Third Sunday in Ordinary Time-B

I Reading: Jonah 3:1-5.10: The people of Nineveh renounce their evil behavior.

II Reading: 1Corinthians 7:29-31: The world as we know it is passing away

Gospel: Mark 1:14-20: Repent, and believe the Good News.

 

God wants all people to repent of their sins so that they may be forgiven. God longs to forgive the sins of anyone who repents; we all are His children. Today, Jesus gives us the summary of the whole Gospel. He proclaimed the Good News from God in a single verse: “The time has come and the kingdom of God is close at hand. Repent, and believe the Good News.”

In the first reading, the preaching of Jonah to the people of Nineveh was “Only forty days more, and Nineveh is going to be destroyed.” (Jonah 3:4)

Jonah’s preaching was a bit harsh and merciless because he did not mention God’s love, mercy, and forgiveness; therefore God rebuked Jonah and made him see that the people of Nineveh were his concern; they too were his children (Jonah 4:2).

The preaching of Jesus was different from Jonah. Jesus invites, urges, and pleads with everyone to turn away from sin, and not fear of being punished but for a much higher motive, to enable them to enter into the kingdom of God.

Jesus invites everyone to take two decisive steps:

i. To repent, that is, to break with sin once and for all; that is what the word conversion means ( in Hebrew U=shub= turn to God). The word conversion means to change direction, to retrace one’s own steps. God calls everyone to conversion; no one is excluded. God’s power and love shine in every person who renounces sin. God longs to forgive anyone who repents.

ii. To believe the Good News, that is, to accept his teachings and to follow him.

Jesus invites us to believe in the Good News which means I believe in Jesus and follow his teachings and to put ourselves under God’s loving rule, giving him a free hand to lead us.

The Gospel calls this total surrender “entering the kingdom of God” Like Andrew and Peter, John and James followed Jesus immediately.

Paul puts the Christians of Corinth on their guard against becoming engrossed in material things as Pagans do. Christians should have their eyes always fixed on their final goal, i.e., Christ. What really matters to us Christians is Jesus Christ and the eternal life he brings along. We must strive to wait for his coming with a clear conscience at all times.

 

Jesus Christ and His Message: The Good News of God (Mk 1:14-15)

 

The Good News of the Gospel includes three emphatic points.

1.    Jesus preached the Good News of God (v.14)

a.    In Galilee

b.    After John was put in prison

2.    The time has come (v.15)

3.    The kingdom of God is near (v.15)

 

4.    Repent and believe

Good News- see for deeper study in 2Cor 15:1-11; Rom1:1-4

 

Jesus Christ and His Disciples: The Kind of Persons called (Mk 1:16-20)

 

Jesus called very simple ordinary men who were engaged in the affairs of life just like all the laymen of their day. Note that they were not........

·       Religious leaders

·       Powerful men, not the political leaders of the nation’s ruling body, the Sanhedrin (Mt 26: 59)

·       Of the priestly or ministerial profession

·       Students in the school of higher learning

 

Having said this, a question needs to be asked. Why did Jesus call them instead of calling them the more gifted? The answer lies in some very special qualities that the disciples possessed. This passage gives a picture of these qualities, a picture of the kind of person Jesus calls (see for more points Mt 4:18-22).

 

1.    They were industrious, hard-working men (v.16)

2.    They were visionary men: looking for the Messiah and ready to follow Him (v.17-18)

a.    Their call

b.    Their response: Immediate and costly-gave up their business

3.    They were cooperative men (v.19): working together with their father & brothers as they grew. Today all want to work individually and separately.

Jesus wanted unity and community spirit to build up his Church and the kingdom of God.

4.    They were successful but sacrificial, considerate men (v.20): they were considerate men because they did not leave their families alone but with “hired men” to look after their parents and family members.

 

Thought: Jesus calls a person to a life of work, not to a life of ease and comfort. He calls a person to invest his/her life not waste his/her life.  Few people have a strong vision and mission that they are willing to pay any price to follow Jesus. It is too costly because they give up their business, family and land.

How many would sacrifice their inheritance to follow Jesus Christ today?

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