Mark 1:6 - I wonder why Mark included this one sentence bio of the kind of guy John was. What was the significance at that time of his dress and diet? Did it signify something to them? To us, it just means he was pretty odd.
Mark 1:9-15 - It's interesting that Mark glosses over these things, giving them only a passing mention. Forty days of fasting and temptation, God speaking directly to Jesus and John getting arrested. Not important, evidently, to the story Mark wanted to tell.
Mark 1:16-20 - I wonder if he called others who didn't follow?
A lot happens in these 4 verses - disciples called, demons cast out, traveling to other towns, prayer time, a leper healed, 40 days of fasting and temptation. That covers a lot of ground, but only on the surface. It's as if Mark is setting the stage of Jesus as teacher, traveling minister and healer so that he can tell the real story.
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