The reading for this Sunday is virtually a repeat from the Luke and Matthew parallel Gospel accounts from the previous two years of Lectionary readings - see The one BIG task of Lutheran Schools and No longer preparing the way!
The natural tendency when we read this passage is for our attention to be drawn to John the Baptist and perhaps of memories of the great Godspell rendition "Prepare ye the way of the Lord", based on the Old Testament Isaiah passage that is quoted.
In reading and reflecting on the Mark account yesterday, I noticed something quite profound that I had missed many times over.
This is the opening of Mark's Gospel. It opens in a unique style quite different to the other three Gospel openings. Simple but striking words:
"The beginning of the good news about Jesus Christ, the Son of God."
It starts out not as a sentence (because there is no verb), but rather as a title - as a proclamation.
While Mark then proceeds to trace the beginning of the good news back to the Isaiah prophecy of some 700 years earlier, there is perhaps another level of interpretation.
The Gospel of Mark is just a glimpse, the start of the good news - it is the beginning of the most amazing story of all time. We only get to see the middle and end of the story as we look beyond the words of the 16 chapters of Mark, put those words into action and allow them to shape our lives, our families, our schools, our society - on the basis of the confidence, the certainty and the hope that statement brings ... THE good news about Jesus ... the Son of God!
Too often we expect this moulding and shaping to happen overnight. I'm reminded of the great wisdom of this piece of writing by Pierre Teilhard de Chardin "Trust in the Slow Work of God" ( or see the posting below)
Nev
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