Dramatic Entrance

One thing that always strikes me when reading the first three chapters of Mark is the sense of something new that is happening--something startling, remarkable, life altering. Jesus Christ, the very Son of God!, has entered human history. The combined Isaiahic/Malachiac prophecy, the prophet's preparation, the descent of the Spirit and approval of the father, and the special trial of tempting in the wilderness--all bear witness that something extraordinary is occuring with Jesus' arrival on the stage of human(/divine) history. It should come as no surprise, then, that Jesus proclaims the "gospel of God" and announces that "the time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand." Everything has changed with the coming of this Jew from Nazareth. We see here the culmination of God's revelatory expressions of the past, yet also the beginning of a new chapter in his relationship with humankind.

"Repent and believe in the gospel," is the response urged by Jesus, and it is the only natural one given what we come to learn about Jesus' identity and purpose in Mark's Gospel. Do we feel the urgency and excitement that is required for such a response? Most of Jesus' contemporaries either didn't understand or were too obstinate or enthralled with the security that their positions of wealth and/or power afforded them to respond appropriately. Clearly some realized the import of Jesus' appearance, life, death, and resurrection; Mark writes to individuals and communities who came to faith as a result of those who responded appropriately to the Messiah.
How today can we recapture the the amazement--the sense of awe, wonder, and fear--that is fitting for those who understand the significance of the Son of God's presence and mission? I don't know the answer. I do know that I'm not where the disciples were, who "immediately left their nets and followed him."