Day 2: Let's Get it Started!

Read Mark 1:16-28

As Jesus began his public ministry he traveled throughout Galilee proclaiming the good news of God: "the time is fulfilled and the kingdom of God has come near; repent and believe the good news." (Mark 1:15) Jesus was saying that now was the time to turn back to God, now was the time to change your life because the promises of God were about to be fulfilled. No doubt this was a powerful message which inspired hope and transformation. And as Jesus traveled, sharing the good news, more and more people received the message and began to follow. But perhaps evenmore powerful than the message of Jesus, was who he shared the message with and who he included as his followers.

When Jesus comes to the Sea of Galilee he sees a group of fishermen and immediately calls his first disciples: "follow me and I will make you fish for people." (1:17) Simon, Andrew, James, and John all abandon their boats and begin to be Jesus' disciples. Perhaps we have heard this story so many times that we fail to see how revolutionary Jesus' actions truly were. Most rabbis spent years working with the absolute best students to cultivate a group of dedicated disciples. Jesus simply walks up to a group of strangers and says "follow me." It is the most bizzare and powerful recruiting speech ever! Jesus doesn't tell them about the benefits of being a disciple, or warn them of their impending hardships, he simply invites a group of fishermen to leave their life behind and follow him.

Now fishermen were not an educated group. Most likely they had long prior dropped out of school and were never even considered by their teachers to be candidates as disciples. In their culture, the expectation was working the family business, starting a family, and being part of society. Jesus calls them out of the life they knew and they all willingly and immediately left it behind. Jesus called together the most unlikely group of disciples and for three years they followed Jesus, were taught by Jesus, mentored by Jesus, and empowered by Jesus. This unlikely group went on, after Jesus' death and resurrection, to start the Christian church and change the world. Where others saw deficiency, Jesus saw potential. Where others saw the uneducated, Jesus saw faith. Jesus, time after time, saw potential and value in the most unlikely people. He sees it in you. What do you see?

Just has powerful and unorthodox was Jesus' next stop. After gathering a group of disciples, Jesus heads to the local synagogue to teach the Word of God. The people are amazed at his teachings, as he taught "as one having authority, and not as the scribes." (1:22) In other words, Jesus was not simply offering the same old interpretation of the scriptures, he was bringing something new, something challenging, and something radical. Nonetheless, the people received Jesus' teaching and were beginning perhaps to understand what the kingdom of God was all about.

While at the synagogue, and while teaching, a man with an unclean spirit (demon possessed) proclaims "what have you to do with Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are the Holy One of God." (1:24) Jesus then casts out the demon and restores the man to health and wholeness. While it is quite fascinating that over and over, the demons recognize Jesus for who is really is (this is another topic for another day), what is truly remarkable is that Jesus even takes the time. To be a man with an unclean spirit meant that everyone would be afraid and unwilling to associate with you. Not only is the man considered unclean, he is also possessed by a demon and potentially dangerous. It is no mistake that this is the first healing story of Jesus. He restores and renews a man his society had deemed untouchable and invisible. In doing so, Jesus reveals his heart for the "least of these" in society. Jesus loves the unlovable, heals the broken, retores the hopeless, and transforms the hard-hearted. Where is our heart? Who are the forgotten and the invisible in our life?

So what is God up to?

Jesus is calling the unlikely, teaching the hard-hearted, healing the forsaken, and transforming lives.