Matthew/Mark

So, I wanted to put a post about this while it was still pretty fresh in my brain. I've finished reading Matthew and am moving on to the book of Mark. It's an interesting transition. The things that stand out to me in Matthew are all the parables telling the same thing; you have to be ready at all times and the repetition of being put out where there is, "weeping and gnashing of teeth." I've gotten through the first three chapters of Mark, now, and Mark just really jumps into the adult life of Christ. He also tells some of the same stories as Matthew and the same references to Jesus being able to read the thoughts of the Pharisees and asking them if it is easier to do good or evil on the Sabbath or if it is easier to tell someone their sins are forgiven or to actually heal them. A lot of this is familiar because they're used over and over again. There is one underlying theme, though, that I've just picked up on in my reading. It's the impression the people have about Jesus. In the first chapter or two of Mark and I can remember seeing it in Matthew, the people listen to Jesus and think of him as someone whom actually speaks with authority, "not like the teachers of the law." So, he speaks to them in a way that they have never heard AND they can tell that, by the way he speaks, that there is something really special about his relationship with God. Also, I'm sure because of this impression, he's turned into a superstar. Maybe that's the origin of "Jesus Christ: Superstar." Anyway, it talks in Matthew and already in Mark about how big the crowds were and how hard it was just to get near Jesus or even see him. It talks about him having to, not necesssarily flee the crowd, but having to keep himself moving and finding different places in order to be able to speak to them. Some of the imagery, to me, conjures up the media and fans swarming the entertainment stars of today so much that they can't hardly move, go out in public or, at times, even leave their house. That's Jesus. Why can't we be like that today? He may not be in bodily form today but that doesn't stop the Elvis "freaks" or any of the other fanatics who "worship" their dead heroes; and Jesus isn't dead he's alive! Do we have him as our background on our desktop? Do we have a Jesus screensaver? This train of thought reminds me of a book I read parts of a few years back called, Jesus Freaks. It's a book about Christian martyrs. I highly recommend it.