Third Sunday After Epiphany, Jan. 26, 2003
Jer. 3:21-4:2; Psalm 130; 1 Cor. 7:17-23; Mark 1:14-20
Mark has already declared that Jesus is the Son of God (1:1). While Mark declares the fact of Jesus’ divine origin and vocation, he demonstrates in Jesus’ word and in his marvelous works as recorded in the gospel that he is indeed the Christ, the Son of God. Today’s passage focuses on the mission of Jesus. He came “proclaiming the gospel” of God. God had one Son and he made him a preacher of the good news.
The emphasis today is on proclamation and response. The gospel is by its very nature a message concerning the establishment of God’s kingdom through God’s Son and therefore needs to be proclaimed to the world with love and clarity. Many of our contemporaries have not responded to the gospel because they truly do not understand it. It is said that Mohammed understood the Trinity as consisting of the Father, the Son and the Virgin Mary.
Vijay Menon, an acquaintance of this writer, is a retired engineer in London who was raised a Hindu in India. One day he found himself inside a Christian church listening to an explanation of the gospel of Jesus Christ. His first impulse, when he realized where he was, was to flee, but first he thought he would listen. And listen he did, hearing, he says for the very first time what the Christian gospel actually declared. Prior to this experience, he associated the word “christians” with the West, but he admitted he had no idea what the gospel was all about. There remains great ignorance about the gospel. The gospel needs proclamation.
The psalmist reminds us of the forgiveness of the Lord, despite the fact that we stand as guilty before him. “If you, O Lord, should mark iniquities, O Lord, who could stand?” (Psalm 130:3). It will take a mighty act to make possible the forgiveness of sins, and this is, of course, what we have in the gospel. As Paul reminds us in 1 Corinthians (7:23), “you were bought with a price.” And what response does a person make to such good news? Again we turn to Mark: “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe the gospel.” In the case of the first apostles, such repentance and faith was manifested in their decision to follow the Lord. Forsaking all other loyalties, they committed themselves to Christ, and for them it meant leaving their lives as fishermen so they could become fishers of men.
Look It Up
What is the significance of the word “call” in Mark 1:20? Some believe the word means “effectual call.”
That is, the call of Jesus affects the response of obedience and faith. What do you think?
Think About It
When people hear the word, “gospel,” what do they associate with it? How can we correct misunderstandings of the Christian faith?
Next Sunday
Presentation of our Lord Jesus Christ, Feb. 2, 2003
Mal. 3:1-4; Psalm 84 or 84:1-6; Heb. 2:14-18; Luke 2:22-40
