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Columba Comments...
Short reflections written by members of our
congregation
8 March 2009
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Scripture: Mark 1.14-20
Exploration
The theme for our
readings today is ‘Changing from the inside’.
Mark begins his Gospel with a magnificent summary message of the
call to Christian faith placed on the lips of Jesus: “The appointed
time has come, the Kingdom of God is here, repent and believe the
Good News.”
The rest of the Gospel unfolds the meaning and purpose behind this
succinct statement. When Mark was writing, he wasn’t writing
history, he was writing for an audience, and he writes as though he
wanted his audience to respond to the call.
The appointed time has come. This refers to the moment in time when
Jesus, the anointed-one of God, burst into history and proclaimed
God’s amazing love and forgiveness. The appointed time is also our
appointed time, when the message of peace and wholeness comes to our
ears. This is a call for us to respond. But how?
The Kingdom of God is here. The reign of God enlarges with the
appearance of Jesus the Christ. The reign of God is a present
reality for us as well. God is not far off, unreachable,
untouchable. The life of the Spirit is found within us. The presence
of God is something we experience even now. This is a call for us to
respond. But how?
Time to repent. The Greek word means ‘to change one’s mind’. A
literal turning around of one’s life. It means our life is going in
one direction and we decide to turn and go a completely different
direction. The call was not only to Jesus’ hearers, not only to
Mark’s readers, it is also to us. This call is for us to respond.
But how?
The answer comes. “Believe the Good News.” The word ‘believe’ is
much more than simply accepting something as true. It also means to
love, to trust, to commit to, to have faith in. So we believe, not
in statements and propositions, but in a person. This is a call to
respond by believing in the Good News which comes in the person of
Jesus Christ.
Believe the Good News. The Good News is that life to the full is
open to us. Forgiveness, healing and peace is available to us. The
gifts of the Spirit are given to us. The power of God is within us.
We can be like Christ and bring Good News to others. This is a call
for us to respond.
And so the call goes out. Jesus says to ordinary people, fishermen
by the Sea of Galilee, “Follow me!” And immediately, says Mark, they
left what they were doing, they ‘repented’, they turned their lives
around, and followed. For them the appointed time had come. Did they
recognise the reign of God in Jesus? How will you respond?
Questions for Reflection
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Can you name
critical moments in your life when ‘everything changed’ for you?
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Consider who your
mentors are in life. Who are the people you respect and you treat
as a model and ‘follow’? Where does Jesus rank in your list of
mentors?
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Jesus calls us to
be ‘fishers of people’. It is easy to befriend those we like or
who are like us. Who do you struggle to befriend?
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To repent is to
change direction. What is God calling you to change from and to?
What is God calling you to turn from and turn towards?
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God gifts us to
share the Good News. How can you use your passion and your gifts
to bring Good News to others?
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