Mark's Sleepy Jesus (& Extra Boats): Studies in Mark, Pt. 2
As I continue to work through Mark’s narrative and the works that have been written to try to explain it, I am constantly amazed at the lack of attention that commentators tend to pay to certain passages that seem obscure. For example, when it comes to a couple of phrases in Mk. 4.35-41, it seems that the majority of interpreters simply gloss over them (some simply skip over them with no mention at all). Take the statement in 4.36 for instance, which says, “…and other boats were with Him.” Every single commentary I read (over 40 of them), said something akin to: “the boats mentioned here are not mentioned in the other accounts and are a simple embellishment by Mark; they have no other role in the story.” But can the "other boats" just be written off so easily? I would suggest not. I would also suggest that Mark wasn’t just wasting ink but rather, these boats are indeed, part of the story he wants to tell and as such, they are included for a reason, even if only minor! And wha...