11.13.22 - Mark 16: Wonder Wins (Kenny Camacho)

SCRIPTURE: Mark 16


“We can be a church of people who are seeking amazement. Who are actively on the lookout for it, as our God keeps working. And you can be a person with a similar imagination and eager curiosity, too. What does a living Jesus mean for the way you see the world? What does it mean for your fears? What does it mean for your ability to be generous, or to be patient, or to be forgiving? If Jesus is alive, what changes for you? What is possible in our world?”


REFLECTION/DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:

  1. Take some time to reflect on the series as a whole: what have you learned? Where does Mark’s gospel push you or stretch you?

  2. This sermon is broken into two parts: an analysis of verses 1-8 and a discussion of the multiple endings in verses 9-20. Let’s start with 1-8! What are some of the details that stand out to you about these women and what they have set out to do? What does this reveal about the expectations of Jesus’s followers after his death on the cross?

  3. Why are the women afraid? What are some of the mysteries produced by Mark’s enigmatic ending in verse 8?

  4. Kenny said that “wonder wins” at the (original) end of Mark’s gospel. What do you think he meant by that? Why would this be a particular encouragement to Mark’s original readers?

  5. The second half of the sermon focused on the puzzle of the 3 distinct endings to Mark’s gospel. What does each ending reveal or add? 

  6. It’s okay to wrestle with hard questions! What do you make of the presence of these 3 endings? 

  7. Kenny said that adding on to Mark’s gospel made sense in its original context, in part because the focus of the gospels wasn’t on enshrining the story as Scripture, it was on offering reassurance to early Christians. Did that make sense to you? How does the text offer help or comfort?

  8. Where can we find hope in the story of Mark’s gospel, as a document? Why was it written? Why was it changed? What does its history teach us about God’s continuing concerns for the Church? 

  9. How can we be a church (or be Christians!) “seeking wonder”? How can this help us with our own fears or worries?

Kenny Camacho