Beginning

DWELL.  Mark 1.

The beginning of the good news of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.

As it is written in the prophet Isaiah,
‘See, I am sending my messenger ahead of you,*
who will prepare your way;
the voice of one crying out in the wilderness:
“Prepare the way of the Lord,
make his paths straight” ’,
John the baptizer appeared in the wilderness, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. And people from the whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem were going out to him, and were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins. Now John was clothed with camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey. He proclaimed, ‘The one who is more powerful than I is coming after me; I am not worthy to stoop down and untie the thong of his sandals. I have baptized you with water; but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.’

In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. And just as he was coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens torn apart and the Spirit descending like a dove on him.And a voice came from heaven, ‘You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased.’
And the Spirit immediately drove him out into the wilderness. He was in the wilderness for forty days, tempted by Satan; and he was with the wild beasts; and the angels waited on him.

REFLECT

This story begins with two men.  Adult Jews in the first century world of Judea.  The Christ and the Baptist.  These were their titles or their vocations, not their names. This story is about one of these two men, the one called Jesus.  It is, we are told, good news.  An 'evangel' was a proclamation of divine goodness or blessing that came from the emperor. This word is here translated 'good news'.  But it is not news from or about the emperor in Rome, but about this man Jesus.    

In the first century world, the Roman Emperor had been declared the Son of God.  Supreme ruler with all authority, power, and status.  The Jews were an ancient ethnic/religious group with a long history of colonialism and oppression by powerful empires: Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, Persia, Greece, and Rome had all reigned over Israel/Judah.  

The Jews' primary story suggested that the one creator God had also chosen them and liberated them from oppression in Egypt and in Babylon. God would always rescue them.  Their covenant relationship with God included a temple religious system of sacrifices and prayer, as well as a system of laws to obey in order to remain in right relationship with God.  A state of righteousness or justification, in which their obedience to God gave them access to God's divine protection and provision.  They believed that their God alone was supremely powerful and ruled over the earth from a heavenly throne.  They believed in a future time when God would liberate them from their oppressors and restore harmony and peace in creation.  They believed that God would send a leader, a ruler, an anointed King (Christ) to rule on earth as God's appointed representative. Their ancient holy men, the prophets, spoke about the present age of injustice and wickedness, the wrath and punishment of God, and the hope of a new day that would dawn for God's people.  The prophets' suggested that their suffering under oppressive rulers was the divine consequence of their own unfaithfulness to God.  These people believed the words of their prophets and hoped with expectation for a day of liberation and peace.  This story is about their hopes and expectations. 

John drew people to the Judean waters of the Jordan River for a ritual cleansing of the body in preparation for God's decisive action of liberation and restoration.  Repentance means a change of one's mind. John invited them to think differently about their circumstances.  Their God had not forgotten them.  Their God intended to rescue them again.  This Baptism of repentance was a sign that they were in bondage to sin and that God had forgiven them.  Their external bondage and suffering was directly related to their internal, spiritual bondage.  They needed to be liberated on the inside, in order to be free on the outside.  They were prisoners to their own dark hearts and minds. Sin is more than immorality or unholy behavior.  It is a state of separation from God and from our truest, best selves.  It is the opposite of peace. And it is the cause of much suffering. 

John announced that a person was coming, a person whose power and authority comes from the creator God---whose life-giving power was called the Holy Spirit.  

When Jesus was baptized, the Holy Spirit (power/life-force of God) announces that he is the one chosen by God to lead and liberate these people.  This same Spirit drives Jesus out into the wilderness, where egos are broken by the limits of mortality. The wilderness is where we see our worst and our best selves emerge.  Our true identity is shaped by wilderness experiences (hardship, struggle, pain, loss, etc...you know it).  We get to choose who we will be.  Jesus experiences both angels and demons there.  As do we.  

From the beginning, we know this will be a story of conflict and confrontation between the visible powers of this world and the invisible power of the creating God.  Who is the Son of God?  Who is really in charge?  We know this will be a story about internal, personal change and external transformation.  We know this will be a story about identity: what it means to be human, what it means to be free, what it means to be good, what it means to be alive.  We know its a story about vocation:  What it means to be called, authorized to represent, to perform meaningful or life-saving work.  We know this is a story about Emperors and Christs (Kings anointed and appointed by and for God).  We know this is a story about power. And with power comes danger and threat.  The story of Jesus is NOT gentle, comforting, and easy.  But it is good.     

What power do you have?  How is power used and/or abused by people?  Who is powerful?  Who are the powerless?  Are there things, systems, ideas, circumstances you'd like to change but feel powerless to do so?  Where does power come from?    

PRAY

Creator God, we dare to believe that you have spoken to ancient peoples and to us as inheritors of their stories.  Help us to see, hear, and know the power that gives life.   Amen.