Thursday, January 3, 2008

For it is clear that he did not come to help angels,
but the descendants of Abraham.
Hebrews 2: 16

In September of 2005 I attended a Wisconsin Council of Churches workshop on the Gospel of Mark for pastors.  The leader was Ted Jennings, Jr. from Chicago Theological Seminary.  He was very familiar with the Gospel of Mark. He was "off the cuff," but yet he conveyed deep conviction and purpose.  He reached me.

During the day we wove our way through Mark, stopping to see how Mark intended his account to live in the lives of those who would read his gospel.  Ted wove into his telling of Mark his interpretation of the gospel. Here was not just a story about gospel days, but here was a story living in the lives of those who believed Jesus was the Incarnation. 

"When you identify with the Incarnation, Jesus wants to meet you, to meet you in Galilee," Ted said, "where Jesus will send you out.” 

They will throw out demons in my name, they will speak in tongues, they will take snakes in their hands, they will drink poison and not be hurt, they will lay hands on the sick and make them well.

Let me translate.

We people of the Incarnation are to go to Galilee to begin telling the story of the Incarnation, to begin living the Incarnation.  Starting this way we are to live the Good News of the Gospel of Mark in our very lives.  It is clear, my friends, Jesus' primary cause was not angels, but the descendants of Abraham. 

Will you go with me into Galilee and beyond?  Let us toss out the demons, speak so people understand, take snakes and not be hurt by them, survive poison, heal the sick so others know Christ first hand