Mark

My attempt to retell St. Mark's Gospel in 600-800 words for an assignment.

I.

The long-promised and blessed Messiah is near;

His servant John prepares the way.

Jews and Gentiles, lend your ear.

Crowds flock to be baptized by the wilderness seer,

who sees that the LORD is not far away.

The long-promised and blessed Messiah is near.

Restoration of a nation always held dear

and forgiveness for those who repent and obey.

Jews and Gentiles, lend your ear.

Bend your knee, bow your head, and revere

the One whom the LORD sends that day.

The long-promised and blessed Messiah is near.

Above the Jordan, the cluttered skies clear

for God’s Son, baptized in water and golden ray.

Jews and Gentiles, lend your ear.

The LORD’s glory and hope for the nations is here.

Take heart--at last, there is no more delay

for the long-promised Messiah to appear.

O people of God, to Jesus lend your ear.

II.

Jesus cures and forgives the afflicted,

each move and miracle a messenger of mastery.

All of creation is clay in his hands.

With calloused carpenter’s hands, he heals them:

blind and beggar, lame and leper.

Jesus cures and forgives the afflicted.

Resources abound at his will while the eyes

of their recipients remain veiled.

Each move and miracle a messenger of mastery:

the stormy sea settles; he walks upon it--

demons discern and flee from his divinity.

All of creation is clay in his hands.

---

---

III.

In the middle of the hills and dirt of Caesarea Philippi, he turns to his disciples and asks who he is. They’ve been walking through the villages all day and now sharp rocks are digging between their toes from under their sandals, and it’s hot.

Silence at first--then small stones rustling as the men shift uncomfortably.

“You’re the Messiah,” Peter finally says. “The long-expected King.” He can almost taste the sand in his teeth. But he clenches his jaw; he knows that Jesus isn’t just another prophet. Now the others know it too.

Jesus replies, “Don’t reveal this to anyone.” And he stands there, quiet for a few minutes, and they wait, reveling in the prophecies they’ve known since before they can remember. Their teacher then explains how he must suffer persecution and rejection at the hands of their leaders, how he must die and rise again. The words weigh down on Peter like the heat of the ever-climbing sun.

“No!” he says, and his teacher rebukes him.

“This is God’s purpose.”

IV.

Awestruck eyes are turned to him, to his glory;

eager ears gather up his wisdom;

faithful mouths deny his future suffering.

Blinding light, and there they stand

trefoil in blinding white--Moses, Elijah, Jesus.

Awestruck eyes are turned to him, to his glory.

Towards Jerusalem he heads, healing

and teaching the Kingdom to those whose

eager ears gather up his wisdom--

prophesying perfidy, persecution, then

passing--resurrection three days after.

Faithful mouths deny his future suffering.

V.

hosanna! hosanna!

joyful cries

as he enters atop a colt

that cloaked beast of burden…

palm branches

and blessings placed at his feet

prophecies of end times.

passover

the wide room upstairs, long table

thanks given for bread, wine

body, blood

betrayal from a partaker

kneeling to pray, head bowed

“what You will.”

found by judas in the garden

a kiss and he’s gone to

the chief priests

confessing he’s the Messiah

crucify him!--some king,

with those thorns

twisted in his hair and the spit

of the crowd in his face

whipped and mocked

and struck and slandered and snubbed

and the rusty nails dive

through his flesh

through blood and grime and sweat and wine

and the earth groans as the

curtain’s torn

and he cries to heaven----Silence.

body wrapped in linen

large stone rolled

over the tomb, then darkness

swallowed by light on the

third day. rise.

the long-promised Messiah was here.

Author's Note

Pretty bipolar, I know. I do like the last three stanzas of Part V, though.

Shoutout to my Biblical History & Lit prof for assigning this and forcing me to write, which introduced me to a few poetry styles I've never tried out before.