And He went up on the mountain and called to Him those He Himself wanted. And they came to 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.  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 the 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 3:7-19a 

 

On Saturday we read that it happened that Jesus 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 Abiathar 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?"  But 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.  Jesus withdrew both because the Pharisees were now planning to destroy Him (see Saturday's reading, above) though it was not time for His death,  and also in order to preach in other places.  

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.   By now Christ's renown as a healer is so great that He must be able to get away from the crowds with a small boat kept ready, lest they should crush Him, as they pressed about Him to touch Him.  My study bible comments on Christ's refusal to fully disclose His identity as Messiah.  It says that this is foreseen by Isaiah (Isaiah 42:1-4).  There are varied reasons for secrecy, which include (1) the growing hostility of the religious leaders; (2) the people's misunderstanding of the Messiah as an earthly, political leader; and finally (3) Christ's desire to invoke genuine faith, which is not based solely on marvelous signs.  This is the second time Mark's Gospel has given us an example of the unclean spirits knowing and identifying who Christ was, and His command to be quiet (see Mark 1:23-26).

And He went up on the mountain and called to Him those He Himself wanted.  And they came to Him.  Then He appointed the 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.   Jesus goes up on the mountain as a sign to us that what is happening is given from God.  Although Mark does not mention either word, it's worth noting that "disciples" and "apostles" are frequently used interchangeably for these twelve.  The Greek word for disciple means "learner" (mathetes/μαθητὴς) and for apostle means "one sent out" (apostolos/ἀπόστολος).  This act is an important sign or marker of the expansion of Christ's ministry in the world, as now it is not only Christ, but those whom He appointed will not only be with Him as disciples, but also sent out as apostles to expand His work.  In their capacity as apostles they are sent out to preach as He does, but even to have power to heal sicknesses and to cast out demons.  This is a power given by Christ, who performs such things by His own power.  Also noteworthy is the change of names for a few:  Simon is renamed Peter by Christ, James and John are given the name Boanerges or "Sons of Thunder," and Levi the tax collector is now called Matthew (see Mark 2:13-17).  

In pursuing His worldly public mission, Jesus has any number of variables to juggle.  As my study bible points out, there is first of all the revelation by the demons of His true identity before the time is appropriate for this unveiling.  The people expect the Messiah to be a worldly king, one who will rule as do the Romans, with a great dominant kingdom in the lineage of David, which will set aright the fortunes of Israel and the people of God.  Jesus therefore does not publicly explicitly reveal Himself as such, nor has it even come time for the confession of faith by Peter on behalf of the disciples.  That will come in Mark's 8th chapter, and even then Christ will demand that they tell it to no one (see Mark 8:27-30).  Therefore we are to understand that there is a particular way in which Christ's ministry is to unfold, and there are particular times when things are appropriate to be done (John 7:30).  In that pursuit of understanding what correct timing is all about, we can look at this new phase in Christ's ministry and see its components.  As Jesus goes up on the mountain to appoint the twelve, we know this as a sign of something given by God.  It is a new turn or twist in His public ministry.  But accompanying this new turn is another fact we can't overlook, and that is that the religious authorities have decided to destroy Him, in collusion with those who represent the state power, the Herodians who support the ruling house of Herod, which rules for Rome.   At the end of Saturday's reading, we were told that "then the Pharisees went out and immediately plotted with the Herodians against Him, how they might destroy Him" (see above).  In this new phase of Christ's ministry, through His shared power and the discipleship of the twelve, His ministry expands, even as it begins to be pursued by the alliance of religious authorities with the ruling empire.  And then there remains the whole open question of who will respond to this ministry, and how people will respond to it.  It might sound strange to say it, but this is a dimension which is entirely outside of Jesus' control, for it is by God's choice outside of God's control.  God grants us free will, and in our choice to say "yes" or "no" to God we remain in that sense free.  God does not compel anyone to love God, and yet God always has love for us.  As my study bible notes it, Jesus does not want people to come to false faith, which would be based solely on marvelous signs.  His real search in this world, the goal with which He encourages others to become "fishers of men" (Mark 1:17), is to find those whose faith is genuine.  And that is entirely in the hands of human beings.  If we really observe Jesus' ministry from this angle, and including this new expansion of choosing the twelve to go out and in whom He invests His power and shares it with the world through them, we see what great tremendous leaps God takes to place faith and investment in human beings.  What kind of response will there be?   In Luke 18, when Jesus exhorts His followers to persistent prayer, He also asks, "Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith on the earth?" (see Luke 18:1-8).  And this is our question and what remains of this tremendous effort on our behalf and for our salvation.  Jesus invests His life, manifests Himself as human being, God's love expands this human-divine ministry into the world, and we are still left with this question.  Will we understand?  Will He find faith?  Do we look simply for miracles and signs?  Or is faith somewhere else in the heart that replies with justice to the One who is the Sun of Righteousness, with love to God who is love, with faith in the One who is true and faithful?  These are the questions which remain, for every generation, and with us now, today.

 

 

And when He had looked around at them with anger, being grieved by the hardness of their hearts . . .

 

 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 Abiathar 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?"  But 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 

 

 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.  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.  No 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?"  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 Abiathar 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."   My study bible comments that under the new covenant, the food which was at one time not lawful for anyone to eat except for the priests is now freely given to all by the Lord of the Sabbath.  Jesus, the Son of Man, was prefigured by David when he gave the showbread to those who were with him.  It is unique to Mark's Gospel that we're told Jesus states "the Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath."  The emphasis here is a continuation of the understanding that Jesus is the physician who goes where the need is greatest (see yesterday's reading, above).

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?"  But 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.   My study bible comments on Jesus' response to the hardness of the hearts of the Pharisees.  It says that righteous anger is a natural human emotion which is experienced in the face of sin.  It says that there is also anger that is certainly sinful (Matthew 5:22), but anger can also be God-given and proper to humanity (Psalm 4:4).  Christ's anger in this instance is in response to people who profess God but have such hardness in their hearts that they cannot rejoice in the healing of one of their brothers.  Their predictable response is to immediately plot with the Herodians (those who support the Roman rule of the house of Herod) how they might destroy Him.

The ruthlessness of power makes its appearance in today's reading, as the Pharisees go out to immediately plot with the Herodians against Christ, to find how they might destroy Him.  This is something we need to study and understand.  We need to think about how hard it is to discern God in the midst of the world.  That is, to discern God in the midst of the world where it looks like all power is only material, and those who hold powerful positions will brook no criticism or opposition even when it comes from what is holy, from God -- a world in which we may easily become incapable of making that discernment.  Christ acts with compassion:  perhaps if the Pharisees themselves could find compassion in themselves they would read this circumstance more clearly.  Perhaps even without understanding exactly who Jesus is, a true love of God in their own hearts, as opposed to hard-heartedness, would at least have allowed them to perceive the righteousness of Christ's behavior.  As it is, the "rules" they enforce so zealously are only used to bludgeon an innocent Man, and for the sake of their own positions and power.  Elsewhere we're told that Jesus says to them, "If God were your Father, you would love Me, for I proceeded forth and came from God; nor have I come of Myself, but He sent Me. Why do you not understand My speech? Because you are not able to listen to My word.  You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it.  But because I tell the truth, you do not believe Me.  Which of you convicts Me of sin? And if I tell the truth, why do you not believe Me?  He who is of God hears God’s words; therefore you do not hear, because you are not of God" (John 8:42-47).  This is an illustration once again of Jesus' teaching regarding the two greatest commandments of the Law (Matthew 22:36-40, Mark 12:28-34, Luke 10:25-28).  Here, these men so protective of their position and authority cannot put God first wholeheartedly.  Their behavior toward neighbor reflects that failure to hold strongly the first great commandment, and so they fail in the second.  This is something we must emphatically take to heart in the world in which we live, in which political affiliation, or philosophy, or ideology, or some set of rules is meant to substitute for that first place in our hearts for God.  Regardless of the value of what is created by human beings, there is only one place reserved for wholehearted worship, and that place is filled not by a thing or a system but by a Person.  That Person (or three Persons in One) is love and offers us the root foundation in which to grow of love, truth, beauty, and goodness.  On this is rooted all the Law and the Prophets, and this is the word given to us by our Lord, the Person who is Truth ("I am the way, the truth, and the life" - John 14:6).   When we are tempted to put something else first, we are exercising a kind of hardness of heart that gives us blindness and darkness.  We will always be missing something without the heart in its rightful place.  This is how we open up to the light that is the life of human beings.

 

But 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.  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.  No 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 

 

Yesterday we read that again Jesus 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!"

 

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.  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."  Levi is also known to us as Matthew, the Evangelist.    My study bible explains that Roman overlords assigned specific areas to Jewish tax collectors such as Levi/Matthew, and in turn these tax collectors were free to collect extra revenues for their own profit.  Their collaboration with the occupying Romans, their fraud, and their corruption meant that other Jews hated them, and that they were considered unclean (Matthew 11:19).  As Jesus is seen here dining with tax collectors as well as accepting one as a disciple ("Follow Me"), He has offended the Pharisees.  But, my study bible explains, Christ's defense is simple.  He goes where the need of the physician is the greatest.  Matthew records Christ as quoting the prophet Hosea to the scribes and Pharisees:  "I desire mercy and not sacrifice" (Matthew 9:13, Hosea 6:6), an indication that mercy is the higher priority.

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.  No 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 informs us that the Jews typically fasted twice a week (Luke 18:12), on May and Thursday.  Moreover there were public fasts which were regularly observed or proclaimed on occasion (2 Chronicles 20:3, Ezra 8:21, Esther 4:16, Joel 2:15).  The Day of Atonement/Yom Kippur (Leviticus 16:31-34) and times of mourning (Zechariah 7:5, 8:19) were particularly important times for fasting.  But the day of the Messiah was seen as a wedding feast -- which is a time of joy and gladness.  Jesus is proclaiming in effect that that day is here, and declaring Himself to be the Messiah/Bridegroom.  My study bible adds that for Christians, fasting is therefore not gloomy but desirable, a "bright sadness," because by fasting we gain self-control and prepare ourselves for the Wedding Feast we know will come.  In respect to the image of the old garment and old wineskins, my study bible explains that they stand for the Old Covenant and the Law, which are regarded as imperfect and temporary.  The new wineskins are the New Covenant and those in Christ.  The new wine is a figurative image of the Holy Spirit dwelling within renewed people, who are not constrained by the old precepts of the Law.  

Jesus embraces the concept of healing as basic to His ministry, and expands that to include liberation from sin.  As only God has the power to forgive sin, Christ is proclaiming -- again, but in a more indirect way -- His divinity.  If we look at yesterday's reading, above, we see the direct challenge regarding His divinity and the forgiveness of sin.  Jesus takes that into an astonishing act of healing, although the much "greater" thing is to forgive the sin, for that is the prerogative of God.  In today's reading, notions of healing are expanded, and Jesus' explanation of Himself as physician come forth to more completely fulfill the events of yesterday's reading.  Elsewhere Jesus tells us that "whoever commits sin is a slave of sin" (John 8:34).  But His word, and the truth it contains is the way to freedom, to liberation from the sin (John 8:31-32).  Here in today's reading, not only is Matthew/Levi set free from his sin, but Jesus sits and dines -- essentially communes -- with him and his friends who are fellow sinners in the eyes of the Jews.  And let's make it perfectly clear that the tax collectors weren't simply victims of a legalistic system:  what they did would be considered loathsome in our own society today, as the not only worked for occupiers of a great empire but also typically extorted extra for themselves from their own people, backed up by the power of the Romans.  Actually, there were tax collectors and soldiers who also came to John the Baptist, and his advice to them for righteousness and repentance was to do their jobs honestly; see Luke 3:12-14.  But Jesus' liberation is a transformational one, and this is something important to remember.  It expands people and changes them from within -- even as the wine ferments in the wineskins and so new wineskins are necessary to handle the resulting expansion.  This wine contained within, my study bible explained, is symbolic of the Holy Spirit, working in mysterious ways we don't create of ourselves but with which we can cooperate with our acceptance.  And this is the key to the new life and the new freedom -- this new and strange picture with which the scribes and Pharisees are confronted, that of a holy Man sitting at table with tax collectors and sinners.  Jesus further takes us into new territory, once again by introducing Himself as Messiah.  For fasting is an unquestionably good practice in spiritual tradition, practiced in accordance with the Jewish custom by both the Pharisee and the disciples of John the Baptist.  Christians will also follow with fasting practices as well, but with the "one thing needed" that will change all perspective on its practice:  that the Bridegroom has come to dwell with us, and that He will return.  When we fast now, we do so looking forward in preparation for the fullness of His return and the Wedding Feast.  Compassion is not missing from the spiritual history of Israel, nor is the understanding of God's tender mercies.   But just as in the image of the new wineskins, Christ brings a deeper and fuller understanding of what that is and means, and how it can work among us.  As He has said Himself, "Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill" (Matthew 5:17).  It is that fulfillment and fullness, the promise of expansion and completion, that our ancient Christian ancestors knew and understood about Christ, even as the pagan cultures of Gentile believers were transfigured and transformed -- with the good and beautiful and true remaining, but fulfilled and expanded through the understanding and advent of Christ.  What we must understand is that this action of fulfillment and expansion in Christ is ongoing, that it is present for each and every generation.  The One on the throne declares, "I am always making all things new" (Revelation 21:5), and these words are yet true and faithful, and at work within us and among us.  

 

Then they came to Him, bringing a paralytic who was carried by four men

 

 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 that as soon as they had come out of the synagogue after Jesus was preaching there, they entered the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John.  But Simon's wife's mother lay sick with  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, "Le 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.

 

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.  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!"  My study bible points out to us that one purpose of Christ's coming into the world is to forgive sins, freeing humanity from this bondage.  Forgiving sins is a greater power than physical healing, for, as the scribes correctly note, God alone can forgive sins.  In this way, my study bible explains, the easier task for Christ is to grant physical healing.  Although He is fully God and also holds the authority to forgive, Jesus condescends to those gathered and heals this paralytic so that people are drawn to God, whom they glorified.  Let us also note that this story reveals Christ's divinity as He knows the secrets of hearts (see 1 Samuel 16:7, 2 Chronicles 6:30).  In addition, He is revealed as the Word, whom John the Evangelist writes "was in the beginning with God.  All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made" (John 1:1-3) -- for He is able to heal humanity by the power of His word. 

It is worth contemplating what the power of a word is.  We know Christ's power to heal with His words, and that this power comes from His divine identity and being.  But this story also invites us to consider the power of our word, as it is directed to God and "with God" in prayer.  When we seek that communion, we seek a participation in something far grander than ourselves.  In prayer we may be connected to all the great communion of the saints and the angels, together with the Holy Trinity.  We enter into a communion that holds us, helps us, heals us.  But it also does something more:  our prayers allow us to help heal others.  This is illustrated through the action of the friends in this story, who make the effort to bring the paralytic to Christ.  They do not let obstacles stop them -- of so many other people crowding in for Christ's attention and help.  They go to the extraordinary effort to get their friend there, by going to the roof, uncovering it, and lowering down the bed through the opening so that their friend can be brought to Christ.  This is frequently likened to prayer, in which our words may also carry our friends to God when they cannot do it for themselves, or they need the help that we can provide.  This part of the reason why prayer is so important.  It is not merely for ourselves, but rather something we do "for the life of the world" (John 6:33, 51).  We call upon Christ through our participation in His life so that that life may also heal the world, whether we pray specifically for others or the prayers of the Church for the world or groups of people in the world -- or even through our own communion and subsequent life in the world in which we seek to live that faith.  Through prayer we enter into that mystical reality of the Word, which is also light and life, and our prayer anchors Christ in the midst of the world, wherever we are, whatever we experience and see, whatever may be happening in the world.  For those monastics who have gone to the deserts and monasteries throughout the world for a life of prayer, this is what they are quite conscious of doing.  They do not pray merely for themselves or some inward purpose, but for the life of the world, and to save the world.  Their prayers bring their life in Christ into the world -- just as the friends of the paralytic opened up the roof and lowered him down so he could be healed by Christ.  In a world consumed with activism and image, we have lost or forgotten this reality of our faith to a great extent, and I'm certain there are people who would scoff a the very idea although they are Christian.  But if we lose our understanding of our faith as a mystical religion and couched and based in mystical reality, we lose sight of who we are and what we are -- and especially the reality in which we participate and which is illumined for us through the ministry of Jesus Christ as recorded in the Gospels.  It is not possible to dismiss the mystical reality of God and the saints from our prayer; we are rooted there in that reality.  All of our practices enshrine it and build it; this is the meaning of the kingdom of God coming near to us (Luke 10:9-11;11:20) -- and that it is within us and among us (Luke 17:20-21).  In yesterday's reading (see above) the text made clear that Christ rose very early in the morning, before the sunrise, to begin His day with prayer.  Just like Christ's connection with the Father and the Spirit and the example He set for us, we should remember this foundation to our lives and to all that we do in the world.  It is part and parcel of our very purpose, and the purpose for which He was sent, to establish and maintain that communion.  Whether we pray with set prayers of the Church, read and recite the beautiful Psalms which we know Christ also prayed Himself, or use prayer practices like the Jesus Prayer or the prayers of the Rosary, we engage with our Lord and bring His life into the world as we do.   Interestingly, the paralytic was carried by four men.  One wonders if we might knew these four as the four points of the Cross which carries us, or the four Evangelists who gave us the living word of the Gospels.  But it is active prayer that connects us where we are in the here and the now, to the very life of Christ and God's living Kingdom in our midst.

 

 

Now in the morning, having risen a long while before daylight, He went out and departed to a solitary place; and there He prayed

 

 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  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, "Le 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 

 

Yesterday we read that 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 farther 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.

 

  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  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.  My study bible quotes Cyril of Alexandria:  "That which was rebuked was some living thing unable to withstand the influence of Him who rebuked it, for it is not reasonable to rebuke a thing without life and unconscious of the rebuke.  Nor is it astonishing for there to exist certain powers that inflict harm on the human body."  We understand from this passage also, that the family home of brothers Simon and Andrew became a sort of headquarters for Jesus' Galilean ministry.  Here, Simon Peter's mother-in-law is a part of that ministry, taking her place as she was lifted up, and served them.

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, "Le 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 comments that here Jesus sets forth for us an example of spiritual life.  Although He is God incarnate, He prayed continually, and often we're told that He found a solitary place to be free from distraction.  Let us note in these times of emphasis on activism or good works, this is despite the multitude's need of Him.  Clearly, everything is rooted in Christ communion with the Father and the Holy Spirit, and from there flows to the people and their needs.   It serves to emphasize this that Christ prayed in the morning; it shows that we make our commitment to God a first priority, and only then can we be equipped to serve others.  Moreover, our discernment in sensing their need comes from this communion.  Let us note also Christ's activity in this new ministry in Galilee:  He is preaching in their synagogues 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.  The biblical law which concerns leprosy is in Leviticus 13; 14.  Deuteronomy 24:8 describes the process of purification of lepers and leprous houses, which was entrusted to the priests.  Leprosy, my study bible tells us, was considered a direct punishment for sins, and as lepers were unclean, they weren't permitted to live in community or to worship in synagogues or the temple.  To touch the unclean was forbidden (Leviticus 7:21).  But here, Jesus touched him.  Christ shows His compassion, and also that He is not subject to the Law, but over it.  My study bible comments that to the clean, nothing is unclean (see Romans 14:14). 

In today's reading, Jesus illustrates His own pronouncement on the two greatest commandments in the Jewish Law.  When asked what was the greatest commandment, He replied as follows:  "'You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.'  This is the first and great commandment.  And the second is like it: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets." (Matthew 22:37-40).  As my study bible emphasizes, Jesus begins by praying in the early morning -- having risen a long while before daylight -- and so establishes the need to place this first and greatest commandment in its rightful place in our lives.  It is through prayer and communion with God that we seek not only to understand discernment and guidance in how to conduct our lives, but especially to grow in the practice of love and understanding what love means.  To place God in this place of all our heart, soul, and mind is to seek God's expansion of our own understanding so that we might act accordingly.  This is basically the entire process of ongoing repentance, growing in likeness to God.  Moreover, we are not born knowing how to love our neighbor fully and appropriately.  This is a process that must grow and be better apprehended throughout our lifetimes.  We cannot do it well with a false understanding, a limited comprehension of what love means and is, and a brokenness that keeps us from grasping it more fully.  It is something we can continue to grow into throughout our lifetimes, and we are meant and created to do so.  Jesus has also told us, "Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you" (Matthew 6:33).  To start by praying early in the morning, or "first thing" before all that we do, is to find a way to enforce what Jesus calls the greatest commandment, indeed "the first and great commandment."  Let us cultivate a prayer life and commitment to that life and that practice as a way to fulfill both commandments of loving God and loving neighbor, and remember that God asks us to grow in this practice.  In a complex and confusing world, this is necessary more than ever for all of us.  Let us remember to do as He did, to try to clear away all the distractions, and make time to pray in a solitary place to our Father who is in a secret place and sees in secret (Matthew 6:6).

 

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 farther 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

 

Yesterday we read St. Mark's 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 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.

 

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."  My study bible comments here that Mark's written emphasis on John being put in prison before Jesus begins preaching reveals that a key purpose of the old covenant -- to prepare the people for Christ -- had been completed (Galatians 4:1-5).  When Christ had come, the time of preparation was fulfilled.   It adds that to repent is to do a total "about-face."  The word for "repent" in Greek (μετανοια/metanoia) means literally to "change one's mind."  Repentance, my study bible says, is a radical change of one's spirit, mind, thought, and heart -- a complete reorientation to a life centered in Christ.  

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 farther 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.  We should keep in mind that the first disciples of Christ had already been disciples of John the Baptist, and so were prepared to immediately leave their nets and follow Christ when called (see John 1:29-42).   My study bible comments that although they were illiterate and unlearned in religion, these "people of the land" whom Jesus calls will be revealed at Pentecost to be the wisest of all.  Let us note also the relationships that already tie these men together:  two sets of brothers, all fishermen, working in the same area and already known to one another.

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.    My study bible informs us that the word immediately occurs nearly forty times in Mark's Gospel -- and nearly all of them before Christ's entrance into Jerusalem.   The text gives us a sense of urgency and purpose (just as we were told in yesterday's reading that the Holy Spirit "drove" -- or, in the Greek, literally "threw" -- Jesus into the wilderness to face the temptations of Satan.  This is the way that Christ journeys toward Jerusalem in Mark's Gospel, with a determined sense of mission at this proper time of fulfillment in order to redeem the world.  My study bible says that Mark's Gospel not only the shortest but also the most direct of the four Gospels.  

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.  And here is "immediately" a confrontation as Jesus enters into and begins teaching in the synagogue.  The unclean spirits know who He is.  Their declaration also reveals His identity as Son, but at an improper time and not in His fulfillment of mission.  Hence, He commands, "Be quiet . . . !"  What amazes the people is Christ's authority, not only as He commands the unclean spirits, but also in the way He teaches, and "not as the scribes" (see above).   

Jesus, in some sense given through the way Mark's Gospel is written, "charges" into His mission now that it is the right time.  As my study bible comments, the setting begins as Jesus knows that John is in prison, and He comes preaching, "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand.  Repent, and believe in the gospel."  He begins to choose His men, the disciples (and of course, His ministry will also include women), who "immediately" begin to follow Him.  From there He "immediately" begins to preach in the synagogue, and something else happens "immediately" when He does.  Not only does He teach with authority, but He also commands with authority.  Moreover, just as with the temptation or testing in the wilderness by Satan, it is revealed to us quite clearly that behind the scenes there is a war going on, and so this mission into which Jesus enters with such seeming alacrity and purposefulness is like a military battle.  His authority is like that of a military leader, he commands the opposing troops to silence and departure, and He amazes those who are there to see and to hear it.  Later on, His former neighbors will marvel how this can be the Jesus they know whose family they know.  But the revelations begin at the "beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God," and they will keep on coming.  Those which come in the wrong way and at the wrong time He commands to silence.  Perhaps one of the most important things the text reminds us to understand is that, regardless of how we understand Christ's message of peace and the deep love of God toward which He calls us all, there is a battle into which He enters as central figure.  He will call Himself the "stronger man" who comes to seize the goods held by a strong man:  "When a strong man, fully armed, guards his own palace, his goods are in peace.  But when a stronger than he comes upon him and overcomes him, he takes from him all his armor in which he trusted, and divides his spoils."  And this same Jesus, who speaks to us in the Beatitudes by preaching that the meek shall inherit the earth (Matthew 5:5), adds of Himself as the stronger man, "He who is not with Me is against Me, and he who does not gather with Me scatters" (see Luke 11:21-23).  He has entered into the world as Liberator, the One who sets us free.  But He sets us free with His word; He sets us free with His truth:  "If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free" (John 8:31-32).  When Jesus enters into the wilderness in His time of testing before His public ministry, it is to confront the ruler of this world, Satan.  It is Satan who is the strong man, from whom Jesus comes as Liberator to release us.  But we each play a role in this spiritual battle, and that is the purpose and meaning of our faith.  That is the mission He begins in this Gospel, and it is the one into which He invites each of us to be also His disciples.  Today the mission is still the same, and we are called to be workers for the harvest, even if we remain few.  Let us consider Jesus' primary mission, for He is our true chief commander, and we are invited in to join Him in His true authority, even with those who called to become fishers of men.

 

 

 

 

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 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 

 

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.' "  My study bible tells us that gospel, which literally means "good news" or "good tidings") is a reference not to Mark's writings per se, but to the story of the life, death, and Resurrection of Jesus Christ, the good news of our salvation.  Beginning is a reference to these opening events of Christ's public ministry given here:  the preparation by the one titled "Forerunner" to the Lord, St. John the Baptist, and Christ's encounter with him.  The quotations from the Prophets are found at Malachi 3:1, Isaiah 40:3.

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."  Just as the Prophets spoke of Christ, and form echoes and ties to the Old Testament right at the beginning of Mark's Gospel, so also does the attire of John.  He is clothed in a way that is similar to that of Elijah the Prophet (2 Kings 1:8), which my study bible says helps to show that he fulfills the prophecy of Elijah's return (Malachi 4:5-6).  Let us note John's deep understanding of the difference between his baptism and the one which will be initiated by Christ.

It came to pass in those days that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee, and 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 points out that Jesus does not need purification, as He has no sin.  But by making the purification His own, He would wash away the sin of humanity, grant regeneration, and reveal the mystery of the Holy Trinity in this theophany of Father's voice, the Spirit descending as if to anoint the Messiah, and Himself revealed as Son.  (As Son, Christ has always had the Spirit resting upon Him; this is a revelation of that understanding.)  Christ also, in descending into the waters, purifies and sanctifies the waters of the world for Christian baptism.  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.  Let us note that Mark's language makes it clear that this is the action of the Holy Spirit in the beginning of Christ's public ministry.  In the Greek, it says literally that the Spirit "threw" or "cast out" Jesus into the wilderness for forty-day period of temptation.  Like humankind, He's there in the world, between the temptations of Satan, and the ministering angels, and with the wild beasts of the earth.  See also Matthew 4:1-11, Luke 4:1-13 for more detailed accounts of these forty days in the wilderness.

In the Eastern Church, Christ's Baptism is understood as Theophany ("Revelation of God") or Epiphany ("Revelation" or "Showing Forth").  Another understanding of the roots of these Greek words is that this is a manifestation of God in the world.  Therefore in the earliest practices of the Church,  the celebration of Christ's Nativity (Christmas) and Baptism were celebrated on the same day.  This beginning (as Mark gives it to us) of the gospel of Christ also paralleled the beginning of Christ's coming into the world through His birth by Mary, the Mother of God.  In the Orthodox Church, Holy Baptism is understood also as "Holy Illumination."  And so there is another parallel between the two events of Christ's birth and His Baptism in the Jordan by John the Baptist:  this is the coming of light into the world.  As John the Evangelist put it, it is the light shining in the darkness.  "In Him was life, and the life was the light of men.  And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it" (John 1:4-5).  So, as we also begin a new year, it is important for all of us to consider what it means that Christ remains a light shining in the darkness, and even that the darkness does not comprehend it.  We enter into a new year having completed a time of pandemic and many other ills and forms of "darkness" which run the gamut and span the globe.  For each person in every place, I am certain these varied experiences of darkness have been felt across large segments of population as well as the very personal level.  Let us consider how this beginning of Christ's ministry took place somewhere out of the way, and this revelation was unknown even to most of those who were present at His Baptism.  And yet, it remains the light shining in the darkness, the revelation or manifestation of God the Trinity to the world.  Let us also remember how our earliest Christian forbears understood it, as being in parallel with Christ's birth, a time when the world did not welcome Christ as there was "no room" for Him and His family (Luke 2:7), and instead the world was ready to meet Him with violence (Matthew 2:13-18).  We must remember that this is our own story, as followers of Christ, and understand this dimension of our faith will always be with us, regardless of celebrations and "good news."  We look to that light shining in the darkness, even as we look to find our way.  Let us remember also His time of temptation and struggle in the wilderness, for it is a portrait of ourselves in a world dominated by the "ruler of this world," but he has "nothing" in Christ (John 14:30).   Interesting that John baptizes in the wilderness, and Jesus goes to temptation in the wilderness that is the image of our world.  For it is Christ our Lord who overcame the world (John 16:33), and to Him we look to show us our way through it, just as it has been from the beginning.