Gospeling Your Life According to Mark

 

As you open your Bible, take a deep breath ~ breathing in God’s Spirit to awaken you.  Exhale a prayer of presence and openness to each word you will read in chapters 1 and 2 of the Gospel according to Mark.  Remember one of the big picture themes Mark is asking, how do we move through storms, stress, strain, suffering and moments of life when the stuffing gets knocked out of us?  Mark begins not with a birth story and singing “Away in a Manger”.  Mark begins with a brave and bold declaration, Good News!  Recall that is political language.  Good News is what Caesar claimed to bring when he conquered your village with violence.  Good News, or gospel, is what Caesar said he alone could bring as the prince of peace.  But Caesar’s peace comes with crosses of fear to keep you coloring inside the lines.  Mark 1:1 is not a sentence but a headline that shouts like a protest the powers that be.  Mark 1:1 is a declaration of independence, that freedom comes not from conformity but from diversity of God’s creation.  Good news of Jesus Christ, God’s love incarnate and in the flesh, (and spoiler alert, this isn’t all kittens and pony rides for God’s love will be crucified).  Mark quotes Isaiah about a voice in the wilderness.  The wilderness is an echo of Exodus and Exile ~ of wandering seemingly aimless following Moses and of being in a frightening and fear-filled place.  Wilderness is not idyllic where we post selfies or talk about our self-actualization, wilderness is to be avoided.  Wilderness is uncontrollable and uncontainable; it is a stressful place which brings us back to Mark’s theme.  The voice says out of the wilderness will come a voice to prepare.

 

You are preparing right now to read the Gospels with me in 50-ish days.  In the coming days there will be times of twists and turns.  You may find yourself one moment energized and another day depleted and other falling behind – even feeling discouraged.  You may start to wonder why.  Like when you are hiking and your feet start aching (or as my grandma would say, “My dogs are barking” when she had walked too much).  We get tired and wonder if we can keep on keeping on.  The voice calls out to you remind you that you are not alone.  You are not alone; you can join in the Bible Study group tomorrow night on Zoom.  You can come and talk to me.  Find connection in community as we make our way through these words.

 

As Mark ushers us into the wilderness, we meet John the Baptizer who calls for baptism and to repent.  The word “repent” is a word that can carry more baggage than a family of four going on a month-long vacation.  But “repent” means to change your direction, your destination, your mind and heart.  We “repent” all the time.  New Years Resolutions are “repenting” of sorts. I read a book that something I thought was good for me is not, so I try to quit.  In some ways, reading the Gospels is a way of re-ordering and re-organizing your life.  As Jesus is baptized by John, the heavens open and God names and claims Jesus.  And Jesus goes to the wilderness, do you hear the echo here?  The wilderness is a theme and thread that connects Mark’s story.  It is not just a backdrop, setting or scene, it is a spiritual location where we find ourselves.  Jesus comes out of the wilderness preaching and proclaiming a new kingdom ~ which is an affront to Caesar’s kingdom.  I know the word “kingdom” is loaded word, but it refers to where we reside and call, “Home”.  Am I living with God’s wisdom or human wisdom?  And the point is, like the man with an unclean spirit in verse 23, we all cry out because we are trapped wanting both!  We long for healing (which are most of the stories you read in Mark 1 and 2), we need rest which is where Mark 2 ends, with an invitation to Sabbath or resting in God. 

 

As you read Mark 1 and 2 consider where do you need healing ~ physically, emotionally, spiritually, relationally, and societally?  Who can offer that healing?  We go chasing all kinds of “Gospels” (including preachers like me) who promise to offer you a cure for what worries you.  And where do you find rest, renewal, and reconnecting with God, yourself, and others?  May these questions help you find “Gospel”/Good News in the wilderness of today.  Amen.