by Rev. Canon David B. Tabo-oy
v14After John had been put in prison, Jesus went to Galilee and preached the Good News from God. v15″The right time has come,” he said, “and the Kingdom of God is near! Turn away from your sins and believe the Good News!” v16As Jesus walked along the shore of Lake Galilee, he saw two fishermen, Simon and his brother Andrew, catching fish with a net. v17Jesus said to them, “Come with me, and I will teach you to catch people.” v18At once they left their nets and went with him.
v19He went a little farther on and saw two other brothers, James and John, the sons of Zebedee. They were in their boat getting their nets ready. v20As soon as Jesus saw them, he called them; they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired men and went with Jesus. – Mark 1:14-20
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Saint Mark the Evangelist started his gospel account with the opening words, “This is the Good News about Jesus Christ, the Son of God.” Unlike the other writers of the Synoptic Gospels, Mark started directly about the Good News and then cited the Prophet Isaiah regarding the coming of a prophet that prepares the way of the Messiah, the proclaimer and fulfilment of the of the Good News. John the baptizer was the fulfillment of that prophecy. And Jesus is the Good News. This is the third Sunday after Epiphany and the Gospel reading heralds the beginning of Jesus’ public ministry. Jesus proclaimed, “The time is fulfilled and the kingdom of God has come near, repent and believe in the good news.” The kingdom has come! Following this proclamation, he went on to call his first followers to respond to the call to be fishers of people.
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Following his baptism, Jesus went forth with the Good News that the Kingdom of God had come near. John had done the preparatory work and the stage was now set for Jesus.The beginning of Jesus’ mission of proclaiming good news took place at a particular time and in a particular context. His call to repentance asked for a change of life, reminding his hearers that the kingdom of God was near. Repentance simply means to turn back to God, to turn around and recognize that He is there, always loving, always forgiving. The same invitation is given to us now. May we allow his word and kingdom to find a home in our hearts.Ordinary people were called from their places of work and they gave a ready response. The implications of the decision would become more apparent in due course, but their initial generosity was important to begin with.
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This episode in Mark follows directly after the story of Jesus’ temptation in the wilderness. He goes to Galilee, and there he proclaims the “good news of God”, “gospel of God,” “evangelion of God.” Jesus’ first sermon is short, memorable, and direct. Time is at a crisis point. Events in the past have gathered to the point of culmination, and the “kingdom of God” is approaching. His words shed light backwards on the prophecy from Isaiah, the work of John the baptizer, and the divine voice and vision at Jesus’ baptism, and they shine forward to the deeds of Jesus in the rest of the gospel.
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With brevity the text sets the scene and introduces the brothers, first Simon and Andrew, and then James and John, and their profession “for they were fishermen.” Jesus’ straightforward imperative, “follow me”” is finished with the odd formulation, “I will make you fish for people.””Fishing” is interpreted as another kind of drawing, catching, and harvesting, of people, followers, disciples, or members of a movement, in the language of mission. One kind of employment, fishing, will be transfigured into another, sharing the “good news,” and offer another kind of provision. Simon and Andrew respond in an instant without further conversation. They leave their nets, the sign of their former profession. Likewise, James and John, leave their father and the hired men, their fishing colleagues, to follow the preacher.
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The church has faced many obstacles to the preaching of the Gospel. We are reminded of this when we sing the hymn “Faith of our Fathers.” But the message continues on in spite of fire, dungeon or sword. When the printing press presented the opportunity to present the Gospel, the enemy tried to stop it by burning the books and persecuting those who printed them. But it was all for naught. Someone thought they could stop Tyndale from distributing the English bible by buying up all the books. But that also failed. Tyndale used the profits to print even more bibles. Today, the Internet and social media present opportunities to share the Good News. The enemies of the Gospel are filled with rage and are trying to ban the message and messengers from these platforms. They should realize that this attempt to stifle the message will serve more to promote it.
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What God wants is for His people to be bold in proclaiming the message in spite of the dangers. What God wants is people who will stick to the message and not try to alter it in order to remove the offense of the cross. There is no compromise in proclaiming Christ message of salvation. The message from the beginning is to repent and believe the Good News. The word “repent” is not a suggestion but is an imperative in Greek. This message originates from the Sovereign God and King of the Universe and not from any human source. Commands from the King are meant to be obeyed. Disobeying the King has severe repercussions. If people fear the edicts of earthly leaders, how much more those which come from God! God has not suggested that the church preach this message of repentance either. Rather, God commands us to witness. The command to make disciples, to proclaim the good news of salvation, is an imperative and meant to be obeyed.
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The church must follow the example of Jesus’ first disciples. We must leave all else behind and follow Him. The world is in darkness. The world is in severe trouble. But more severe than the earthly problems the world now faces, of its own making, is the danger of being unprepared to meet God. People need to know what the real problem is. People have turned their backs on God and His word. They need to repent. This is their only hope. Scientists do not have the answer. Politicians are not the answer either. The only hope is Jesus. Be bold to tell them.
Let us pray.
Lord, you have invited us to follow you, yet too often we stray from living as you would have us live. You have commanded that we share the good news of God in Jesus Christ, yet we keep our faith in ourselves. Dear Lord, forgive us for the many times we have failed to live as your chosen people. Forgive us for those times when we have missed opportunities to share your good news and invite people into a new life with you. We ask your mercy and forgiveness. Help us to be the people that you desire us to be. Let us each and every day experience your grace, forgiveness, and redemption. In the Name of our Lord Jesus who called us to follow him to proclaim the same Good News. Amen.***
