I love Mark’s writing style. I use to find it distracting compared to the other gospels, but I’ve grown to love his no non-sense, “in your face” presentation of the life of our Lord. It is the shortest gospel, but it is compact and powerful. Chapter 1 hits the ground running, and sets the tone for the whole book. The last verse stung me this morning.
“But he went out and began to talk freely about it, and to spread the news, so that Jesus could no longer openly enter a town, but was out in desolate places, and people were coming to him from every quarter.” Mk. 1:45
Mark describes great masses of people from all walks of life, leaving their places of comfort and familiarity to go to places of desolation. Though they were different in many ways, they all had one common goal – Jesus. From the beginning, those that beheld Christ were willing to leave all to follow him. They saw the infinite value of knowing Christ, and it moved them to go to him.
Think of how counter-cultural that is! Our society values the opposite. We move from desolation to comfort. Everything in society is designed to move us upward and onward to a more comfortable lifestyle. Just watch any TV commercial and you’ll see this value. It is the way of our world.
But the power of the gospel leads us to go against the grain. When the unfiltered, raw gospel is at work in a community, humanity is drawn to Jesus – not a church, dogma, or methodology. Christ is seen as more valuable than even personal comfort.
Father, please unleash the gospel in the Florence First Church of God, in northern Kentucky, in the USA, in our world! May we begin a mass migration away from our places of comfort and toward the risen Christ! May we see the infinite worth of knowing Christ, and be willing to go through the wilderness to abide with Him! Help us find that the comfort we have clung to so long was only a counterfeit version of the true peace found as we journey with Christ!
I am a VERY impatient person. So what does God plan for me? Sit there and try to learn patience. OK, God, I do try! But I’m with Mark – “in your face world!” I so much want to go out and spread the word and see our small youth group grow. Teenage years are the hardest. I have been so blessed the past few weeks when I see the kids respond to John 3:16 with their eyes wide and when I hear them say “That’s like John 3:16!” If they don’t learn anything else, please God, let them personally know Your great love for them. I believe our group and our church will grow phenomenally. I believe we’re off to a good start because when I asked for suggestions for a slogan, one young man wrote on the board – “Florence First Church of God Youth Group ROCKS!” Works for me.