if it might have occurred several years later to idle, dispirited disciples. 

And we're still wondering, "What really happened?" Saint Mark would reply, "If you don't understand yet, read it again." 

The resurrection appearances reassure us. Yes, he rose physically from the dead. He was neither a ghost nor a spirit. The disciples didn't steal his body and then create a story as a reason to go out and be martyred for their insane obstinacy. Clearly, they were filled with a joyful conviction which proved infectious and remains with us to this day. But they are more blessed who did not see and yet believe. 

Reading the Gospel again -- and again and again -- dissolves any hope that believing in Jesus won't cost more than we are ready to give. Like Abraham, "our father in faith," we must surrender that which is more dear to us than life. Faith demands that we love God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength. We first heard that in Deuteronomy and it has been repeated often. There are no shortcuts nor should we want one. Only a fool would expect a gospel of prosperity. 

Saint Mark heartily agrees with the promise and threat of the coda,

Whoever believes [in Jesus] and is baptized will be saved; whoever does not believe will be condemned.