3rd Sunday after Epiphany
Jonah 3:1-5, 10; Psalm 62:5-12; 1 Corinthians 7:29-31; Mark 1:14-20
The calls of Simon Peter, Andrew, James, and John are nothing like the ones from Phillip and Nathanael last Sunday. If it was necessary for the Baptizer to send Phill in the direction of the Messiah and for Nate to be convinced by a divine revelation from the Light of the Word himself, in this scene from Mark, Jesus goes down to the place where his newfound disciples were busy making their living and simply says, “Follow me and I will make you fish for people.” The evangelist does not bother to offer any explanation of why. There is no convincing or pondering. “Immediately,” the disciples recognize the meaning of the moment and, without hesitation, answer the call to leave what was familiar and join what was uncertain.
When it comes to answering the call, few may have troubled God more than Jonah. They were never on the same page. “The prophet out of the belly of the big fish” does not want to go to Nineveh in the first place (see Jonah, chapters 1 and 2). Therefore, the voice of the Lord has to insist (3:1). In Chapter 4, Jonah does not react very well to the fact that God has a change of mind about Nineveh. He throws a big temper tantrum and brings upon himself a divine teaching moment. On the other hand, the people of Nineveh heard the Lord through the imperfect vessel Jonah was and amazingly changed their ways (3:10).
“Brothers and sisters, the appointed time has grown short,” says Paul to the church in Corinth (compare to Mark 1:14-15). Whatever concern, personal standing, or state of mind preventing the believers from perceiving what God is doing with the kingdom come near must take a lower priority – or none at all – in their lives. Their “world is passing away.”
The psalmist confesses: “For God alone my soul waits in silence, for my hope is from him. He alone is my rock and my salvation, my fortress; I shall not be shaken (Psalm 62:5–6; NRSVue).”
Bridging Faith 