Reflection - Third Sunday in Ordinary Time
Photo: Farid Askerov/Unsplash
We return to the gospel according to Mark this week after reading of the call of the first disciples last week in the gospel of John. Mark’s description is quite different.
We have skirted round the important episode of Jesus being tempted in the desert by Satan. We return to it in the first Sunday of Lent. This Sunday’s gospel tells us that Jesus returned to Galilee, to familiar territory. But we read also that John the Baptist was arrested before Jesus left the territory of the Jordan. The biblical commentators remind us that this is an important issue. Mark uses the word for ‘handed over’ that is ‘arrested’ many times in his short gospel.
We are reminded today as well as throughout the history of Christianity that following the person of Jesus and acting on his words and deeds may involve risk, will always involve risk somewhere at some time.
The time for his ministry begins. ‘Repent and believe the Good News’. ‘To repent’ means to change one’s point of view or to take a different direction. Hence, it has a wider meaning than the religious meaning we scribe to it, but especially in following Jesus, it means a change in our mind and our heart
‘The kingdom of heaven’ is not spelled out for us, it was a phrase which the people of that time generally understood. Then Jesus is described as being at home, down by the Sea of Galilea and he calls his first disciples. He calls and they follow him. This incident is strange and powerful. Why did they follow him? Two fishermen leave their profession to go with a carpenter? What did they have in common?
If there were initial meetings with Andrew and Simon as John’s gospel describes, Mark has no time for that; the clock is ticking for the kingdom to come into being.
Walking on a little further along the lake, Jesus calls another two fishermen brothers, James and John to follow him and they do.
Again what has happened here? Odd happenings when Jesus chooses four fishermen as disciples to instruct others in the kingdom of God. Why pick uneducated men from Galilee?
A little reflection points out that the first move by them was a response to the person of Jesus. At this stage they know nothing about him but his call and impact drew them after him. Then over a period of time they come to understand what Jesus was asking of them. Basically,’ imitate me’!
The plan of God is being rolled out now. Jesus has been baptised and now goes out to invite people to live in the kingdom and become members through baptism.
It is worth noting how often God begins new and exciting actions or movements outside the contemporary religious institutions. How the fundamental starting point is an encounter with Jesus. Everything flows from this call through the ages: Come and follow me!.
Columban Fr Gary Walker is currently living at the Columban house in Sandgate, Brisbane.
