January 13, 2013. Homily, January 15, 2013

Mark 1:21-28

Jesus came to Capernaum with his followers, and on the sabbath he entered the synagogue and taught. The people were astonished at his teaching, for he taught them as as one having authority and not as the scribes. In their synagogue was a man with an unclean spirit; he cried out, "What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are- the Holy One of God!" Jesus rebuked him and said, "Quiet! Come out of him!" The unclean spirit convulsed him and with a loud cry came out of him. All were amazed and asked one another, "What is this? A new teaching with authority. He commands even the unclean spirits and they obey him." His fame spread everywhere throughout the whole region of Galilee.
The Gospel of the Lord.

center - the Holy One of God
1 cried out with a loud cry
2 astonished amazed
3 taught as one having authority teaching with authority
4 entered the synagogue and taught fame spread throughout

Mark 1:1 The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.

Mark 1:14-20

After John had been arrested, Jesus came to Galilee proclaiming the Gospel of God: "This is the time of fulfillment. The Kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the Gospel."
As he passed by the Sea of Galilee, he saw SImon and his brother Andrew casting their nets into the sea; they ere fishermen. Jesus said to them, "Come after me, and I will make you fishers of men. "Then they left their nets and followed h im. He walked along a little farther and saw James, the son of Zebedee, and his brother John. They too were in a boat mending their nets. Then he called them. So they let their father Zebedee in the boat along with the hired men and followed him.
The Gospel of the Lord.

Here, Jesus calls his first disciples, Peter, James, and John, and they leave everything to follow him. For them (as it should be for all Christians and churches), it was all about evangelism-people meeting Jesus.

It is exciting to sacrifice for something bigger than yourself, bigger than money, bigger than electronic gadgets, budgets, mortgages—maybe even bigger than life itself. It is exhilarating to follow Jesus and be caught up in his Kingdom.
During the dark days of the Civil War, President Abraham Lincoln from time to time used to visit the New York Avenue Presbyterian Church for a mid-day service. This had become a respite for him during the difficult years of the War. Lincoln would slip in by a side door, and leave early without being noticed. One day, when he and his aide visited the church, the President lingered in his private corner after the other worshippers had left. His aide asked, “Mr. President, what did you think of the sermon today?” Mr. Lincoln slowly replied, “I thought it was eloquent, well thought out, and powerfully delivered.” “Then you liked it?” the aide continued, trying to fill the silence. “No,” the president said. “The sermon failed. For it did not ask of us something great.”
Let me again pose the fundamental question of this series: Are you a disciple or do you aspire to become a better one? We must start by dropping much of the superficial stuff that fills our lives and drives our calendars. We must release what holds us back. We need to immerse ourselves in his teachings, become part of his church, and give ourselves to his call. In this appeal I make to you, it is not just about you or me or the person next to you. It is about our church, the whole congregation—the system. How are we doing at calling and making disciples? That is our primary mission and our calling from Jesus.