How is the image of Jesus presented in Mark and Luke's Gospels and why are they different?

Answer 1

Answer

Mark

1. Jesus shows disrespect for his mother and family by asking, "Who is my mother, or my brethren?" when he is told that his family wants to speak with him. 3:31-34
2. Jesus criticizes the Jews for not killing their disobedient children as required by Old Testament law. 7:9-10
3. Jesus explains why he speaks in parables: because people had already refused to accept his teachings. 4:11-12
4. Jesus sends devils into 2000 pigs, causing them to jump off a cliff and be drowned in the sea. When the people hear about it, they beg Jesus to leave. 5:12-13
5. Any city that doesn't "receive" the followers of Jesus will be destroyed in the day of judgment by God in a manner even more savage than that of Sodom and Gomorrah. 6:11
6. If you're ashamed of Jesus, he'll be ashamed of you. (And you'll go straight to hell.) 8:38
7. Jesus tells us that it is preferable to cut off our hands and feet, and pluck out our eyes than to go to hell. 9:43-49
8. Jesus says that those that believe and are baptized will be saved, while those who don't will be damned. 16:16

Good Stuff in Mark

1. When Jesus lists the "ten" commandments, he only mentions five -- the humanistic ones that make no mention of God. He also gives one that is not included in the so-called ten commandments: "defraud not." 10:19
2. "Love thy neighbor as thyself." 12:31

Luke

1. When Jesus' parents begin the long trip back to Nazareth, the twelve year old Jesus stays behind, without even asking for their permission. 2:43-49
2. Jesus, when told that his mother and brothers want to see him, ignores and insults them by saying that his mother and brothers are those who hear the word of God and do it. 8:20-21
3. Jesus won't even let his followers bury their dead parents or say farewell to their families before abandoning them. 9:59-62
4. Jesus prophesies that families will be divided because of him and his teachings.12:52-53
5. Jesus says that his disciples must 'hate' their families (mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters, husbands, wives, children) and themselves. 14:26
6. If you want to be a disciple of Jesus, you must abandon everything, including your family. 14:33
7. "Ye shall be betrayed both by parents, and brethren, and kinsfolks." Families and friendships will be torn apart because of Jesus. 21:16
8. Jesus heals a naked man who was possessed by many devils by sending the devils into a herd of pigs, causing them to run off a cliff and drown in the sea. This messy, cruel, and expensive (for the owners of the pigs) treatment did not favorably impress the local residents, and Jesus was asked to leave. 8:27-37
9. Jesus says that entire cities will be violently destroyed and the inhabitants "thrust down to hell" for not "receiving" his disciples. 10:10-15
10. Jesus says that we should fear God since he has the power to kill us and then torture us forever in hell. 12:5
11. Jesus says that God is like a slave-owner who beats his slaves "with many stripes." 12:46-47
12. According to Jesus, only a few will be saved. 13:23-30
13. In the parable of the rich man and Lazarus, the rich man goes to hell, because as Abraham explains, he had a good life on earth and so now he will be tormented. Whereas Lazarus, who was miserable on earth, is now in heaven. . 16:19-31
14. Jesus believed the story of Noah's ark. 17:26-27
15. Jesus also believes the story about Noah's flood and Sodom's destruction. 17:29-32
16. In the parable of the talents, Jesus says that God will "bring them [those who preferred not to be ruled by him] hither, and slay them before me." 19:22-27
17. Jesus says that people who are rich, well-fed, happy, or respected may be going to hell. 6:24-26

Good Stuff in Luke

1. Do violence to no man, neither accuse any falsely. 3:14
2. Love you enemies; do good to those who hate you. 6:27
3. The Golden Rule: Treat others as you would like to be treated. 6:31-34
4. "Love your enemies.". (Mk.16:16) 6:35
5. "Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful 6:36
6. Don't judge or condemn others. Forgive those who have offended you. 6:37
7. Jesus warns against hypocrisy. 6:41
8. Love thy neighbor as thyself. 10:27
9. The story of the good Samaritan gets my vote for the best Bible story. We should all "go and do likewise." 10:30-37

Answer 2

First, it is necessary to explain that Mark's Gospel was the first Gospel to be written; it was written in Greek by an anonymous author whom we now call Mark, probably around 66-70 CE. Luke's Gospel was also written by an anonymous author, in Greek, and substantially based on an incomplete copy of Mark, with some additional input from some other sources. Mark was not as interested in the human side of Jesus as was Luke. Mark presented Jesus as:

• Racist. In chapter 7, he called Gentiles 'dogs' and only agreed to help a Gentile woman when she humbly accepted that description.
  
• Less than divine. He had some extraordinary powers and God called him his son, but Mark did not believe him to be one with God. For example:
  

6:5: And he (Jesus) could there do no mighty work. 10:18 Why call me good. There is none good but God.

• Jesus told his followers to love their neighbours, an injunction taken from the Old Testament. In modern times, 'neighbours' is seen as having a broad scope because of Luke, but in Mark, as in the Hebrew Bible, it still had a narrow meaning.
  

For Luke: Jesus was a mortal with divine powers, but had not pre-existed. Acts 2:32-33 sums up his view, "This Jesus hath God raised up, whereof we are all witnesses ... and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost, he hath shed forth this, which ye now see and hear." Jesus told his followers to love their enemies. This is unique to Luke. More than in any other Gospel, Luke had Jesus show compassion for the poor.
Expanding the answer to include John: Jesus was God. There are pericopes where Jesus actually claimed this to be the case. Many of the friends of Jesus were rich. Some of the best miracles that John presented involved helping his own rich friends. John did not portray Jesus as particularly interested in helping the poor. Jesus told his followers to love one another, so that others would know that they were his followers. In other words, there is no longer an admonition to love your enemies, or even your neighbours. Overt displays of affection for other Christians was to be a sign to strangers that you are a Christian.

It should be recognised that any human failings are failings intrinstic to the Gospel authors, not the person Jesus, whom they were attempting to portray.