The Gospel of Mark begins with these words: "The Good News of Jesus Christ, the Son of God." In today's portion we find the Gospel text ending with Jesus urging the disciples to proclaim this good news that Jesus brought in word and deed to all of creation. To proclaim in this sense, then, is not to use words, for most of creation would not understand them. To proclaim good news is thus to live this good news, to treat all of God's created order with the same love and mercy that Jesus himself showed.
This message of Mark is a daring and dangerous project. The word he uses for good news was reserved for proclamations of the empire, and the title son of God was reserved for the emperor alone. To state that Jesus alone brings good news and that he alone is son of God is to state that the values and way of life of Jesus is what brings salvation and healing to all, not that of the empire.
This means that to instill peace it is necessary to be peaceful people, not waging war or employing violence. To bring together all nations we do so through love, welcoming, and inclusion of all, not through coercion and extortion. And the bounty of the earth is shared with all equally, not hoarded by a few and their leavings trickle down to others. To proclaim the Gospel of Jesus is to live these values and to encourage others to do likewise.
No comments:
Post a Comment