Bible Background
by Sister Joan Mitchell, CSJ
Many
people feel they don’t have enough knowledge of the
bible to lead teen or adult faith-sharing groups. But Jesus teaches in
stories, parables, and saying that almost all of us can understand. In
fact, an ability to remember and narrate events develops in children as
they start school. “And then, and then, and then,” they recount, putting
happenings in sequence. We can
read the bible; it’s meant for all of us. The work of scholars can help
us deepen our understanding and know more about Jesus’ time.
Simple Things to Know About the Gospels
The four gospels narrate four accounts of Jesus’
life, death, and resurrection. In earlier centuries theologians tried to
harmonize the four gospels into one composite story. Today we value the
distinct portrait of Jesus that each gospel draws. Jesus is:
-
a dynamic prophet and healer in Mark’s gospel
- a teacher and lawgiver in Matthew’s gospel
- a Spirit-filled prophet who brings
good news to the poor in Luke’s gospel
- Wisdom incarnate in John’s gospel.
Each evangelist writes in different decades for unique communities.
About AD70 Mark
writes for fear-filled Christians, either those who fled Jerusalem ahead of the
destruction of the Jerusalem temple in 70 or those in crisis in Rome after the
martyrdoms of both Paul and Peter. Because
the original eyewitnesses have been martyred or are growing old by this time,
Mark gathers together oral traditions and writes them down for future
generations.
About AD 85,
Matthew writes for Gentiles, seekers like the magi, who believe in Jesus and his
new law as a result of the apostles’ preaching to the ends of the earth. He follows Mark’s narrative and adds many
more of Jesus’ sayings. He organizes
many of the sayings into Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount. Matthew emphasizes that forgiveness and
mutual love make Christian communities work.
Also about
AD 85 Luke writes for educated Gentiles who want a formal, orderly, and
inspiring account of Jesus’ whole life.
Luke uses Mark’s narrative and adds more sayings and stories,
emphasizing Jesus as a man of prayer who challenges us to invest in the poor.
In the AD
90s John writes a unique narrative for a community that washes one another’s
feet and proclaims that Jesus is the Word who, like Holy Wisdom in the Old
Testament, was with God from the beginning.
Jesus is living water, living
bread, the best wine, the light of the world, the resurrection and the life.
