Repent!
Repent! It’s the heart of the message of John the Baptist, arrested as the passage from Mark begins. It’s the first command of Jesus’ preaching as he bursts upon the stage in Galilee. You can find it in Paul’s advice to the church at Corinth. It’s the collective response of the people of Nineveh as they hear Jonah’s reluctant proclamation in the streets of their city. The lectionary readings for this Sunday are filled with repentance.
The repentance we find in these passages is not a call or a response to a "turn or burn" message or theology. Jonah has spent his whole book angry at God, because he knows God is merciful. Jesus' call to "repent" is preceded by his declaration that "the kingdom of God has come near," and followed by his urging to "believe in the Good News!" It is a moment of praise, not condemnation.
It is an invitation to a willing and intentional change of mind, and heart, and life; whether as an individual or a community. It is a proclamation of a better path than the one being traveled. It is an affirmation that we are not our worst acts, but could be our highest hopes. It is an assertion that those around us will not surrender to our deepest suspicions, but more likely outdo what we might expect of ourselves.
Jesus’ call to repentance is a direct result of “the time” being fulfilled and the reign of God drawing near. Jesus is calling his listeners to recognize the divine presence of God, and to believe in it enough to live a different, better life. In the case of four fishermen, the call to repentance is framed as a call to follow, a call to trade fish-fishing for people-fishing, a kind of turning toward God and all of God's children rather than away from either.
We have been invited with a kingdom announcement and a repentance call. Are we ready to respond anew? Are we ready to respond even more fully this time around? Are we ready to hear and respond to this Good News today?
Grace and Peace,
Pastor Alan
Sunday Readings
Jonah 3:1-5, 10
1 Corinthians 7:29-31
Mark 1:14-20