Walking with Jesus: Third Sunday in Ordinary Time

For Sunday, January 21, 2024

Jonah 3:1-5, 10; 1 Corinthians 7:29-31; Mark 1:14-20

So what is Jesus telling me today? Am I sitting down and relaxing? Is it the usual: to be conscious of His blessings … to know that He loves me all the time … to be aware of the people He places in my life … that I am called to love everyone? Well yes, it is … and so it’s just His regular encouragement to be good and be loving and forgiving? No! This is an urgent message!

Why is it urgent? What is so important about today’s message? What do I have to do?

We are still in the first chapter of Mark’s gospel ... the shortest gospel and likely the first to be written. Why was it written? For one thing, many of the original eyewitnesses and followers of Jesus had died ... mostly by martyrdom. The apostles and disciples were busy preaching all around the known world, especially in the Roman Empire. The leadership among Jesus’ followers felt it was very important to put in writing the life, teaching, healings and life messages He taught.

The crucifixion of Jesus took place around 30 A.D. John, the only apostle who died a natural death, had several students who wrote about him and reported that he was still alive around 100 A.D. Peter appears to have been executed under Nero's persecution between 64 and 67 A.D. That was a time of turmoil in the Roman Empire, with Nero’s persecution of Christians and the violence of the Roman-Judean war. Paul was also killed in that persecution but was not one of the 12. The first of the 12 apostles killed was James Zebedee, the brother of John, martyred before 48 A.D. Mark’s gospel was written around 70 A.D.

So what is urgent in Mark’s writing? The Gospel begins with the report that John the Baptist has been arrested. In God’s plan, Jesus is not to proclaim the good news of salvation prior to the termination of the Baptist’s active mission. John has already baptized Jesus in the Jordan River, located in the desert not far from Jericho. John has been preaching, “This is the  time of fulfillment. The kingdom of God is at hand. Repent and believe in the gospel.” [Mark 1:15] Fulfillment means God’s promises ... so many promises ... shared by the prophets and Moses himself as he leads the Israelites through the desert on their 40-year journey to the Promised Land … a journey to purify and form the nation of Israel, and to elaborate on the coming of the Messiah — Jesus — to fulfill God’s plan of love and redemption. God’s promises are beginning NOW. That’s why today's readings are important — actually URGENT. By concentrating on these readings and on this blog, we can learn what our Lord is all about and discover His plan of salvation.

He starts with: “Repent.” We are to reform our lives. This is Jesus’ opening challenge. Jesus does not present a set of rules that we are to follow. He does not demand that we leave the world … go away … become hermits. He does not propose a specific devotion of prayer, sacrifices or special practices. His call is more universal, demanding of each of us a metanoia — a total change and transformation of heart — in a nutshell, the mystery of Jesus becomes our plan of life. I am to be a person of love, caring, forgiveness … responding to all in need with love … JESUS’ love. The only way to adequately express the Kingdom of God is to do the will of God ... all the time. Am I? The time is now!

Paul spends the first six chapters of 1 Corinthians responding to the community’s questions on marriage, joy and ownership. Paul admonishes the Corinthians that he doesn’t want them to be anxious that “time is running out” — which it is. Instead, he wants the community to live as if the world in its present form is passing away. Jesus has inaugurated a new era. Heaven’s our home, do we realize it? Are we preparing for it? The time is now!

Our first reading begins with Jonah: It’s only 48 verses in four chapters. This also is the only time in the Church’s three-year cycle with a reading from Jonah. God repeats a message to Jonah to tell Nineveh, a traditional enemy of Israel, that He will destroy their city. The first chapter reveals that Jonah has already received this message but has run away from God and boarded a ship. A big storm arises and he's thrown into the water by sailors who think he has brought evil upon them. Jonah is then swallowed by a large fish and God rescues him, sending him once more to Neniveh — the subject of today's reading. Jonah spends one day in Nineveh and the people repent. Since they have been enemies of Israel, God does not follow through with His divine threat that had infuriated Jonah. Do I feel that God must agree with my preferences, my thoughts? Jesus tells us repeatedly, God’s ways are not my ways: Listen, repent. Forgive, love. The time is now!

So I reflect on:

• Leaving home for Seminary after high school, what was it like for me to be “free?” What it was like for my parents with me going away?
• Part of my faith practice came from my parents. How did their faith practices influence mine — for good or for bad? How has following Jesus reshaped me?

Sacred Space 2024 states:

“Following His baptism, Jesus went forth with the good news that the kingdom of God had come near. John had done the preparatory work and the stage was not clear for Jesus as John had been arrested. We pray that we may continue to announce good news — unlike John we know the fruits it has brought.

“Having begun His mission, Jesus’ first action was to call helpers to Him. He invited Simon and Andrew, who were fishermen, to ‘follow Me and I will make you fish for people.’ Jesus cast His net more widely to calling James and John. Lord, You have continued to call people. You call us by name too. May we have the freedom to leave our boats and produce a good catch in Your name.”