Sermon: Repent, Believe, Follow
From Wellington Cathedral of St Paul
Repent, Believe, Follow: 25 April 2010: pm: The Very Revd Frank Nelson
- Psalm 19
- Isaiah 52: 1 - 7
- Mark 1: 1 - 15
“The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near; repent, and believe in the good news.” These thrilling words at the beginning of the Gospel according to Mark contain the whole Gospel in a nutshell! Like the rest of Mark’s Gospel there is a sense of urgency in them. One of the most noticeable Greek words Mark uses is euthus – immediately, at once. And the Spirit immediately drove him out into the wilderness; Jesus said, Follow me, and immediately they left their nets; at once his fame began to spread throughout the surrounding region; Simon’s mother-in-law was in bed with a fever, and they told him about her at once – all these are examples just from the first chapter.
No long birth narratives involving angels, shepherds or kings for Mark. No keeping us guessing as to who this little baby might be; no delving back into the mists and myths of prehistoric time and the depths of philosophy. Mark gets straight to the point in the opening words: The beginning of the good news of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. Mark’s is a Gospel of action – time after time he tells the story but omits much of the conversation of the other two Synoptic Gospels, Matthew and Luke. Those who study the form of the Gospel show how Mark shapes the action in Galilee, forcing the pace until the Transfiguration, and then races on to Jerusalem and the climax of it all – the arrest, trial and crucifixion of Jesus. Some have called it a Passion narrative with an introduction.
And there is precious little Easter in Mark. In fact, the original ending is stark, unfinished and provocative in what it does not say. It’s as if Mark was interrupted, or someone took a knife and cut off the final words. Having visited the tomb only to find it empty, the women are confronted by a young man dressed in white. With a message for Peter to return to Galilee the Gospel leaves us with the image of the women in flight from the tomb, saying nothing to anyone – ‘for they were afraid’. Not exactly the ending one expects from a document purporting to be good news, the crucial moment in history, with a ringing call to change one’s life for belief in a radically different view of the world!
Time after time Mark surprises us with contrasts – the recognition by the demons of Jesus against the apparent blindness of the disciples as to his true identity; the healings and exorcisms bringing improved life and health against the criticism and increasing opposition from the religious leaders; the insightful confession by Peter, ‘You are the Messiah’ against the harsh words of Jesus just a few lines later, “Get behind me, Satan!’; the mocking jeering soldiers, the fearful desertion by his disciples, and the assertion by the centurion, at the point of Jesus’ death, that ‘Truly this man was God’s Son.’
Today, 25th April, is not only ANZAC Day, but the feast day of St Mark the Evangelist. Commonly thought to be the first of the written Gospel accounts, it is also the shortest. As he did in his Gospel long ago, so today Mark invites us to look at some of the anomalies and contrasts in the world we live. They challenge us to see that the world is never black and white, that there is always another way of looking at things, there are often surprises for those who have eyes to see and ears to listen.
Three areas I have found myself thinking about this week are red and white poppies; the vulnerability of international air travel to natural events; and a wake-up call given to a group of teachers last week about the increasing drug culture on our door-step.
Red or white poppies! Isn’t it funny how precious people can get over such a simple symbol – both reminding us of the consequences of war. The red poppy, itself hailing from the madness of the killing fields of the First World War, is everywhere around today. We rightly remember those who donned a uniform and went off to the battle-fields never to return. The red poppy makes sense in this context. But in today’s wars it is not so much soldiers who get killed, as civilians. The white poppy reminds us of that fact. I recall reading about how soldiers who had been at Gallipoli were upset and disturbed that Gallipoli was being turned into a glory story by recruiters, way back in 1916. Countless thousands of people are killed, maimed, turned into refugees and displaced people – simply because they happen to find themselves caught up in conflict not of their making. Some lucky ones end up being welcomed into countries like ours as part of a refugee quota. Many struggle for years to rebuild a life with some resemblance of normality. The white poppy makes sense in this context.
Right now airlines and businesses throughout the world are counting the cost of the volcanic eruption in Iceland. Overnight we have realized just what it means to be dependent on air travel – not just for people, but for the international trade that is freighted by air from one corner of the earth to the other. While passengers have been stranded in different airports, rose growers in Kenya have been left wondering how to pay the bills as the roses wilt and die waiting for airports to reopen.
A group of teachers discovered some disturbing trends on our door-step last week. Putting their marking schedules into a context, they heard that refined growing techniques mean today’s marijuana is much more powerful and effective than a few decades ago. Young mothers, trying to do school work interrupted by the arrival of a baby, share with friends their discovery that blowing a bit of weed-smoke into baby’s face will calm the child – but it also invites addiction at a very early age. Cheap cigarette-lighters, available freely, are an instant source of a sought after butane high. Specialist schools and activity centres, catering for some of the most difficult and alienated young people in our society, face funding cuts.
It is into these contexts, real and immediate, that we need to hear those words of Jesus as they ring out from the 1st Chapter of Mark: “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near; repent, and believe in the good news.”
There aren’t necessarily easy answers; but the call is the same to us today as it was to those who met Jesus in the written Gospel: repent, believe, follow.
