Discipleship in the Gospels of Mark and Matthew
This paper compares the theme of discipleship as presented in the Gospels of Mark and Matthew, examining three major dimensions — the calling, commissioning, and cost of following Jesus — alongside the recurring motif of the disciples' faithlessness. Drawing on key passages such as Mark 1:16–20, Mark 6:6b–13, Mark 8:34–35, and their Matthean counterparts, the paper explores how each evangelist portrays the nature of commitment required to follow Christ, the authority delegated to the disciples, the suffering inherent in discipleship, and the disciples' persistent failures to understand Jesus' mission. Scholarly sources including Donahue, Witherington, and Achtemeier are used to support the analysis.
- The Calling of the First Disciples: Mark's account of Jesus recruiting Peter, Andrew, James, John
- The Commissioning of the Disciples: Authority granted to disciples for mission and miracles
- The Cost of Discipleship: Suffering and self-denial required to follow Christ
- Faithlessness of the Disciples: Mark's portrayal of deepening misunderstanding and denial
- Discipleship in the Gospel of Matthew: Matthew's calling, commissioning, and cost of discipleship
- Significance of the Gospels: Broader meaning of discipleship narratives for early believers
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What makes this paper effective
- It maintains a clear comparative framework throughout, using specific chapter-and-verse citations to anchor every claim to the biblical text.
- It draws on a range of secondary sources — including Donahue's theological study of Mark, Witherington's socio-rhetorical commentary, and Achtemeier's introduction to the New Testament — to support interpretive points without overwhelming the analysis.
- The paper moves logically through thematic categories (calling, commissioning, cost, faithlessness) rather than treating the two gospels in isolation, which highlights genuine points of comparison and contrast.
Key academic technique demonstrated
The paper demonstrates comparative textual analysis, placing parallel gospel passages alongside each other to identify both shared emphases (e.g., the three-element structure of discipleship response) and significant differences (e.g., Mark's harsher portrayal of the disciples' misunderstanding versus Matthew's more nuanced treatment). Footnotes are used to attribute specific interpretive claims to named scholars rather than presenting them as self-evident readings of the text.
Structure breakdown
The paper opens with Mark's account of the calling (1:16–20), progresses through the commissioning (6:6b–13) and the cost of discipleship (8:34–35), and then addresses the disciples' persistent faithlessness as a distinctive Markan theme. It transitions to Matthew's parallel treatment of calling, commissioning, and cost before concluding with a broader reflection on the significance of both gospels for understanding what discipleship means. The structure mirrors the narrative arc of both gospels, moving from call to mission to consequence.
The Calling of the First Disciples
Why should we focus on the calling of the first disciples? This calling was the first act of Jesus' public ministry. It was also a remarkable distinction within Jewish society. According to Jewish tradition, it was not the norm for Jewish teachers to go out into the field and recruit disciples — it was the disciples who sought out teachers. Jesus is therefore quite deliberate in calling out his first disciples: Peter, Andrew, John, and James. According to Mark, the initiative for recruiting and training disciples always comes from Christ.1
Jesus did not call these disciples to repent. He only asked them to follow him. He transformed the lives of fishermen by inviting them to pursue a new mission and new activities. Such following of Christ is not merely a matter of the heart's assent; rather, it represents a socio-economic reformation of relationships. It is not an extraordinary call in a mystical sense — it is about changing one's social practice in favor of an alternative one.2 Many Christians today are unwilling to overhaul their social relationships for the purpose of following Christ. In Mark's view, it is not enough simply to affirm one's faith inwardly. True discipleship requires a willingness to follow Christ with tangible actions, including abandoning one's livelihood and familiar way of life — which is far from easy.
According to Donahue, the response of discipleship comprises three elements: (1) separation from family and occupation, (2) commitment to follow the one who calls, and (3) participation in the caller's mission and work. In Mark's account, the first disciples are willing to give up everything to follow Christ.3
The Commissioning of the Disciples
Disciples inherit both the destiny and the mission of Christ. In Mark's Gospel, Jesus bestows both authority and power over evil spirits on his disciples. Mark highlights the power and authority of Jesus throughout his narrative — a marvelous kind of authority unlike anything witnessed before, surpassing even the greatest teachers of the day. Such commissioning produces a profound realization of purpose among Jesus' followers. They go out carrying that authority and take nothing else with them, relying entirely on God's provision and the hospitality of the people they encounter.
They carried out the mission faithfully: preaching the gospel, casting out demons, praying for the sick and healing them, and leading many to repentance. Even though the disciples understood only a fraction of Jesus' mission — particularly the dimensions of suffering and eventual death on the cross — God used them to deliver extraordinary miracles. This illustrates a central principle in Mark: God makes use of imperfect people to accomplish perfect things through his divine authority, regardless of their mental capacity or full understanding of the mission at hand.4
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