When Jesus rose early on the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom he had driven seven demons. – Mark 16:9

Today's Scripture Reading (January 8, 2021): Mark 16

Early manuscripts, or autographs, are rare. For instance, "The Canterbury Tales" were written between 1387 and 1400 C.E. by Geoffrey Chaucer, a little more than six hundred years ago, and we don't have any of Chaucer's autographs or copies of the 'Tales" written with the pen of Geoffrey Chaucer. We do have eighty-four copies of the Canterbury Tales that originate from the first hundred years following Chaucer's death on October 25, 1400. What makes the lack of an autograph of "The Canterbury Tales" even more important is that we don't think that Chaucer was finished writing the "Tales" before he died. One of the enduring questions is this; did he write more than we have? The reality is that that is an unanswerable question because we don't have anything written with Chaucer's pen. But this is often the way it is with written works hundreds of years ago.

Like Geoffrey Chaucer's "The Canterbury Tales," we have no autographs of the Gospels, manuscripts written by Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. We have several copies of the Gospels written over the next few decades and centuries. For the most part, as is true with "The Canterbury Tales," what we have is similar in content, but there are also some differences. Which sometimes leads us straight into another dilemma? How do we know exactly what was written by the Gospel's authors? And what do we do with the portions of the document of which we are unsure about authorship?

It is a question that has to be addressed when we read the ending of the Gospel of Mark. The two earliest and most reliable Greek manuscripts, dated to 325 and 340 C.E., end with Mark 16:8, as do the hundreds of copies that have been translated into other languages. The language of Mark 16:9-20, the way the story is built, is also very different from the story Mark tells in the rest of his Gospel. All of which argues that Mark's ending was not written by the same person who wrote the rest of the book.

But, Mark 16:8 doesn't seem to be a great place for the author to finish his writing. The disciples are scared and in turmoil. They are not sure what is going on in Jerusalem. There is a rumor that Jesus had risen, but he hasn't appeared to anyone. And here, according to the early manuscripts, the story ends. It doesn't make sense.

Add to this mystery the fact that while the ending of Mark's Gospel is not included in the most reliable manuscripts, parts of Mark 16:9-20 were quoted by others starting a few decades after the writing of Mark. While the words might not be part of Mark, they were known by the early church founders and used to teach the Gospel of Christ.

So, what do we do with this ending? Most translations of the Bible place the final verses of Mark in italics with a note indicating that this might not be the ending Mark had written. Maybe something happened to stop Mark from writing his intended conclusion of his Gospel. As a result, we make do with these words written by an unknown disciple, who attempts to add his ending to the story. But can we accept these words as faithful to the story? I think the answer is yes. And the disciples might have been afraid early in the morning on that first day, not knowing what had happened. But, soon the fear began to transform itself into joy as Jesus began to show himself to his followers, starting with Mary Magdalene, out of whom Jesus had driven seven demons. This we know, and the other Gospel writers confirm, is accurate and can be trusted.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Luke 24