THE PRESENCE OF THE LONG AWAITED KINGDOM (Mark 1:14-20)
Dear Friends, Today we are on the road with Jesus through the majesty of Mark’s Gospel. When Jesus proclaims the presence of the long awaited Kingdom, He immediately lays out a call to conversion, a change of heart and a change of life.
Then He shows us in the call of the first disciples what is most fundamental to that repentance and conversion. The call is an invitation to a personal relationship with Jesus. He is to be our friend and teacher. He is the greatest gift of the Kingdom. Our call is to walk with Jesus. This goes before all rules and practices of our faith.
Mark’s story of Peter and the other disciples is a story of hope and failure, of broken dreams and deeper acceptance of human experience opening up to the mystery of divine love. It is a journey filled with the stuff of life in all its fears and confusion, its wonder and joy. It rides the roller coaster of the feeding of the five thousand and the Transfiguration and the denials in the courtyard. The yes to Jesus is always packaged in human frailty but embraced by a patient and ever-forgiving Savior.
The message for us today is to seek a relationship with Jesus. We need to go beyond the words of the song, “What a Friend I Have in Jesus” to a way of life filled with trust and longing. We need to be ready for the question asked of Peter, “Who do you say I am?” (Mk 8:29) Like Peter, we will have more than our share of difficulty in understanding the command to take up our cross and follow Jesus to Jerusalem. Also like Peter, true faithfulness will ultimately show us that Jesus knows best what we need.
This relationship with Jesus must go through many different stages as we learn not only who Jesus is but who we are. Our vulnerability and weakness will blossom as gifts that help us to really know who Jesus is and how much we need Him in the journey of life.
As we grow in this deep-seated relationship and communion with Jesus, our hearts will open up to the second part of the call, to share the gift, to be “fishers of men.” (Mk 1:17)
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