Repent and Believe

St. Mark’s Gospel records that Jesus began his preaching ministry only after the arrest of St. John the Baptist.  The evangelist also records that the message that Jesus preaches is the same message that John has been preaching.  “The Kingdom of God is at hand.  Repent and believe in the Gospel.”  (Mark 1:15bc) 

If we take these verses and read them with a view of the culture of this period in Israel’s time, we would realize that Jesus does not begin his preaching until after John’s arrest in deference to his position as the one who came first.  Only after he is no longer on the scene does Jesus step into the preaching role.  Also in deference to John, Jesus’ message is the same as John’s message.  It is clear that the only response one can give to this message is that of repentance; namely, turning away from our former way of life and turning toward God. 

To illustrate this message and the response, St. Mark immediately draws our attention to the call of the first four apostles.  By leaving their boats and their nets, they have turned away and turned toward.  Their response is dramatic. 

Equally dramatic, however, is the scene that comes near the end of this Gospel; namely, the arrest of Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane.  In an ironic twist, St. Mark records there that just as the first apostles had left everything to follow Jesus they just as dramatically leave everything to get away from Jesus at the moment of his arrest: “And they all left him and fled.  Now a young man followed him wearing nothing but a linen cloth about his body. They seized him, but he left the cloth behind and ran off naked.”  (Mark 14:50-52)

Call it what you will – fidelity, commitment, perseverance – the vocation we have all received is not a matter of a simple choice.  Following Jesus is a matter of a daily decision.  It has been said that the Sunday Gospels of Ordinary Time embody this theme; namely, there is a cost to being a disciple, to being a follower of Jesus.  Each day demands that we hear the Gospel message once again: “Repent, and believe in the Gospel.”  (Mark 1:15c)

Fr. Lawrence Jagdfeld, O.F.M., Administrator