ABSTRACT
In Mark more than any of the other Gospels, narrative predominates. His writing has the strength of a telling economy of expression, spare, matter-of-fact, unpretentious. At first reading it may give the impression of an almost careless collection of episodic and very varied material, conveniently assembled. There are personal encounters with the sick, and verbal battles with adversaries up from Jerusalem; pointed aphorisms; more or less elaborate parables; some set pieces, such as the healing of the paralysed man (p. 356). Events are narrated, dialogue reported, teaching documented and that, it seems, is all.
