First Sunday after the Epiphany |
|
|
|
Scripture |
Mark 1:4-11 4 John the baptizer appeared in the wilderness, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. 5 And people from the whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem were going out to him, and were baptized by him in the river Jordan , confessing their sins. 6 Now John was clothed with camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey. 7 He proclaimed, “The one who is more powerful than I is coming after me; I am not worthy to stoop down and untie the thong of his sandals. 8 I have baptized you with water; but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.” 9 In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan . 10 And just as he was coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens torn apart and the Spirit descending like a dove on him. 11 And a voice came from heaven, “You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased.”
|
Devotional |
Throughout Mark’s story, characters struggle to understand what Jesus words and actions mean. We can be distracted with the questions of Jesus’ superiority to John and if only Jesus or the whole crowd heard the voice from heaven. This week’s text points to God’s powerful and direct activity in the world. Jesus came to the wild prophet, John baptized him, the heavens were opened, the Spirit descended on Jesus, and there was a voice from heaven , “You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased.” Is baptism a process for spiritual growth or a one time event? Is it possible that it is both? Baptism is a one time event but it is also an invitation to constant growth and creativity. “The meaning of repentance in the bible is quite different from that in widespread post biblical Christian understanding. Many Christians think of repentance as primarily contrition-as being sincerely sorry for our sins, confessing them, and perhaps doing penance, but the biblical meaning emphasizes change. Repentance changes a person. To repent is to turn to God. In the Old Testament, it meaning is shaped by the Jewish experience of exile; it means to return from exile to the place of God’s presence.” “To repent is to turn away from the lords of this world and to turn to God, to return to God. To repent, to return, is to follow the way that leads out of exile, separation, alienation, and estrangement to reconnection.” 1 The focus should not be on the question of Jesus’ superiority or if everyone heard the voice but what God is saying to us. More appropriate questions for me are: The function of Mark’s Gospel was not to prove that Jesus was the “Son of God,” nor was it simply to offer biographical information about Jesus. Rather it was to engage the readers in the unfolding story of Jesus “from Nazareth of Galilee” (1:9), so that they too might be caught up in his message ( 1:14 -15) and be challenged to believe that neither demonic powers nor brutal rulers can ultimately triumph over Jesus or over them. 2 Does this Gospel engage us in a way that we see God at work in our life and in the world around us? 1 Marcus Borg and John Dominic Crossan, The First Christmas. New York : Harper One, 2007. p. 235-236
|