Mark devotes roughly half his Gospel to Jesus’ movement toward his death on the cross. While he will endure the full implications of this himself, he calls his followers similarly to “take up their cross and follow” him on their own journey of self-denial and identification with Jesus in his suffering and death. The Christian is a one who’s life must be shaped in every respect by the cross. Three times Jesus returns to this theme, with the larger narrative bracketed by healings of blind men, perhaps drawing attention to the disciples spiritual blindness regarding his suffering and death.