Baruch Background: This deutero-canonical book that comes Lamentation and Ezekiel is not in the Hebrew Bible.  In the Greek Bible, it appears between Jeremiah and Lamentations; in the Vulgate it comes after Lamentations.  It says it was written in Babylon by Baruch, Jeremiah’s scribe, and sent to Jerusalem to be read at liturgical gatherings.  It gives us valuable information on how the religious life of those in exile was maintained. Lawrence Boadt, author of Reading the Old Testament: An Introduction (1984), places it between third and first centuries BC,  “a work of encouragement to those Jews being forced to adopt Greek ways” (503). The sixth chapter (going by Vulgate) appears in the NRSV as a separate book called The Letter of Jeremiah. In the Septuagint, the Letter is separated from Baruch by Lamentations. The first and last chapters are in prose (probably from the Hebrew). The middle chapters are in verse (probably from Greek only).

Baruch 1 – The book or letter was read on the fifth anniversary of the fall of Jerusalem (582 BC). When it was read to all who lived in Babylon, they “wept, fasted, and prayed before the Lord.” They collected money to send back to Jerusalem and they returned some of the Temple treasures along with these.  They beg the people back in Jerusalem to pray for King Nebuchadnezzar and his son and to read the scroll they are sending them.

In this book as in so many, the prophetic voice is dominant. Israel has come to this pass in their history because of the unfaithfulness of the people, the priests, the rulers, and many of the prophets. “We did not listen to the voice of the Lord our God in all the words of the prophets whom he sent to us, but all of us followed the intent of our own wicked hearts by serving other gods and doing what is evil in the sight of the Lord our God” (NRSV 1:21).

Mark: Background Information – The Gospel of Mark is most likely the first of the gospels to have been written down.  Ascribed to John Mark, a disciple whose house was open to Christians and a cousin of Barnabas, who accompanied Paul on one of his missionary journeys, the book is traditionally thought to have been written around 70 AD in Rome. The audience probably was mostly Gentile. It stresses Jesus’ message of the coming of the kingdom, the call to repentance and faith. The content of Jesus’ teaching is rarely gone into. He exorcises, heals, preaches and feeds crowds. The disciples here are dense—one will betray him, one will deny him, the rest will desert him.  He goes only rarely into Gentile territory, but the centurion at the cross presages Jesus’ appeal to them.

The Christology of the gospel is apparent: He is the Messiah, anointed Davidic king, Christos, Son of Man.  Mark emphasizes the “mystery” of Jesus’ identity.  Mark also shares with Paul a focus on “election,”

The Jerusalem Bible introduction emphasizes the “scandal” of man’s (even the disciples’) failure to recognize or receive the Messiah. This is something Peter dwells on in his speech to the people of Jerusalem. “Men of Israel . . . Jesus the Nazarene was a man commended to you by God by the miracles and portents and signs that God worked through him when he was among you. . .This man, who was put into your power by the deliberate intention and foreknowledge of God, you took and had crucified by men outside the Law.  You killed him, but God raised him to life, freeing him from the pangs of Hades. . .” (Acts 2: 14-24).

Mark 1:1-28 – The “good news” of Jesus Christ, Son of God, starts with a quote from Isaiah (but actually Malachi 3:1 and Isaiah 40:4), alluding to John the Baptist. People everywhere—from the Judean countryside and from Jerusalem flocked to John to be baptized. Here even before Jesus, Mark lets us feel the hunger in people for his coming. Jesus comes too. 

At his baptism, a dove comes down and a voice proclaims him God’s Son, [His] Beloved (1:11). Then the Spirit “drives” him into the wilderness where he is “tempted by Satan” for 40 days.  After John’s arrest, Jesus comes to Galilee with his good news. He seems here to take the place of John.  His message is virtually the same.

He selects his first four disciples: Simon and Andrew (fishermen), James and John (sons of Zebedee, also fishermen). He impresses them with the authority in his demeanor (1:22). A possessed man approaches him, saying, “’I know who you are, the Holy One of God"”(1:24). But Jesus silences him and exorcises the “unclean spirit” (that possesses him (1:26). His fame spreads.