When I read chapter 1 of Mark’s gospel, I marvel how fast things happen.
I first meet John the baptizer who appears in the wilderness wearing camel hair and eating wild grasshoppers and honey. He is the messenger sent before Jesus whose sandals he is unworthy to untie. I then see the heavens rip open at Jesus’ baptism and the Spirit descending on Jesus, and then I hear the voice proclaim that Jesus is God’s beloved Son. Then there is a brief, one-sentence mention of Jesus confronting Satan’s tests, mentioning the wild beasts and angels. Then I see Jesus calling the disciples, healing a man with an unclean spirit, and going to Simon’s house where he heals many people. He then goes out on the road and preaches, finally healing a man with skin disease.
As Mark’s Gospel progresses I see the disciples exasperate Jesus with their sophomoric brains. But what we need to remember is how much more we know about Jesus than did the disciples. Chapter 1, alone, tells us so much about the coming of the Son of God who made a claim on everyone’s life. The disciples could not have seen so much as we see in just chapter 1 alone, and so we must go easy on them, it strikes me, especially when we consider our own unfaithfulness and our inability to discern any more than the disciples did. And certainly we are no more willing to give our lives than the disciples were at that time.
And yet when I read just chapter 1 alone, I am struck by how clear it is who needs to prepare the way, and it is not John but Jesus Himself who must be out front, blazing the trail and leading us to follow Him! It is Jesus who is being baptized, Jesus who is healing and cleansing the sick and sinful, and he alone is the One preaching the Gospel and saying no to Satan’s disciples. The problem is that the way Jesus has prepared for us to go home is not the way we want to travel. It’s arduous and paved with suffering, but it is the path we must all journey if we want to get home.
What I am left with in the opening words in chapter 1 of Mark’s Gospel is that God has a plan, not just for Jesus, but for each of us, and that is cause for us all to read and study the Scriptures. The power of God appears in the wilderness, in the desert, in weak human beings, in people who come out of nowhere and who will be handed over. God’s plan is often hidden, and even when revealed, many of us are unable to see it. But if we pray and read and study the Scriptures we will take comfort when we pass through our deserts and struggle. We will remember, we will know, that Jesus has already done that and knows the way. All we have to do is follow Christ!
So today, take time and read all of chapter 1, and then sit silently and ponder!
The Proclamation of John the Baptist
“1 The beginning of the good news of Jesus Christ.
2 As it is written in the prophet Isaiah,
“See, I am sending my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way,
3 the voice of one crying out in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord; make his paths straight,’ ”
4 so John the baptizer appeared in the wilderness, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. 5 And the whole Judean region and all the people of Jerusalem were going out to him and were baptized by him in the River Jordan, confessing their sins. 6 Now John was clothed with camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey. 7 He proclaimed, “The one who is more powerful than I is coming after me; I am not worthy to stoop down and untie the strap of his sandals. 8 I have baptized you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”
The Baptism of Jesus
9 In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. 10 And just as he was coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens torn apart and the Spirit descending like a dove upon him. 11 And a voice came from the heavens, “You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased.”
The Testing of Jesus
12 And the Spirit immediately drove him out into the wilderness. 13 He was in the wilderness forty days, tested by Satan, and he was with the wild beasts, and the angels waited on him.
The Beginning of the Galilean Ministry
14 Now after John was arrested, Jesus came to Galilee proclaiming the good news of God 15 and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near; repent, and believe in the good news.”
Jesus Calls the First Disciples
16 As Jesus passed along the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting a net into the sea, for they were fishers. 17 And Jesus said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of people.” 18 And immediately they left their nets and followed him. 19 As he went a little farther, he saw James son of Zebedee and his brother John, who were in their boat mending the nets. 20 Immediately he called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired men and followed him.
The Man with an Unclean Spirit
21 They went to Capernaum, and when the Sabbath came, he entered the synagogue and taught. 22 They were astounded at his teaching, for he taught them as one having authority and not as the scribes. 23 Just then there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit, 24 and he cried out, “What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are, the Holy One of God.” 25 But Jesus rebuked him, saying, “Be quiet and come out of him!” 26 And the unclean spirit, convulsing him and crying with a loud voice, came out of him. 27 They were all amazed, and they kept on asking one another, “What is this? A new teaching—with authority! He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey him.” 28 At once his fame began to spread throughout the surrounding region of Galilee.
Jesus Heals Many at Simon’s House
29 As soon as they left the synagogue, they entered the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John. 30 Now Simon’s mother-in-law was in bed with a fever, and they told him about her at once. 31 He came and took her by the hand and lifted her up. Then the fever left her, and she began to serve them.
32 That evening, at sunset, they brought to him all who were sick or possessed by demons. 33 And the whole city was gathered around the door. 34 And he cured many who were sick with various diseases and cast out many demons, and he would not permit the demons to speak, because they knew him.
A Preaching Tour in Galilee
35 In the morning, while it was still very dark, he got up and went out to a deserted place, and there he prayed. 36 And Simon and his companions hunted for him. 37 When they found him, they said to him, “Everyone is searching for you.” 38 He answered, “Let us go on to the neighboring towns, so that I may proclaim the message there also, for that is what I came out to do.” 39 And he went throughout all Galilee, proclaiming the message in their synagogues and casting out demons.
Jesus Cleanses a Man with a Skin Disease
40 A man with a skin disease came to him begging him, and kneeling he said to him, “If you are willing, you can make me clean.” 41 Moved with pity, Jesus stretched out his hand and touched him and said to him, “I am willing. Be made clean!” 42 Immediately the skin disease left him, and he was made clean. 43 After sternly warning him he sent him away at once, 44 saying to him, “See that you say nothing to anyone, but go, show yourself to the priest, and offer for your cleansing what Moses commanded as a testimony to them.” 45 But he went out and began to proclaim it freely and to spread the word, so that Jesus could no longer go into a town openly but stayed out in the country, and people came to him from every quarter” Mark 1.
Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the Living God, have mercy on me a sinner.
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