Mark 1: Good News in a Troubled World

Then sleep finally and fitfully came, but it was interrupted by a splash of cold water, a face full of flashlight, and the command, “Get up, get moving; important things are happening.”

That is the kind of thing that goes on with the beginning of the Gospel of Mark.

To the people who are fretting about many things, and fitfully sleeping, Mark give a verbal splash of water, Wake up! Something new is afoot!

God is doing great things, and we get to hear and see it.

The challenge to all who hear is announced in that very first verse: The beginning of the Good News of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.

“Christ” is the Greek form of the Hebrew “Messiah”, with all of the years of expectation attached to that word.

That one, the long-awaited, is the subject of the book.

That particular one, is the one who bears the title “Son of God,”

which is the kind of title that might be attached to an emperor.

The first verse is a dash of cold water on both the Hebrews harried by centuries of waiting, and also on the official government types who feel bound to worship the emperor.

Wake up, all of you! Something different is happening here for everyone.

Mark is like the drill sergeant, who once he gets us awake and paying attention, starts right in with his message.

There is a tremendous sense of urgency throughout the Gospel of Mark.

This is what you need to know, now; and what you need to act upon, now!

So Mark jumps over anything about growing-up years and gets right to the action with Jesus' baptism.

The only detail we have is the voice from heaven which reiterates the connection with the Father.

The verse is really a quote from two Old Testament passages: from Psalm 2 which is one of the Psalms that would be used at the enthronement of the king, coupled with the description of the Suffering Servant from the prophet Isaiah.

“With whom I am well-pleased,” the heavenly voice says.

What a gracious bit of Gospel it is!

We hear it before we hear of Jesus doing anything in particular to deserve the blessing of the Father.

In this sense it is gift, or to use our church word, grace.

And we will discover, as we go along, that this gift is not to be restricted to Jesus, but he intends to share this blessing with us, so that the Father will address us in the same way, “my beloved, you make me very glad.”

What a wonderful address that is.

Even if our earthly father-relationships are crusty, this one with God the Father is secure, because God intends to make it so.

What a word of comfort, brought home to us in our Baptism!

Time and again in the Gospel we will hear things that remind us of the earlier actions of God throughout the Old Testament.

Jesus spends time in the wilderness, as did the people of Israel.

Jesus has to deal with temptations, even as we do; although he is successful while we are not.

Jesus knows pains and sorrows; he faces rejection and misunderstandings.

Jesus faces the ultimate enemy, death; and by his resurrection, he shows us that death shall not be the last word in our story.

The Son of God is identified completely with humanity; what incredible news to know and share!

The next announcement continues the urgency: The time is fulfilled, repent and believe the good news.

To whom is this announcement made?

First it is to the ones who become the disciples, that rag-tag bunch of ordinary people who become extraordinary indeed.

They hear the invitation/command “Follow me”, and they do, with no idea where this is all leading.

An then the announcement moves through the disciples and all whom they touch, to us.

It is Jesus' word to us just as to those folks long ago, and it is just as much a challenge to us as it was to them.

There are so many other allegiances that claim us; so many things that want to take the place of God.

It could be nations and politics and one who would be king.

It could be health, fitness, sports, recreation,...the body beautiful.

It could be the overweening pursuit of money and accumulation of objects. Etc.

“Repent,” says Jesus, which we know means to “turn around” and go a different way.

“Repent, and believe the Gospel,” which lets us know that all of those other pursuits are ultimately dead ends which are replaced by God's searching for us and finding us, establishing his relationship with us, and his vowing to hold onto us forever.

The call to repentance is a call of Good News to us.

The Gospels present Jesus as one who knows who he is and what he is doing.

He teaches with authority, that is, he does not depend on what the various rabbis said over the centuries, but he cuts to the heart of the matter as he lives out the meaning of the prophets' words.

Several weeks ago we heard “You have heard it said of old..., but I say to you....”

Yes it is a challenge to you and me.

Will we hear this as good news and follow, or will we distrust the word and continue on our own way?

Mark turns next to stories of healing. We'll explore them more fully next week, but let it suffice for now to say that these stories intend to show that there is no corner of life where Jesus is not Lord.

There is no one who can take away his authority.

Mark is not hesitant to put this challenge before his first readers, and us.

No one can make us believe.

If force was involved, then we would be mere robots.

The Lord God does not need robots, but he wants to entice us into acknowledging the relationship he forges with us, that he gives to us, that he intends to maintain with us, as a lover.

We can turn away from it rejecting the offer of love, or we can hear it with joy and acknowledge our place in the kingdom of God that begins now and is brought to perfection in the life to come.

Let us sing our prayer for the gift of the Spirit, so that we hear the word of this chapter, the word of this day...”Repent”... as a wonderful occasion of Good News in the middle of our lives full of troubles.

In the name of Christ Jesus. Amen.

Please note: The preceding sermon is provided as a resource for the thought, prayer, and meditation of the members and friends of St. Mark's. It is the residue of a verbal event, and thus it does not have academic footnotes and other details that would be expected in a written document. The writer gladly acknowledges the prior thought and work of many Christians before him.