Sunday 07 December 2008
- Bible Book:
- Mark
"He proclaimed, 'The one who is more powerful than I is coming after me; I am not worthy to stoop down and untie the thong of his sandals'." (v.7)
Background
The Gospel of Mark is the earliest of the four Gospels. It waswritten for Christians in Rome before AD 70. In this first chapterwe see the beginning of Jesus' ministry. John the Baptist (whospeaks the above verse) points to Jesus as the one who is to fulfilthe prophecy of Isaiah (
One of the great themes of Advent is the preparing of the way ofthe Lord. The
The message of Mark is filled with hope and expectation. Itpresents a message that tells that the troubles of everydayexistence will end and uncertainty and insecurity will come to anend. Many people today feel uncertain and insecure about their ownlives. Financial turmoil around the world has shaken people's faithin what they assumed to be solid institutions. Politicalinstability in many countries threatens to overwhelm individualswho feel themselves to be powerless in the face of injustice andoppression. Ordinary men and women come to wonder in what they canput their trust.
But the Lord does not come to those who are unprepared. What isrequired? Repentance, forgiveness of sin and baptism. We arereminded that the images of hope, promise and renewal depend uponhuman obedience. We are called to walk in the way of the Lord as aresponse to God's grace. We do not build a highway and then waitfor God to come. God has already drawn near to us before werepent.
To Ponder
How can the Church respond to worldwidecrises?
What can the local church do and say in thecontext of the financial and political uncertainties that haverocked 2008?
How can we help modern people today recapture theexcitement and expectation of the Advent season?