The Time Has Come

“The time has come,” he said. “The kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!” Mark 1: 15.

These are the first words of Jesus recorded in the gospel of Mark. John first records the question and the invitation, “What do you want?” and “Come and you will see.“ Mark begins with the message. The time is now. The Kingdom is here. Repent. Believe.

It’s amazing how much more complicated than this we have made it. We love to wade in the whys and hows. We relish the apparently complex theology. Is it all to avoid the simplicity of the invitation and the message? No doubt.

What do you want? We want something different, something meaningful. We want more than the world we can see and touch offers. We want to have eternal purpose.

Come and you will see. “Follow me,” Jesus says and you will see. I will answer your questions. I will give your life meaning and purpose. I will do it all. You just come and follow.

The time is now. Jesus doesn’t start with theology. There is no discussion of the great truths.We get no emotion evoking sermon or shame inducing lecture. We don’t begin by meditation, contemplation and consideration. We begin with a step. We follow. We follow first. We follow now. Understanding comes later, in tiny bits in a stream of wonder that never seems to stop.

The Kingdom is here. No more wondering whose in charge. No more wandering, looking for meaning.  No more soul less leaders. No more split alliances. There is one King. He is here. All else pales.

Repent. Wow! What a politically incorrect, outdated, religion-of-my-fathers kind of word. Can’t handle it? It just means turn around. Don’t like where you’re headed. Go a different way. Go the completely opposite way. When you turn around, there He is. Ready to be followed.

Believe. With the world behind and the cross before. Walk on. Believe is not an intellectual exercise. It’s a one-step-at-a-time walk. It’s trusting that when the next step lands it will be on solid ground. It will be a bit higher. It will be a bit brighter. Step by step to glory, with all the mud and trash of the world still flying, but now not deterring, not even distracting. On our way home.

Makes you wonder what the years of seminary or bible school are for. It’s oh so simple.