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FROM A READING FOR FEB. 26, FIRST SUNDAY OF LENT
'I will remember my covenant that is between me and you and every living creature...' - Gen 9:15


I can't emphasize enough the importance of Sunday's Gospel (Mark 1:12-15). It not only sets the theme for Mark's entire Gospel, it also gives an insight into Jesus' ministry.

Though most Catholics were taught that the reason Jesus came to earth was to show us the way to heaven, this passage points in a somewhat different direction.

In chapter 10's rich young man narrative, notice what he asks Jesus: "Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?" In other words, "What will get me into heaven?"

Jesus responds, "Keep the commandments." When the man assures Jesus that he's kept them, we presume he's eventually going to get into heaven - so, when Jesus says there's something he's lacking, the missing element has nothing to do with the man's eternal happiness.

Heaven vs. kingdom
This is verified when Jesus later observes, "How hard it is for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God." For Jesus, entering heaven and entering the kingdom of God are obviously two different states of life.

That's why our Gospel passage is so important. It not only contains the first words of Jesus' public ministry, we presume He includes these words in every instruction He delivers during that ministry. They're an essential part of His "stump speech."

"This is the time of fulfillment," He announces. "The kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the good news!" Scholars tell us the phrase "kingdom of God" (or "kingdom of heaven" in Matthew) refers to God working effectively in our lives here and now.

That's the "good news" Jesus spends His ministry proclaiming, and for which He'll eventually be crucified. He shutters His carpenter shop and goes village to village, encouraging people to experience God in their lives long before they leave this life.

There's one kicker: Jesus is convinced that, in order to experience God, they must "repent." The Greek word employed here, "metanoia," implies more than, "I'm sorry I did it and I won't do it anymore."

Real repentance
In this context, repenting refers to a total change in one's value system, a 180-degree shift in what one holds to be important. Mark will spend the rest of his Gospel explaining the characteristics of that shift.

It makes sense why the rich young man walked away from Jesus' invitation. Repentance, for him, entailed concentrating on people instead of money - a step many rich individuals find impossible to take. They'd be forced to develop a completely different lifestyle.

Baptism by immersion was such a meaningful sign for Jesus' first followers because, as the author of I Peter (3:18-22) puts it, it's more than just "a removal of dirt from the body." It's a dying and rising entrance into a whole new life.

Early Christian authors often used the flood (Genesis 9:8-15) as a symbol of the life they were living. Just as the original Genesis flood survivors entered a new relationship with Yahweh, we who have "survived" the waters of baptism enter a new relationship with God.

If we spent less time worrying about getting into heaven, and more time concentrating on what's necessary to surface God here and now, perhaps we'd eventually become the other Christs Jesus intends us to become.[[In-content Ad]]

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