Mark 1:14-20
Now after John was arrested, Jesus came to Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God, and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near; repent, and believe in the good news.” As Jesus passed along the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting a net into the sea–for they were fishermen. And Jesus said to them, “Follow me and I will make you fish for people.” And immediately they left their nets and followed him. As he went a little farther, he saw James son of Zebedee and his brother John, who were in their boat mending the nets. Immediately he called them; and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired men, and followed him.
For today’s devotion, Pastor Margo will offer the second half of a perspective on Mark 1:14-20 from Ismael Ruiz-Millan, director of the Hispanic House of Studies at Duke Divinity School, to prepare for Nick Wallwork’s upcoming sermon on this text. https://www.christiancentury.org/article/living-word/january-21-epiphany-3b-mark-114-20
Jesus’ action is to go and encounter people where they are located. Prophetic ministry is about walking toward the places others do not want to go to. Jesus’ action is to go to these fishermen and invite them to follow him, to do something totally different from what they were doing—fishing for people. Prophetic ministry is about offering alternatives to people who have not had a chance to see them.
Archbishop Óscar Romero of El Salvador was a modern prophet. Romero understood the urgency of communicating that the kingdom is near, that humanity needed to repent and believe and follow Jesus. He understood the cost of prophetic ministry. And he was not afraid to confront the oppressive powers of his time, to demand that they stop oppressing the most vulnerable.
Even more significantly, Romero, just like Jesus, invited the most unexpected people to an alternative way—the way of Jesus’ kingdom. Romero offered this alternative way to the poor and to their oppressors alike. He invited them to repent and to believe that Jesus’ kingdom way is the way of love. Romero’s attempt to proclaim the good news did not end well; he was the victim of a cowardly murder. But his legacy and example remain.
The cost of prophetic ministry is high, Mark tells us. Those who prepare the way for Jesus will suffer, be persecuted, and maybe even be killed. And while most of us will not literally be killed, our pride, our reputation, our status, our dreams might have to die for the sake of proclaiming the good news.
Our world today is not so different from the world Jesus addressed in Galilee or the world Romero addressed in El Salvador. We still have dysfunctional systems, including religious systems. We still live with an overwhelming and tragic chasm between rich and poor. Oppressive powers still allow the exploitation of children’s bodies, black bodies, and female bodies. We need to repent for these sins and to believe that alternatives to such tragic realities exist. Like the fishermen, we need to follow Jesus—letting go of whatever makes us keep allowing the dehumanization of God’s people.
John the Baptist discerns God’s timing by paying attention to the signs of the world. He understands the urgency of his prophetic message, and he delivers it. Jesus follows in John’s footsteps and does the same. We need to follow, too.