With Mark, I shall be writing a different way. Rather than dividing the story into sections as we did with Matthew, we’ll be looking at it as a whole, over four weeks.

There are two reasons for doing this. The first is that Mark is very similar to Matthew; it can look like a smaller version of the same story. So in order to unpack the differences (which I think are quite significant) it makes more sense to compare both gospels as a whole. The second reason is that I believe that Mark deliberately invites his readers to re-read. In fact, I think it is the failure to re-read Mark that has led to it being so monumentally misunderstood.

If you are able, you might find it useful to read the whole of Mark in one go - and then to do it again next week, and so on. I read Mark the other day in 20 minutes, so it is doable! It's just a different kind of reading.

To begin with, here's a set of questions to start asking as we read:

1. Mark contains many of the same themes as Matthew - critique of religious oppression, critique of violent revolution against Rome, the power of sacrifice - and has many of the same (or similar) stories - healings, exorcisms, miracles, as well as Jesus' entry to Jerusalem, his last passover meal and death. What then is different about Mark? Make a note of any things that you notice.

2. Mark 1:1 and 16:9 - 19 are disputed (i.e. many scholars question whether they were part of the original gospel). What difference to the message of Mark, if any, does it make to leave out those verses? Why do you think they were added at a later date?

3. What surprises does Mark throw at his readers? Which passages have an unexpected event or saying? Which passages don't quite make sense?

4. How would you describe the God of Mark's gospel in one sentence? Why?

We'll reflect back on these next week and pull some more detailed thoughts out of the readings.