Leaving the Old Kingdom for the New

Text: Mark 1:14-20

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

            There’s no way they could have known what was ahead when He told them, “Follow Me, and I will make you become fishers of men.” They had been professional fishermen, so they may have had an inkling as to what would be involved—certainly casting wide metaphorical nets and seeing who would be drawn in by their words would be part of it. But there’s no way they could have known the wonders they would see—the healings and casting out of unclean spirits, the feeding of enormous crowds from what seemed to be such small rations, the resurrections. They also could have no idea of the harder things that would be ahead: the rejections, the slander, the mockery, the whipping and stoning, even the crucifixions and other forms of martyrdom.

            But it’s probably for the best that they couldn’t know any of that—the good and the bad, the glorious and the painful. Who of us would ever start anything if we knew exactly what was ahead, in any arena of life—the joys and heartbreaks, the laughter and sorrow? We would be paralyzed from the start and never begin any path.

            But there was one thing they did know, right from the start. They knew what Jesus would be preaching. His very first words of public proclamation were, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the Gospel.” They knew that this Teacher of theirs, this Messiah who called them to follow Him, would teach them what it meant that the kingdom of God was drawing near. He would teach them what it was to repent, and what it was to have faith in the good news that God had arrived to reign. They would spend their time with Him learning exactly what those things meant, even if it would surprise them at nearly every turn.

            In some ways we do know what to expect when we follow Jesus—or at least we think we know. That’s always been the problem with us fallen mortals though, hasn’t it? We think we have a handle on everything. Eve believed she knew exactly what she would get when she reached out her hand to obtain the experiential knowledge of good and evil. King David thought he knew what he was getting when he played the part of the entitled ruler and took Bathsheba as his own. And we, in the trappings of the age we live in, we believe that we know the answers to most of what we observe in the universe or in our lives. We think we can explain with perfect accuracy what’s happening in the furthest reaches of the universe, or in the deepest parts of the human mind and soul. But dig a little deeper and it doesn’t take long for us to reach an “I don’t know.” Anyone who spends time with small children realizes that it doesn’t take many times of asking “Why?” for us to reach the end of our knowledge, whether it’s stars and black holes or the everyday behaviors of everyday people.

            Yet we still think we know what it means to follow Jesus. We think we know exactly what it is that we should repent for; or even more importantly to our own minds, what we shouldn’t have to repent for. We think we know what the kingdom of God should be, what it “should” look like. We imagine that following Jesus, if we do it correctly, means nothing but “Yes” to our wildest prayers. We picture a victorious life, moving through piles of success and nonstop enjoyment, everything positive and happy all the time because that’s what the world tells us God’s kingdom should be like. But if that’s really what the kingdom of God is all about, why does Jesus tell us, from the very start of His public ministry, that this is going to be something different from what the world has always thought and believed and practice? Why does He say that the time is fulfilled; that it’s time to repent, that is, to set aside those things that belong to the old fallen order, the old fallen nature, the ways of the unbelieving world? Why does He tell us not to believe in whatever we wish, or whatever unfaith believes, but to instead believe in the Gospel—that He will die for the sins of the world, for our sins, and that new life will be lived under His gracious and merciful kingship?

            For this is what these first disciples, Simon Peter and Andrew, James and John, were called to when Jesus called them two by two to become fishers of men. He called them to repent and believe because the kingdom was drawing near. He called them to leave behind what belonged the kingdom of the world, the kingdom of shadows, the domineering rule of the evil one. And they would have a tough time of it. The old order, the old nature, doesn’t want to let go. So James and John would ask Jesus if He wanted them to pray for fire and brimstone to consume the Samaritan village that didn’t receive Him as Messiah. Simon Peter would draw his sword and maim a man, thinking that he was serving his Lord by harming his neighbor. And we—we also must learn what it means to let go of those things that our fallen nature might say is right, that the tempter whispers to us is a sign of strength, what the world tells us is good because it feels good and gives us the advantage.

            We are called to repent, to turn away from those things, because something new is arriving in Jesus. Repent, and believe in the Gospel. Believe that the kingdom has come through Jesus. Believe that the age of the Messiah has begun, that God is ruling over our lives now for our eternal good. Because that’s what the kingdom of God actually is. It’s not an earthly realm or regime. It’s not the right set of political policies or platforms. It’s not located in specific geopolitical boundaries. The kingdom is simply God’s rule of grace and mercy. It’s God reigning and turning back the tide in the kingdom of darkness, breaking the grip of the devil and death. It’s Jesus forgiving sins so that they have no more hold on us, setting us free to walk in God’s kingdom, under His rule, serving Him freely, not out of compulsion, not out of fear, but out of love for the One who first loved us.

            This kingdom will happen in its fullness at the cross, when Jesus takes on every sin and destroys it in His own death. That’s when the victory shout, “It is finished!” completes what is begun in our Gospel reading today. That kingdom will be sealed and established forever when the age of life begins with Jesus’ empty tomb on Easter.

            And this is what Jesus calls His first disciples—and His disciples now—to witness, to be. You won’t always have the glory that the world tells you to expect. You won’t always have the comfort that your fallen nature tells you to seek. But always remember that it’s in our weakness that God’s strong and merciful reign is displayed. It’s in our crosses and trials that we see Jesus’ cross and all He won more clearly.

            Those first disciples may not have known all that this would entail, but that’s OK. It’s probably for the best that we don’t know what’s around every corner in this walk of faith either, in spite of our desire to know and control it. But you are called to repent and believe. Leave behind what belongs to the old kingdom of this quickly passing world. The time is fulfilled. The kingdom of God is here. Believe the Gospel. Believe God is reigning. Believe that Jesus has come to bring you into His kingdom of light and life. In the name of Jesus, who calls you. Amen.