Mark 2:15

2:15 As Jesus ¹  was having a meal ²  in Levi’s ³  home, many tax collectors ⁴  and sinners were eating with Jesus and his disciples, for there were many who followed him.

Mark 8:34

Following Jesus

8:34 Then ⁵  Jesus ⁶  called the crowd, along with his disciples, and said to them, “If anyone wants to become my follower, ⁷  he must deny ⁸  himself, take up his cross, ⁹  and follow me.

Mark 14:13

14:13 He sent two of his disciples and told them, “Go into the city, and a man carrying a jar ¹⁰  of water will meet you. Follow him.

Mark 14:54

14:54 And Peter had followed him from a distance, up to the high priest’s courtyard. He ¹¹  was sitting with the guards ¹²  and warming himself by the fire.

[2:15]  ¹ tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[2:15]  ² tn Grk “As he reclined at table.”

[2:15]  ³ tn Grk “his.”

[2:15]  ⁴ sn The tax collectors would bid to collect taxes for the Roman government and then add a surcharge, which they kept. Since tax collectors worked for Rome, they were viewed as traitors to their own people and were not well liked.

[8:34]  ⁵ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.

[8:34]  ⁶ tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[8:34]  ⁷ tn Grk “to follow after me.”

[8:34]  ⁸ tn This translation better expresses the force of the Greek third person imperative than the traditional “let him deny,” which could be understood as merely permissive.

[8:34]  ⁹ sn To bear the cross means to accept the rejection of the world for turning to Jesus and following him. Discipleship involves a death that is like a crucifixion; see Gal 6:14.

[14:13]  ⁹ sn Since women usually carried these jars, it would have been no problem for the two disciples (Luke 22:8 states that they were Peter and John) to recognize the man Jesus was referring to.

[14:54]  ¹³ tn Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was started here in the translation.

[14:54]  ¹⁴ sn The guards would have been the guards of the chief priests who had accompanied Judas to arrest Jesus.