Mark 1: 1-20
Here begins the Good News about Jesus the Messiah, the Son of God. In the book of the prophet Isaiah, God said, “Look, I am sending my messenger before you, and he will prepare your way. He is a voice shouting in the wilderness: 'Prepare a pathway for the Lord's coming! Make a straight road for him!'” This Messenger was John the Baptist. He lived in the wilderness and was preaching that people should be baptized to show that they had turned from their sins and turned to God to be forgiven. People from Jerusalem and from all over Judea traveled out into the wilderness to see and hear John. And when they confessed their sins, he baptized them in the Jordan River. His clothes were woven from camel hair, and he wore a leather belt; his food was locusts and wild honey. He announced: “Someone is coming soon who is far greater than I am—so much greater that I am not even worthy to be his slave. I baptize you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit!”
One day Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee, and he was baptized by John in the Jordan River. And when Jesus came up out of the water, he saw the heavens split open and the Holy Spirit descending like a dove on him. And a voice came from heaven saying, “You are my beloved Son, and I fully pleased with you.”
Immediately the Holy Spirit compelled Jesus to go into the wilderness. He was there for forty days, being tempted by Satan. He was out among the wild animals, and angels took care of him.
One day as Jesus was walking along the shores of the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother, Andrew, fishing with a net, for they were commercial fishermen. Jesus called out to them, “Come, be my disciples, and I will show you how to fish for people” And they left their nets at once and went with him.
A little farther up the shore Jesus saw Zebedee's sons, James and John, in a boat mending their net. He called to them, too, and immediately they left their father, Zebedee, in the boat with the hired men and went with him.
Helps: In reading Matthew, Mark, and Luke we come to realize that they hold many things in common. New Testament scholars call them the Synoptic Gospels. They believe that Matthew and Luke had Mark's Gospel in front of them when they wrote because Matthew and Luke have many identical words and sayings as Mark. Matthew and Luke share sayings and stories that are not found in Mark and it is believed that Matthew and Luke had another document in front of them when they wrote called the “Q” documents.
Mark begins his Gospel with John the Baptist and the baptism of Jesus. Many early Christian communities only had Mark's Gospel. It was all the New Testament they had. Is it necessary to believe in the virgin birth and the birth narratives to be a Christian?
Most Christians will say they have been “tempted by the Devil.” Is the Devil real to you?
Have you ever felt that you needed to “fish for men”/share your faith with someone? If so what was their reaction?
What other thoughts come to mind as your read this passage?
About Me
- Faith Community Church
- Early in the life of the church, we used to have the tag line, "Casual in style, serious in service." This was to communicate with those who did not know us that we held a come as you are policy. Come as you are in whatever physical, mental, spiritual, financial, medical, etc. state you are in - we would open our doors, our arms, our hearts and our lives to you. And while we have since moved away from the phrase, we still stress the importance of accepting and loving all of God's people where they are, as they are. So come as you are, but know that our casual approach is not sign of us sitting back and letting God work - NO WAY! The second part of that phrase, "...serious in service!" carries it's weight too. We believe we were created to be partners with God in his work in the world, and everyone has a part to play. There are no wallflowers here. Come and join us as we join God in bringing his kingdom to this world, and into people's lives.
You don't have to answer the questions. They are to get your thoughts fired up about the scripture. Give us your thoughts. Al
ReplyDeleteThe main thing that stands out for me is the unwavering faith of the four boys who left everything familiar to them and the safety and comfort of family and friends and certainty to follow a new-found leader about whom I'm sure there were many ill-intentioned rumours. I am so far from the faith of those boys who quickly became men of God, teachers of others and example setters. I struggle constantly with the concept of faith because I personally have a huge need to know absolutely everything going on in my life and the lives of everyone close to me and preferably some advance notice of any upcoming changes. Well, discerning and following the will of God doesn't fit into that box. There have been many times I should have "left my net" and followed and I have not. Will I be able to next time?
ReplyDeleteWhat stands out for me is John the Baptist willingness to step out of the spot light and to let Jesus lead the way and God recognizing Jesus as his Son.
ReplyDeleteI've always been impressed by that as well, Mark.
ReplyDeleteI find the parallel uses of water as a symbol very interesting. It is used in the context of birth (or rebirth) and in the threat or danger of death (the devil?). First, we hear that John the Baptist had been living in the wilderness with food of locusts and honey. Wilderness was likely very desert-like and there is no mention of what poor John had to drink. Then we find him at the Jordan River where he Baptizes people and they are re-born as Christians. Is the water here in any way like the water in the womb when we are born? Then, once again, coming up out of the water has a dramatic visual moment. The splash! The gasp of breath. The voice of God as Jesus bursts up to the surface(with the help of a mere man)from the water and sees a dove. Immediately, though, Jesus returns to the very dry, very life-threatening wilderness. How grateful we are that the angles were there to quench his thirst for life. I get thirsty thinking about it. Such yearning. Desperate yearning. Of course, the most undeniable symbolic, use of water is in the use of fishing nets and the call to be fishers of men. A picture we can all understand! (including early Christians in an arid land so dependent on rivers and the sea for food. I mean how many olives and locusts can you eat?). I can easily see tangled, patched nets being thrown out as far as possible, weights pulling the nets down, men pulling them back, kinda muddy, with some flip-flopping fish, holes that let some "big ones" get away.. and (maybe?) some junk? An old tire, pop can, toilet seat? Oops, wrong era...and those who want to be "caught up" and lifted up to see the light, breathe the same air as Jesus. (No poles, worms and hooks needed)But then, here are a couple thought provokers...did those fishers of men...throw back the ones that are too small to keep? And, did they broil the "keepers" in butter or lemon? (They could have been hungry too.)Kidding there about that last part.
ReplyDeleteWhat are the Q documents?
ReplyDeleteThe devil is real, if nothing more than being real in me. I constantly struggle against the devil of judgement, self-concern, pride, deceit, lust, and greed. Often times, I ignore it the struggle or my sins, b/c I'm tired of being reminded of that part of me which I can't seem to separate myself from. No matter what I do, or where I go it's always there lurking, waiting, tempting me to succumb to it. And more times than not I do. So I allow my sins, the devil, to have control over me b/c I don't accept the grace of God. This to my understand is the narrow door that Jesus talks about in Luke 13. There is nothing that keeps me from moving through the doorway into Christ's kingdom other than my own self-deceit, shame and lies I keep on my back, and refuse to lay down.
ReplyDelete