Second Sunday in Lent

Mark 8:31-38 (NRSV) Then he began to teach them that the Son of Man must undergo great suffering, and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again. He said all this quite openly. And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. But turning and looking at his disciples, he rebuked Peter and said, "Get behind me, Satan! For you are setting your mind not on divine things but on human things." He called the crowd with his disciples, and said to them, "If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake, and for the sake of the gospel, will save it. For what will it profit them to gain the whole world and forfeit their life? Indeed, what can they give in return for their life? Those who are ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of them the Son of Man will also be ashamed when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels."

Having spent most of much of my life in baptist churches, there was no observation of the season of Lent. Of course, there were special services to help us reflect on Good Friday and celebrate on Easter Sunday. However, an entire season of weeks and Sundays of preparation for the Passion was not part of my experience until the last handful of years.

I have come to appreciate the slow build-up toward the final week of Jesus earthly ministry. And today's reading was a turning point in the Gospel of Mark when the disciples were for the first time brought in on what would be ahead for Jesus. Thus, part I was the briefing for the disciples and part II was Jesus message for the crowds.

For the disciples ...

Then he began to teach them that the Son of Man must undergo great suffering, and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again.

One wonders what the scene was like when these words rang out? Did the room fall into complete silence and one could hear the proverbial pin drop? Or was the room buzzing with conversation as to what is Jesus talking about?

But clearly wasn't what they expected!

And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him.

Good old Peter! Did the other disciples tell him, hey, you better go talk to Jesus! Or perhaps, Peter acted alone impulsively acting on his own but knowing the rest of the group felt the same way? In Peter's mind and in the disciples' minds, they figured, we are going to win! Jesus is gathering up all these supporters and we are going to throw off the religious and political oppressors! What is all this negative talk, Jesus?

But turning and looking at his disciples, he rebuked Peter and said, "Get behind me, Satan! For you are setting your mind not on divine things but on human things." 

Peter may have privately talked to Jesus but Jesus' response was for the whole group. If you have been reading along, Satan appeared in the text for the First Sunday of Lent. Satan is the adversary, the opponent, and wants to oppose God's plans. Jesus strongly called out Peter for being a tool of Satan by trying to derail the mission of Christ that included suffering, rejection, and being killed. Of course,  if you look closely at the text, there was a fourth part to Jesus' statement: after three days rise again. One could suppose that Peter and the disciples just heard the three bad things and didn't hear the "rest of the story!"

For the crowds ...

He called the crowd with his disciples, and said to them, "If any want to become my followers ...

The various miracles and the teachings of Jesus had drawn a crowd but how much commitment was there? Jesus lays down the cost of discipleship for the crowds to weigh. And, it would probably be fair to say, he needed to the disciples to think it through too!

deny themselves ...
take up their cross ...
follow me ...
save their life will lose it ...
lose their life for my sake, and for the sake of the gospel, will save it ...
gain the whole world and forfeit their life ...

The "status quo" of our lives is to seek our own benefit, avoid suffering, follow the beat of our own drummer (if we have a "western" mindset) or the path marked by our kin group (if we have a more "old world" mindset), self preservation, and acquire stuff.

Is the call to discipleship worth it?

What would Jesus do? Or rather, what did Jesus do?

Jesus denied himself, went to the Cross, followed the Father's will, and in so doing, he lost his life for our sake to give us life and after three days rose again!

This is the Gospel, this is the good news: Jesus has changed the "status quo." His work is freely given, complete and costly. Now the question for us: will we follow?

And by what I mean by follow is not a follow in order to be saved as that would be self-righteousness. And besides, we could never follow good enough anyway. But a following that is humble and trusting that grows out our gratitude and love because of his love for us.

Lent is a time for us to reflect on the work of Christ. It is also a time for us to think about and commit or re-commit ourselves to following him.

First Sunday in Lent

Mark 1:9-15 (NRSV) In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. And just as he was coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens torn apart and the Spirit descending like a dove on him. And a voice came from heaven, "You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased." And the Spirit immediately drove him out into the wilderness. He was in the wilderness forty days, tempted by Satan; and he was with the wild beasts; and the angels waited on him. 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."

The story of Jesus baptism and temptation works apparently at several levels. Over the years, I've heard many ideas advanced as to why Jesus was baptized. The most recent I have read that Jesus fulfilling the role of the true Israel in that repentance precedes restoration. This role of faithful and true Israel continues in his encounters in the wilderness.

This element of the narrative may well be in the mind of Mark as he wrote and his early readers that were more steeped in the history and experience of the Jewish people. But what about the Gentile reader say in AD 123 who might have been quite far removed from the Jewish story? And what about me in 21st Century Southern California (and you where ever you are on the internet) perhaps reading Mark for the first time? The layer of the march of the history of Jewish faith would be not be obvious?

What comes before

Mark's account of the baptism is set-up by the preceding portion in vv. 4-8.

The ideas that jump at me are that John the Baptist proclaimed a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sin and the people responded to this by being baptized and confessing their sins. The people in this setting are indeed being obedient to God's message through his messenger! This message isn't a new one as many times in the Old Testament, the prophets would proclaim that the people have sinned and need to confess and turn back to God.

The puzzler for us is why Jesus got baptized. Jesus has no sin to confess. His mind is set on the Father already and has no need to "change his mind" (repent) and turn back to God. So why does Jesus do this anyway?

Some, as I have mentioned, have suggested that he was taking on the role of the faithful and true Israel. All well and fine and good. But one might say, he is taking on the role of the faith and true human being also. He is fulfilling what Israel failed to do. He is showing me what I have failed to do but also opening the door to follow him to do what I should do.

For Jesus, the baptism is an outward demonstration of the inward reality: my relationship with God is important, in order to help others, I will demonstrate the importances of repentance and confession of sin by partaking in the baptism.

Thus, for disciples of that time, the baptism is an outward statement of the inward reality: my mind has been changed and instead of rebelling against God, I am now dependent on God to forgive my sins so I can be restored to relationship with him.

The common ground is the relationship with God: Jesus has it and is showing the way so we could have it to.

What comes after

The matter of relationship rises up from the portion of the Scripture immediately after the baptism: "just as he was coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens torn apart and the Spirit descending like a dove on him. And a voice came from heaven, 'You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased.'"

I recall Pastor Darrell Johnson saying (I'm paraphrasing as I don't have specific transcripts of sermons on hand), in the heart of God is a relationship. God the Father, God the Son, and God the Spirit are in relationship with each other. Humans, due to sin are in broken relationship with each other and God. Jesus, God the Son, steps into history to help restore relationships.

Professor Fred Sanders described it as: the happy land of the Trinity. And the work of salvation is to bring us into this relationship.

And so, immediately after the baptism, we see this happy relationship:

You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased ...
the Spirit descending like a dove on him ...

By extension, if we repent and confess our sin and turn toward God, we experience a restored relationship with God. John 1:12 says, "Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God."

What comes next

After Jesus is baptized, we get a glimpse of the loving relationship between Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. And after that, we are brought face-to-face that Jesus has a mission and it starts with a dramatic test: And the Spirit immediately drove him out into the wilderness. He was in the wilderness forty days, tempted by Satan; and he was with the wild beasts; and the angels waited on him.

Matthew 4:1-11 and Luke 4:1-13 describe the temptation in greater detail. But even from the comparatively terse account in Mark, we have some idea of the scale of this trail.

40 days ...
The number "40" does show up a lot in the Bible and it maybe literal here and in those other occasions. One would prefer to avoid any suspicious numerology about the figure 40. Suffice to say, literal or not, the key point is clear: it was a long time. This was no brief challenge. This was no trivial ordeal.

tempted by Satan ...
This name comes straight from the Greek, "adversary (one who opposes another in purpose or act), the name given to the prince of evil spirits, the inveterate adversary of God and Christ." Thus, not only was the wilderness experience a lengthy one but also against a powerful spiritual enemy.

with the wild beasts ...
Satan was the danger from a spiritual realm, wild beasts were the danger from the physical realm. What might there have been out in the wilderness during those 40 days? Perhaps, lions, bears, wild ox, crocodiles, and hippopotamus or leopards, wolves, caracal, and snakes.

Jesus faced this under the direction of the Spirit. First, the length gets at the character trait of endurance. Second, the explicit opposition of Satan gets at the sturdy steadfastness of Jesus. The Matthew and Luke accounts focus on the crafty challenges from Satan in detail. Third, the unknown variety of wild beasts that probably come out at night (no LED flashlights then!) reveals courage in the face of unseeable dangers. This experience shows the quality of this man Jesus!

the angels waited on him ...
This episode has implications for how we view difficult situations. We might prefer an easy life but we see here the Spirit drove Jesus into the wilderness for this test. And Jesus passed the test. He knew the Spirit was with him. He knew that he was beloved of the Father. He knew he was provided for as the "angels waited on him." Jesus knew that his journey to the Cross took a major step forward at this moment. He made it through this bout with spiritual and physical trails. There would be more physical and spiritual pain the rest of the way. And, of course, at the Cross, there would be even more.

Issac Watts in one of his hymns put it this way:

Was it for crimes that I had done
He groaned upon the tree?
Amazing pity! Grace unknown!
And love beyond degree!

The pain and suffering of the servant Jesus. Lent begins here at the temptation and God provided for Jesus. Lent concludes with the hot boil of the Cross and God vindicated Jesus at the Resurrection!

Transfiguration Sunday

Mark 9:2-9 (NRSV)
Six days later, Jesus took with him Peter and James and John, and led them up a high mountain apart, by themselves. And he was transfigured before them, and his clothes became dazzling white, such as no one on earth could bleach them. And there appeared to them Elijah with Moses, who were talking with Jesus. Then Peter said to Jesus, "Rabbi, it is good for us to be here; let us make three dwellings, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah." He did not know what to say, for they were terrified. Then a cloud overshadowed them, and from the cloud there came a voice, "This is my Son, the Beloved; listen to him!" Suddenly when they looked around, they saw no one with them any more, but only Jesus. As they were coming down the mountain, he ordered them to tell no one about what they had seen, until after the Son of Man had risen from the dead.

What was it like to have been one of the disciples following Jesus?

Certainly, they would have been moved by his compassion in healing the people who came to him. They would have been in awe of the "physical" miracles of turning water into wine, walking on water, and multiplying food to feed the huge crowds. And there would also be the powerful teaching that inspired hope, called for righteousness, and revealed the love of God.

On this occasion, a smaller subset of the followers got to see the transfiguration.

As good Jewish boys, Peter, James, and John would have been very familiar with the story of Moses and how he got a glimpse of the glory of God on the mountaintop. Thus, this experience would have been terrifying as it happened and upon reflection after the fact, astounding.

As I read the story here in the 21st century, where does my reflections head toward?

First, Jesus is no mere mortal. Between the miracles, the teaching, and the resurrection, this episode would add to the conclusion that Jesus was no mere mortal.

One wonders if this type of thing happened on other occasions when Jesus went off on his own? But that would be speculative. Rather what we have here appears to be an occasion that Jesus wanted to reveal something about himself to Peter, James, and John. It would add another stone in the foundation of their understanding of who he is.

Second, the appearance of Jesus in conversation with Elijah and Moses would plant Jesus as in continuation and culmination of the Jewish narrative arc. Sometimes, people think of the Old Testament and New Testament as separate entities. But it obviously is not disconnected.

With all the quotation of the Hebrew Scriptures by Jesus and by the apostles, there is a clear connection and continuation with the past actions of God. What is clear from the Gospels is that Jesus  was in contention with a particular manifestation of Jewish faith in the from of the Pharisees. We know from Genesis 15:6, "Then he believed in the Lord; and He reckoned it to him as righteousness," that Abraham was reckoned righteous by belief/trust in God. That teaching continues into the New Testament.

Third, I think this story tells us something about us a fallible people. These three disciples saw something amazing. Yet, they still stumbled and struggled with their faith even after such a dramatic experience. The Israelites saw fantastic things in the Exodus, yet, they had trouble following the ways that God had set before them. The disciples, seeing the miracles, hearing the teaching, and in the case of Peter, James, and John getting a glimpse of the divine nature of Jesus, often faltered in their faith. Where does that leave us?

Indeed, even with mountaintop experiences in our faith journey, we still struggle. So it shouldn't come as a surprise to us. What we have is a gracious and forgiving God. Peter faltered but is restored (see John 21). Paul was opposed to Jesus initially but was captured by the grace of God (see 1 Timothy 1:12-17). And so the same is true for us today.

Another take home from this episode would be for us to give more thought and appreciation for the Old Testament. It is understandable that Christian churches would focus a lot of time and effort to preaching and teaching the New Testament. However, the fact that Jesus is talking to Moses and Elijah means that the Old Testament is God's story as much as the Gospels and the Acts and Letters are God's story. Paul appeared to make this point in 1 Corinthians 10:1-11.

And finally, we must keep our eyes on Jesus. We get glimpses of him in our "mountaintop" experiences but we also get glimpses of him in quiet moments of reflection. He is worthy of being followed. His exorbitant claims are backed by his deeds and teaching and his life vindicated by resurrection. Mountaintop experiences and quiet moments, these are valuable stones in our foundation of faith. Our life of faith is in the day-to-day meat-and-potatoes of ordinary life where we need to trust in the grace of God for our failings, rely on the strength of the Spirit to live a life of love and goodness, and follow the example of Jesus' compassion and artful truth telling. We keep in mind who he is gleaned from our "mountaintop" experiences as well as more silent and subtle moments where we have met him.

Fifth Sunday After The Epiphany

Mark 1:29-39 (NRSV)
As soon as they left the synagogue, they entered the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John. Now Simon's mother-in-law was in bed with a fever, and they told him about her at once. He came and took her by the hand and lifted her up. Then the fever left her, and she began to serve them. That evening, at sundown, they brought to him all who were sick or possessed with demons. And the whole city was gathered around the door. And he cured many who were sick with various diseases, and cast out many demons; and he would not permit the demons to speak, because they knew him. In the morning, while it was still very dark, he got up and went out to a deserted place, and there he prayed. And Simon and his companions hunted for him. When they found him, they said to him, "Everyone is searching for you." He answered, "Let us go on to the neighboring towns, so that I may proclaim the message there also; for that is what I came out to do." And he went throughout Galilee, proclaiming the message in their synagogues and casting out demons.

Epiphany according to Merriam-Webster has a number of meanings. There is the very specific meaning within the church's liturgical year: "January 6 observed as a church festival in commemoration of the coming of the Magi as the first manifestation of Christ to the Gentiles or in the Eastern Church in commemoration of the baptism of Christ."

There is the meaning in a more general sense: "an appearance or manifestation especially of a divine being."

And finally, in the most general sense:
"a (1) : a usually sudden manifestation or perception of the essential nature or meaning of something (2) : an intuitive grasp of reality through something (as an event) usually simple and striking
(3) : an illuminating discovery, realization, or disclosure
b : a revealing scene or moment."

Community life

One of the things that appeals to me about the Gospel stories is that they are quite down to earth. In this reading, we can imagine the dusty feet of the Jesus and his disciples as they left the synagogue (Mark 1:21-28) and walked over to Simon and Andrew's home (1:29). In the USA, we are used to our space but in the Ancient Middle East, multi-generational homes were typical. We feel people bumping into each other. And Jesus enters the home and heals Simon's mother-in-law! Upon the healing, we can hear the buzz of excited conversations. The mood is celebratory. One wonders, what was Mrs. Simon Peter like? How excited was she at this miraculous healing of her mom? Did they have any children at this point in their lives? Upon being healed, Mrs. Simon Peter's mother began to "serve them." I would surmise that meant cooking! What was on the menu? The aromas of food fills the air!

As we sit here in 21st Century life, how do people see Jesus in us? How can they have an epiphany?

At one level, of course, how we as individuals live our lives in specific one-on-one interactions with people can reveal Jesus. But equally important, how we "do life together" as communities of faith can reveal Jesus. John 13:35 says, "By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another." Often times people "belong" before they "believe."

When we gather, there should be the warm glow of good conversation, the taste of delicious food, the comfort of a shoulder to cry on, and the hearty cheer of shared joys. And while this is happening, we invite others who do not know Jesus yet, to join in the fellowship.

In the passage, what happens next is "they brought to him all who were sick or possessed with demons. And the whole city was gathered around the door. And he cured many who were sick with various diseases, and cast out many demons."

Christians throughout the generations since Jesus have been committed to healing. That is what Jesus did and that is what Christians have been doing even to this day. In most cities in the USA are hospitals founded by Christians. In the many developing countries some of the best care can be found in Christian missionary hospitals. These are not the work of solo individuals. These are the good works of communities of faithful followers of Jesus!

Pope Francis a couple of years ago said, “I can clearly see that what the Church needs today is the ability to heal wounds and warm the hearts of faithful, it needs to be by their side. I see the Church as a field hospital after a battle. It’s pointless to ask a seriously injured patient whether his cholesterol or blood sugar levels are high! It’s his wounds that need to be healed. The rest we can talk about later. Now we must think about treating those wounds. And we need to start from the bottom.”

The church must be a community of good fellowship and of good works.

Solitary life

The Christian life is lived in community. Yet, there is also a place for solitude. Jesus is recorded here, "In the morning, while it was still very dark, he got up and went out to a deserted place, and there he prayed."

Each of us is different. Some of us need solitude more than others. But for even the most extrovert, there is definitely a place and a need for time alone in prayer. We don't need to be legalistic about it. There should not be any hard and fast rule as to how much time we allot for solitary prayer, Scripture reading, private meditation, and personal reflection. Simply we enjoy our time with God when alone as we also enjoy our time with God when with others.

Words and deeds

Peter and his companions looked for Jesus and the time of solitude concluded and Jesus said, Let us go on to the neighboring towns, so that I may proclaim the message there also; for that is what I came out to do." And he went throughout Galilee, proclaiming the message in their synagogues and casting out demons.

Words and deeds. That is what Jesus did. Words and deeds that pointed people to God and moved them from being under the power of forces that destroyed into the hands of the King who gives life. We should do the same as his disciples, as learners of Jesus, as followers of Jesus, we should do the same.

Fourth Sunday After the Epiphany

Mark 1:21-28 (NRSV)
They went to Capernaum; and when the sabbath came, he entered the synagogue and taught. They were astounded at his teaching, for he taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes. Just then there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit, and he cried out, "What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are, the Holy One of God." But Jesus rebuked him, saying, "Be silent, and come out of him!" And the unclean spirit, convulsing him and crying with a loud voice, came out of him. They were all amazed, and they kept on asking one another, "What is this? A new teaching -- with authority! He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey him." At once his fame began to spread throughout the surrounding region of Galilee.

Beginnings, part I

Each Gospel starts in its own way. Analogies I have heard used to explain the benefits of there being four Gospels have included: it is like 3-D movies - one account is good but having all 4 together gives a picture with depth; it is like a multiple speaker stereo system - you can hear the notes with just one but it isn't really magical until you get all the speakers going; it is like a symphony - each instrument is needed to combine to result in glorious music.

Matthew starts with a genealogy (Matthew 1:1-17) that would mean something to the likely Jewish readers of the Gospel when it was first circulated. Mark jumps right in (Mark 1:1) and is direct and to the point throughout. Luke gives the stories of Elizabeth and Mary (Luke 1:1-55) that reflects Luke's careful compilation of Jesus deed and words and a particular interest in people who would be deemed "outsiders." John (John 1:1-5) goes big with an ode to Genesis to highlight the majesty of the incarnation God of the universe dwelt among us in flesh and the new creation made possible by that incarnation.

Beginnings, part II

But how does each gospel describe the beginning of Jesus' public life in terms of a detailed story about his words and deed? In light of an episode widely seen beyond the inner core of early followers?

John in chapter one had episodes of personal invitations to follow him. But it isn't until John 2 that there is the highly public event of Jesus turning the water into wine at Cana (John 2:1-11). This miracle is in line with the creation theme. God who brought the heavens and the earth - all the stuff of the visible world into existence - would have no difficulty turning water into wine. Additional themes one can draw from the water to wine episode was the abundance of the wine (v. 6) and its high quality (v. 10). This is the God who has come to dwell among us! One who gives good gifts and in abundance!

But one wonders how many people knew he was responsible for it? The servants who filled the jars with water as instructed by Jesus would have known (vv. 5-8). I would image they probably would have told people and word would have gotten out! Certainly, the disciples were moved toward belief (v. 11) from this event.

Luke says generally in 2:14-15, "Then Jesus, filled with the power of the Spirit, returned to Galilee, and a report about him spread through all the surrounding country. He began to teach in their synagogues and was praised by everyone." But it isn't until the reading of the Isaiah scroll in the Nazareth synagogue (vv. 16-21) that we hear the voice of Jesus in the Gospel of Luke:

He stood up to read, and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written: “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” And he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant, and sat down. The eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him. Then he began to say to them, “Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.”

Jesus intends to touch the lives of the "outsider" (the poor, the captives, the blind, and the oppressed)!  What Jesus had done up to that point in Luke and what he will do in the following chapters is the fulfillment of Jesus' vocation as described in the Isaiah scroll.

Matthew recounted Jesus baptism in chapter 3 and his temptation in the wilderness in chapter 4. We quickly find out that Jesus began to proclaim the Kingdom (4:17), to teach and heal (4:23-25). It is in chapter 5-7 that we get Jesus in longer form. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus demonstrates himself to be the true interpreter of the Law. Again, consistent with Matthew's objectives to place Jesus as the continuation and fulfillment of God's narrative arc through the Jews.

Let's go back to the lectionary Gospel reading again.

Mark 1:21-28 (NRSV)

They went to Capernaum; and when the sabbath came, he entered the synagogue and taught. They were astounded at his teaching, for he taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes. Just then there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit, and he cried out, "What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are, the Holy One of God." But Jesus rebuked him, saying, "Be silent, and come out of him!" And the unclean spirit, convulsing him and crying with a loud voice, came out of him. They were all amazed, and they kept on asking one another, "What is this? A new teaching -- with authority! He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey him." At once his fame began to spread throughout the surrounding region of Galilee.

In this healing, Jesus displays authority over unclean spirits that tormented the man. In the next healing, Jesus cures a fever in Peter's mother-in-law (1:29-31). Word spread quickly and "all who were sick or possessed with demons" were brought to him for healing. Jesus has authority over both types of conditions: physical and spiritual sickness. Mark would continue to highlight Jesus authority as shown through healing of a leper (1:40-45), a sickness with a high social outcast dimension. Then, Mark shows Jesus taking a gigantic step by using healing of the paralytic (2:1-12) as an opportunity to highlight that he as authority to forgive sins which is the ultimate problem we have.

In addition to the physical healing, notice that "They were astounded at his teaching, for he taught them as one having authority." Certainly, people who got healed would see that Jesus had authority. And certainly, healthy people seeing others getting healed would see the authority of Jesus. But there was something powerful in his teaching. His message was changing the direction of people's lives. One could imagine that people were turning away from sin and self and fixing their eyes and hearts toward God. People would find themselves leaving despair and be buoyed by hope. Is it not also a miracle when we get transformed from dead religious ritual to a living and active love of others? Is not forgiveness of our sins before a holy God a truly powerful and magnificent thing?

The Gospel of Jesus Christ (1:1, 14, 15) is powerful! It changes the status quo of our lives!

Knowledge isn't enough

Another striking part about the reading is the response of the unclean spirit, "I know who you are, the Holy One of God." Sounds like correct high Christology!

And indeed, as we sit here in the 21st Century, it isn't enough to "get the theology" right. Rather, what we need is a willingness to follow where Christ is going and participate in what he is doing for the Kingdom of God is on the move already and we are to join in. We get the honor of participation. It is not up to us to "make it happen." Rather, we are to follow the Spirit's leading and in obedience be available to be with people that God is reaching. And as a result of God's power, the status quo of people's lives get changed and we all rejoice together.

Check out 1 Corinthians 3:5-9, "What then is Apollos? What is Paul? Servants through whom you came to believe, as the Lord assigned to each. I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. So neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth. The one who plants and the one who waters have a common purpose, and each will receive wages according to the labor of each. For we are God’s servants, working together; you are God’s field, God’s building." Amen!

Third Sunday after the Epiphany

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.

Over the years, I've heard many sermons that talk about "the kingdom of God." I suppose the simplest explanation I have heard, that I remember, is that the "the kingdom of God has come" means that the King has come, and, of course, that king is Jesus! Now, of course, God has been ruling the universe all along, but in terms of a distinct and dramatic intervention in human affairs, the arrival of Jesus into human history is huge. And, so it is here announced.

So what happens next? What response is called forth?

Repent. Believe. Follow.

Repent means to change one's mind. At the most basic level, I think the change is from "I am the king" to "Jesus is the king." As human beings, autonomy is a big deal. Self-pleasure and self-preservation and self-gain is what drives us. I want things my way. What is in it for me. Its comfortable and convenient for me. Me, me, me. I, I, I. Repent! Our outlook shifts from looking at ourselves to looking up to the King.

I suppose another level of change of one's mind is in regard to sin. Going from thinking, there is no such thing as sin to saying, yes, there is such a thing of sin. Going from saying, I'm not sinner or I'm not very much of a sinner to saying, I'm a sinner and I need help!

Believe means to think something is true and to have confidence in it. So often, skeptical people think faith means, I conjure up the will and emotion in regards to something false. As such, they conclude that, at best, belief is a useful fiction and, at worst, self-deception.

To the contrary, Biblical belief is a confidence in the truthfulness and validity of the object of that belief, in this case, the Good News. And the Good News is the proclamation that Jesus is the King and He is here and because of this the status quo of the human condition has been changed!

Follow means come here and come now with an imperative commanding tone! In the case of the disciples in this episode, they immediately left their nets and their life as fishermen.

We work at what ever jobs we work at and so does this mean we should quit our jobs?

Well, maybe, but probably not. We have to remember that Jesus' call on the disciples was unique in the sense that these guys became the Apostolic foundation of the Church. In the case of the disciples, they were having a change in vocation from fishermen to Apostles! So then, how does this "follow" apply to us?

I suppose we need to look at the totality of our life and see if there are aspects of our life that we need to leave behind. Scan through our 24 hours in a day and see if there are things we are doing that perhaps we need to leave behind? Are their behaviors that we know that God is not pleased with?

Beyond behavior, we need to check our attitudes. Are their thought patterns we need to leave behind? In professional sports, it is often said that the talent gaps are not large but the mental part of the game is what separates the champions from the rest of the field. And so are their things in our minds and things we feed our minds that need to be left behind because Jesus has commanded us to follow him?

Following involves leaving something or someplace. But it also involves going somewhere perhaps unfamiliar or doing something perhaps unexpected. And so, maybe we keep the same vocation but maybe do it somewhere else? Maybe we keep the same vocation but take a different attitude about what it means to us?

Perhaps Jesus call to follow Him might mean taking a look at how we use our time outside our job as well? He maybe asking us to follow Him into participation as a volunteer in the church youth group. Or maybe to join the team that provides practical help for individuals or families the church has come to know are in need. It starts with asking God, help me to have a heart to serve others. It continues with a prayer to have eyes and ears to see and hear where the need might be that God is asking me to follow Him to meet. It could be something the church is doing we could plug into. It could be a neighbor. It could be some community group. Following Him means an openness to possibilities.

The call to discipleship starts with a change of mind about the way we have seen things. It continues onto a trust and confidence in Jesus as our Lord and King. When these two things happen, our lives will change as we will want to follow Him. He will lead us into surprising places, doing things we probably never expected and almost certainly with people we would not have considered.

Lord, have your way with us as your way is the way of truth and life! Help me follow! Amen.

First Sunday after the Epiphany

Mark 1:4-11 (NRSV) John the baptizer appeared in the wilderness, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. And people from the whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem were going out to him, and were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins. Now John was clothed with camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey. He proclaimed, “The one who is more powerful than I is coming after me; I am not worthy to stoop down and untie the thong of his sandals. I have baptized you with water; but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.” In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. And just as he was coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens torn apart and the Spirit descending like a dove on him. And a voice came from heaven, “You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased.”

There are a handful of events in the life of Jesus that are described in all four Gospels (Matthew 3:13-17, Mark 1:4-11, Luke 3:21-22, John 1:29-34. His baptism is one such occasion. I think the two questions that leap to mind is why did Jesus need to be baptized and what does baptism mean?

What does baptism mean?

The first thing we have to remember is that this episode has its roots in Old Testament practices that was different from the baptism of Christians instituted by Jesus in Matthew 28:18-20.

Thus, what do we mean by New Testament baptism?

The baptism of Christians instituted in the Great Commission follows after “make disciples” which suggests that baptism is meant to be a public outward act of the inward reality of one's commitment to be a disciple of Jesus. In the Letters of the Apostle Paul, he amplifies this idea by highlighting that baptism identifies us with the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus (Romans 6:3-5, Colossians 2:11-13).

I know many churches perform infant baptism. I appreciate the analogy to circumcision to defend the practice. However, I think adult baptism or credo baptism is a more consistent way to apply the description of baptism in the Great Commission, the Book of Acts, and the NT letters.

From what I just wrote, it might then not surprise readers that I was baptized in a Southern Baptist church. The process involved the following steps:

1. Writing the story of my journey of faith and submitting it to the church membership committee. 
2. A representative from that committee interviewed me. 
3. My written testimony was posted for anybody to read on the membership bulletin board at church. 
4. I shared my testimony to the congregation after which a member rises and said, “Based on the testimony we have heard, I move that we accept NAME into membership upon his/her baptism.” 
5. The members vote to approve the motion. 
6. I was baptized on August 24, 1980. 

As you can see the emphasis is on the conscious recognition of the commitment to discipleship and the public declaration of that commitment.

However, let us get back to the passage in Mark. The practice of using water in a religious ceremonial context is obviously not unique to Christians and this episode occurred before the establishment of the church. So what was this baptism all about? From the text itself, we get, “a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.” Repentance is translated from the Greek word “metanoia” that means “a change of mind.” Thus, what John the Baptist was doing would be in line with similar practices in the Old Testament times. In this article, we find out that: “Jews practiced baptism as a traditional act of purification and the initiation of converts to Judaism long before the coming of the Messiah.”

Why was Jesus baptized?

We have briefly discussed baptism in the NT church and how it was utilized in OT Jewish life. So how does Jesus’ baptism fit in?

One explanation ties into the “substitution/exchange” we have with Jesus. Jesus died for our sins. There needs to be payment for sin and Jesus substitutes for us. He exchanged his death to give us life. The substitution/exchange works at another level in the question of righteousness. We have filthy rags for righteousness and so Jesus’ righteous life is exchanged for our rubbish "righteousness" so instead we can stand before God with the righteousness of Christ.

The idea of baptism for righteousness sake is hinted at in Matthew 3:15 that adds a little more detail than what we find in Mark: But Jesus answered him, “Let it be so now; for it is proper for us in this way to fulfill all righteousness.” Then he consented.

In sum, Jesus participating in baptism proceeds out of his living righteously and that deed plus his lifetime of obedience to the Father can in turn be applied to our benefit upon our repentance and turning to him as our King and Lord and Savior.

Another idea for why Jesus was baptized is that Jesus lives out as a representative of the nation of Israel. In Rob Dalrymple's Understanding Eschatology – Why it matters (p. 40), he offered this explanation for the baptism of Jesus: Jesus is baptized with a baptism of repentance on behalf of the nation of because he knew that repentance must precede the restoration of Israel. So, he repents for the nation. Thus, in his repentance and baptism, the “kingdom of God is at hand” (Mark 1:15).

Thus, Jesus, through his baptism, showed himself to be the true Israel and the truly righteous man.

So what do we take home from all this?

First, I think it is important for us to delve into the life of Jesus and chew upon the richness of all he has done. We all have our favorite stories in the Gospel where we see the greatness of Jesus. And so, let's keep mulling over the Gospel stories, even beyond our favorites, and keep exploring the complexity of what Jesus did. And in this text, contemplating his baptism as yet another way for us to probe the depths of Jesus life.

This reflection here barely scratches the surface!

Haven’t discussed Mark’s including John the Baptist saying, “he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.” Or taking a look at Luke that expands this by saying “baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing fork is in his hand, to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his granary; but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.” (Luke 3:16-17). Or meditating upon how about the Spirit descending upon Jesus like a dove and the Father saying, You are my Son, the Beloved, with you I am well pleased.

Second, if we have been baptized, we should reflect on that experience and renew our commitment to discipleship, to being a learner, a Jesus follower. And of course, if you haven’t been baptized, you should consider talking to the appropriate people at your church to be baptized. It’s a way of putting faith into a tangible action. God’s grace has been in your life and receiving baptism would be a tangible and visible and public statement of that grace leading to obedience.

Lord, may we yield our lives to you. We know that you are pleased when we follow your ways and publicly declare we belong to you. Amen.