Reading the Gospels for Lent

 

Read Matthew 28, Mark 1-2

 

Woo hoo!  Two Gospels complete!  Pause for a moment of celebration.  Pause for a moment to hold what you have found meaningful.  Pause for a moment to also name and claim your questions about Jesus’ birth, life, death, and resurrection.  We continue to dwell in the Word of God and let the Word of God dwell in us because every time we re-read the words of the Gospels we see something different ~ usually because we are different.  You could go back to John 1 today and spy a word, phrase or have a thought that didn’t occur to you back on February 27^th when we began this adventure.  Hold this truth.   Speaking of birth of Jesus, Mark doesn’t have one.  In fact, I love that Mark just jumps into the middle of the story.  Like a teacher who dives into the material without any kind of introduction.  Mark catches us off guard.  In fact, the very first verse in Mark isn’t even a complete sentence in Greek.  Mark 1:1 could read: “Good news!  Jesus Christ!”  Mark wants to share a story of God’s liberating love that is gospel.  Recall that Rome had a gospel, one of violence and fear and worshiping Caesar.  Rome had a gospel of conformity and staying in your place.  Jesus brings a different gospel. 

How would you describe the gospel, good news, as you have encountered it so far?  Note that we have four gospels so that we can be expansive and elastic.  With each reading of the gospels there can be an evolution toward revolution and freedom.  John longs for us to make room on the shelves of our souls for Christ, God in the flesh, to dwell in us and us in Christ.  John wants us to be a vine that is rooted in a live-changing relationship with the Creator and Redeemer. Matthew wants to encourage us to have urgency and immediacy about how we live our lives.  We need to steward our lives; to be awake and aware of the shepherd in our lives.  Mark longs to share a vision of God’s sacrificial love.  Mark is the shortest of all four gospels.  In fact, many believe that Mark wants to get the reader to the crucifixion as quickly as possible.  This is perhaps why Mark doesn’t have a birth narrative.  What is important for Mark is to meet Jesus as an adult, who embodies God’s love, that will be misunderstood by the powers that be.  Even though Mark is the shortest, there is an economy of words, each verse matters.  So, I encourage you to read slowly, savoring every word.  What do you notice that is unique to Mark?  What do you pick up in his abbreviated narratives that you might have missed in the wordier Matthew and John versions?  Finally, how do the vignettes of chapters 1 and 2 stir and speak to your life in these Lenten days?  May you continue to encounter God’s grace and love in the good news of these words this day. Amen.