He went up on the mountain and called to Him those He Himself wanted

But Jesus withdrew with His disciples to the sea.  And a great multitude from Galilee followed Him, and from Judea and Jerusalem and Idumea and beyond the Jordan; and those from Tyre and Sidon, a great multitude, when they heard how many things He was doing, came to Him.  So He told His disciples that a small boat should be kept ready for Him because of the multitude, lest they should crush Him.   For He healed many, so that as many as had afflictions pressed about Him to touch Him.  And the unclean spirits, whenever they saw Him, fell down before Him and cried out, saying, "You are the Son of God."  But He sternly warned them that they should not make Him known.

And He went up on the mountain and called to Him those He Himself wanted.  And they came to Him.  Then He appointed twelve, that they might be with Him and that He might send them out to preach, and to have power to heal sicknesses and to cast out demons:  Simon, to whom He gave the name Peter; James the son of Zebedee and John the brother of James, to whom He gave the name Boanerges, that is, "Sons of Thunder"; Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James the son of Alphaeus, Thaddaeus, Simon the Cananite, and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed Him.  And they went into a house.

- Mark 3:7-19

On Saturday, we read of Jesus and His disciples going through the grainfields on the Sabbath, the disciples plucking the heads of grain as they went.   And the Pharisees said to Him, "Look, why do they do what is not lawful on the Sabbath?"  But He said to them, "Have you never read what David did when he was in need and hungry, he and those with him:  how he went into the house of God in the days of Abaithar the high priest, and ate the showbread, which is not lawful to eat except for the priests, and also gave some to those who were with him?"  And He said to them, "The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath.  Therefore the Son of Man is also Lord of the Sabbath."  And He entered the synagogue again, and a man was there who had a withered hand.  So they watched Him closely whether He would heal him on the Sabbath, so that they might accuse Him.  And He said to the man who had the withered hand, "Step forward."  Then He said to them, "Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do evil, to save life or to kill?"  And they kept silent.  And when He had looked around at them with anger, being grieved by the hardness of their hearts, He said to the man, "Stretch out your hand."  And he stretched it out, and his hand was restored as whole as the other.  Then the Pharisees went out and immediately plotted with the Herodians against Him, how they might destroy Him.

 But Jesus withdrew with His disciples to the sea.  And a great multitude from Galilee followed Him, and from Judea and Jerusalem and Idumea and beyond the Jordan; and those from Tyre and Sidon, a great multitude, when they heard how many things He was doing, came to Him.  So He told His disciples that a small boat should be kept ready for Him because of the multitude, lest they should crush Him.   For He healed many, so that as many as had afflictions pressed about Him to touch Him.   The Gospel of Mark tells us, now into the third chapter, of Jesus' tremendous fame.  Although His ministry has focused on Galilee, people from everywhere around Israel and beyond are coming to Him.  The crowds press so strongly, there are so many of them, that a boat has to be kept ready just in case He should be crushed.  The drawing power is His healing capacity and power:  so that everyone with any affliction comes to Him.

And the unclean spirits, whenever they saw Him, fell down before Him and cried out, saying, "You are the Son of God."  But He sternly warned them that they should not make Him known.  My study bible notes that "the troublesome demons again recognize the divinity of Jesus (see 1:24), but Jesus commands them to be silent, that the messianic secret may be preserved."  Again, we make note that this revelation of His identity comes in His own way and His own time.

And He went up on the mountain and called to Him those He Himself wanted.  And they came to Him.  Then He appointed twelve, that they might be with Him and that He might send them out to preach, and to have power to heal sicknesses and to cast out demons:  Simon, to whom He gave the name Peter; James the son of Zebedee and John the brother of James, to whom He gave the name Boanerges, that is, "Sons of Thunder"; Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James the son of Alphaeus, Thaddaeus, Simon the Cananite, and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed Him.  And they went into a house.  My study bible has a long note here:  "The appointing of the twelve sets forth:  (1) Jesus' authority in calling people to ministry:  many might have volunteered, but He appointed whom He would; (2) the requirement of discipleship before ministry; to be with Him -- for intimate fellowship and training -- and to follow Him in order to be sent by Him; and (3) the commission to share in Jesus' ministry of preaching, healing, and casting out demons.  In Mark's view, demonic oppression is characteristic of human existence under the bondage of evil.  The mission of Jesus' disciples is to liberate humanity from this bondage.  Every age has its own manifestations of demonic power.  Thus, we who are His disciples have a similar mission today -- helping people to break loose from bondage and come to freedom in Christ."  It also adds that Thaddaeus is probably the same man called Judas son of James in Luke 6:16 and Acts 1:13.

Today's reading sets us off in many ways of thinking about Christ and what it means to be a Christian.  There is first of all the image we've spoken about in several readings so far:  that Jesus as the "stronger man" has come to take a "strong man's" (Satan's) kingdom, by binding him first.  So in the image of healing, we see the "stronger man" taking over where people are afflicted through the evil one.  In a sense, what this does is orient us in terms of how we think of being Christians.  Where we see illness or affliction we try to heal and restore.  We know many ways in which people experience affliction:  it can be as depression and grief, through want, and through pain of every kind.  In His name, how do we seek to alleviate these afflictions we see around us?  The appointing of the Twelve, and the note that follows that passage in my study bible, really appropriate and carry on the expression of this work of Christ's healing, this loving kingdom setting aright what is afflicted in the world through evil, and we learn more, then, about what it means to be a Christian.  One must be a disciple first, and learn.  They, the Twelve, walked with Jesus, lived with Him, were taught by Him.  But we who follow have all kinds of ways to do the same, through Scripture and through Tradition and fellowship, and we also have His Spirit to guide our lives, our time in prayer and worship focusing on the relationship in our hearts.  And through this walk we, too, are disciples, we learn.  We learn to grow to be more like Him, and to give up the things in our own lives, in ourselves, that get in the way of that mystical process.  From there, ministry comes, but first we must be called.  This mystical process, then, becomes one of fellowship in the deepest sense.  We can't ever leave out the powerful spiritual truth through which we are engaged in real fellowship with Him.  Everything comes from that.  Our works are not separate from this trust, and neither is whatever way in which we find we, too, may minister.  Over and over, we turn to this place of intimate fellowship to find who He calls us to be and to become, just as the Twelve are called up to the mountain.  How do you share in this discipleship with Him?  We recall also that Jesus' expression of who He truly is doesn't come with an announcement, but by the way He lives His life.  Let us know that this is the way we also declare who we are as His followers, in His name, and for the glory of His Father.

The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath

 Now it happened that He went through the grainfields on the Sabbath; and as they went His disciples began to pluck the heads of grain.  And the Pharisees said to Him, "Look, why do they do what is not lawful on the Sabbath?"  But He said to them, "Have you never read what David did when he was in need and hungry, he and those with him:  how he went into the house of God in the days of Abaithar the high priest, and ate the showbread, which is not lawful to eat except for the priests, and also gave some to those who were with him?"  And He said to them, "The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath.  Therefore the Son of Man is also Lord of the Sabbath."

And He entered the synagogue again, and a man was there who had a withered hand.  So they watched Him closely whether He would heal him on the Sabbath, so that they might accuse Him.  And He said to the man who had the withered hand, "Step forward."  Then He said to them, "Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do evil, to save life or to kill?"  And they kept silent.  And when He had looked around at them with anger, being grieved by the hardness of their hearts, He said to the man, "Stretch out your hand."  And he stretched it out, and his hand was restored as whole as the other.  Then the Pharisees went out and immediately plotted with the Herodians against Him, how they might destroy Him.

- Mark 2:23-3:6

In yesterday's reading, we read about Jesus calling Matthew or Levi the tax collector to follow Him.  Now it happened, as He was dining in Levi's house, that many tax collectors and sinners also sat together with Jesus and His disciples; for there were many, and they followed Him.  And when the scribes and Pharisees saw Him eating with the tax collectors and sinners, they said to His disciples, "How is it that He eats and drinks with tax collectors and sinners?"  When Jesus heard it, He said to them, "Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick.  I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance."  The disciples of John and of the Pharisees were fasting.  Then they came and said to Him, "Why do the disciples of John and of the Pharisees fast, but Your disciples do not fast?"  And Jesus said to them, "Can the friends of the bridegroom fast while the bridegroom is with them?  As long as they have the bridegroom with them they cannot fast.  But the days will come when the bridegroom will be taken away from them, and then they will fast in those days.  Now one sews a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old garment; or else the new piece pulls away from the old, and the tear is made worse.  And no one puts new wine into old wineskins, or else the new wine bursts the wineskins, the wine is spilled, and the wineskins are ruined.  But new wine must be put into new wineskins."

 Now it happened that He went through the grainfields on the Sabbath; and as they went His disciples began to pluck the heads of grain.  And the Pharisees said to Him, "Look, why do they do what is not lawful on the Sabbath?"  My study bible notes here:  "This is not lawful because it was considered work, a violation of the Sabbath rest.  'Pharisaism' is a very real danger for all.  Rules for religious practice are not bad in themselves, but when adherence to those rules triumphs over mercy and human need, the practice leads people away from God, not toward Him."

But He said to them, "Have you never read what David did when he was in need and hungry, he and those with him:  how he went into the house of God in the days of Abaithar the high priest, and ate the showbread, which is not lawful to eat except for the priests, and also gave some to those who were with him?"  My study bible explains that Abiathar was appointed high priest during David's reign.  His father Ahimelech provided David and his men, who were starving, with holy bread intended for priests only.  See 1 Samuel 21:1-6.

And He said to them, "The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath.  Therefore the Son of Man is also Lord of the Sabbath."  My study bible points out that there is a similar saying found in rabbinical literature:  "The Sabbath has been given unto you; you have not been given unto the Sabbath."  However, it notes that Jesus puts what He teaches into practice, "interpreting the Law with authority.  Only God can say He is Lord of the Sabbath."  Christ, as incarnate human being, can therefore declare Himself Lord of the Sabbath.  But the emphasis here is on the mercy of God:  the Sabbath rest in the Lord is made for the needs of human beings.

And He entered the synagogue again, and a man was there who had a withered hand.  So they watched Him closely whether He would heal him on the Sabbath, so that they might accuse Him.  And He said to the man who had the withered hand, "Step forward."  Then He said to them, "Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do evil, to save life or to kill?"  And they kept silent.  Here, my study bible notes:  "Jesus is motivated by compassion.  He does not deny Sabbath traditions, but teaches that it is more important to do good on the Sabbath than to maintain the strict observation of Sabbath rest.  The religious leaders are motivated by zeal for the rigid performance of rabbinic tradition; for them outward performance is more important than doing good.  The two perspectives are incompatible."    And we see that by now in Mark's gospel, though we are only just into the third chapter, rifts between the leadership and Jesus are beginning to show.  They search for something with which to accuse Him.

And when He had looked around at them with anger, being grieved by the hardness of their hearts, He said to the man, "Stretch out your hand."  And he stretched it out, and his hand was restored as whole as the other.  Then the Pharisees went out and immediately plotted with the Herodians against Him, how they might destroy Him.  A note reads:  "In their anger and self-deception, the Pharisees believe that in order to serve God they must collaborate with their enemies, the Herodians, to murder the One who is the true servant of God."  The Herodians, of course, are those who are with the king, Herod Antipas, who ruled over Galilee where Jesus has practiced His ministry.  Herod is also the one who has had John the Baptist imprisoned.

What we take from today's reading is Jesus' emphasis on life and what is good for life.  In John's gospel, we read Jesus telling us all that, "I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly" (John 10:10).  In that passage, He was pointing out the difference between a true shepherd, and one that does not really have the best interest of the sheep in mind.  So, taking all this into context, we see the emphasis on love, on compassion.  What makes for life, and life in abundance?  Worship, it seems to me, is a natural capacity of human beings.   A Sabbath rest is an opportunity to take our thoughts to God, to take rest in Christ, and thereby be renewed in spirit and soul, feeding all of our lives.  At least, that's how I see it, and that this is the purpose of that rest:  it is made for us because this is a deep human need.  To take rest this way is to be restored.  God doesn't need us to do so in order to remain God!  Jesus' emphasis on life and the restoration of life is synonymous with the good in the way He presents His action of the healing of the withered hand on the Sabbath.  Therefore we are to see it all as a continuum:  whatever is declared good must be for the restoration and healing and preservation of life, of goodness.  And this is the act of love.  So how do we discern what's best for us?  When do we know that we follow the letter of a law to life's detriment, rather than upholding the true spirit of the Law as best serves God and therefore also human beings?  This is the real question here, and it is one that never, ever leaves us.  As we take our rest on the Sabbath or other times, to pray, to meditate, to deepen our relationship with God, let us think about what makes for life, and the love that wants us to have life in abundance.

New wine must be put into new wineskins

Then He went out again by the sea; and all the multitude came to Him, and He taught them.  As He passed by,  He saw Levi the son of Alphaeus sitting at the tax office.  And He said to him, "Follow Me."  So he arose and followed Him.

Now it happened, as He was dining in Levi's house, that many tax collectors and sinners also sat together with Jesus and His disciples; for there were many, and they followed Him.  And when the scribes and Pharisees saw Him eating with the tax collectors and sinners, they said to His disciples, "How is it that He eats and drinks with tax collectors and sinners?"  When Jesus heard it, He said to them, "Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick.  I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance."

The disciples of John and of the Pharisees were fasting.  Then they came and said to Him, "Why do the disciples of John and of the Pharisees fast, but Your disciples do not fast?"  And Jesus said to them, "Can the friends of the bridegroom fast while the bridegroom is with them?  As long as they have the bridegroom with them they cannot fast.  But the days will come when the bridegroom will be taken away from them, and then they will fast in those days.  Now one sews a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old garment; or else the new piece pulls away from the old, and the tear is made worse.  And no one puts new wine into old wineskins, or else the new wine bursts the wineskins, the wine is spilled, and the wineskins are ruined.  But new wine must be put into new wineskins."

- Mark 2:13-22

In yesterday's reading, Jesus was again at the house in Capernaum.  So many crowded into hear Him speak the word that there was no room, even near the door.  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!"

 Then He went out again by the sea; and all the multitude came to Him, and He taught them.  As He passed by,  He saw Levi the son of Alphaeus sitting at the tax office.  And He said to him, "Follow Me."  So he arose and followed Him.  My study bible notes here:  "Levi (Matthew) is the only one of the Twelve with a powerful position in society and presumably an education.  He has probably already heard of Jesus.  Follow Me is a divine call, a command, not merely a suggestion.  Of course, Matthew, like anyone receiving a call, must respond by his own free will."  So far in Mark's gospel, we have seen many calls from Christ, initiating what is to be a relationship of service.  There are those who come to Him, and those to whom He comes and calls. 

Now it happened, as He was dining in Levi's house, that many tax collectors and sinners also sat together with Jesus and His disciples; for there were many, and they followed Him.  My study bible has several notes on this and the following verses.  Here, it says, "In dining with sinners, Jesus shows the Kingdom's openness to the outcast, and its destruction of the barrier between sinful men and God.  Jesus recognizes these people as a definable group.  It is possible to follow Jesus and remain in one's social class; however, friends no longer come first." 

And when the scribes and Pharisees saw Him eating with the tax collectors and sinners, they said to His disciples, "How is it that He eats and drinks with tax collectors and sinners?"   Here, my study bible says, "The teachers of the Law sought to expel evil; Christ comes to transform it.  Jesus does not become unclean by contact with the unclean.  Rather, His touch makes the unclean clean."

When Jesus heard it, He said to them, "Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick.  I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance."  Again, my study bible notes, "Christ comes to save and to heal, not to judge (John 1:17; 3:17).  There are righteous people who do dead works (actions which are good in themselves but are motivated by legalism rather than by love) and keep people from God. True righteousness comes through faith and is accompanied by wholesome works.  Many Pharisees were masters of dead works; some tax collectors and many sinners would become masters of true righteousness."  At the center of salvation is Christ; relationship to Him creates healing and salvation, and this relationship is one of love.

The disciples of John and of the Pharisees were fasting.  Then they came and said to Him, "Why do the disciples of John and of the Pharisees fast, but Your disciples do not fast?"  And Jesus said to them, "Can the friends of the bridegroom fast while the bridegroom is with them?  As long as they have the bridegroom with them they cannot fast.  But the days will come when the bridegroom will be taken away from them, and then they will fast in those days.  Now one sews a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old garment; or else the new piece pulls away from the old, and the tear is made worse.  And no one puts new wine into old wineskins, or else the new wine bursts the wineskins, the wine is spilled, and the wineskins are ruined.  But new wine must be put into new wineskins."  My study bible notes, "This is not a blanket condemnation of Old Testament traditions, which Christ came to fulfill, not to destroy (Matt. 5:17).  Rather, this verse stresses the newness of Christ's teaching.  The old and the new cannot mix."

Wine and feasting go with weddings, with the presence of the Bridegroom.  Here, Jesus teaches us a metaphor for Himself, as Bridegroom.  He is the One whom we await to start the wedding, to engage in the wedding feast.  Just as He once was together with His disciples, so we await His second coming, and the great wedding banquet that entails for us a fulfillment of this promise.  But in the meantime, we understand who the Bridegroom is, we turn to Him in that relationship that heals and restores.  Some call upon Him, and there are those to whom He comes calling, initiating relationship, and calling us out of our comfortable or familiar surroundings, as my study bible points out in a note above.  Either way, we enter into something that changes  and transforms our lives and ourselves.  Jesus also calls Himself Physician in this reading, indicating again someone who initiates a kind of change in us and in our lives, one who prescribes what is best for us, who teaches us where to go and what to do for our own healing.  With the Bridegroom there is joy -- and the joy is in the "new wine" of the wedding feast, that which would otherwise burst forth out of old skins and needs new skins to contain it.  In this we can see a metaphor for the healing action of the Phyisician, transforming us, and the joy of that new belonging and new relatedness, so ready to burst that it really needs a "new skin" to contain it all.  How are you called out of your life, your expectations, and into a new one?  How does this make you grow and transform and expand?  It is the joy in this expansive life that requires a "new skin" -- one that can expand with the reality that Christ brings.  I believe this will be new for each of us, in our own way, that the eternal Christ is always bringing us things that are new, and transforming the past, requiring of us "new skins."  How is this relationship of Bridegroom and Physician at work in you, today?  Is it ever finished, or does it continue to transform, requiring the new skin that will expand?

Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, 'Your sins are forgiven you,' or to say, 'Arise, take up your bed and walk'?

 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

In yesterday's reading, we read that as soon as Jesus came out of the synagogue, He went to the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John.  But Simon's wife's mother lay sick with a fever, and they told Him about her at once.  So He came and took her by the hand and lifted her up, and immediately the fever left her.  And she served them.  In the evening after sundown, many came to Him.  He healed the sick and cast out demons, but wouldn't allow the demons to speak, as they knew who He was.  In the very early morning before daylight, Jesus went to a solitary place to pray.  Simon and others were searching for Him; they told Him:  "Everyone is looking for You."  But He said they should go to the next towns, "that I may preach there also, because for this purpose I have come forth."  Preaching throughout Galilee, He cast out many demons.  Now a leper came to Him, imploring Him, kneeling down to Him and saying to Him, "If You are willing, You can make me clean."  Then Jesus, moved with compassion, stretched out His hand and touched him, and said to him, "I am willing, be cleansed."  As soon as He had spoken, immediately the leprosy left him, and he was cleansed.  And He strictly warned him and sent him away at once, and said to him, "See that you say nothing to anyone; but go your way, show yourself to the priest, and offer for your cleansing those things which Moses commanded, as a testimony to them."  However, he went out and began to proclaim it freely, and to spread the matter, so that Jesus could no longer openly enter the city, but was outside in deserted places; and they came to Him from every direction.

 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 says, "Jesus preached (a vital part of His ministry) wherever there were people -- in the synagogue, on the mountain, on the plain, and here in a house."  At the end of yesterday's reading, we were told they came to Him from every direction, even when He stayed outside the cities in deserted places.  Here they flock to His ministry's "headquarters," Simon and Andrew's family home in Capernaum, until there is no room left for anyone to enter.

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."   My study bible points out that this passage is read on the second Sunday of Lent in the Orthodox Church.  It says there is a "threefold symbolism relating to our preparation for Easter.  (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 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?"  My study bible tells us that the heart in Scripture usually refers to the center of consciousness, including the will and reason.  Here, it points out, "the scribes are correct in saying that only God can forgive sins.  They unwittingly confirm the divinity of Christ."

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!"  Jesus is the "heart-knower," as is attested to elsewhere in Scripture.  It is another quality of His divinity.  My study bible says of His statement here that "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."

There are several things that are of note in today's passage.  One of them is the fact that Jesus is the "knower of hearts."  In the passage in Acts (1:24) in which the Apostles pray as they cast lots, this is made into a word in the Greek, a title, the "heartknower" (καρδιογνωστα).  He speaks to the heart, He judges from the knowledge of the heart, and in today's passage, He responds to what is in the hearts of the scribes.  He goes directly to the heart and "lives" there and acts from there and responds to that part within ourselves.  Clearly this has something to do with God's power to forgive sins, because only One that knows us that deeply has the power of true judgment.  And so we reach deeply into what it means for Jesus to preach the word, in today's passage.  The word is logos in the Greek, the same title John's Gospel teaches us about Christ.  Logos here becomes a very important concept to us.  Jesus' preaching reflects His own authority and identity as Logos, the One who brings into life all meanings and values, who creates right-relatedness and true order, who sets things in their right places.  And there we come back to the capacity to know hearts, to forgive sins, and to heal.  At this depth, all of these meanings come into our understanding, because healing, order, restoration and love all come from the same place.  All value, order, meaning and life are within Him and He offers Himself to us.  No wonder that house is so crowded that there is no room left, even at the door.  Even so, there is a way for more to come to Him.  And that is perhaps our most important understanding from the reading, that there is always a way to come to Him, no matter what we think the obstacles might be.  He is ready to receive, and to know, and to teach and to heal. 

For this purpose I have come forth

Now as soon as they had come out of the synagogue, they entered the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John.  But Simon's wife's mother lay sick with a fever, and they told Him about her at once.  So He came and took her by the hand and lifted her up, and immediately the fever left her.  And she served them.

At evening, when the sun had set, they brought to Him all who were sick and those who were demon-possessed.  And the whole city was gathered together at the door.  Then He healed many who were sick with various diseases, and cast out many demons; and He did not allow the demons to speak, because they knew Him.

Now in the morning, having risen a long while before daylight, He went out and departed to a solitary place; and there He prayed.  And Simon and those who were with Him searched for Him.  When they found Him, they said to Him, "Everyone is looking for You."  But He said to them, "Let us go into the next towns, that I may preach there also, because for this purpose I have come forth."  And He was preaching in their synagogues throughout all Galilee, and casting out demons.

Now a leper came to Him, imploring Him, kneeling down to Him and saying to Him, "If You are willing, You can make me clean."  Then Jesus, moved with compassion, stretched out His hand and touched him, and said to him, "I am willing, be cleansed."  As soon as He had spoken, immediately the leprosy left him, and he was cleansed.  And He strictly warned him and sent him away at once, and said to him, "See that you say nothing to anyone; but go your way, show yourself to the priest, and offer for your cleansing those things which Moses commanded, as a testimony to them."  However, he went out and began to proclaim it freely, and to spread the matter, so that Jesus could no longer openly enter the city, but was outside in deserted places; and they came to Him from every direction.

- Mark 1:29-45

In yesterday's reading, we read that Jesus proclaimed (after John the Baptist was put into prison), "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand.  Repent, and believe in the gospel."  He called His disciples Peter and Andrew, and James and John Zebedee.  Walking by the Sea of Galilee, He said, "Follow Me, and I will make you become fishers of men."  They immediately left their nets and followed Him.  When He had gone a little further from there, He saw James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, who also were in the boat mending their nets.  And immediately He called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired servants, and went after Him.  They went to Capernaum and Jesus began teaching in the synagogue.  All were struck by the authority with which He taught.  A man with an unclean spirit shouted out, "Let us alone!  What have we to do with You, Jesus of Nazareth?  Did You come to destroy us?  I know who You are -- the Holy One of God!"  But Jesus rebuked him, saying, "Be quiet, and come out of him!"  Then they were all amazed, so that they questioned among themselves, saying, "What is this?  What new doctrine is this?  For with authority He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey Him."  And immediately His fame spread throughout all the region around Galilee.

Now as soon as they had come out of the synagogue, they entered the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John.  But Simon's wife's mother lay sick with a fever, and they told Him about her at once.  So He came and took her by the hand and lifted her up, and immediately the fever left her.  And she served them.  We go from the public to the very personal and intimate.  We are in Simon's family home.  In the healing of Simon Peter's mother-in-law, we get the sense from reading the Greek that Jesus does all the work and takes the initiative:  He comes near to her, He takes her hand, He lifts her up.  The word here for "serve" (Gr. diakoneo) shares the root of our word for deacon.

At evening, when the sun had set, they brought to Him all who were sick and those who were demon-possessed.  And the whole city was gathered together at the door.  Then He healed many who were sick with various diseases, and cast out many demons; and He did not allow the demons to speak, because they knew Him.  Jesus' work continues through the day and into the evening.  Healing and casting out demons are a part of this work, they go together:  healing is restoring us to this Kingdom He brings into the world.  The demons are not allowed to speak:  the revelation of the Kingdom is Jesus' to make, in His own way, and in His Father's timing.

Now in the morning, having risen a long while before daylight, He went out and departed to a solitary place; and there He prayed.  My study bible notes here:  "Mark is the only Gospel which gives us a full 24-hour day in Jesus' life, a day built around prayer and ministry.  Jesus is the model for both, and He does not separate them.  Jesus' priority is prayer to His Father:  prayer before service.  He goes to a solitary place to be free from distraction, despite the multitudes' need of Him.  His ministry comes out of His relationship with His Father, not foremost out of people's need."

And Simon and those who were with Him searched for Him.  When they found Him, they said to Him, "Everyone is looking for You."  But He said to them, "Let us go into the next towns, that I may preach there also, because for this purpose I have come forth."  And He was preaching in their synagogues throughout all Galilee, and casting out demons.  My study bible continues:  "Here He moves along to the next towns.  He knows His task, and performs it although the crowds clamor around Him."  We understand the emphasis:  His task is one of obedience to the Father's will; that is, how the Kingdom unfolds and is revealed in the world is directed by the Divine, and not human perspective or seemingly advantageous opportunity in our sight.  It's quite telling that Jesus says "for this purpose I have come forth."  It gives us a hint of a life lived in knowledge of His identity.  Choosing to come forward, and to reveal, is a specific choice, made for the last years of His life, and with a specific mission.  It is a choice made of love for us.

Now a leper came to Him, imploring Him, kneeling down to Him and saying to Him, "If You are willing, You can make me clean."  Then Jesus, moved with compassion, stretched out His hand and touched him, and said to him, "I am willing, be cleansed."  As soon as He had spoken, immediately the leprosy left him, and he was cleansed.  And He strictly warned him and sent him away at once, and said to him, "See that you say nothing to anyone; but go your way, show yourself to the priest, and offer for your cleansing those things which Moses commanded, as a testimony to them."  However, he went out and began to proclaim it freely, and to spread the matter, so that Jesus could no longer openly enter the city, but was outside in deserted places; and they came to Him from every direction.  My study bible notes here:  "As the dialogue between the leper and Jesus demonstrates, Jesus heals from compassion -- not from duty or a need to prove Himself, or in order to gather a following.  Jesus' authority is comprehensive:  (1) in teaching, (2) over demons, and (3) over sickness -- powerful testimony to His divinity.  But He wishes this and His messiahship to be kept a secret."

The beginning chapter of the Gospel of Mark tells us so many things about Jesus, and moves us quickly into His work, His ministry.  He heals Peter's mother-in-law, He prays alone in the very early hours of the morning in a deserted place without other demands and distractions, always seeking the will of His Father.  He gives us an example with everything that He does.  His mission is to serve and to reveal, but the power and authority in that mission is from God.  It is in Christ and in His Person.  Moreover His compassion comes from this place of authority; nothing here is simply obligatory with Him, nor is it made to impress others.  He tells the healed leper to do as Moses taught, to go to the priest (as a certificate was required to rejoin the community).  Jesus in all ways shows a kind of balance and right-relatedness that is free from motives that are purely emotional or sentimental or opportunistic.  His own union with the Father is a union in love and justice, in what is appropriate.  And if we take that lesson to heart, we see a balance that is a kind of model for all of us.  Where do our motives come from?  What do we allow to sway us when we decide what's for the highest good?  In Christ's discernment is the power of God, and for this discernment we, too, pray in our lives.  To please God then becomes the highest goal we can make, because in doing so -- as in His example -- we also serve others in the best way we can.  God is love, let us remember.

Follow Me, and I will make you become fishers of men

Now after John was put in prison, Jesus came to Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, and saying, "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand.  Repent, and believe in the gospel."

And as He walked by the Sea of Galilee, He saw Simon and Andrew his brother casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen.  Then Jesus said to them, "Follow Me, and I will make you become fishers of men."  They immediately left their nets and followed Him.  When He had gone a little further from there, He saw James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, who also were in the boat mending their nets.  And immediately He called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired servants, and went after Him.

Then they went into Capernaum, and immediately on the Sabbath He entered the synagogue and taught.  And they were astonished at His teaching, for He taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.  Now there was a man in their synagogue with an unclean spirit.  And he cried out, saying, "Let us alone!  What have we to do with You, Jesus of Nazareth?  Did You come to destroy us?  I know who You are -- the Holy One of God!"  But Jesus rebuked him, saying, "Be quiet, and come out of him!"  And when the unclean spirit had convulsed him and cried out with a loud voice, he came out of him.  Then they were all amazed, so that they questioned among themselves, saying, "What is this?  What new doctrine is this?  For with authority He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey Him."  And immediately His fame spread throughout all the region around Galilee.

- Mark 1:14-28

In yesterday's reading, we began the Gospel of Mark, with the beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.  First, Mark quotes 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.'"  We read about John the Baptist, preaching a baptism of repentance for the remission of sins, in preparation for the coming of the Messiah.  All of Judea and Jerusalem went to him and were baptized, we are told.  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."   Jesus came from Nazareth in 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.

 Now after John was put in prison, Jesus came to Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, and saying, "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand.  Repent, and believe in the gospel."  Mark's gospel moves very quickly, but in this juxtaposition of the events of John's arrest and Jesus' mission, we see a kind of "handing over."  John is known as the last and greatest of the Old Testament prophets.  My study bible emphasizes Jesus' mission as one of living and experiencing the Kingdom at hand.  It says, "To repent denotes an about-face in life, a necessary part of faith and the experience of the Kingdom as a present reality.  The Kingdom is yet to come, but it is also at hand, already here.  It is inaugurated but not yet fulfilled."  In the Person of Jesus, the good news or good message is revealed, through all He is and does in the world.

And as He walked by the Sea of Galilee, He saw Simon and Andrew his brother casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen.  Then Jesus said to them, "Follow Me, and I will make you become fishers of men."  They immediately left their nets and followed Him.  When He had gone a little further from there, He saw James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, who also were in the boat mending their nets.  And immediately He called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired servants, and went after Him.  My study bible says that "time has elapsed and many events have occurred between the temptation of Jesus and the call of the first disciples.  Jesus chooses simple fishermen as messengers of the divine gospel."  It points out that these men already have known Jesus, so when the call comes, they "immediately" drop their their nets to follow Him.  They trust Him.  We must understand that in this trust is the expression of faith:  in the Greek, the verb for believe (pistevo) and the noun for faith (pistis) contain the meaning to trust.    My study bible adds, "Called suggests discipleship is an invitation issued by Jesus, the emphasis being on His initiative -- the opposite of rabbinic discipleship, where the student took the initiative to follow the leader (rabbi).  Jesus does not hesitate to include groups of friends and relatives among His disciples.  Here are two sets of brothers, and the two families are friends, perhaps even relatives."

Then they went into Capernaum, and immediately on the Sabbath He entered the synagogue and taught.  And they were astonished at His teaching, for He taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.   John baptized all in Judea and Jerusalem, near the Jordan.  But here, Christ's ministry begins in Galilee, the home to Himself and these disciples, and not in the center of Jewish religious life and establishment.  And immediately the impact is of one with authority; that is, not one with authority given or vested by another human being, but a surprising authority in His Person.  My study bible notes:  "The scribes speak by virtue of their official role and scholarly education.  They quote others, usually earlier, well-known teachers; at times they must be boring.  Jesus speaks and acts by an inner, divine authority.  He needs no credentials nor the renown of others to back Him up."

Now there was a man in their synagogue with an unclean spirit.  And he cried out, saying, "Let us alone!  What have we to do with You, Jesus of Nazareth?  Did You come to destroy us?  I know who You are -- the Holy One of God!"  But Jesus rebuked him, saying, "Be quiet, and come out of him!"  And when the unclean spirit had convulsed him and cried out with a loud voice, he came out of him.  Then they were all amazed, so that they questioned among themselves, saying, "What is this?  What new doctrine is this?  For with authority He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey Him."  And immediately His fame spread throughout all the region around Galilee.  My study bible says, "Jesus demonstrates His authority not only by His teaching, but by dealing powerfully with this unclean spirit.  Not one demon ever successfully resists His command.  Here a spirit tries to command Jesus:  Let us alone.  It does not work.  Jesus responds with two commands:  (1) be quiet, and (2) come out.  The unclean spirit has no choice but to obey Jesus because God has authority over these spirits (Matt. 8:16).  The demons recognize Jesus as God without having full understanding of what this means.  But they do rightly fear that, with the coming of the Holy One, the time of their confinement has come." 

What does it mean to bring a Kingdom into this world, invading a kingdom that has already bound and afflicted so many human beings?  As noted in yesterday's commentary, Jesus has characterized His mission as that of a "stronger man" binding up and taking the kingdom of a "strong man" (Satan).  Here we see it immediately put into action, just upon calling His disciples and immediately going to the synagogue to preach.  One of this kingdom of the "strong man," a demon, knows who He is and sets out to defy Him.  But Jesus doesn't want His identity to be revealed this way; that revelation will await the time He is ready to do so.  His power and authority are revealed not only in the ways in which He preaches the good news, the good message of His Kingdom, but also in the way in which He summarily deals with the demon.  Exorcism was already known and practiced in Judaism, so this isn't a new idea being introduced in the synagogue.  What is "new" is the authority in the Person of Jesus.  As He lives His life and expresses His ministry, we are introduced to the effects of this Kingdom coming into the world, being revealed and inaugurated with a new fullness in the Person of Christ.  Jesus will call Himself the fulfillment of the Law and the Prophets and we await the expression of all that this means in His Person, in and through His ministry, in His relationship to His disciples and to those who will follow and believe, and trust in Him.  How do you experience this trust in yourself, in your heart?  What does it reveal to you in your life and in your walk of faith?  How does trust in Him reveal to you ways to become more like Him?

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

Beginning of the Gospel of Mark, Armenian illuminated manuscript, 1256

Zeytun Gospel, Toros Roslin - Yerevan, Matenadaran

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 Gospel of Mark.  Mark the Apostle was also known as John Mark, and, according to my study bible,  is widely attested by the ancient Church as the author of this Gospel.  It says, "Some early writers suggest that the young man in the linen wrap (Mark 14:51-52) is Mark himself.  His mother's house was a meeting place for Christians in Jerusalem (Acts 12:12).  Paul and Barnabas took John Mark with them to Antioch when they returned from the Jerusalem famine relief effort (Acts 12:25)."  The exact date of Mark's Gospel is uncertain, but it is dated shortly before the fall of Jerusalem in A.D. 70.  My study bible says, "Many believe this was the first of the four Gospels to be written."

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.'"   The beginning of Mark gives us the beginning of the "good message" (Gr. evangelion) of Christ.  Mark gives us the full message in the first sentence:  Jesus Christ, the Son of God.  It is a message that will be played out through the pages of this Gospel.  And the "good message" is sent by the messenger to whom we are introduced today, John the Baptist.  Heralded by yet an earlier messenger, the Prophet Isaiah,  John's mission is characterized by a quotation from Isaiah 40:3.  My study bible says, "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."  We note the emphasis on messengers:  the root of the word for Gospel is the one for angel, "messenger" in the Greek.  The beginning of the good news of Christ is filled with messages and messengers, just as was the story of His birth which we so recently celebrated.  My study bible says, "John the Baptist plays a crucial role in the history of salvation.  Chosen before his birth to be the herald and forerunner of the Messiah (Luke 1:13-17), he knew his Lord from the beginning.  Luke writes of the miraculous conception of John (Luke 1:24).  He then records that when the Virgin Mary visited Elizabeth, who was then six months pregnant with John the Baptist, the baby in Elizabeth's womb leaped at the sound of Mary's voice (Luke 1:41)."

 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 says that "remission (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."  It notes also that the text here tells us of the sweeping impact of the ministry of John the Baptist.  "He is perhaps the leading religious figure outside of official and rabbinic Judaism."

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's is a life of asceticism, with eyes firmly on the coming of the Christ.  His clothing is similar to that of Elijah (2 Kings 1:8), "indicating that he fulfills the prophecy of Elijah's return" (as Jesus will say).  My study bible says, "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.  In adoption, Christians become anointed ones; it was of these God said, 'Do not touch My anointed ones' (Ps. 105:15)."

It came to pass in those days that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee, and was baptized by John in the Jordan.  Mark's Gospel moves us very quickly to the object of this "good message" and so much prophecy.  My study bible says that Jesus and John were related through their mothers (Luke 1:36); and notes, "perhaps Jesus and John were acquainted."

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."   For the Eastern Church, Epiphany or Theophany characterizes this event:  the revelation of the Trinity.  My study bible has a long and beautiful note here:  "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 used to refer to that event.  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."  It also notes:  "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."

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.  Again, I will quote from my study bible:  "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."

It's interesting that the first thing that happens to the anointed Christ is His being driven by the Spirit to the wilderness, where He is tempted -- and, the Gospel tells us, He is both with the wild beasts, and the angels minister to Him.  It gives us a picture of the world, of our world.  There is nothing simple about this "job" of being the Messiah, the Christ, just as there is nothing simple about the paradox of our world.  Jesus will characterize His mission as a "stronger" man invading the territory of a "strong man" (Satan, as in the text above).  So, as Messiah, He is immediately confronted with the "work" of being in this world, and the things which all of us face in our lives.  He is to be a Messiah who suffers with us, the same things we do, the bindings and afflictions of this "strong man."  But we have help, and so does He, He is ministered to by the angels.  And there we get back to messengers, perhaps the great theme in our reading today at the beginning of Mark.  What are messengers and what do they do?  The word angel (αγγελος or angelos) in the Greek means "messenger" and the Gospel (ευαγγελιον or evangelion) is "good message."  John the Baptist is also a messenger, a herald of Christ's coming Kingdom, and as such is often depicted with wings in icons of the Eastern Church.  So, just as the nativity of Christ is filled with stories of messengers, so is the beginning of Jesus' ministry, His baptism, an event celebrated in the ancient Church together with His nativity.  Let us consider then images of messengers, of good news, of communications we may or may not want to hear.  In Christ's story, something new is breaking through into the world, being inaugurated.  There are those who tell of this news, John the Baptist who dedicates his life to this event, the evangelists who tell us and the apostles who will be sent out with this good news, who will proclaim through the text and through their lives to all of us this good news of this Kingdom breaking through into this world.  How do you hear the news today?  What message does the Spirit have for you?