Mark 1:14-15
Have
you ever run into a roadblock or an accident that causes you to take a side road
to continue your journey? In Florida there are two major North/South interstate
highways. When an accident happens, and they happen on a regular basis, either
you can sit in miles of very slow or stopped traffic, or you jump off at an
exit, if you are lucky enough to catch one before being stopped, and drive on a
smaller State road. Either way, you will not be arriving at your final
destination at your expected time. You are going to be delayed.
Detours
happen for so many in life. The baby comes sooner than expected, and you have
to delay your degree plans while you juggle diapers and degree. Layoffs at work
mean a restart in your career progression, maybe even a shift in career fields.
Relationship troubles signal a change in direction. A class is more difficult
than you expected meaning a cut back in more pleasurable activities.
Mark
wants to prevent John the Baptist from becoming a detour for his readers. His
focus is on Jesus and His ministry as the Servant of the LORD. So in Marks
abrupt style he announces that John is put in prison. Chronologically this is
probably not accurate. John is not put in prison immediately after he baptizes
Jesus, but Mark again wants to emphasize Jesus, not John.
John
is handed over to judicial authorities. He is put in prison. No trial is
mentioned. No charges detailed. I can’t imagine his trial was legitimate. This
same word that Mark uses here to describe this handing over of John is use to
describe Jesus being handed over to the authorities to be put to death. (Mk
14:21; Rom 4:25; 1Cor 11:23) There is a parallel between Jesus and John. Both are
prophets whose life and ministry ends with a violent death. John is beheaded
during a dinner party of the ruler of that region of Rome, and Jesus is crucified
by the order of a political leader unwilling to stand up to political pressure.
Mark
points out the urgency of their messages. Jesus’ good news begins with a call
to this present moment. Now is the time for decisions. We can’t change the
past, and the future isn’t here yet. We only have the present to deal with the
past and to prepare for the future. Now is an important moment.
One
other parallel is emphasized here in our passage. Both have repentance as a
central theme of their ministry. We start our journey with repentance. We need
to turn from in order to turn to. Sin must be in our rearview mirror before
righteousness can be the focus of our lives. And at least for me, some days my
rearview mirror seems to grow in size, taking up more of my gaze. Sin has that
effect. It gets in the way of our believing. If we are to believe the Good News,
that our sins can be forgiven and we can receive power to live a holy life,
then we must repent in order to believe. Lack of repentance gets in the way of
believing.