MARK 1:14-19
Read Mark 1:14-19
Just before getting into the detail of Jesus’ ministry to bring in the Kingdom of God, Mark introduces us to the first of the disciples. But before he even does that, Mark reinforces Jesus’ mission. ‘After John was put in prison, Jesus went into Galilee proclaiming the good news of God. “The time has come”, he said, “The Kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe the good news”’. Typically for Mark he gives us no information about why John was in prison or what his ultimate fate was to be. We have to look at the other gospel accounts for that. We are getting used to Mark now. He is not interested in telling us about historical detail and background; it is all about Jesus.
And so Jesus came, saying, ‘repent and believe the good news’. The good news is about entering the Kingdom of God and receiving eternal life in the presence of Jesus. And to do that it is necessary to change from living one’s life centred on oneself to a life centred on God; living by his standards, by his word, and not by the standards and norms of the society in which we live. It is about turning one’s life around.
In the Old Testament the went for ‘repentance’ comes from the verb ‘to turn around’ and I think that helps us to understand what repentance is all about. For example, in the Book of Ruth, when Naomi left Moab to go back to Bethlehem she was accompanied by her two daughters in law. Naomi encouraged them to go back to their homes in Moab, but Ruth said she would stay with Naomi. However, her other daughter in law, Orpah, turned around and went back. That word, to turn around and go in the other direction is the word that Hebrew uses for ‘repent’ and that gives us a clue as to what repentance is. It is more than just saying ‘sorry’ and carrying on as before. Repentance involves a change of direction, a change of attitude, a change of mindset, and that is what Jesus was preaching; turn away from the evils of this world and live a life that accords with the wishes of God.
Only then does Mark take us into the calling of the first disciples. And, again, isn’t it noticeable how spare the story is? Jesus called, they followed – end of story! But I think it demonstrates the authority of Jesus. Later on in the chapter (v27) Jesus was preaching in the synagogue and the people were amazed and said, ‘What is this? A new teaching – and with authority!’
And of course, Jesus is God the Son; he speaks with the authority of God himself, so it is natural to follow him. And when we are called by Jesus, just like the disciples, we cannot resist him. We repent and believe the good news.