This sense of action is enhanced by Mark's forty-two uses of “immediately” (Gk. euthus), at times virtually equivalent to little more than “the next important thing I want to tell you is…” The word appears only seven times in Matthew, once in Luke, and three times in John. Mark also delights in using the “historical present”—present tense verbs for past tense action—particularly with verbs introducing Jesus' speech, for the sake of emphasis and vividness. See, e.g., Mark 1:12, 21, 40; 2:5, etc.
