The Bread in the Gospel according to Mark: The Feud between the Children and the Dogs

Main Article Content

Paula Andrea García Arenas

Abstract

When we read the Gospel of Mark we find a clear theological purpose: revealing who is Jesus the Messiah, the Son of God (Mark 1:1). In order to achieve this, Mark proposes to the reader a route that begins at Galilee with the words and actions of Jesus, leads to Jerusalem with the Paschal mystery, and finishes with his return to Galilee after the resurrection to meet the apostle as he had announced (Mark 16:7). Though to realize the identity of Jesus and be able to conclude as the centurion did in the Gospel that “Surely this man was the Son of God”, we should complete the whole journey, the Gospel also provides some keys and clues about his identity. One of these clues is the recurrent reference to Bread, which in the Gospel of Mark occurs more than 30 times, especially in chapters 6-8, known as the “Bread Section”. The following paper focuses on this section, specifically in the geographical itinerary that Mark has outlined, in order to discover within the dialogue with the Syrophoenician woman in
chapter 7 the model of the disciple who has actually realized the true identity
of Jesus and his redemption project.

Keywords:
Gospel of Mark Bread Jews Gentiles Faith

References

Alonso, P. (2011). The woman who changed Jesus; crossing Boundaries in Mark. Peeters Publisher & Booksellers, (7), 24-30.

Rhoads, D. (1994). Mark as story: an introduction to the narrative of a gospel, Minneapolis. Minnesota: Fortress Press.

Mateos, J. (1993). El evangelio de Marcos: análisis lingüístico y comentario exegético. Madrid: Almendro.

Braumann, G. (1999). Téknon, en Coenen., Diccionario teológico del Nuevo Testamento, vol II. Salamanca: Sígueme.

Fowler, R. (1978). Loaves and Fishes: The Function of the Feeding Stories in the Gospel

of Mark. Atlanta: Scholars Press.

Jeremías, J. (1974). La promesa de Jesús para los paganos. Madrid: Fax.

Pikaza, X. (2013).Comentario al evangelio de Marcos. Madrid: Vida.

Article Details

Author Biography

Paula Andrea García Arenas, Pontifica Universidad Javeriana

Magíster en Teología Bíblica de la Universidad Pontificia de Salamanca (España -2009) y doctorando en Teología por la Universidad Pontificia Bolivariana (Medellín, Colombia). Teóloga y Profesional en Teología y Pastoral de la Universidad Pontificia Bolivariana (Medellín, Colombia - 2006). Docente de la Pontificia Universidad Javeriana (Bogotá, Colombia). Este artículo es producto del proyecto de investigacion del doctorado El trasfondo helenista de la sección de los panes en Marcos. Una mirada a la relación entre judíos y paganos en el cristianismo primitivo.