January
23, 2000
Mark 1:14-20 (CEV)
After John [the Baptist] was arrested, Jesus went to Galilee and
told the good news that comes from God. He said, "The time
has come! God's kingdom will soon be here. Turn back to God and
believe the good news!"
As Jesus was walking along the shore of Lake Galilee, he saw Simon
and his brother Andrew. They were fishermen and were casting their
nets into the lake. Jesus said to them, "Come with me! I
will teach you how to bring in people instead of fish." Right
then the two brothers dropped their nets and went with him.
Jesus walked on and soon saw James and John, the sons of Zebedee.
They were in a boat, mending their nets. At once Jesus asked them
to come with him. They left their father in the boat with the
hired workers and went with him.
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1.
The first message is not about believing "this" or "that."
The first message is a perception, an awareness, a bone-deep understanding
- God's realm is here. Since this is the case, it makes sense
to change your life to get in line with reality. This change is
not something we do in order to earn something, but simply to
align our self with the best news available.
2. With echoes of "The time has come!" alive
and well and loose in the world it is easier to hear a simple
"Come!" The echo of good news lets us see how images
of ministry abound in every event, even a simply one like fishing.
If Simon and Andrew were carpenters Jesus might have said, "I
will teach you to construct habitats for humanity and not just
rooms for pay." How might Jesus change your everyday work
with an image consistent with a present realm of God?
3.
The time has come to reshape our image of family. The realm of
God is not based on the model of a nuclear family. It is not based
on parental authority or family business. We will find it based
on mutual care for each other. How does your image of family need
to expand? What about single folk, orphans, same-gender partners,
widows, and the list goes on? To be part of God's realm is to
reorient our lives in relationship to one another. The time has
come!