21 January 2024 - Third Sunday after the Epiphany

 

Theme

This week’s readings expand on the theme of calling that we reflected on last week. While last week we read John’s account of Jesus calling the first disciples, this week we read Mark’s record of the same event. In Corinthians, Paul explains the urgency of responding to God’s call. In our Old Testament Reading, we find Jonah receiving his second call to return to Nineveh and proclaim God’s message to them.

Scripture Readings

  • Mark 1:14-20 - John the Baptist is arrested and Jesus begins his preaching ministry, proclaiming that “the Kingdom of God is near; repent, and believe in the Good News. Jesus then calls the first disciples in Mark’s Gospel to follow him. He calls Simon and his brother Andrew while fishing, saying that they will now become fishers of men. He then calls James and his brother John, who leave their dad and follow Jesus.
  • 1 Corinthians 7:29-31 - Paul explains the urgency of people to take the Gospel message seriously as he stresses that their world would be ending soon.
  • Psalm 62:5-12 - A Psalm of Praise, declaring sustenance on and trust in God. The things and people of the world are temporary while God is eternal.
  • Jonah 3:1-5, 10 - God calls Jonah a second time (after the whole fish debacle), saying “go to Nineveh and proclaim the message that I tell you.” Jonah went into the great city and declared that they would be destroyed in 40 days. The people believed God, fasted and put on sackcloth. When God saw how they changed from their evil ways, He changed His mind and spared the city.

Personal Application

As we continue to reflect on call and vocation, this week’s readings invite us to ponder a few things about God’s call to us on a personal, individual level. In Mark’s Gospel, Simon and Andrew need to drop their fishing nets in order to follow Jesus. They were fishermen. Dropping their nets meant abandoning their income, their career, everything they really knew. John and James have to leave their dad in order to follow Jesus. What might Jesus be calling us to drop in order to follow him whole-heartedly?

In the Old Testament reading, Jonah’s second calling takes place after his unfortunate run in with the large fish in the previous chapters. Even after his initial disobedience and subsequent suffering, God saves him and calls him once again. Just because we have made mistakes in the past; just because we may have missed God’s call to us previously, God still reaches out and keeps calling. Even though Jonah was a disgruntled, unenthusiastic prophet (understandably so), God used him powerfully to save a whole city once he eventually responded to God’s call.

Communal Application

Another interpretation of the story in Mark’s Gospel comes from Ched Myers, who claims that because the entire fishing industry was controlled by the Roman Empire, those who worked as fishermen, were caught up in an elaborate, exploitative caste system. In this scenario, they were likely ready to move on, looking for a way to start a new life. Thus, when Jesus arrived, offering a new life, they were ready to jump at the opportunity. Furthermore, the act of dropping their nets was a protest of the oppressive system itself, a decision to stand up against the powerful Roman Empire and a metaphorical declaration of the value of Jesus’ Kingdom.

This interpretation invites us to consider two additional questions as church communities. As we notice the many oppressive systems in the world today, we need to ask: who are the ones getting abused by the system? Who are the ones looking for a way out? A better life? Who would love to hear about the alternate way of life that Jesus offers by calling them to follow him? Furthermore, how might Jesus be calling us to throw down our nets and take a stand against the oppressive power houses in the world today?

Comments

Post a Comment