Third Sunday after the Epiphany

Mark 1:14-20

The New Revised Standard Version The Beginning of the Galilean Ministry

The Beginning of the Galilean Ministry

(Mt 4:12–17; Lk 4:14–15)

14 Now after John was arrested, Jesus came to Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God, 15 and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near; repent, and believe in the good news.”

Jesus Calls the First Disciples

(Mt 4:18–22; Lk 5:1–11)

16 As Jesus passed along the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting a net into the sea—for they were fishermen. 17 And Jesus said to them, “Follow me and I will make you fish for people.” 18 And immediately they left their nets and followed him. 19 As he went a little farther, he saw James son of Zebedee and his brother John, who were in their boat mending the nets. 20 Immediately he called them; and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired men, and followed him.

Mark 1:14–20 NRSV

Now after John was arrested, Jesus came to Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God, and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near; repent, and believe in the good news.” As Jesus passed along the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting a net into the sea—for they were fishermen. And Jesus said to them, “Follow me and I will make you fish for people.” And immediately they left their nets and followed him. As he went a little farther, he saw James son of Zebedee and his brother John, who were in their boat mending the nets. Immediately he called them; and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired men, and followed him.

Questions:

What does it mean that the “time is fulfilled?”

What did Jesus understand about what God is doing in announcing the kingdom of God is near?

What is the “good news” in which Jesus believed?

What do we know about Jesus’ ministry and how was it accepted by the people of God, the Jews?

Some mornings, I wake up and say to myself is it spring yet! Are you ready for spring? Are you ready for warmer days, planted bulbs of daffodils and tulips popping up, buds breaking out on the trees, grass turning green, leaves appearing on trees? I am.

When we see all that happening, we know the promise of Spring is being fulfilled.

What does Jesus mean by saying the “time is fulfilled?”  

For the people of God, the faithful remnant that inhabited first century Palestine and elsewhere in the world, they were waiting for a “Spring-like” of hope that was promised by the prophets. It was to be a time when God’s people were to be restored, made new again, reconciled to each other, and once again be a light to the world, the salt of the earth. In their hearing, and now in our hearing, Jesus says the time is fulfilled. His ministry was beginning and now God through His Son was claiming the kingdom was near.

Jesus says the Kingdom is near. What does that mean?

Let’s explore our next question by looking at Jesus’ call for repentance and believe in the “good news” or “gospel” first. What did repentance mean to Jesus? Did it mean to stop sinning? Or something more. I want to suggest to you that it meant something more, much more. First “repentance” meant to turn away from the current social and political agendas that was driving Israel into oblivion through a “ruinous war.” Secondly, it meant to turn back to trust, loyalty, allegiance to YHWH, their God. The prophets for centuries had told Israel this had to happen before their God would redeem Israel.

What does Jesus mean by the “good news”?

The good news or gospel was that God’s forgiveness, redemption, reconciliation was happening in the story of Jesus, the Son of God, the expected Messiah, the one who would be the full representative of Israel and all that meant in being a blessing to all nations.

Jesus was saying in reality, the redemption and restoration of Israel, and the entire cosmos, was happening in the story that unfolds before them in his own life.

Thus, they were to believe in Him, to move way from social and political agendas that are contrary to God’s justice and mercy, and to give their allegiance to the real King, Jesus himself, who was before them.

How was all of this happens?

Jesus began to call the disciples, transforming them into a community that was to embody all that the good news was to make happen: to have allegiance to Jesus, as King of King, Lord of Lords, to love God and be obedient to his will has Jesus, the Son, was; to live out the love with love for each other, in forgiveness infinitely, and be the light on the hill, to be the salt of the world as God’s people wherever they were set to be a contrasting-community to the world.

Jesus came to call people to believe and trust in the good news that God did something new, and was continuing to do something new. To be part of what God was doing, he called them into a community that lived out daily in their lives in a very public way, turning from other gods and idols to trust in him and his message.

How was Jesus’ message accepted in Galilee and Judea?

We know that not everyone became fans, or gave allegiance to Jesus, or formed communities that believed this message was true and called for a new way of living. We know that some, especially those in power, called Jesus all sorts of names, even saying he was of the devil, and then in order to stop him they brought he full weight of the Roman law down upon him.

It wasn’t easy. And let us be truthful, it’s not easy today. We have too many distractions and too many false idols, too much individualism and too little community, too much freedom and too little responsibility, and too much of the devil and too little of Jesus.

It wasn’t easy, yet....

It wasn’t easy, yet Peter, Andrew, James and John made the decision to do what Christians are called to do; they followed Jesus, they submitted themselves to His rule over their lives and thus were formed into a community that embodied the good news, that lived stories of redemption, forgiveness, love and responsibility. So did tens of thousands of saints over the past several thousands of year.

It’s not easy, but are calling is to be a Christian community that informs the world how it should be through our witness by word and deed. Will you follow Jesus? Will you be part of a community that embodies the gospel - the story of Jesus? Remember God is not calling perfect people, God is calling you as you are. You only need to be willing to submit yourself to his love and mercy in order to be transformed in his likeness.

It’s not easy, so why do it? I can tell you my why: my joy wasn’t complete until I did. When I began to submit to God’s will and to participate in Jesus’ life, and became part of His community that lived out the gospel, then my joy became complete.

It wasn’t easy, and it’s not easy now. Jesus said it will not be easy, yet His presence is nothing but pure joy each and every day.

Let’s pray together this prayer:

A Wesleyan Covenant Prayer

I am no longer my own, but yours. Put me to what you will,

place me with whom you will. Put me to doing, put me to suffering. Let me be put to work for you

or set aside for you. Praised for you or criticized for you. Let me be full, let me be empty. let me have all things,

let me have nothing. I freely and fully surrender all things

to your glory and service. And now, O wonderful and holy God,

Creator, Redeemer, and Sustainer,

you are mine, and I am yours. So be it. And the covenant which I have

made on earth, Let it also be made in heaven. Amen