Sign of the Times

There is an urgency in the air. Perhaps, there has always been an uneasiness about the future.

We are imaginative, forward looking creatures, but not knowing what is coming has always made us a little anxious. We know the unstoppable future and what it holds is coming, but we often rather not deal with it.

We are reminded of our uneasiness, when St Paul says - the hour is nearer now, then when we first came to believe or like today when he reminds the community at Corinth that “this” time (the here and now) is running out. Deal with it.

Choices have to be made. For St Paul there is only one choice and that is to turn from old world that is fast closing down and turn towards the new heaven and new earth, which means turning towards Jesus and the Kingdom he proclaimed.

This foundational choice of turning to Jesus does not override all other choices and actions that make up the web of the human community. But, it does change everything. It never negates or denies, but rather it affirms in goodness and justice, both the person and the community; whenever we rejoice or weep, marry or conduct business. Everything we do or say is now washed in a new light of love. This is what the right choice offers us.

 This same uneasiness and urgency was in the air when Jesus announces his mission-

“Now is the time of fulfillment. The Kingdom of God is at hand. Repent put your faith in the Good News.”

There is an immediacy in the words, now and at hand. There is no longer time to spare, to ponder, or procrastinate. God, through the incarnation, has broken into the world.

 Now, the reality of this world is no longer the only game in town. Rome (or any temporal power) is not the only sovereignty present. The established order of things, with its stifling injustice and fearful self-preservation is passing away.

 And this new reality calls for metanoia, a change of heart. It calls for a new way of seeing and responding to the world.  Jesus called this new reality - the Kingdom of God. And this new way of seeing - faith and this new way of responding - love.

 In The Gospel of John, which we heard last Sunday, Andrew, a disciple of John the Baptist hears John describe Jesus as the Lamb of God and so follows him. Jesus invites Andrew to stay with him and it is Andrew who brings his brother Simon/Peter to Jesus.

But today, in Mark’s Gospel, an earlier tradition, Jesus suddenly appears, walking along the shore of the Sea of Galilee.  Which is actually a lake. It shoreline heavily populated, it water intensely fished. And it is here that Jesus sees (not unexpectedly) two fishermen, the brothers Simon and Andrew.

It is striking that without introduction or discussion, Jesus simply says to them “Come, after me”.

They do not know Jesus. Apparently, they had never heard of Him. Jesus was an unknown stranger to them. Yet, at once they dropped their nets and followed him.

We must appreciate how radical and outrageous it was for them to walk away from their commitments, obligations and responsibilities, even friends and family to follow an unknown itinerant rabbi. Their actions would have been the topic of gossip and slander in the community.

 Then, walking further, Jesus encounters James and John the sons of Zebedee, the prominent fishing family. These brothers are not only fishermen, but owners of a fishing enterprise. And even these well off employers of men drop everything, leave their business and father to follow the man called Jesus.

This would have been too much for the community. Having Andrew and Peter, get up and go is one thing, but having, James and John, the sons of Zebedee leave is quite another. This was utter foolishness.

Why would they do this? They did not know Jesus. There was faith tradition, no Church, no Holy Spirit, as yet.

There was clearly a power and attractiveness to Jesus’ invitation.

 We could say Jesus himself (the Word of God) was the invitation because there was no need of convincing, or reasoned arguments or a well thought out plan.

It was the encounter alone (at least for the two sets of brothers) that moved their hearts and compelled them to immediately give up their old comfortable life and picked up a new, uncharted life.

I have to ask myself would I have left everything to follow a stranger.

I cannot answer this, for I am here and now, within a faith tradition that believes Jesus is the Lord.

 But, what I can say is there are deep truths that Mark is points to.

That Regardless of who you are or what you do, it will not be Jesus’ words that will change your heart it will be Jesus himself. It is his love experienced that changes lives. It is his love for each person that becomes the personal invitation - come, follow me.

 Mark is also showing us, that even though the encounter and conversion are singular events of the heart, following Jesus is an act within a community of other follows.

 The Kingdom of God is a community. Jesus called not just Andrew or Simon/Peter. He did not stop with James and John.  There would be twelve and soon the twelve were surrounded by numerous faithful women and men, who had ordinary lives and were engaged in ordinary work. They were called to follow Jesus, but just not with their feet.

They were called to follow Jesus in their ordinariness and in their everyday circumstances and it would be there that they share in the work necessary in establishing the Kingdom of God in their time and place. And every follower of Jesus since has been invited to do the same.

 Like the unstoppable future, one thing is certain, the invitation is always an encounter with Jesus, it is personal, and unexpected. But, the choice, wither to accept or not, is always ours.

 And if we accept, we are called to share, within the community of believers, the saving work of the one who calls us.

 
Now is the time! The Kingdom of God is at hand. Our response to the Good News has consequences that we live out over our lifetime and those consequences certainly will spill out into ete