Scripture: Mark 1:1-3
The beginning of the good news about Jesus Christ, God’s Son, happened just as it was written about in the prophecy of Isaiah: Look, I am sending my messenger before you. He will prepare your way, a voice shouting in the wilderness: “Prepare the way for the Lord; make his paths straight.”
Thought for the Day: It was on this day in 70AD that the Roman military leader, Titus, attacked the walls of Jerusalem. It took only three days to bring the walls down, and then they destroyed the Second Temple (the one built after the Babylonian Exile). That event changed everything for both Jews and Christians, as they were not two distinct groups in 70AD. There were Jews, and among the Jews were many different groups including those who followed an executed teacher by the name of Jesus. Though Paul had been out evangelizing in the 40’s and 50’s, the center of the Jesus-movement was still Jerusalem until 70AD. Most scholars believe Mark’s Gospel was written in reaction to the destruction of the temple and the growing persecution against those who followed Jesus (Jews were also persecuted during this time). As the Apostles, those who followed Jesus firsthand, were getting old and dying, there was a sudden realization that the Jesus Story needed to be put on parchment. And like any good preacher, the Gospel writer put forth a message that spoke to the circumstance of those who were left feeling hopeless after the Temple’s destruction. As we seek to understand the Good News (Gospel) of Jesus Christ, it is essential for us to read scripture within its historic context. Once we begin to understand how it was relevant in its historic context, we are better able to make it relevant for our context.
Prayer: Help us prepare for the coming of your Good News, O Living Word, by learning everything we can about the context and emotional state of those for whom the Gospels were written. Amen.
See You Sunday
