Catholic Bible Study: Lectio Mark – Come, Follow Behind Me

Augustine Institute | January 1, 2026

Episode Overview

In this episode, the host from Augustine Institute leads an in-depth Catholic Bible study on the early chapters of Mark’s Gospel. The discussion traces Jesus’ ministry in Galilee—calling the first disciples, confronting demonic forces, healing the sick, and forgiving sins—while drawing rich theological connections to the Old Testament. The episode invites listeners to see Jesus as the fulfillment of Israel’s story, the true gatherer, healer, and redeemer who calls all to immediate and wholehearted discipleship.

1. The Call of the Disciples and the Significance of “Follow Behind Me”

Timestamps: 00:03 – 08:30

• Mark’s Emphasis on Immediacy:
  Jesus’ call to Simon, Andrew, James, and John is strikingly immediate and dramatic. Mark omits background conversation to heighten the urgency of the response (00:30).

  "Jesus passes by them and calls them, and they drop their nets and they leave everything and follow Jesus. Very dramatic." – Host (01:45)

• Discipleship as Submission:
  The Greek wording emphasizes that Jesus tells them to literally “follow behind him”—signifying true discipleship as following, not leading (03:00).

  "Part of discipleship is letting Jesus lead the way... We have to get behind and we have to follow. That is a key earmark of discipleship, is obedience." – Host (03:45)

• Old Testament Echoes:
  Jesus’ action mirrors Elijah’s calling of Elisha (1 Kings 19:11,19); Elijah “passes by” and calls Elisha much like Jesus passes by the fishermen (04:15).

  "Here we get Jesus in a sense, as the new Elijah... Jesus is calling disciples to follow after him." – Host (05:10)

• Divinity On Display:
  Just as the Lord “passes by” Moses in Exodus 33–34, Jesus’ passing by reveals him as more than the new prophet—he is the Lord himself, fulfilling Mark’s prologue: “Prepare the way of the Lord” (07:05).

  “Jesus is... taking up the mantle of Yahweh as well, which is rather suggestive.” – Host (07:30)

2. Jesus Teaches with Authority; The True Enemy Revealed

Timestamps: 08:30 – 17:00

• Capernaum Synagogue:
  Jesus teaches “with authority, not as the scribes” (09:20). Mark distinguishes him immediately by having his first public act be an exorcism in a synagogue.

• Spiritual Conflict at the Heart of the Story:

  “Mark wants to show us that at the heart of this conflict... the real enemy, Mark is showing us, is the demonic spirits and Satan himself.” – Host (10:40)

  The devil’s attack is located within the very heart of God’s people—"in the synagogue." This is where Jesus encounters a man possessed by an unclean spirit (11:00).

  "Don't be scandalized if you find demons in the church, in the synagogue, that's exactly where the devil wants to be, because that's the place he wants to attack the most." – Host (11:30)

• Exorcism Re-explained:
  The demon’s cry—“I know who you are, the Holy One of God!”—is not a confession but a counter-attack; a demonic attempt to control Jesus by naming him (13:10).

  "He is doing an exorcism on our Lord... by naming the one you’re exorcising, you are showing your authority over them." – Host (13:30)

  Jesus silences the demon, refusing to allow it to “reveal” him or exercise power over him (14:30). Similar dynamics appear in Mark 5 (15:30):

  "Here, when the demons call out the name of Jesus... they are not capitulating. They are attacking. And Jesus shows himself master, and he says silences them." – Host (16:15)

3. Healing, Gathering, and the Mission to Restore Israel

Timestamps: 17:00 – 24:00

• Healing Peter’s Mother-in-law & Multitudes:
  Jesus heals Peter’s mother-in-law and, by sundown (when Sabbath is over), many from the whole city come to be healed at the door (17:45).

• Why Wait Until Sundown?
  Jewish regulations forbid work (including healings) on Sabbath, so people wait until evening (19:00). Jesus, however, already heals in the house on the Sabbath, foreshadowing future conflict with the Pharisees.

• Profound Symbolism of Gathering:
  The people are “gathered together about the door” (sunagoge), fulfilling the prophecy that God will regather Israel (20:10).

  "Where does God gather all the people together? At Peter's house, at the threshold of Peter's house, where Jesus will teach and heal." – Host (21:20)

  The use of “gather” (Greek: sunagoge) recalls Isaiah and Jeremiah’s prophecies of the great gathering at the time of restoration (21:50). Jesus becomes the fulfillment, gathering Israel at the home (the “door”) of Peter.

4. Jesus’ Prayer and Ongoing Mission

Timestamps: 24:00 – 26:30

• Jesus’ Early Morning Prayer:
  Jesus withdraws before dawn to pray—modeled from Peter’s eyewitness memory, an example for discipleship: being with Jesus in prayer (24:10).

  "To be a disciple of Jesus, we have to be with him, and we have to be with him in prayer." – Host (25:15)

• Mission to Preach in Other Towns:
  Jesus reminds the disciples:

  "Let us go on to the next towns that I may preach there also, for that is why I came out." (25:30)

  The dual ministry of preaching and exorcism spreads throughout Galilee.

5. Cleansing of the Leper: Restoration and the Great Exchange

Timestamps: 26:30 – 34:15

• Approach and the Request:
  A leper kneels in humility:

  "If you will, you can make me clean." (27:05)
  The request is for ritual and social restoration, not just physical health, referencing Leviticus 13–14.

• Jesus’ Compassion and Radical Touch:

  "Moved with pity, he stretched out his hand and touched him." – Host (28:00)
  Touching a leper was forbidden and would make one ritually unclean. Yet, Jesus reverses the order—his touch makes the unclean clean.

  "Now, when the unclean encounters the clean, the unclean is converted and healed and transformed." – Host (29:15)
  The touch also breaks the leper’s isolation—Jesus heals both his body and loneliness, reminiscent of saints who embraced outcasts (Francis of Assisi, Mother Teresa).

• The Messianic Secret and Social Reversal:
  Jesus commands the leper to remain quiet (30:20), but the news spreads—so much that Jesus now must stay in outlying places while the leper enjoys restored social freedom:

  "The leper is free to go openly, but Jesus is no longer free to go openly. It's a wonderful exchange, and it shows the beauty of Jesus' love for us as the Redeemer." – Host (32:15)

6. Forgiveness of the Paralytic and the New Exodus

Timestamps: 34:15 – 44:00

• The House in Capernaum and Its Archeology:
  The paralytic’s friends lower him through Peter’s roof (35:30). The host explains first-century architecture to make sense of the event, referencing the steps and laws of the period (36:15).

• Faith, Forgiveness, and Physical Healing:
  Jesus responds to their faith by forgiving the man's sins before healing his body. The visible miracle demonstrates the invisible grace:

  "To manifest the truth of his words, of the forgiveness of sins, he is going to heal him physically to show that the more important healing of his sins and of his heart is also affected by Jesus' words." – Host (39:25)

• Conflict with Religious Leaders:
  Scribes accuse Jesus of blasphemy: “Who can forgive sins but God alone?” (40:10). Jesus proves his authority both to heal and forgive.

• Old Testament Echoes – “So That You May Know”:
  The phrase “so that you may know” echoes Exodus—where God’s signs reveal his divinity to hard-hearted Pharaoh. Here, the Pharisees take on Pharaoh’s role:

  "The Pharisees have taken on in this new Exodus story, the role given in the old Exodus to Pharaoh. They are hard hearted... Jesus here is clearly doing a new Exodus." – Host (42:05)

• Preparation for Further Revelations:
  Jesus’ miracles are signposts to his true identity and prefigure further acts of healing and calling (e.g. Matthew the tax collector) in the coming chapters.

7. Notable Quotes & Key Insights

• On Discipleship:

  "We like to take the lead. But... we have to get behind and we have to follow. That is a key earmark of discipleship, is obedience following Jesus." – Host (03:45)

• On Demonic Opposition:

  "The demon’s saying, 'I know who you are...' is not a confession, but a demonic counter attack. He's going after Jesus." – Host (13:10)

• On Gathering and Restoration:

  "Where does God gather all the people together? At Peter’s house, at the threshold of Peter’s house..." – Host (21:20)

• On Compassion and Healing:

  "When the unclean encounters the clean, the unclean is converted and healed and transformed." – Host (29:15)

• On Jesus’ Mission:

  "Let us go on to the next towns that I may preach there also, for that is why I came out." – Jesus (25:30)

• On the New Exodus:

  "Jesus is clearly doing a new Exodus... so that you may know." – Host (42:15)

8. Memorable Moments

• Interweaving of Old Testament Typology:
  The host’s connections between Elijah/Elisha, Moses, and Mark’s Jesus position Mark’s Gospel within the grand arc of salvation history.

• Quiet Humor:
  The imagined reaction of Peter when his roof is broken apart – "Don’t worry, Peter. Be calm. Right?" (38:00) – adds a human touch.

• The Social Depth of Jesus' Touch:
  The leper’s healing is shown to address not only physical needs but also deeper wounds of isolation and exclusion.

9. Conclusion & Next Steps

This episode of Catholic Bible Study: Lectio Mark provides a rich, accessible exploration of Mark’s early accounts of Jesus’ ministry. Emphasis is placed on the immediate response of discipleship, the defeat of evil, the restoration of Israel, and the deeper meaning of Jesus’ actions as fulfilling Old Testament prophecies. The study invites listeners to a more profound encounter with Christ the Redeemer and hints at continuing revelations in Mark’s Gospel.

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