In other words, Jesus casts his disciples in the same light as the crowds who will eventually clamor for his crucifixion. It is not just Israel as a whole who has hardened hearts and blinded eyes: it is Jesus\u2019 inner circle, his closest confidantes, his chosen few.<\/p>\n
In Mark\u2019s view, the disciples aren\u2019t heroes. Jesus clearly didn\u2019t pick his disciples because of their superior understanding or their \u201csensitivity to the Spirit,\u201d\u009d as we sometimes called it in my church growing up. If anything, Mark goes out of his way to portray the disciples as clumsy, self-absorbed, and insensitive to the Spirit. They can\u2019t see Jesus for who he really is. They may have eyes, but they\u2019re no better than sightless glass. Their hearts are as lively as cold stone.<\/p>\n
Odd as it may sound, as a frustrated young Christian, disappointed with my efforts at spiritual self-improvement, I found comfort in Mark\u2019s dark view of the disciples. Looking back on my quest for the right formula for holy living, I remember being unsure what to make of Bible verses that promised, \u201cNo one who is born of God will continue to sin\u201d\u009d (1 John 3:9), and, \u201c[T]hough you used to be slaves to sin, you have come to obey from your heart\u201d\u009d (Rom. 6:17). I had no trouble, though, identifying with Mark\u2019s disciples: sometimes eager, often failing, occasionally getting things right and demonstrating faithfulness, but more regularly getting things wrong and showing infidelity. The disciples in Mark\u2019s gospel are not so much paragons of sainthood as they are examples of the full range of human fallibility. Mark shuts the door on the na\u00c3\u00afve notion that Jesus came simply\u201d\u201din the words of theologian Robert Farrar Capon\u201d\u201dto teach the teachable or improve the improvable. And that meant I could stop trying to drum up teachability or improvability on my own.<\/p>\n