"Through the identification with Bartimaeus and subsequent minor characters, the reader is encouraged to move beyond faith in Jesus and his power toward a more faithful acceptance of the demands and values of Jesus." - Joel F. Williams1 MARK 10:46-522 46 And they came to Jericho. And as he was leaving Jericho with his disciples... Continue Reading →
In her excellent book In the Company of Jesus: Characters in Mark's Gospel,1 New Testament scholar Elizabeth Struthers Malbon uses the tools of narrative criticism2 to analyze the story we find in the Gospel of Mark. As the title of her work suggests, Malbon focuses on characters that we find within the Markan story, characters that are often... Continue Reading →
Elizabeth Struthers Malbon, In the Company of Jesus: Characters in Mark's Gospel (WJK, 2000), 209. In addition to their significance in extending the continuum of responses to the Markan Jesus, minor characters often appear at significant points in the narrative. Especially when Mark's Gospel is heard rather than read, certain stories of minor characters serve to... Continue Reading →
Elizabeth Struthers Malbon, In the Company of Jesus: Characters in Mark's Gospel (WJK, 2000), 177-178. I would argue...that the overall temple context of the poor widow's story adds to the impressive irony of the Markan passion narrative. Jesus' summoning his disciples to observe the poor widow's action and to consider its significance is his final act in the temple. The Markan... Continue Reading →
Elizabeth Struthers Malbon, In the Company of Jesus: Characters in Mark's Gospel (Westminster John Knox Press, 2000), 60. Within the Markan story, only the women follow Jesus to the end. At Gethsemane one of the twelve betrays Jesus (14:43-45) and the remaining eleven forsake him (14:50). The women, on the other hand, witness the crucifixion -... Continue Reading →
Elizabeth Struthers Malbon, In the Company of Jesus: Characters in Mark's Gospel (Westminster John Knox Press, 2000), 64-65. Perhaps one's initial impression is of a certain irony to the women's silence: throughout the narrative Jesus asks various characters to be silent and they rarely are; here the "young man" who speaks for Jesus asks the women... Continue Reading →
Elizabeth Struthers Malbon, In the Company of Jesus: Characters in Mark's Gospel (Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox Press, 2000), 17. Conflict is the key to the Markan plot. As Markan characterization does not depend on psychological development within the characters, so the plot does not turn on high suspense and complicated intrigue among the characters. The... Continue Reading →
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