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The King appears (Mark 1:14–15)
I just checked to make sure, and it turns out that there has never been a President from West Virginia. By saying that, I probably didn’t shock anyone. West Virginia is one of the states in the Union that has a reputation—deserving or not—for being a backwater region. If it’s political power you’re looking for, you travel to Washington, D.C.; if it’s economic success, you go to New York City; if it’s cultural clout, you make your way to Hollywood. You don’t go to West Virginia.
Not unless you’re trying to pull a Jesus.
Jesus doesn’t begin his earthly ministry in an advantageous place. “Now after John was arrested,” Mark relates, “Jesus came into Galilee, proclaiming the gospel of God” (1:14). Galilee was sort of the West Virginia of Jesus’ day. If you were a Jew, and you wanted to make something of yourself, you didn’t go to Galilee; you went to Jerusalem. To the Jews, Jerusalem was New York City, Hollywood, and Washington, D.C. all rolled up into one. It was the political, cultural, economic, and religious capital of Judea. That’s where people would have been looking for a Messiah—not in Galilee. (Though they should have been.)
So, right from the outset, we see that Jesus is rather unconventional. He’s not what the Jews are looking for in a divinely anointed king. In fact, he’s not what anyone is looking for in a king. It’s horribly disconcerting when our expectations are set on a Savior whose first public move is to reject those expectations. Jesus is an unconventional man with an unconventional message, summarized by these words: “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel” (v 15).
Just like John, Jesus calls everyone to repent—to reject the old way of thinking and living and to accept the new kingdom that is about to break into the world. When he says, “The time is fulfilled,” he’s declaring that his arrival is the fulfillment of history. All of human history has been building to this point; it all has meaning, and that meaning is found in Jesus. Each and every event, no matter how small, has driven the world toward the arrival of this man. Century by century and minute by minute, his appearance has been orchestrated by the Lord of history. Yes, every moment of our lives is infused with careful intent by our Creator, as we wait for the full glory of his kingdom to appear. Even now, everything finds its purpose in Jesus (Romans 11:36).
Jesus declares that a paradigm shift is about to take place, and the world will never be the same; God’s kingdom has drawn near. But what is this kingdom? Who is its king? Certainly, the Jews of Jesus’ day have expectations that the Messiah would drive out the Roman empire and set up a new Jewish kingdom, following in the footsteps of David his ancestor. Perhaps the unconventional arrival of this Galilean preacher is the first clue that God may have different plans. The Jews are right in believing that the Messiah will be their king, but how can this man be their king? Is this how God has chosen to intervene when his people are suffering? Jesus seems to think so—he believes that his appearance has brought God’s new kingdom near. The whole world order is about to be turned upside down; the old kingdom is about to wither away. Things are about to change—fast—and Jesus presents his audience with a choice. Either keep living like you’ve always lived, or change your life immediately in response to this new reality! Jesus isn’t concerned whether his gospel is relevant to his listeners; he pleads for his listeners to be relevant to his gospel.
This question of relevance is one you will have to face today. God’s kingdom has not fully arrived yet, but his triumph is inevitable. For far too long, we have focused ourselves on understanding and manipulating and growing comfortable in the way our society works. We have looked for success as defined by American values and ideals; we have placed our hope in our self-invented dreams and ambitions; we have knotted ourselves into the fabric of the American culture. But all of this will be swept away when the new kingdom is fully and finally established. This is bad news for those who cling to the old kingdom, and the greatest news possible for those who have let it go. All of history is bent toward its King, and when he appears, he will sweep away every illusion of control that we cling to. Jesus is not conventional, and he loves his people too much to befriend their conventional ambitions.
Scripture memory tips for the new year
If you’re like me, “2010” feels like it belongs in a science fiction movie rather than on next year’s calendar…but here it comes regardless. And since it’s time for new year’s resolutions, let me suggest that you focus on memorizing scripture this year. I’ve found it to be an incredibly valuable discipline because when God’s Word is always with me, I can more easily interpret the events and relationships of my life through its wisdom.
Since scripture memory can be frustrating at times, here are a few tips that you may find useful in your efforts to store up God’s Word in your heart (Psalm 119:11):
- Choose a good translation. Some translations might phrase things in a way that is awkward and difficult for you to remember. Memorize out of a translation that is easy for you to use.
- Go slow and steady. Set aside five minutes each day for scripture memory. You don’t need to take a lot of time, but it does need to be every day! If you try to set a deadline and then “cram” for it the same day, odds are you’ll forget everything you memorized before long.
- Take shortcuts. Memorizing the chapter and verse references can be very challenging. So many numbers! It’s okay to “cheat” and memorize only the book and chapter number where the verse is found. That’s specific enough to find a verse if you have to look it up—no need to know the exact verse number. If you’re reciting Romans 6:23, you can always tell people, “Paul writes in Romans 6 that ‘the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.’”
- Memorize the context. Try memorizing a paragraph or two at a time rather than an assortment of individual verses. It’s easier to remember because God’s Word wasn’t written as a random collection of verses but as complete thoughts spanning paragraphs (in prose) or stanzas (in poetry). By memorizing whole paragraphs or chapters, you can follow the author’s train of thought, and you’ll also see the meaning of the verses in their context! For example, instead of just memorizing Romans 3:23 and then moving on to another verse, try memorizing Romans 3:19–26 one verse at a time.
- Use memory tools. Try using flashcards and reciting the verses out loud. That way you can see, speak, and hear the words, which can help reinforce your memory. You may want to try writing them out repeatedly if that helps. Use whatever tools help you the most. For example, I use Genius, a virtual flashcard program for Mac computers, which forces me to type out the verse word for word as I recite it aloud.
- Get some help. Have a friend hold you accountable for memorizing scripture each week. Set goals for you to memorize, and have your friend ask whether you have been setting aside time throughout the week to do it. Have your friend quiz you on the verses you have been assigned.
The most important thing you can know about scripture memory is that there is no magic secret to it. If your heart is not set on treasuring up God’s Word, none of these tips will help. But if you do want to keep his Word with you to guide and protect you, you’ll find a way to memorize it that works best for you.
Updated blogroll
Okay, I finally got around to a project which has been a long time in the works: updating my blogroll. Check it out on the right sidebar!
Perhaps you’re wondering, “Hey, what happened to my blog? It used to be there.” Well, sorry to say, my friend…I was ruthless in deleting blogs that haven’t been updated in ages. We can still be friends. Just not as good friends.
Now, I know what some of you are thinking: “How can I get on Dave’s blogroll?” Good question. The answer is that first, you have to actually know me in real life. Second, you need to start a blog of your own and then faithfully update it…at least once a month or so. Get one from WordPress, not Blogger. Getting a blog on Blogger is exactly like getting driving directions from MapQuest. It was cool…back in the ’90s.
Anyway, sometime this week I will blog on my reaction to a recent apologetics event at Purdue. Stay tuned.
Yeehaw! My very own domain name!
As you may have noticed, my blog has now moved from the serviceable “banannery.wordpress.com” to the much more regal-sounding “banannery.com.” No need to update your bookmarks or links…everything forwards okay. Just thought you’d like to know that for the first time, I’m actually investing in this blog financially. In other words, I fully intend to continue spewing drivel onto the Internet for the forseeable future.
Incredible sermon on 1 Corinthians 1:18-25
I’m planning on writing a series of posts on the role of human wisdom based on 1 Corinthians 1-2. In the meantime, I ran across a wonderful, wonderful sermon by Joshua Harris entitled “Christ the Wisdom and Power of God.” It’s 48 minutes long and worth every second. It’s really addressed a lot of teaching I’ve come across, including the book Velvet Elvis that I’m reading. I’ve begun listening to Harris’ sermon series on 1 Corinthians—it’s great stuff.
