Mark's Counterculture

Last week I was reading through the proofs of an article that I've written and will come out later this year. The article compares the ancient novel The Life of Aesop and the Gospel of Mark. Coming back to this text, it struck me again just how deeply countercultural Mark is. Read through this text carefully. Spend time in it. And think through the challenges that Jesus offers in this story. I think of the words of Jesus' followers in John: "This teaching is hard." This especially the case Mark 8, 9, and 10. Hard stuff.