Turn around
Reading for Monday March 20
Bible portion: Gospel of Mark 6:7-13
The voice of twelve men, calling out, “Repent””. The disciples of Jesus had been sent by him to the neighboring towns with the same message that he preached; ‘Repent’
The message that God had sent Jesus to preach could be summed up, in either 6 words; ‘Repent and believe the good news’, or 9 words, ‘Repent for the kingdom of God has come near.’ In today’s Bible portion Jesus begins to send the men who worked with him to preach these same words in the townships. Surely this is the hardest message to be sent with; the instruction to change direction. We usually only do that after we have asked directions, and then we are often so sure we were going the right way that we continue to travel in the same direction until finally we are convinced that the road does not go to where we want to be.
The word repent, means, ‘turn around’, it does not necessarily involve sorrow often that does not come until later, when we realize which direction we were traveling in.
Before repentance, most people live their lives turned away from God. They have their backs to him instead of their faces. It is inconvenient to think of him, or be reminded of him. Instead they want to be guided by their own desires, motives and opinions. To the men sent out with the message it might seem rather a lost cause – to advise people to turn around and look towards God. After all people make a choice about which way they want to face, so how successful could these messengers be in their recommendation?
Except for one thing. Always there are people who have grown weary of their own choice. These people are beginning to see that journeying away from God leads to no utopia. There are other people who wish in their secret hearts that they could receive the friendship of God. These people are ready to listen to the message of the nearness of God and to follow the instruction to repent.
And then there is the appeal of the message. Turning towards God reveals a wide prospect of new life just waiting to be explored. All the noble intentions a person has become possibilities. All the longings for peace and joy begin to be realized. Repentance is a positive action not a negative. All through the Bible, God makes many promises to people who turn towards him and live for him. And the witness of the Church is that God keeps his promises. From the very first day of their turning towards God people feel the beginning of his restorative work. From somewhere outside their lives comes the strength to be different. That strength is God’s response to their repentance. Repentance is different to making a resolution, resolutions receive no outside help. Repentance is towards God and opens the self to God’s life-changing activity.
Many, perhaps most people, experience all sorts of warm feelings when they turn towards God. A few people, who want to be scientific rather than emotional, will say that they feel no change. To them my answer is, ‘Use the scientific method, has your behavior changed, has your orientation changed? Or I will ask them if there is some action they feel God is requiring of them; until that action is performed they haven’t truly changed direction. Often the action God is requiring is a public commitment, rather than a private secret commitment. Secret partnership with God is like being ashamed of him. Sometimes God is requiring something that is needed to put right the past, God requires them to forgive someone, or they have to ask someone to forgive them. Alone they have too much resistance to do these things. With the help of a church or a preacher they can ask God to overcome the resistance they feel. In spirit Jesus will go with them to the place where they have to go and will give them strength from beyond themselves to do God’s will. That is why he came into this world.
Through the prophets, whose writings are in the middle of the volume of the Bible, God spoke to people who were intent on doing their own thing, “Why do you want to perish?” He said, “Turn to me and live.” He is the same today as he was then.
Isaiah 53:6, Jeremiah 2:27, Psalm 80:17-19, 2 Chronicles 7:14,
Bible portion: Gospel of Mark 6:7-13
The voice of twelve men, calling out, “Repent””. The disciples of Jesus had been sent by him to the neighboring towns with the same message that he preached; ‘Repent’
The message that God had sent Jesus to preach could be summed up, in either 6 words; ‘Repent and believe the good news’, or 9 words, ‘Repent for the kingdom of God has come near.’ In today’s Bible portion Jesus begins to send the men who worked with him to preach these same words in the townships. Surely this is the hardest message to be sent with; the instruction to change direction. We usually only do that after we have asked directions, and then we are often so sure we were going the right way that we continue to travel in the same direction until finally we are convinced that the road does not go to where we want to be.
The word repent, means, ‘turn around’, it does not necessarily involve sorrow often that does not come until later, when we realize which direction we were traveling in.
Before repentance, most people live their lives turned away from God. They have their backs to him instead of their faces. It is inconvenient to think of him, or be reminded of him. Instead they want to be guided by their own desires, motives and opinions. To the men sent out with the message it might seem rather a lost cause – to advise people to turn around and look towards God. After all people make a choice about which way they want to face, so how successful could these messengers be in their recommendation?
Except for one thing. Always there are people who have grown weary of their own choice. These people are beginning to see that journeying away from God leads to no utopia. There are other people who wish in their secret hearts that they could receive the friendship of God. These people are ready to listen to the message of the nearness of God and to follow the instruction to repent.
And then there is the appeal of the message. Turning towards God reveals a wide prospect of new life just waiting to be explored. All the noble intentions a person has become possibilities. All the longings for peace and joy begin to be realized. Repentance is a positive action not a negative. All through the Bible, God makes many promises to people who turn towards him and live for him. And the witness of the Church is that God keeps his promises. From the very first day of their turning towards God people feel the beginning of his restorative work. From somewhere outside their lives comes the strength to be different. That strength is God’s response to their repentance. Repentance is different to making a resolution, resolutions receive no outside help. Repentance is towards God and opens the self to God’s life-changing activity.
Many, perhaps most people, experience all sorts of warm feelings when they turn towards God. A few people, who want to be scientific rather than emotional, will say that they feel no change. To them my answer is, ‘Use the scientific method, has your behavior changed, has your orientation changed? Or I will ask them if there is some action they feel God is requiring of them; until that action is performed they haven’t truly changed direction. Often the action God is requiring is a public commitment, rather than a private secret commitment. Secret partnership with God is like being ashamed of him. Sometimes God is requiring something that is needed to put right the past, God requires them to forgive someone, or they have to ask someone to forgive them. Alone they have too much resistance to do these things. With the help of a church or a preacher they can ask God to overcome the resistance they feel. In spirit Jesus will go with them to the place where they have to go and will give them strength from beyond themselves to do God’s will. That is why he came into this world.
Through the prophets, whose writings are in the middle of the volume of the Bible, God spoke to people who were intent on doing their own thing, “Why do you want to perish?” He said, “Turn to me and live.” He is the same today as he was then.
Isaiah 53:6, Jeremiah 2:27, Psalm 80:17-19, 2 Chronicles 7:14,
posted by Jessie Coates at 10:39 PM
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