Sunday, August 1, 2021 

Home, and beyond

Mark 6:1-13

Jesus has been about ministry in the chapters before this one. He has formed something of a reputation. So now he goes to his hometown synagogue, his home church so to speak, on the Sabbath.

What kind of reception would you expect Jesus to get at his some worship place, after the things he's done?

Many of those who heard him were surprised, Mark tells us. Isn't this our hometown boy? Isn't he the carpenter we know, son of Mary and bother of James, Joses, Judas, and Simon? 

We already know this kid. So where did he get all this. Where did this wisdom come from, How did he learn to do acts of power? Just who does he think he is?

The CEB translates "they were repulsed by him and fell into sin", an awkward construction. The Greek uses a word that became our English word "scandalized". His hometown folks were scandalized by what they saw in a man that they thought they already knew.

In Greek a scandalon is a stone over which one stumbles. The CEB translation catches this meaning -- the folks in Jesus' hometown synagogue tripped over this new-to-them Jesus and "fell" -- fell into sin.

Jesus indeed is capable of acts of power. But not so much in his hometown. Mark tells us that he could only place his hands of a few sick people and heal them. (I might settle for that!) Mark tells us that Jesus was appalled at their disbelief.

And so Jesus leaves. In Mark's story Jesus never goes home again. 

Instead Jesus travels through the surrounding villages, teaching. More significantly, Jesus calls for the Twelve and sends them out in pairs to do the very things he himself was prevented from doing in his hometown -- proclaiming repentance, casting out demons, anointing the sick with oil in order to heal them. 

Jesus' ministry of bringing in the kingdom of God won't stay at home. It spreads out. Eventually, in Mark's story, it will cross many traditional boundaries. 

So, what might happen if Jesus were to come to church with us on Sunday morning? We might think that would be delightful, but in fact it didn't work out so well in Nazareth. Are we willing to hear things from Jesus that move beyond our own small images of him?

And are we willing to be sent out, like the Twelve, so spread the grace and healing of God's kingdom? Or do we think that can only happen in our home church?

Sunday, July 25, 2021

 Mark 1:1-15

"Now is the time! Here comes God's kingdom!

Change your hearts and lives, and trust this good news!" (Mk. 1:15 CEB)

A few interesting things about how Mark begins his story of Jesus:

• Mark is the only one of the four gospels to use the word "gospel" to describe what he's writing. The above translation renders it "good news". The Greek word is εὐαγγελίῳ, which is the base for our English word "evangelism".
• Mark wastes no time. His first sentence almost gives everything away. in fifteen verses Mark gives us what takes about four chapters each in Matthew and Luke.
• The citation from Isaiah 40 gets repurposed in Mark. In Isaiah (40) it's a voice saying, In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord. In Mark it's the voice that's in the wilderness -- John's voice.
• The picture of John the Baptist reflects a description of the prophet Elijah in 2 Kings. Elijah was thought to be arriving just before the Messiah.

The primary theme in Mark's opening is "repent". John calls those who come to him to repent, and to make a public sign of washing, in order for God to give them a fresh start. Jesus, beginning his public ministry, announces that God's kingdom is at hand and asks that we repent and believe it.

But what is it to repent? It's not to feels sorry for our misdoings. Or to feel sorry that we got caught. The CEB translation that I'm giving translates μετανοεῖτε as "change your hearts and your lives". The basic meaning is to change direction, inside and out. Not just to think about it. Not just to think that it's a good idea. To make an actual change.

And this is good news.