Magicians and Magic

You’ve seen magicians ask an audience to select a number and guess that number. They do that by psychologically manipulating the audience by implanting the desired number in various places. Suppose they wanted the audience to choose 7. Then, they’d have seven bottles of water on a table, the shape of seven on their t-shirt, the design of seven on the curtain, etc. – but very settled, so the audiences don’t see them overtly, but their subconscious minds pick them up, and they select 7.

Writers and songwriters also do this to make a theme or concept stick in our minds. Repetition – overt or settled – is the key to reinforcing a message. That’s why we continue to sing a song, even after leaving service, because the singers repeated a line or chorus.

Such settled nuances sometimes get lost when a text is translated. Such is the case with the verb “to rise” in Mark (ανίστημι anistemi). He used it seventeen times. Of this, eight times for resurrection – Jesus’s (8:31; 9:9, 10, 31; 10:34; 16:9) and people’s (12:23, 25). But before getting to the resurrection scene, he sprinkled this verb throughout.

Early in the morning, arising, Jesus went out to pray (1:35)

When he invited Levi, arising, he followed Jesus (2:14)

If satan arises against himself, he cannot stand (3:28)

When healed, the twelve-year young girl arising, immediately walked (5:42)

Jesus, secretly arising, left for Tyre (7:24)

Jesus, arising, left for Judea (10:1)

Jesus took by hand the young man who fell dead, and he arose to life (9:27)

Some men arising gave false witnesses against Jesus (14:57)

High priest arising asked Jesus if he would answer (14:60)

In this way, they wouldn't be surprised when they finally arrived at the rising scene (Jesus’s resurrection). Just as Jesus arose from one region to go to another, after death, too, he arose to continue his living.

Twice, Mark referred to Jesus arising and going into a region. Earlier, he arose and went to Tyre (7:24). Now, he arose and went to the region of Judeans, to the other side of Jordan (10:1). In Tyre, he went to minister to a Greek-speaking Phoenician who was residing in Syria. Now, he would continue his discussions with Hebrew-speaking Pharisees (10:2). Mark juxtapositioned these arising episodes (7:24 and 10:1) to show Jesus’s ministry to the nations was coming to an end, and the remaining ministry would be done in Judea and its vicinity, preparing him for the final exodus and rising.

As always, immediately, a crowd gathered around him, and as he was accustomed, he taught them again (10:1). This verb “accustomed” (eiotha) comes from the same base as ethos – one’s fundamental character or behavior. Mark referred to Jesus’s teaching ministry more than forty-three times (in my calculation). He didn’t include long speeches like Matthew and Luke, yet he repeatedly said that Jesus taught. Teaching was his ethos; miracles, wonders, signs, casting away demons, and rising from the dead were visible expressions of his teaching with authority – “God’s rule has come. Repent and believe in this news” (1:14).

We don’t have to have a degree in education to teach this simple truth – God’s rule has come. Believe this message and return to him.