Advent II - Reflections on the text - Mark 1:1-8
Read the text here: Mark 1:1-8
Beginnings and Endings
The
beginning of the good news of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. (Mark
1:1)
As beginnings go, there is really not much here. In the Greek there are exactly 5 words that
are followed by words of the prophet that introduces John the Baptist and there
we are: immersed in the story. No
extended introduction with a genealogy (Matthew), no birth or childhood stories
(Matthew & Luke), no extended philosophical musings on the incarnation
(John). Nope, Mark is short and sweet
and to the point. Mark is in a hurry to
tell this story; Mark is in a hurry to get to the climax = the Passion. From this non-beginning beginning Mark jumps
from event to event in Jesus’ life and ministry at a fast pace. There are no extended sermons and there is
really no time to catch your breath. After
all, Mark is proclaiming the “Gospel,” the “Good News,” the “Glad Tidings” of
Jesus Christ, the Son of God!
But that one word – “Gospel” – brings with it the power of
dynamite. Mark doesn’t have to use many
words to get this story started. This
one word packs the power of a rocket booster to propel us into the story. In our time, this word – “Gospel” – really
means only one thing. It is used to
describe the proclamation of Jesus as Lord, crucified and risen! But for Mark’s community and those who
received this telling of the story that word had other meanings. The Greek word – evangelion – was the word that was used to describe official Roman
proclamations. If the empire had
triumphed in battle somewhere and thus, brought Roman Peace (pax Romana) to a region; or if a new
divine emperor had taken power; or if there was some great news of the glorious
empire then the “Gospel” of Roman divine mandate was proclaimed throughout the
empire. For Mark’s audience, this word
was then associated with the powers of oppression, the powers of peace through
violence, the powers of death and darkness.
So that word packs a punch for here, Mark is proclaiming a “Gospel” of
the true power of God; the “Gospel” of freedom, grace and forgiveness, the
“Gospel” of true peace (Shalom), the
“Gospel” of life and light, the “Gospel” of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. Jesus Christ! Not the emperor! God’s son is this peasant from Nazareth,
which is a no-where place! What a
proclamation! No wonder Mark can’t wait to tell the story!
So after those first 5 words we are introduced to the voice
of the one who is called to prepare the way.
Who is this? Mark tells us his
name is John. But he is dressed like Elijah,
he is preaching repentance like Elijah and he is located in the wilderness
around the Jordan river (not Jerusalem!) like Elijah! Is this not Elijah? The very last two verses of the last book of
the Old Testament make this promise:
Lo,
I will send you the prophet Elijah before the great and terrible day of the
Lord comes. He will turn the hearts of
the parents to the children and the hearts of the children to their parents…..
(Malachi 4:5-6)
You
see – it is Elijah! Come at the end of
all time. But wait, Mark used the word “beginning.” Is this the end or the beginning? Elijah is in the wilderness calling the
people to repentance, but this Elijah is John and his end of time proclamation
also is preparation for a new beginning.
Ending? Beginning? Both –
and! God has involved himself in the
human experience from the beginning of time. God has always been at work. But John represents an end of one way of
God’s being in the world and the beginning of a new way. John represents the end of the centrality of
Jerusalem and the Temple; John represents the end of the time of the prophets
and kings. On the other hand, John
represents a new beginning where God recommits to the covenant; John represents
a new beginning where God himself is born into this human world; John
represents a new beginning of a time when God will shower his beloved creation
with forgiveness and love and grace.
Endings and beginnings – all bound up together in these opening verses
of this Good News of Jesus Christ.
We will again be confronted with
this very issue at the end of the Gospel of Mark when we hear how the women
went to the tomb on the first day of the week to anoint the body, but the body
was gone and instead there was an angel who proclaimed that Jesus was risen!
“And the women fled from the tomb and said nothing to no one, they were afraid
for….” The end! An end that isn’t an end, that leaves us
hanging – just like the beginning that doesn’t ease us into the story. Mark apparently doesn’t do beginnings and
endings. Or does he?
Perhaps Mark is trying to tell us something else. Maybe Mark is making the point in the first
part of chapter 1 that this beginning is also an ending! This isn’t Elijah, because then it wouldn’t
be a beginning – but at the same time it is the new Elijah – John who is
preparing the way for the new beginning of the story of God’s love and grace as
shown forth in Jesus! Maybe Mark is
making the point that the conclusion of chapter 16:8 is not really the end of
the story – but that this ending is also the beginning of the new age, the
Kingdom come into our midst and made possible only through the death and
resurrection of Christ; a beginning of a story that is still ongoing and includes
us – here – now in 2014/2015. This is
not accidental. This is not
incidental. This is an essential part of
the entire Gospel: the beginning is the end and the end is the beginning! It may be a little unclear in chapter 1, but
by the time we get to the Resurrection the confusion will clear up. And I can’t wait to get into the story of
Jesus! Please join me!
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