What is the (real) Good News of Jesus Christ?

Today (officially April 25), the Church recognizes the Feast Day of St. Mark the Evangelist by reading the first verses of the evangelist’s gospel.  He begins his gospel like you might expect an evangelist to begin.  The evangelist says, “The beginning of the good news of Jesus Christ…”  As you probably already know, evangelist translated from the original Greek literally means “bringer of the good news.”  

            As a preacher, I realize I throw this word around a lot — good news or gospel.  But what are we really saying when we talk about the good news or the gospel of Jesus Christ?  Are we talking about the salvation of our souls?  Are we talking about our ticket to heaven?  Are we talking about the forgiveness of our sins?  Yes, but this assessment doesn't paint the bigger picture - a picture that puts the former into perspective. According to Mark, sharing the good news news is much more cosmic in nature.
            The good news of salvation is much bigger than the salvation of individual souls.  In the last verse of today’s gospel lesson we are clued into the kind of good news Mark is sharing.  He says, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near; repent, and believe in the good news.”

            Ultimately, the good news of Jesus Christ is all about the kingdom that he is bringing to this world.  As we read further along in the gospel, we discover that the kingdom of heaven looks quite a bit different than the kingdoms of this world.  

            In Mark’s eyes, the kingdom of heaven looks like a place for healing, even if such healing breaks cultural, social, and religious norms.  In the kingdoms of this world, healing is most readily available to those who can afford health care while the poor have to listen to the rest of us fight about how we are going to take care of the least of these.

            In Mark’s eyes, the kingdom of heaven is a place that is void of evil or unclean spirits.  In the kingdoms of this world, those who are possessed with evil or unclean spirits are hidden from society - out of sight and out of mind.  We build large, dark institutions for these people.

            In Mark’s eyes, the kingdom of heaven is place where its citizens go out of their way to welcome the foreigner — whatever the cost.  Our kingdoms are seized by fear and consider the pursuit of safety to be a higher virtue than acts of compassion.

            In Mark’s eyes, the kingdom of heaven is a place where daily self-sacrifice is a practiced, a place where we find that when we sacrifice all that we have for the sake of the gospel we find that we have all that we need.  In the kingdoms of this world, we believe that we will only find what we need by aimlessly accumulating more — no matter who we run over to get it.

            Ultimately, the kingdom of heaven for Mark is a place where the first will be last and the last will be first.  And judging by the brevity of the gospel, this news is urgent.  The news is so urgent that we don’t even have time to be comforted by the Nativity Story.  Instead, we get John the Baptist in the wilderness proclaiming, “Repent!”

            I can’t speak for you but I guesstimate that I am living 80% of my life in the kingdoms of this world and 20% of my life in the kingdom of heaven.  I wish I could be “all in” and I am working on it.  I hope that when I am Henry’s age those numbers will be reversed — 80% in the kingdom of heaven and 20% in the kingdoms of this world.  

            A part of the good news tells me that I am a work in progress and so are you.  And this work in progress begins when I am willing to fall to my knees and repent of all the ways that I am putting my trust in the kingdoms of this world rather than the kingdom of heaven, when I am willing to let the truth of God’s word confront me and make me see that the kingdom of heaven is the way to life and peace while the kingdoms of this world only lead to death and destruction.

            Beloved, may the call to repentance burn away all the sin that convinces you to put your trust in the kingdoms of this world, so that you may see yourself more and more as a living member of the kingdom of heaven on earth, a kingdom where peace and unity prevail, a kingdom whose king is servant to all.  Amen.