Dube, Zorodzai2018-11-012018-11-012018-07-30Dube, Z., 2018, ‘Reception of Jesus as healer in Mark’s community’, HTS Teologiese Studies/Theological Studies 74(1), 4952. https://DOI.org/10.4102/hts.v74i1.4952.0259-9422 (print)2072-8050 (online)10.4102/hts.v74i1.4952http://hdl.handle.net/2263/67115This research is part of the project, ‘Healing during the New Testament’, directed by Dr Dube, Department of New Testament Studies, Faculty of Theology and Religion, University of Pretoria, South Africa.This study traces the manner in which the evangelist Mark presents Jesus as a healer. While this is the primary focus, I am also interested, from an identity perspective, in why Mark is keen to present Jesus as the best physician. Healers during the 1st century were varied. Cities had professional healers with great knowledge of the Greek Hippocratic tradition. The entire empire had famous temples of Asclepius and Apollo. Common people had diverse knowledge about various illnesses with remedies varying from herbs to exorcisms. Amidst all this and located in southern Syria in the northern regions of Galilee, Mark presents Jesus as a healer. The study concludes that Mark presents Jesus as an efficient healer with great power and authority. Though Mark is mute regarding other healers such as Asclepius and Apollo, near whose temples patients would sleep for days waiting for healing, he wants to remind the adherents of Jesus’ movement that they are following a great physician. A few selected stories from Mark’s gospel illustrate this argument.en© 2018. The Authors. Licensee: AOSIS. This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution License.EvangelistMarkJesusHealerCommunityIllnessesTheology articles SDG-03SDG-03: Good health and well-beingTheology articles SDG-04SDG-04: Quality educationTheology articles SDG-10SDG-10: Reduced inequalitiesTheology articles SDG-11SDG-11: Sustainable cities and communitiesArticle