The Sun in Mark’s Crisis Management: Narratological Observations

Abstract The four statements about the sun in Mark 1:32, 4:6, 13:24, and 16:2 offer an illustrative insight into Markan crisis management. The narrator aims to consolidate his community and to protect his addressees as those called to eternal salvation. This paper explores how the two mentions of the sun in 1:32 and 16:2 mark the shift of time between the salvific period of Jesus’ presence on earth and the threatening era of his ongoing absence. Furthermore, with regard to all four statements, it examines how Mark, in particular through the Markan Jesus, establishes his authority as a narrator. Assuring authority and reliability is essential for Mark so that his crisis management can have an effect in his community.