As is typical for Mark, our short Gospel reading packs in a lot of information. After John the Baptist’s arrest, Jesus begins his public ministry with a message of (in Greek) metanoia (repent, turn around, change your mind).
1st Reading: Jonah 3:1-5, 10
Jonah had resisted God’s first attempt to
send him to Nineveh, in part because he knew God would show mercy to those who
were Israel’s enemies, and he did not want to do it. Nineveh was a great city of the Assyrian
Empire. Jonah relents the second time
(after being saved from the belly of a great fish) and the city repents, and
God forgives, just as Jonah had feared. The
story continues with Jonah’s bitter complaint against God. But God’s mercy prevails, even over Jonah.
3:1 The word of the Lord came
to Jonah a second time, saying, 2 “Get
up, go to Nineveh, that great city, and proclaim to it the message that I tell you.”
3 So Jonah set out and went to
Nineveh, according to the word of the Lord.
Now Nineveh was an exceedingly large city, a three days’ walk across. 4 Jonah began to go into the city, going a
day’s walk. And he cried out, “Forty days more, and Nineveh shall be
overthrown!” 5 And the people of
Nineveh believed God; they proclaimed a fast, and everyone, great and small,
put on sackcloth. 10 When God saw what they did, how they turned from their evil ways, God
changed his mind about the calamity that he had said he would bring upon them;
and he did not do it.
Psalm 62:6-14
Psalm 62 is a personal testimony of trust
in God. As a response to the first
reading, the last line is interesting since God decides not to repay the
Ninevites “according to their deeds.”
Perhaps the ways of God are not as simple as either Jonah or the
psalmist imagines!
6 For God alone my soul in silence waits; *
truly, my hope in in him.
7 He alone is my rock and my salvation, *
my stronghold, so that I shall not
be shaken.
8 In God is my safety and my honor; *
God is my strong rock and my refuge.
9 Put your trust in him always, O people, *
pour out your hearts before him,
for God is
our refuge.
10 Those of high degree are but a fleeting breath,
*
even those of low estate cannot be
trusted.
11 On the scales they are lighter than a breath, *
all of them together.
12 Put no trust in extortion;
in robbery take no empty pride; *
though wealth increase, set not your
heart upon it.
13 God has spoken once, twice I have heard it, *
that power belongs to God.
14 Steadfast love is your, O Lord, *
for you repay everyone according to
his deeds.
2nd Reading: 1 Corinthians 7:29-31
Paul,
like most early Christians, believed that Jesus’ return in glory was
imminent. In this context, the following
reading makes perfect sense. Paul exhorts the followers of Jesus to rid
themselves of all distractions from focusing on the glory that is to come. Jesus, however, would not come again soon, so
what does this reading have to offer us?
There is a sense in which God calls us to a certain detachment from even
those things and people we most cherish, lest we lose sight of the One who is
always coming into our lives.
7:29 I mean, brothers and sisters, the
appointed time has grown short; from now on, let even those who have wives be
as though they had none, 30 and
those who mourn as though they were not mourning, and those who rejoice as
though they were not rejoicing, and those who buy as though they had no
possessions, 31 and those who deal
with the world as though they had no dealings with it. For the present form of
this world is passing away.
Gospel
Reading: Mark 1:14-20
As is typical for Mark, our short
Gospel reading packs in a lot of information.
After John the Baptist’s arrest, Jesus begins his public ministry with a
message of (in Greek) metanoia (repent, turn around, change your
mind). The kingdom of heaven is at hand.
He then calls his first disciples who all leave to follow him “immediately” (a
favorite word of Mark).
1:14 Now after John was arrested, Jesus came to Galilee, proclaiming the
good news of God, 15 and saying,
“The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near; repent, and
believe in the good news.” 16 As
Jesus passed along the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew
casting a net into the sea—for they were fishermen. 17 And Jesus said to them, “Follow me and I
will make you fish for people.” 18 And
immediately they left their nets and followed him. 19 As he went a little farther, he saw James son of Zebedee
and his brother John, who were in their boat mending the nets. 20 Immediately he called them; and they left
their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired men, and followed him.
The
Scripture quotations (except for the psalm) are from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright © 1989 by the
Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ
in the U.S.A., and are used by permission.
All rights reserved. The Psalm
translation is from The Book of Common
Prayer. Commentaries are by Epiphany
ESources, 67 E. Main St., Hornell, NY 14843, www.epiphanyesources.com , copyright
© 2018. All rights reserved. Permission
is given to copy for group use, with attribution.
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