Sunday before Theophany
Scripture: Mark 1:1-8
Nutshell
(1) Challenge
The beginning of a new year is often the start of new beginnings, one that we celebrate by making New Year’s resolutions. We promise ourselves to fulfill our heart’s desires: to become who we want to be.
(2) Sin
But sometimes, our plans are misdirected because they focus on what we desire and what we can control. However, not everything is within our control.
(3) What happens?
In following our hearts, we often forget about God. And when things go wrong, we have nowhere to turn. We become angry with the world, with ourselves.
(4) Christ forges a new path
Today, we hear St. John proclaim a baptism of the heart’s transformation. This means that we don’t become better people by giving in to the desires of our hearts. We become better people by changing our hearts (repentance) so that they’re open to a new way of life.
(5) Longing satisfied
Through a change of our hearts, we’re open to God who truly fulfills our desires and fills us with His everlasting life.
(6) Visible evidence
While on the road to Damascus, Paul had a change of heart. Today, we hear about how this opened him up to a life he could never have imagined, and he received the crown of righteousness.
(7) What shall I do?
As John’s message of repentance still rings out, Christ is waiting to baptize us also with the Holy Spirit. He’s waiting to transform us and make our hearts His home.
Full Text
(1) Challenge
The beginning of a new year is often the start of new beginnings, one that we celebrate by making New Year’s resolutions.
With these, we promise ourselves to fulfill our heart’s desires: to become who we want to be in the new year.
For some, this may mean becoming a healthier person; so, we make resolutions to exercise more and eat healthier.
For others, this may mean taking up a new hobby—playing an instrument, learning a new skill, or joining a club of some sort.
Or, perhaps, there’s new habits you want to form and bad habits you want to repress, such as reading more and watching television less.
Whatever it is, it’s usually something that we desire for ourselves.
(2) Sin
But sometimes, our plans are misdirected because they focus on what we desire and what we think we can control.
However, not everything is within our control.
In the first-century, the Judeans were under the political authority of the Romans. However, the Judeans desired to their own rule.
So, what did they do?
Well, they were divided, but one group thought they could force God’s hand. They recalled that God had conquered Canaan in the days of Joshua. They remembered that Joshua had entered the Promised Land by crossing the Jordan River, so they thought if they recreated that entrance into the Promised Land, they might be able to get God to act again to purge the land of foreigners. (By the way, this is probably the origin of St. John baptizing in the Jordan River.)
Another group decided to carry small daggers in their cloaks called sica. They became known as sica-users or Sicarii. They used these daggers to assassinate people in urban crowds to cause chaos. They also kidnapped people for prisoner exchanges.
How did their movement end? Well, they all committed suicide at one of Herod’s palaces: Masada in 70 A.D.
(3) What happens?
In following our hearts, in trying to create our own destinies, we often forget about God.
As we saw, the first-century Zionists wanted a new sort of kingdom, but they weren’t looking for a Kingdom of Heaven. Instead, they wanted a new political reality where they were in charge instead of the Romans.
In their minds, God didn’t figure into the picture. Well, not in the way he should have. In their minds, God wanted what they wanted. They didn’t stop to think about whether they were following God’s path or trying to convince God to go down their path.
When we’re focused on our own wants, we have nowhere to turn when things go wrong. When the Temple in Jerusalem was destroyed in 70 A.D., the Judeans at the time were lost. Had God abandoned them? Perhaps, he had. Perhaps, he had left them at the mercy of the Romans.
But, this happens to us too. Things go wrong in our lives as well, especially if we are also trying to do it our way. When we try to forge our own path and forget about the path that God is calling us to walk.
When this happens, we become angry with the world, with ourselves.
(4) Christ forges a new path
But, today, we hear a call from St. John the Baptist. We hear a reminder that there’s a different way. There’s a different path. And this is the way of baptism.
John’s proclaim of baptism is a call to transform our hearts. This means that we don’t become better people by giving in to the desires of our hearts, by doing what we want, by making our own plans.
No! Instead, we become better people by changing our hearts so that they’re open to a new way of life.
(5) Longing satisfied
In Greek, changing our hearts is the word μετάνοια, which literally means to “change one’s mind.” It means you’re going in the wrong direction and it’s time to turn around and go the other way. It’s time to take a new path—God’s path.
Through a change of our hearts, we’re open to God who truly fulfills our desires and fills us with His everlasting life.
We’re open to following God wherever he takes us, knowing that his path is the one that leads to salvation and not ruin like Sicarii at Masada.
(6) Visible evidence
While on the road to Damascus, Paul had a change of heart.
I think we’re all pretty familiar with the story. Paul thought it was his duty to murder every living Christian. But, on his way to the city of Damascus, he encountered Jesus along the road, and this encounter left him blind for a few days.
But, it also caused him to “change his heart.” Instead of persecuting Christians, he became a Christian, and he started building churches. This led to numerous struggles: he was whipped, beaten, stoned, shipwrecked, and in constant danger.
A hard path, for sure!
Yet, today, in his letter to Timothy, we hear about how this opened him up to seeing life in a new way—a way he could never have imagined.
He wrote:
“I have fought the good fight; I have completed the course; I have kept the faith. What do I still have to look for? The crown of righteousness! The Lord, the righteous judge, will give it to me as my reward on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have loved his appearing.”
God rewarded him for taking the more narrow path.
(7) What shall I do?
John’s message of repentance still rings out. We’re still encouraged to take this new path, forged by St. Paul and the saints before us.
The reward of taking this path is that Christ is waiting to baptize us with the Holy Spirit. He’s waiting to transform our lives and make our hearts His home.
Through scripture, the church, and the saints, he’s showing us how to walk this path—a path we may not have considered, but one that will fill our hearts more than our own desires will. A path that will fill us with God himself.
Amen.