And He was there in the wilderness forty days, tempted by Satan, and was with the wild beasts; and the angels ministered to Him

 

 The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.  As it is written in the Prophets:  

    "Behold, I send My messenger before Your face,

    Who will prepare Your way before You."

    "The voice of one crying in the wilderness:

    'Prepare the way of the LORD;

    Make His paths straight.' "

John came baptizing in the wilderness and preaching a baptism of repentance for the remission of sins.  Then all the land of Judea, and those from Jerusalem, went out to him and were all baptized by him in the Jordan River, confessing their sins.  

Now John was clothed with camel's hair and with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey.  And he preached, saying, "There comes One after me who is mightier than I, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to stoop down and loose.  I indeed baptized you with water, but He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit." 

It came to pass in those days that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee, and was baptized by John in the Jordan.  And immediately, coming up from the water, He saw the heavens parting and the Spirit descending upon Him like a dove.  Then a voice came  from heaven, "You are My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased." 

Immediately the Spirit drove Him into the wilderness.  And He was there in the wilderness forty days, tempted by Satan, and was with the wild beasts; and the angels ministered to Him. 

 

- Mark 1:1–13 

 

Over the final three readings of last week (the first week of Lent in Western churches, and also for the Armenian Apostolic Oriental Orthodox church), we were given Christ's High Priestly Prayer, which Jesus prayed at the Last Supper.  See the first two parts of this prayer here and here.  On Saturday, we read the final portion, in which Jesus prayed, "I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word; that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me.  And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one:  I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me.  Father, I desire that they also whom You gave Me may be with Me where I am, that they may behold My glory which You have given Me; for You loved Me before the foundation of the world.  O righteous Father!  The world has not known You, but I have known You; and these have known that You sent Me.  And I have declared to them Your name, and will declare it, that the love with which You loved Me may be in them, and I in them."

 

 The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.  As it is written in the Prophets:  "Behold, I send My messenger before Your face, who will prepare Your way before You." "The voice of one crying in the wilderness:  'Prepare the way of the LORD; Make His paths straight.' "  John came baptizing in the wilderness and preaching a baptism of repentance for the remission of sins.  Then all the land of Judea, and those from Jerusalem, went out to him and were all baptized by him in the Jordan River, confessing their sins.  My study Bible explains that gospel (Greek εὐαγγέλιον/evangelion) literally means "good news" or "good tidings" (it was the common name for missives and announcements from the Roman Emperor).  Here it doesn't refer to Mark's writings per se, but rather to the story of the life, death, and Resurrection of Jesus Christ, which is the good news of our salvation.  Beginning here points to the opening evens of Christ's public ministry with which St. Mark opens His gospel; this is the preparation by Jesus' forerunner, St. John the Baptist, and Christ's encounter with him.   John gives quotations which explain his own ministry and identity from Malachi 3:1 and Isaiah 40:3.  We are also to notice the widespread popularity of St. John the Baptist's ministry, as all the land of Judea, and those from Jerusalem, went out to him and were all baptized by him in the Jordan River, confessing their sins.  John the Baptist is considered to be the last and greatest prophet of the Old Testament period.  My study Bible says that he fulfills prophecy and prepares the people of God for the coming of the Messiah.  Part of this preparation is a baptism for remission (Greek ἄφεσις, "letting go") of sins.  This is the same word Jesus gives us in the Lord's Prayer, when we pray that our sins are "let go" as we "let go" of the sins of others.  In Christian baptism, we are not only forgiven our sins -- letting them go -- but God also brings us into union with Christ (see Romans 6:5).

Now John was clothed with camel's hair and with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey.   John's clothing and lifestyle bear resemblance to that of Elijah the prophet (2 Kings 1:8).  Here, we can read it as a sign that he fulfills the prophecy of the return of Elijah (Malachi 4:5-6; Matthew 11:14, 17:12). 

And he preached, saying, "There comes One after me who is mightier than I, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to stoop down and loose.  I indeed baptized you with water, but He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit."  My study Bible comments that to be baptized with the Holy Spirit means that only Christ, the Son of God, fully possesses and gives the Spirit.  To receive the Spirit we must be baptized in Christ and adopted as children of God (Galatians 3:27; Ephesians 1:5).  By this adoption, we become anointed ones, of whom God said, "Do not touch My anointed ones" (Psalm 105:15). 

 

 It came to pass in those days that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee, and was baptized by John in the Jordan.  And immediately, coming up from the water, He saw the heavens parting and the Spirit descending upon Him like a dove.  Then a voice came  from heaven, "You are My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased."   My study Bible comments here that Christ's rising from the water (Jesus came up from the water) is suggestive of His Ascension; it is the same Greek verb used to refer to that event (John 3:13; Acts 2:34; Ephesians 4:8-10).  And as He came up from the water, it is maintained in the theology of the early Church, so the whole world is lifted up with Him.  The Spirit descending upon Him is a foreshadowing of the descent of the Spirit at Pentecost (Acts 2:1-4).  Like a dove describes the descent of the Spirit (not a physical dove), but also as a special sign showing the presence of the Spirit.  My study Bible adds that a dove symbolizes purity, peace, and wisdom. We note importantly that this is a Theophany; that is, an appearance or "showing forth" of God the Trinity.  Jesus is declared the beloved Son in the voice of the Father, together with the presence of the Spirit descending upon Him like a dove. 

 

Immediately the Spirit drove Him into the wilderness.  And He was there in the wilderness forty days, tempted by Satan, and was with the wild beasts; and the angels ministered to Him.  For more details of Christ's time in the wilderness and temptation for forty days, see Matthew 4:1-10; Luke 4:1-13.  

 

My study Bible comments that, as the baptism of Jesus is the first revelation of His divinity, so this temptation is the beginning of His role as "Lamb of God" (John 1:29, 36), the One who will suffer on our behalf, the beloved Son whose destiny is the Cross.  Moreover, my study Bible adds, forty days echoes the forty years of the temptation of Israel in the Old Testament, and beyond that, the basis for our forty-day period of Lent into which we have recently entered.  (For the Eastern Orthodox, Lent begins in approximately one month.)  My study Bible also notes that Christ being with the wild beasts, and served by the angels suggests a relationship between Christ and Adam, Himself being the "New Adam."  Even if we are subjected to evil, it says  (such as the demons and possibly beasts)  God doesn't desert us as we struggle toward God.  In patristic understanding, meditative seclusion is considered to be conducive to freer commuion with God, and also effective preparation for great tasks ahead of us.  Clearly, Jesus sets us this example.  The temptation of Christ in the wilderness (see more details at Matthew 4:1-10; Luke 4:1-13) is the model for the period of Lent, traditionally observed through the practices of fasting, prayer, and almsgiving.  Let us remember that each of these practices can take on many forms.  If we examine the details of Jesus' time in the wilderness, we'll see that there were specific temptations that He said "No" to, and this is what we remember in the traditional practices of Lent.  It's a time to remember that we need to draw boundaries in life for our own good, and for the good of those around ourselves.  Discernment is important, and being capable of saying No to temptation is also important.  Without it, we sorely lack the discipline necessary in life for having a healthy outlook, and a way to function in the world that is at peace with our souls.  Fasting is a way of building up the understanding of discipline, the capability of saying No to things that are harmful.  We may fast from gossiping and backbiting, we may seek simply to be more aware of the times we lose our temper, or indulge in unhealthful envy, or other ways in which we break communion and harm ourselves, our relationship to the world around us, and our relationship to God.  In an atmosphere where discipline may be looked at askance, seeming to repress or conceal, what is important is to understand the therapeutic value of finding ourselves set on a good path in life, where our relatedness to the world, to God, and even to all the parts of ourselves are able to thrive.  A good garden needs tending, and so it is also with human beings, for this is how to care for ourselves and our world.  Let us take seriously the discipline of fasting in its many potential forms, giving of ourselves charitably (also in myriad forms of kindness and care), and prayer -- itself a many-layered and subtle practice.  These are the tools of Lent, of responding to an imperfect world in need of care.  For in so doing, the angels will also minister to us.

And immediately, coming up from the water, He saw the heavens parting and the Spirit descending upon Him like a dove

 

 The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.  As it is written in the Prophets:

 "Behold, I send My messenger before Your face,

Who will prepare Your way before You."

"The voice of one crying in the wilderness:

'Prepare the way of the LORD;

Make His paths straight.'"

John came baptizing in the wilderness and preaching a baptism of repentance for the remission of sins.  Then all the land of Judea, and those from Jerusalem, went out to him and were all baptized by him in the Jordan River, confessing their sins.  

Now John was clothed with camel's hair and with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey.  And he preached, saying, "There comes One after me who is mightier than I, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to stoop down and loose.  I indeed baptized you with water, but He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit."

It came to pass in those days that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee, and was baptized by John in the Jordan.  And immediately, coming up from the water, He saw the heavens parting and the Spirit descending upon Him like a dove.  Then a voice came from heaven, "You are My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased."

Immediately the Spirit drove Him into the wilderness.  And He was there in the wilderness forty days, tempted by Satan, and was with the wild beasts; and the angels ministered to Him.

 

- Mark 1:1-13 

 

Yesterday we read that, as the two disciples who had encountered Jesus on the road to Emmaus were reporting their experience to the rest of them, Jesus Himself stood in the midst of them, and said to them, "Peace to you."  But they were terrified and frightened, and supposed they had seen a spirit.  And He said to them, "Why are you troubled?  And why do doubts arise in your hearts?  Behold My hands and My feet, that it is I Myself.  Handle Me and see, for a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see I have."  When He had said this, He showed them His hands and His feet.  But while they still did not believe for joy, and marveled, He said to them, "Have you any food here?"  So they gave Him a piece of a broiled fish and some honeycomb.  And He took it and ate in their presence.  Then He said to them, "These are the words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things must be fulfilled which were written in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms concerning Me."  And He opened their understanding, that they might comprehend the Scriptures.  Then He said to them, "Thus it is written, and thus it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day, and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.  And you are witnesses of these things. Behold, I send the Promise of My Father upon you; but tarry in the city of Jerusalem until you are endued with power from on high."  And He led them out as far as Bethany, and He lifted up His hands and blessed them.  Now it came to pass, while He blessed them, that He was parted from them and carried up into heaven.  And they worshiped Him, and returned to Jerusalem with great joy, and were continually in the temple praising and blessing God.  Amen.

 

  The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.  My study Bible explains some of the terms in this first verse of Mark's Gospel.  Gospel is from a Greek word (εὐαγγέλιον/evangelion) that means "good news" or "good tidings."  In the roman Empire, it was a word commonly used for proclamations by the Emperor.  Here, my study Bible says that it refers not to Mark's writings per se, but rather to the story of the life, death, and Resurrection of Jesus Christ.  That is, the good news of our salvation.  Beginning points to the opening events of Christ's public ministry, especially the preparation by His forerunner, St. John the Baptist, and Christ's encounter with him.  

As it is written in the Prophets:  "Behold, I send My messenger before Your face, who will prepare Your way before You."  "The voice of one crying in the wilderness:  'Prepare the way of the LORD; make His paths straight.'"  John came baptizing in the wilderness and preaching a baptism of repentance for the remission of sins.  Then all the land of Judea, and those from Jerusalem, went out to him and were all baptized by him in the Jordan River, confessing their sins.  These quotations are from the Prophets Malachi and Isaiah, and they point to John the Baptist as fulfillment of these specific prophesies.  See Malachi 3:1; Isaiah 40:3.   John's call to repentance is traditional for prophets.  His baptism is one for remission of sins, but cannot grant this once and for all.  It is instead a prefiguring and preparation for the baptism of Christ which is to come (see Romans 6:3-11).   These verses tell us at once how widely revered John the Baptist was as a holy man in Israel, for even all the land of Judea, and those from Jerusalem, went out to him and were all baptized by him in the Jordan River, confessing their sins.  Thus, John has made his mark on the awareness even of the powerful leadership establishment in the temple at Jerusalem.

 

Now John was clothed with camel's hair and with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey.  And he preached, saying, "There comes One after me who is mightier than I, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to stoop down and loose.  I indeed baptized you with water, but He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit."  John himself is also a prophet, and he is considered to be the last and the greatest of the Old Testament type prophets.  His clothing is also a "type" of a prophet, for he is clothed in a manner similar to that of Elijah (2 Kings 1:8), which helps to show that he fulfills the prophecy of Elijah's return (see Malachi 4:5-6; Matthew 11:13-15).  My study Bible explains that John the Baptist is a figure of the Law in that, like the Law, he denounced sin but could not remit ("put away") sin.  But both John and the Law point to the One who can remit sin. 

It came to pass in those days that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee, and was baptized by John in the Jordan.  And immediately, coming up from the water, He saw the heavens parting and the Spirit descending upon Him like a dove.  Then a voice came from heaven, "You are My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased."  Note that Jesus comes from Nazareth of Galilee to this place where John baptizes in the Jordan near Judea.  Although Jesus does not need purification, He fulfills a great deal through His Baptism by John.  By making human baptism His own, He would wash away humanity's sin, grant regeneration, and reveal the mystery of the Holy Trinity in this "theophany" (manifestation or appearance of God) of Father, Son, and Spirit.   My study Bible quotes St. Gregory of Nyssa:  "Jesus enters the filthy, sinful waters of the world and when He comes out, brings up and purifies the entire world with Him."

Immediately the Spirit drove Him into the wilderness.  And He was there in the wilderness forty days, tempted by Satan, and was with the wild beasts; and the angels ministered to Him.  In Matthew 4:1-10 and Luke 4:1-13 we can read a fuller version of the temptations to Jesus by Satan.  The word translated as drove literally means to cast or throw.

Right from the beginning we see Jesus' ministry completely bound up with the activity of the Holy Spirit in the world.  His first act is to be baptized by John the Baptist in the Jordan, and at that Baptism, the Holy Spirit makes quite a dramatic appearance.   We're told that "immediately, coming up from the water, He saw the heavens parting and the Spirit descending upon Him like a dove."   And then there is another immediate action by the Spirit:  Immediately the Spirit drove Him into the wilderness. It seems important to note all of this involvement by the Spirit, and it reminds us also that a prophet (such as John the Baptist) does not become a prophet except through the action of the Spirit also.  In the prophecy of Malachi quoted by John the Baptist, we read, "Behold, I send My messenger before Your face" (Malachi 3:1).   Through whom else but the Holy Spirit does the Lord send prophets and messengers to the people?  Let us note also that in each of these example, the Holy Spirit participates with some sort of dramatic action.  The Spirit does not simply appear but rather descends upon Jesus like a dove.  In another dramatic action, the Holy Spirit does not simply direct or give instructions to Jesus to go to the wilderness, but rather acts.  The Spirit immediately drove Him into the wilderness.  This tells us about God's active work in the world, God's participation in the world.  The action of the Holy Spirit also echoes what we are to do in our lives as Christians.  We're called not simply to believe, but to act as does the Holy Spirit.  We're called to live our faith by what we do in our lives, to put our faith into action, in the way that the Holy Spirit puts God's will and energy into action in these verses.  It's deeply significant that our first verses in Mark follow the final reading in Luke in our lectionary readings (see yesterday's reading, above).  For, just as we begin Christ's ministry with these actions of the Holy Spirit, so Jesus, in yesterday's reading, Jesus' final words to the disciples before blessing them and ascending to heaven are as follows:  "Behold, I send the Promise of My Father upon you; but tarry in the city of Jerusalem until you are endued with power from on high."  This Promise of the Father is the Holy Spirit.  And what is the action He promises?  They will be endued with power from on high.  In Acts 2 we read of the fulfillment of the sending of the Promise of the Father at Pentecost, and the action simply never seems to stop.  The apostles are endowed with the Holy Spirit, and tongues of fire appear above each one, even as each speaks in languages not their own, but in the tongues of those who hear the good news they preach.  St. Peter is inspired by the Spirit and preaches to the "men of Judea and all who dwell in Jerusalem," teaching about Jesus and the fulfillment of prophecy, also given through the power of the Holy Spirit.  Peter preaches by giving them the words of the prophet Joel, also of David whose psalms prophesy of Christ.  When his audience asks what they should do, Peter responds telling them to be baptized and to receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.  Thousands are baptized, and the Church begins its growth.  But none of this action happens without the participation of the Holy Spirit, who acts among us and with us and through us.  Even the sound accompanying the fulfillment of this promise at Pentecost comes as one that suggests tremendous action:   it is "a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting" (Acts 2:2).  The movement suggested here is unmistakable.  The word for Spirit means breath in both Hebrew and Greek, but this sound that accompanies the appearance of the Spirit, like a rushing mighty wind, and which fills the whole house with its noise, leaves no doubt of the experience of bold action and movement setting something in action, and meant for activity in the world.  Let us consider when we pray to the Spirit, when we look around at our world and see its state, what action we would like to see in the world.  What effects can this action like a mighty wind create?  What has the Holy Spirit created?  Are we aware of God's action in our lives?  Are we prepared for God's action in our lives?  Can we be like Christ, "thrown" by the Spirit into the actions God asks of us, endowed with the capacity to do as God would ask of us to participate in God's life in the world?  How do we live our own baptism, in which we die to the old life, and are born into the new through the Spirit?  How does the Spirit lead the action of a blessed way of life?

 

And all flesh shall see the salvation of God

 

 Now in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, Pontius Pilate being governor of Judea, Herod being tetrarch of Galilee, his brother Philip tetrarch of Iturea and the region of Trachonitis, and Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene, while Annas and Caiaphas were high priests, the word of God came to John the son of Zacharias in the wilderness.  And he went into all the region around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the remission of sins, as it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet, saying:

"The voice of one crying in the wilderness:

'Prepare the way of the LORD;

Make His paths straight. 

Every valley shall be filled

And every mountain and hill brought low;

The crooked places shall be made straight

And the rough ways smooth;

And all flesh shall see the salvation of God.'"

Then he said to the multitudes that came out to be baptized by him, "Brood of vipers!  Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?  Therefore bear fruits worthy of repentance, and do not begin to say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham as our father.'  For I say to you that God is able to raise up children to Abraham from these stones.  And even now the ax is laid to the root of the trees.  Therefore every tree which does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire."  So the people asked him, saying, "What shall we do then?"  He answered and said to them, "He who has two tunics, let him give to him who has none; and he who has food, let him do likewise."  Then tax collectors also came to be baptized, and said to him, "Teacher, what shall we do?"  And he said to them, "Collect no more than what is appointed for you."  Likewise the soldiers asked him, saying, "And what shall we do?"  So he said to them, "Do not intimidate anyone or accuse falsely, and be content with your wages." 

 

- Luke 3:1-14 

 

Recently, we have been reading through Christ's High Priestly Prayer, which followed His Farewell Discourse to the apostles, at the Last  Supper.  In yesterday's reading, Jesus concluded the prayer:  "I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word; that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me.  And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one:  I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me.  Father, I desire that they also whom You gave Me may be with Me where I am, that they may behold My glory which You have given Me; for You loved Me before the foundation of the world.  O righteous Father!  The world has not known You, but I have known You; and these have known that You sent Me.  And I have declared to them Your name, and will declare it, that the love with which You loved Me may be in them, and I in them."

 

Now in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, Pontius Pilate being governor of Judea, Herod being tetrarch of Galilee, his brother Philip tetrarch of Iturea and the region of Trachonitis, and Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene . . .  Just as in the beginning of his Gospel, Luke gives the historical setting as context by naming these various officials and leaders of the time and place.  Here, my study Bible reminds us that an ancient prophecy of Jacob indicated that the Messiah would come when a king ruled who was not from the tribe of Judah (Genesis 49:10).  As Herod the Great, father of Herod (Antipas), Philip, and Lysanias, was a non-Jew who called himself the king of Judea (Luke 1:5), the expectation among the people is that the coming of Christ was surely at hand.

 

 . . . while Annas and Caiaphas were high priests, the word of God came to John the son of Zacharias in the wilderness.  My study Bible says that Caiaphas was now the sole high priest, but people also recognized the continuing power of his father-in-law Annas, a previous high priest who was deposed by the Romans.  John the son of Zacharias is known to us as John the Baptist (see Luke 1:57-80).

And he went into all the region around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the remission of sins . . .   My study Bible comments that the call to repentance was traditional for prophets.  John's baptism did not grant remission of sins once and for all, but rather prefigured and prepared people for the baptism of Christ which was to come (see Romans 6:3-11).  It notes that John is a figure of the Law in that, like the Law, John denounced sin but could not remit (literally "put away") sin.  Both John and the Law point to the One who can remit sin.

. . . as it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet, saying:  "The voice of one crying in the wilderness:  'Prepare the way of the LORD; make His paths straight.  Every valley shall be filled and every mountain and hill brought low; the crooked places shall be made straight and the rough ways smooth; and all flesh shall see the salvation of God.'"  John quotes from the prophesy of Isaiah (see Isaiah 40:3-5).  My study Bible notes that in John 1:23, John the Baptist ascribes to himself this role of "the voice of one crying in the wilderness."  Thus he is also part of the fulfillment of Isaiah's prophecy, meant to comfort a people in captivity regarding the time when the Messiah would come out of Israel.  

Then he said to the multitudes that came out to be baptized by him, "Brood of vipers!  Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?  Therefore bear fruits worthy of repentance, and do not begin to say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham as our father.'  For I say to you that God is able to raise up children to Abraham from these stones.  And even now the ax is laid to the root of the trees.  Therefore every tree which does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire."  My study Bible comments that while parents and ancestors help impart piety and holiness (such as through the faith and piety of John the Baptist's parents Elizabeth and Zacharias, who were "righteous before God" - see Luke 1:6), ancestry in and of itself does not make one worthy of God.  Each person in every generation must bear fruits worthy of repentance.  Here stones symbolize the Gentiles who would become children to Abraham through faith in Christ (Romans 4:16-18).  

So the people asked him, saying, "What shall we do then?"  He answered and said to them, "He who has two tunics, let him give to him who has none; and he who has food, let him do likewise."  Then tax collectors also came to be baptized, and said to him, "Teacher, what shall we do?"  And he said to them, "Collect no more than what is appointed for you."  Likewise the soldiers asked him, saying, "And what shall we do?"  So he said to them, "Do not intimidate anyone or accuse falsely, and be content with your wages." Let us note how seriously people take the prophesy of John the Baptist, and revere his holiness.  The tax collectors were Jewish but they worked for Rome, often collecting extra for themselves, which John addresses here.  Note also that the soldiers would be equally involved in working for Rome, and John addresses them regarding similar issues of extortion practices.  Each response from John affirms a concern for the well-being and spiritual health of community, the preparation of the community for the Messiah.  

 

 When we read John the Baptist's instructions for repentance in a modern framework or mindset, we think of such instructions as meant for individuals, and the responsibility of individuals.  But within the framework of the time, and to the community he addresses, this would have been understood and accepted in quite a different way.  Yes, it is individuals who repent and make up community, who choose practices that please God, and thereby also build community.  But we have to understand the foundation of what it meant within Israel that there was such great expectation at this time for the coming of the Messiah, and what that meant for the people as a whole.  As we can read in Isaiah, the coming of the Messiah was looked upon as the revival of Israel's fortunes, the culmination of the return from captivity, the true comfort of the nation.  Isaiah's chapter 40, from which John the Baptist draws his quotation of prophesy, begins, "Comfort, yes, comfort My people!" says your God.  "Speak comfort to Jerusalem, and cry out to her, that her warfare is ended, that her iniquity is pardoned; for she has received from the Lord’s hand double for all her sins."  So this is a time not only of possible coming judgment, not only a reconciliation for sins within the majesty of the Messiah, but of rehabilitation for the nation, the Deliverer coming to restore Israel.  And if we understand this, then we understand the power in John the Baptist's baptism for the remission of sins as preparation for this time, and for the whole community.  This would be heard by each not only as an appeal to their sense of themselves and identity in that individual sense, but rather to identity within and as the community of Israel, of the nation.  That is, the identity of her people, the people of God.  In a pluralistic society, one formed and shaped within modern governments and social awareness, it might be difficult to understand for some of us what this appeal to community really means.  But if we regard ourselves as those who must prepare, for the sake of all of our own people, our own nation, for something upon which rests all of our hope (as both community and nation), then we might start to get a better picture of what is going on in today's reading.  This truth is central to an understanding of what it will mean to be called children of Abraham, of what Christ will bring to this table, even of notions of what it means to be a people and community, and therein our responsibility to God.  When we think of the approaching Messiah, of Christ's advent into the public eye and His public ministry, let us understand what this coming of the Messiah means to the people, right down to the tax collectors and soldiers, for all those who hope for Israel and her fortunes.  We must consider especially what this communal context means for our own understanding of righteousness and of holiness.  For therein we might find ourselves, not simply as individuals, but members of something much bigger than that.  It is there we find the hope for the life of the world, the salvation of God.

 

He was there in the wilderness forty days, tempted by Satan, and was with the wild beasts; and the angels ministered to Him

 

 The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.  As it is written in the Prophets:

"Behold, I send My messenger before Your face,

Who will prepare Your way before You."

"The voice of one crying in the wilderness:

'Prepare the way of the LORD;

Make His paths straight.'"

John came baptizing in the wilderness and preaching a baptism of repentance for the remission of sins.  Then all the land of Judea, and those from Jerusalem, went out to him and were all baptized by him in the Jordan River, confessing their sins.  

Now John was clothed with camel's hair and with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey.  And he preached, saying, "There comes One after me who is mightier than I, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to stoop down and loose.  I indeed baptized you with water, but He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit."

It came to pass in those days that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee, and was baptized by John in the Jordan.  And immediately, coming up from the water, He saw the heavens parting and the Spirit descending upon Him like a dove.  Then a voice came from heaven, "You are My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased."

Immediately the Spirit drove Him into the wilderness.  And He was there in the wilderness forty days, tempted by Satan, and was with the wild beasts; and the angels ministered to Him.

 

- Mark 1:1-13 

 

In our recent readings, we have been given what is called Christ's High Priestly Prayer, in which He prayed to the Father just prior to His seizure by the authorities and crucifixion (beginning with Thursday's reading).  On Saturday, we read the last part of this prayer:   "I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word; that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me.  And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one:  I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me.  Father, I desire that they also whom You gave Me may be with Me where I am, that they may behold My glory which You have given Me, for You loved Me before the foundation of the world.  O righteous Father!  The world has not known You, but I have known You; and these have known that You sent Me.  And I have declared to them Your name, and will declare it, that the love with which You loved Me may be in them, and I in them."

 

 The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.  As it is written in the Prophets:  "Behold, I send My messenger before Your face, who will prepare Your way before You."  "The voice of one crying in the wilderness:  'Prepare the way of the LORD; make His paths straight.'"  John came baptizing in the wilderness and preaching a baptism of repentance for the remission of sins.  Then all the land of Judea, and those from Jerusalem, went out to him and were all baptized by him in the Jordan River, confessing their sins.    My study Bible explains that the use of the word gospel (which literally means "good news" or "good tidings") does not refer to Mark's writings per se, but rather to the story of the life, death, and Resurrection of Jesus Christ.  That is, the good news of our salvation.  This word εὐαγγέλιον/evangelion (which Old English rendered "gospel") was commonly in use for proclamations of rulers like Caesar regarding the arrival of a kingdom; the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God is the gospel of the Kingdom.  John the Baptist is a messenger who comes to proclaim the imminent arrival of a Kingdom, to tell us to prepare the way of the Lord.  It is a baptism of confession and repentance in preparation for this Kingdom.  John is the last in the line of the Old Testament prophets, who proclaimed the word of the Lord.  Here he quotes from Malachi 3:1 and Isaiah 40:3.  He was a tremendous figure in his own time, widely known (as evidenced by the many who come from Judea and Jerusalem in order to be baptized by him in the wilderness at the Jordan River.  John had many disciples, from out of whom came the first disciples called by Christ (John 1:35-39).  My study Bible also points out that the vacancy left among the first apostles by Judas' betrayal was filled by another who had been one of John's followers (Acts 1:22).  It adds that the people's acceptance of John as a godly man prepared them to accept Jesus as well (John 5:33-35). 

Now John was clothed with camel's hair and with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey.  And he preached, saying, "There comes One after me who is mightier than I, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to stoop down and loose.  I indeed baptized you with water, but He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit."  John is clothed with camel's hair and a leather belt, in a manner which bears resemblance to the prophet Elijah (2 Kings 1:8).  This helps to show that he fulfills the prophecy of Elijah's return (see Malachi 4:5, Matthew 11:14).   John's manner of life displays a rule of poverty and fasting, in which everything is dedicated to God and to his role as messenger of the Kingdom.  This is displayed through his great humility, and clear dedication to Christ the Lord whose advent he proclaims.  Note the evidence of the understanding of the Holy Spirit, already present to those who hear John.

It came to pass in those days that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee, and was baptized by John in the Jordan.  And immediately, coming up from the water, He saw the heavens parting and the Spirit descending upon Him like a dove.  Then a voice came from heaven, "You are My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased."  We must note that this Baptism of Jesus Christ is what is called Epiphany (Manifestation, or showing forth) or Theophany (Manifestation of God), for it reveals the Holy Trinity in the vision of the Holy Spirit and the voice from heaven of the Father, just as the Father and the Holy Spirit reveal Christ as Son.   Jesus does not need to be baptized, but does so in order to "fulfill all righteousness" (Matthew 3:15).  Gregory of Nyssa is cited by my study Bible, who writes, "Jesus enters the filthy, sinful waters of the world and when He comes out, brings up and purifies the entire world with Him."  Thus, Christ sanctified the waters of the world for Holy Baptism for all.

Immediately the Spirit drove Him into the wilderness.  And He was there in the wilderness forty days, tempted by Satan, and was with the wild beasts; and the angels ministered to Him.  Christ's period of withdrawal to the wilderness for fasting and being tempted by Satan gives us our forty days of Lent in preparation for the celebration of Christ's Resurrection, Easter (or Pascha).  Note that it is the Spirit who drove Him into the wilderness for this period of spiritual struggle in preparation for His public ministry.   We can read about this period in more detail in Matthew 4:1-11, Luke 4:1-13.  The word translated as drove means to cast out or throw out, so we are meant to understand the powerful action of the Holy Spirit involved in this forty-day period of resisting temptation by Satan.

In the ancient beginnings of monastic tradition, this understanding of Christ being driven into the wilderness by the Spirit for spiritual struggle with Satan served as inspiration for those who went to the Egyptian desert.   These early people who did so are often referred to as the Desert Monks.   So when we understand Christ to have been driven by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by Satan, we need to see this event in the same framework that the ancients did:  that the wilderness was a battleground for spiritual struggle.  While we may see war and violent struggle in a physical or material sense in this world, the early understanding of the Gospel of Christ is couched in the understanding that there is a spiritual struggle going on all the time in our world, a spiritual battle between God the Father, Son, and Spirit and all the saints and angels loyal to God, and those spiritual beings who rebelled against God.  We, as human beings, are in some sense caught in the middle, and so we also are invited into this struggle, and particularly when we call ourselves believers or followers of Christ.  As we begin Lent, we should come to understand that this struggle in the wilderness is the model for Lent.  Traditional practices of almsgiving, fasting, and prayer emphasize our need for the development of spiritual strength in our faith.  By the way, the word in Greek for almsgiving is rooted in the word for "mercy" (ἐλεημοσύνην/eleimosinin), so when we practice "acts of charity," that word means charity in its most full sense, the practice of kindness and compassion, the giving of mercy to others.  Fasting also has a much more full meaning than merely its application to food; we also seek to fast from acts of harm such as gossip, or things that distract us from our love and focus on the Lord at this time.  Fasting from social media has become a rather popular thing, at least in particular from things that can be distracting and harmful, or tend to make us focus purely on the material rather than our spiritual lives and communion with God.  To fast in its purest sense is to say "No" to the things that tempt, so that we develop discipline and the ability to transcend temptations and make the path straight for the Lord, to paraphrase John the Baptist as he echoes the words of Isaiah.   It is not our impulses or passions that rule us, but our love of the Lord.  Note that while tempted in the wilderness, Jesus is ministered to by the angels.  It is important to understand that in the communion of prayer we are also assisted by angels, and in the Christian understanding, by the saints as well.  We call upon this "great cloud of witnesses" by whom we are surrounded, as St. Paul says, to help us also to grow closer to God, to find the right path, to seek the light by which we need to walk (John 8:12).  These are the purposes and practices of Lent, and perhaps in this time of great stress over the world we need this time of prayer more than ever.  Let us remember that John's preparation for the Lord was one of repentance and remission of sins; repentance in the Greek (μετανοια/metanoia) means "change of mind."  It is a time to reconsider, to set things right with God, to clear away the extraneous so that we more truly focus on this place of communion, to draw upon our resources for battling the temptations of extremes of passion and fervor for a clear acceptance of the peace He offers (John 14:27), even in the midst of tribulation.  Let us, at the very least, seek to fast from contributing to the clamor.

 

 

Lent: the Tax Collector and the Pharisee

Also He spoke this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others: "Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, 'God, I thank You that I am not like other men -- extortioners, unjust adulterers, or even as this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I possess.' And the tax collector, standing afar off, would not so much as raise his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, 'God, be merciful to me a sinner!' I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other, for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted."

- Luke 18:9-14

Today is Ash Wednesday, which, in the Western Churches, is the beginning of Lent (the Eastern began on Monday). This year Easter falls on the same date, East and West, April 24th. The difference in the dates for the start of Lent reflects the difference in methods of calculating the Lenten period, due to varied historical developments in tradition.

The Lectionary is currently in the beginning of the Gospel of John (see Monday and Tuesday readings), but for today, Ash Wednesday, we read Luke's parable of the tax collector (or Publican) and the Pharisee. My study bible points out about this parable: "The sharp contrast between the two men is deliberately drawn by Jesus. The Pharisee is highly respected as a zealous observer of God's Law, whereas the tax collector is despised as a public sinner, collaborating with the Romans, cheating the people."

Also He spoke this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others: "Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, 'God, I thank You that I am not like other men -- extortioners, unjust adulterers, or even as this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I possess.' " The first thing we notice about the Pharisee is that he starts by criticizing others. But even before we look at his words, we must also look at Jesus' words, describing the Pharisee's prayer: he "prayed thus with himself." A prayer of self-justification is like arguing with others instead of engaging in real dialogue. Instead of looking to the things that are ours and taking responsibility for them, we compare and criticize. After that, he begins to brag about the good works he does, as if somehow God doesn't know this already. But there is a failure here to engage with God in dialogue at all: his prayer is pure self-aggrandizement. It is reflective only of a dialogue with himself, in which he reflects favorable comparison with others and basks in his own praise. There is no openness to the mystery of God into which we are called in relationship, nor to grace calling us forward. He follows the law, religious practice, which is good -- but his awareness is only of himself and not God.

"And the tax collector, standing afar off, would not so much as raise his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, 'God, be merciful to me a sinner!' " The tax collector is aware of himself but in a different light. He doesn't seek only to justify his behavior, but is rather in an audience with God, and it is before God he prays. He engages in dialogue, not a mere basking in his own reflection. And this is what God wants in prayer, a dialogue with His children. There is room here for reciprocal action in the plea for mercy. Humility is the virtue of placing ourselves before our Creator, and the great mystery of just what it is that we are created to become: where we can go that is pleasing in God's sight, what we could do with our lives, and even more powerfully perhaps, feel with our hearts. Because, in fact, it is the attitude of humility that gives this tax collector the possibility of a future in which he reaps the harvest of spiritual life.

"I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other, for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted." My study bible says that "justified" means "forgiven and made right with God." It notes, "Jesus reverses the expected conclusion. In the eyes of God, it is the tax collector who is justified because of his humility. The Pharisee is condemned because of his self-righteousness and self-exaltation." Let us consider, then, the reality of the heart of these two men, and the very basic difference in that one saw himself reflected only in his own sights, and the other saw himself as reflected in the presence of God. And this is the great crux of the difference in our hearts and minds that we need to cultivate as we enter the period of Lent.

The lectionary cycle is now taking us through the gospel of John, and we will continue with those readings tomorrow again. But the parable of the Publican (or tax collector) and the Pharisee gives us a great sense of our own position in life as we begin the fast for Lent. Although it is not common practice in all churches to fast, we must remember what fasting is all about. It's not simply about rules for food, but about the discipline and practice of how we choose -- to cultivate the humility to understand our capacity for internal change, the ability to see ourselves as reflected the presence of grace, and not merely justified in a dialogue with ourselves alone. It is a time in which we hope to more fully "seek first the kingdom of heaven." In the readings prior to this week, the lectionary gave us the Sermon on the Mount, with all Jesus' teachings about the internal life, and the internal cleansing we undergo as His disciples (see especially If your right eye causes you to sin, pluck it out), that we must choose carefully what we nurture within ourselves, what we treasure in life, and what we worship first and foremost. So, as we begin Lent, let us consider where we are, who we are, and more importantly, the God we worship. How are we in dialogue? How do we practice humility before a loving Father who would ask us to walk His Way? And how do we let in the room for the light that would filter into our own darkness, the things we don't know, the places where we need to go forward? How do we know what we may need to "cast out," the things we need to "fast" or abstain from? John's gospel will teach us all about the light; we remember that it is always there, shining even in the darkness, though we may not know it. How do we come to find that light and its grace for ourselves? The answer is in this parable from Luke we are given today.

That you may know that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins

And again He entered Capernaum after some days, and it was heard that He was in the house. Immediately many gathered together, so that there was no longer room to receive them, not even near the door. And He preached the word to them. Then they came to Him, bringing a paralytic who was carried by four men. And when they could not come near Him because of the crowd, they uncovered the roof where He was. So when they had broken through, they let down the bed on which the paralytic was lying. When Jesus saw their faith, He said to the paralytic, "Son, your sins are forgiven you." And some of the scribes were sitting there and reasoning in their hearts, "Why does this Man speak blasphemies like this? Who can forgive sins but God alone?" But immediately, when Jesus perceived in His spirit that they reasoned thus within themselves, He said to them, "Why do you reason about these things in your hearts? Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, 'Your sins are forgiven you,' or to say, 'Arise, take up your bed and walk'? But that you may know that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins" -- He said to the paralytic, "I say to you, arise, take up your bed, and go to your house." Immediately he arose, took up the bed, and went out in the presence of them all, so that all were amazed and glorified God, saying, "We never saw anything like this!"

- Mark 2:1-12

Yesterday, we read of Jesus growing fame as preacher and healer, and His desire for times alone in prayer. He spends time in the wilderness in prayer - and is even sought there. Peter comes to Him saying, "Everyone is looking for You." Increasingly Jesus is unable to enter any city alone, and must preach in the wilderness, due to all those who seek Him, who "come to Him from every direction." See He went out and departed to a solitary place, and there He prayed.

My study bible has a significant note on the whole of today's passage. In the Orthodox Church, this is read on the Second Sunday of Lent. This passage gives a three-way understanding of preparation for Easter. As we are now in Epiphany, I suppose we may look forward to this time. My study bible notes, "(1) We must come to Christ in faith and let Him heal us of our spiritual paralysis. Sin is a paralysis of the soul. (2) We should let nothing deter us from getting to Christ, who alone can heal us, both in body and in soul. (3) We must help each other come to Christ."

And again He entered Capernaum after some days, and it was heard that He was in the house. Immediately many gathered together, so that there was no longer room to receive them, not even near the door. And He preached the word to them. My study bible points out that Jesus preached wherever there were people -- in the synagogue, on the mountain , on the plain, and here in a house. Yesterday we read that He began to preach in the wilderness for all the people who were coming to Him. Capernaum functions as a sort of headquarters town for Him and His disciples (also in yesterday's reading, we read of Jesus' healing Peter's mother-in-law in the home of brothers Peter and Andrew there in Capernaum). Jesus has said of His preaching everywhere: "For this purpose I have come forth." His public ministry is for the preaching of the good news: that the kingdom of God is at hand. The healings and miracles are, in a way, an assistance to that preaching, His testimony. They are signs that point to the reality of the presence of the Father.

Then they came to Him, bringing a paralytic who was carried by four men. And when they could not come near Him because of the crowd, they uncovered the roof where He was. So when they had broken through, they let down the bed on which the paralytic was lying. When Jesus saw their faith, He said to the paralytic, "Son, your sins are forgiven you." And some of the scribes were sitting there and reasoning in their hearts, . . . My study bible points out that the heart in Scripture usually refers to the center of consciousness, "including the will and reason." Jesus' teachings (and His healing power) will serve as a similar stumbling block to His crucifixion: they open up what is truly in the hearts of others. Here the powerful good news of forgiveness (for illness was often seen as a punishment for sins, as in the case of the leper in yesterday's reading) forms a stumbling block in contrast with accepted understanding, and so the scribes "were sitting there reasoning in their hearts." We also note the powerful draw of Jesus, the crowds that fill the home, and the efforts of the man's friends to help him find healing. But first comes the spiritual healing, the good news, the announcement of forgiveness.

"Why does this Man speak blasphemies like this? Who can forgive sins but God alone?" My study bible points out that the scribes are correct in saying that only God can forgive sins, and notes that they in fact unwittingly confirm the divinity of Christ. I think there is an important point to understand here: we don't stand judged before the world, but by God. God is the focal point, then, of how we must see ourselves and our spiritual reality. It is that relationship that gives us a central core of understanding of ourselves.

But immediately, when Jesus perceived in His spirit that they reasoned thus within themselves, He said to them, "Why do you reason about these things in your hearts? Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, 'Your sins are forgiven you,' or to say, 'Arise, take up your bed and walk'? My study bible says, "The point is not that either one is easier, but that One who can say, Arise take up your bed and walk is also able to forgive sins." We must see the healing miracles as signs or testimony to the Father's Presence at work, to God's presence. They testify in this sense to Jesus' divinity; they are a part of His identity. Jesus' "coming forth" (as He put it in yesterday's reading) is for a powerful testimony, and all things He does add to that testimony. He is not afraid to take it another step further in the face of objection, to create an even more powerful witnessing.

But that you may know that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins" -- He said to the paralytic, "I say to you, arise, take up your bed, and go to your house." Immediately he arose, took up the bed, and went out in the presence of them all, so that all were amazed and glorified God, saying, "We never saw anything like this!" There is one all-important phrase here: "But that you may know that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins." Jesus heals in order to witness to that power. It confirms His identity, and it does so much more as well. The power to forgive is of God just as love is of the nature of God, and this is what we take away from this reading.

We began Mark's Gospel with the acts of John the Baptist, who preached baptism and repentance for the "remittance" of sins. Baptism is a symbolic death, repentance a kind of turning around, an about-face, literally a "change of mind." And sins are "forgiven" by the power of God, invested in the Son of Man. The words for remittance and forgiven come from the same Greek root: it means essentially they are "let go." They are no longer a part of who we are, they are "off the books" just as we pray for our debts to be forgiven in the Lord's prayer (again, the same Greek root is what is used in the Gospels). So let us focus on God's love, as we did yesterday in our commentary, and on the nature of God as love. God's love includes this letting go or forgiveness of sins, and it is before God that we are judged, not the world's judgment and sense of justice. The great powerful lesson here is the power in that forgiveness, and its healing ministry to us. We have the powerful witness in Jesus' immediate healing of the paralytic, but we are to also understand how this forgiveness works for us, even though we don't stand in the immediate presence of God Incarnate and His instantaneous acts of healing. What we do have, though, is our relationship through prayer and community, and the actions of healing as forgiveness works in our lives to renew us, to give us each new starts. Forgiveness and reconciliation in this relationship take on powerful forms in the lives of believers. We heal from all kinds of ailments through prayer and through God's power to give us the strength and wisdom and insight in our lives to understand forgiveness as a part of God's love at work in us, despite our imperfections. We are always free to begin again in that love and to address the things we carry around with us and within us. We are not expected to be without flaw; instead we are asked to be in relationship, restored and reconciled. This is the great difference between God's vision and perspective and our worldly perspective, which is limited in time and in space and in its notions of judgment. Jesus does not seek popularity or fame but rather to extend God's love, to preach the good news, because "for this purpose He has come forth." Can we accept and receive that, and learn it for ourselves? Healing and renewal take place through this love, and it is the core of His ministry and God's power at work in us. Let us not ever forget that, nor how it binds us to community, past and present, in loving relationship with God. More importantly, grace restores us to ourselves, "a letting go" of what binds us to false ideas or burdens, in order to give us hope and a way to go forward, to become ourselves in God's vision of who we are. We have but to turn to that love to find what that is, and grow into it throughout all of our lives, each day, and seek that renewal.

The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God

The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. As it is written in the Prophets:

"Behold, I send My messenger before Your face,

Who will prepare Your way before You."

"The voice of one crying in the wilderness:

'Prepare the way of the LORD;

Make His paths straight.'"

John came baptizing in the wilderness and preaching a baptism of repentance for the remission of sins. Then all the land of Judea, and those from Jerusalem, went out to him and were all baptized by him in the Jordan river, confessing their sins. Now John was clothed with camel's hair and with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey. And he preached, saying, "There comes One after me who is mightier than I, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to stoop down and loose. I indeed baptized you with water, but He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit."

It came to pass in those days that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee, and was baptized by John in the Jordan. And immediately, coming up from the water, He saw the heavens parting and the Spirit descending upon Him like a dove. Then a voice came from heaven, "You are My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased." Immediately the Spirit drove Him into the wilderness. And He was there in the wilderness forty days, tempted by Satan, and was with the wild beasts; and the angels ministered to Him.

- Mark 1:1-13

Today we begin the readings from the Gospel of Mark. Mark is called St. Mark the Apostle, and is also known as John Mark. What we know of this evangelist is that his mother's house was a meeting place for Christians in Jerusalem (as reported in Acts 12:12). John Mark worked with Paul and Barnabas in missionary work. At some point he departed from Paul and worked with Barnabas separately, but was later reconciled with Paul. Eventually, he also aided Peter (see 1 Peter 5:13). My study bible says that, according to tradition, Mark used Peter's teaching as the primary source for his Gospel, "adding to it his personal experience and other Church traditions." Most scholars seem to agree this was the first Gospel written; because there is a connection with Rome and no deliberate reference to the destruction of Jerusalem, it is often assumed that its date is before the siege of Jerusalem which occurred in 70 A.D.

The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. As it is written in the Prophet: My study bible notes here that "Gospel refers not to Mark per se, but to the sacred story of the life, death and Resurrection of Christ, the good News of salvation in the Kingdom of God (Matt. 4:17, 23). Beginning refers to the opening events of the ministry of Jesus, namely, the preparatory activity of John the Baptist and the baptism and temptation of Jesus, the Christ, the Son of God." In some sense, this is the "beginning of the beginning," as this earliest-written Gospel starts the story with John the Baptist. At once we grasp the emphasis of the early church in this sense, that the story of Christ begins with His public ministry and especially with the work of the Spirit, grace working through the human beings that people this story, including the words of the prophets before John, and most specifically those of Isaiah.

"Behold, I send My messenger before Your face, who will prepare Your way before You." "The voice of one crying in the wilderness: 'Prepare the way of the LORD; Make His paths straight.'" My study bible suggests, "Prepare Your way: John the Baptist, the last prophet of the Old Testament period, fulfills prophecy and prepares the people of God for the Messiah's coming. Hearts are softened to receive the Light." The references for the fulfillment of prophecy are from Malachi (3:1) and Isaiah (40:3). John, called the Forerunner, is quite consciously the fulfillment of this prophecy of the one who comes before the Christ, or the "Anointed One."

John came baptizing in the wilderness and preaching a baptism of repentance for the remission of sins. My study bible says, "Baptism . . . for the remission of sins (lit. 'to let go' of sins) is a major part of John's preparation of the people for Jesus' coming. Later, in Christian baptism, God not only forgives our sins, letting them go, but He also brings us into union with Christ (see Rom. 6:5)." It's an interesting understanding, in the Greek, to tie in the word for repentance, metanoia or "change of mind," with the word aphesin, translated as "remission." As my study bible notes, it literally means to "let go" of something, to let it fall away in a sense, release from grasp or hold. So, to "change our minds" has everything to do with forgiveness as a letting go, something to which we no longer cling and is no longer, in this sense, a part of who we are. This is to be reborn in a truly deeply spiritual sense, in our heart and soul. When we pray "forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors" we also pray for this same sense of letting something go (and again, "forgive" in the Lord's Prayer is from the same Greek verb) - taking it off the books, releasing it from our grasp or possession. In this sense, it is releasing control to God.

Then all the land of Judea, and those from Jerusalem, went out to him and were all baptized by him in the Jordan river, confessing their sins. My study bible notes that the phrase all the land of Judea . . . went out to him "indicates the sweeping impact of the ministry of John the Baptist. He is perhaps the leading religious figure outside of official and rabbinic Judaism." John's ministry is powerful and he cuts a great figure in his time. Many of John's disciples will come to be Jesus' apostles. It tells us of the time, the expectation and the hope of Israel in its political, social, spiritual situation.

Now John was clothed with camel's hair and with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey. This is another sign, that tells us something about John the Baptist. His clothing is similar to that of Elijah as described in 2 Kin. 1:8. Jesus will declare that John fulfills the prophecy of Elijah's return before the Christ. This verse also tells us something about John's purity of dedication to God, and to his mission to proclaim the coming of the Messiah. No social position stands in the way of his complete dedication to God.

And he preached, saying, "There comes One after me who is mightier than I, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to stoop down and loose. I indeed baptized you with water, but He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit." My study bible notes here that, "Baptism with the Holy Spirit means that only Christ, the Son of God, fully possesses and gives the Spirit. So to receive the Spirit we must be baptized in Christ and adopted as children of God (see Gal. 3:27; Eph. 1:5). In adoption, Christians become anointed ones; it was of these God said, 'Do not touch My anointed ones' (Ps. 105:15)." John prepares all for something beyond what can be understood or obtained through his baptism - for the baptism of the Spirit. This tremendous event, experienced through Christ's Passion, death and Resurrection, is foreshadowed through the good news of John and his preparing ministry for all.

It came to pass in those days that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee, and was baptized by John in the Jordan. And immediately, coming up from the water, He saw the heavens parting and the Spirit descending upon Him like a dove. My study bible suggests that since John and Jesus were related through their mothers (see My soul magnifies the Lord), perhaps they were already acquainted in adulthood. There is a note on verse 10 which I will repeat: "By saying that He came up from the water, Mark suggests Jesus was immersed in water. Christ's rising from the water is symbolic of His Ascension, since the same Greek verb (anabaino) is also used to refer to that event (John 3:13; Acts 2:34; Eph. 4:8-10). The Church Fathers taught that in coming up, He lifts the whole world with Him. The Spirit descending upon Him foreshadows the Spirit's descent upon the first Christians at Pentecost (Acts 2:1-4). Like a dove does not mean the Holy Spirit is incarnated as a dove. Rather this is a special sign indicating the presence of the Spirit. A dove symbolizes purity, peace and wisdom." What I find particularly remarkable about what we can read into these passages are all the echoes found within them. We have testimony upon testimony, and reflections of what is come, even in the fulfillment of prophecy that has already comes centuries before. Expectation, fulfillment, awaiting, longing and testimony are all combined and reflected upon one another here in this first act of public ministry, "the beginning," and the meeting of John and Jesus.

Then a voice came from heaven, "You are My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased." My study bible says that "the voice of God the Father from heaven makes Jesus' baptism a manifestation or epiphany of the Holy Trinity. The Father is not adopting Jesus as His Son, but proclaiming that He is and always has been His Son. This divine proclamation, combining a messianic psalm (Ps. 2:7) with the first song of the Suffering Servant of the Lord (Is. 42:1), reveals who Jesus is. Thus Jesus' baptism anticipates His Transfiguration and Resurrection, the dawning of the new creation." The truth, here, is quite simple. Jesus is the Son, in the eternal sense of heavenly time: He is and was and is to come, as quoted from Rev. 4:8. This is the testimony of God the Father.

Immediately the Spirit drove Him into the wilderness. And He was there in the wilderness forty days, tempted by Satan, and was with the wild beasts; and the angels ministered to Him. My study bible has a lengthy note here which I feel is worthwhile to repeat: "As Jesus' baptism is the first revelation of His divinity, so His temptation inaugurates His role as the 'Lamb of God' (John 1:29, 36), the suffering and obedient Son of God whose destiny is the Cross by God's will. Forty days echoes the forty years of Israel's temptations in the Old Testament and becomes the basis for the forty-day period of Great Lent in later Christian tradition. Being with the beasts and served by the angels suggests a relationship between Christ and Adam, Christ being the New Adam. Even if we are subjected to evil, (the demons, the beasts,) God will never desert us as we struggle toward Him. The Church Fathers believed meditative seclusion is (1) conducive to freer communion with God and (2) effective preparation for great tasks ahead." Jesus' life will not be simple nor filled with ease, but rather one of great challenges. As His disciples, we turn to His example to teach us about how we live our lives. As His followers, we understand ourselves to be or to become servants in this ministry. And, like Him, we understand ourselves to be ministered to by the servants of God, the angels, and the grace of the Spirit, and the word of all those who have come before us and in whose words we read this testimony - and to which we may add our own.

There is so much in today's reading that it is hard to contain it in one blog post, one commentary. I am struck by the echoes that reflect through time: the prophecy repeated by John the Baptist, the reflection of prophecy in the revelation at the Baptism of the Trinity Itself, the Three Persons of Father, Son and Spirit, and the power in this beginning of Jesus' ministry. There is much testimony here: of John the Baptist, the prophets reflected through Him (Isaiah, Malachi, Elijah), of the sign of the dove as Spirit, and of the voice of the Father. All are reflections upon reflections that teach us about the Eternal Present: it permeates and pervades our lives, it may "break through" at any moment, it is reflected in testimony through us in the present day, through the ancient words of the prophets, through those who people this Book, this Gospel, this story. And they are the words and testimony to which we may add our own. Jesus is immediately sent into the wilderness, just as John is a picture of a man from the wild with his camel skin clothing, leather belt, and food from the wild, in order to more perfectly communicate with the Father, to understand His mission, to face the realities with which His mission will be confronted and the choices He will have to make. As Jesus faces Himself and the temptations put before Him, so we are all called to do the same. I go back to the important teachings of John about sin: we repent or "change our minds" in order for our "debts" to be let go of, written off, as we do the same in our own books for others in the important process of forgiveness. In order to be closer to God, we relinquish control to God, of judgment of good and evil, and we ask God to give us our best choices as servants, as He did. Can you do the same? Can we all add our voices to testimony, to God's work in the world and the grace that permeates every moment of our life? The great gospel of the good news begins here in Mark, and continues today with us.