“After John (the Baptist) 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.” (Mark 1:14-15).
A Prophecy Fulfilled
John had been thrown into prison by Herod in Judea. Jesus then came to Galilee and began preaching the Gospel of God. This fulfilled the ancient prophesy in Isaiah that the land of Zebulun and Naphtali in Galilee, first to have been conquered in the Assyrian Dispersion, would be the first to hear the new Gospel of God. As such the people who had walked in darkness, were the first to see a great light. (Cf. Isaiah 8:23-9:1). These familiar verses are often read with the Nativity narratives foreshadowing His Galilean ministry.
The Gospel of God revealed
The “Gospel of God”, term also quoted in Rom 1:1 and 2 Cor 11:7 and also in 2 Thess 1:8, is nothin more than the Gospel of Jesus Christ, St Paul asserts. The Apostle contends that being called to be an Apostle, he preaches the Gospel of God (Gospel of Jesus Christ in 2 Thess), and, thereby, implicitly testifies that Jesus is God.
John’s preaching of repentance foreshadows and prepares those who heard him for a conversion away from sin, a conversion that becomes the heart of of Jesus’ Gospel, the precursor for experiencing God’s love. Upon hearing of this need and being assured of God’s mercy, one cannot remain unchanged. Yet, love demands action.
As Jesus declared: “If you love Me, keep My commandments.” (Jn 14:15). Accordingly, St Paul preached an obedience of faith, not simply a faith alone Gospel. (Cf. Romans 1:5; 16:26).
The Proper Response
It makes sense, therefore, that Mark’s Gospel account then turns to an example of a proper response. The call of Simon, Andrew and the sons of Zebedee to discipleship in the true Gospel is met with nothing less than abandoning everything to follow Jesus. “We have left everything to follow You!” (See, Mt 19:27; Mk 10:28 and Lk 18:28).
What about me?
Can my love of the Gospel and Jesus permit me to settle for a private conversion that does not produce fruit? The answer is found in John 15:1-17.
Can just being a good person, apart from faith, fulfill the just demands of the Gospel? Remember my disposition to be kind and good, is itself a gift from God but not salvific unless my good actions are then motivated by an obedience to the Gospel. My acts of kindness and goodness must be the result of surrendering to God, thereby enabling the Holy Spirit to work through me. (Cf. C S Lewis, Mere Christianity, Book III, Ch 11).
Finally, leaving everything to follow Christ does not mean leaving my family unsupported or my children abandoned -it means a complete repentance from sin that properly disposes me to put God first in all I do. Faith alone, yes only faith, can provide the disposition to put God first, but faith alone is not an action that demonstrates the love required by the true Gospel of God.
May the divine assistance remain with us always.
