On this second Sunday of Advent we read the opening lines of Saint Mark’s Gospel, written sometime between the years 60 and 70 AD, just a few years after the deaths of Peter and Paul at the hands of the Roman authorities. In fact, St. Mark had been a very close companion to the Apostle Peter, traveling with Peter to Rome, where Peter was put to death. Mark was not an eyewitness to Jesus; rather, Mark learned the details of Jesus’ Ministry from Peter.
The Opening Lines of ancient texts, such as the Gospels, are often very important, encapsulating the author’s purpose for writing. And St. Mark, through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, has penned his words very carefully. Listen again to Saint Mark’s opening line: “The beginning of the Gospel of Jesus Christ the Son of God.” Ἀρχὴ τοῦ εὐαγγελίου Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ Υἱοῦ Θεοῦ. (Arche tou euaggeliou iesou Christou hiou theou.)
The very first word of Mark’s Gospel is the greek word, arche—the beginning, found also in the opening line of the Gospel of St. John. In arche ho logos, wrote Saint John, in the beginning was the word. And that word, arche, harkens back to the very first word of the entire Bible in the book of Genesis– “in the beginning.” “In the beginning God created the heavens and earth”—the story of creation.
And Mark uses this word purposely to convey that document contains the story of God doing something new, a new chapter in salvation history, a new beginning, a new creation.
We know we live in a fallen world, a world torn apart by violence and sin and selfishness and perversity, a place where things are not as they should be. St. Mark’s original audience, the roman Christians, knew that quite well. By the year 66 the Christians of Rome were being hunted down, to be imprisoned, tortured, crucified, coated in pitch and set on fire, and thrown to the wild beasts as entertainment.
And St. Mark uses this word, arche, intentionally to show that just as God brought creation into existence, through Jesus, God is bringing about a new order in which the tyrants of the world, the powers of darkness and chaos do not get the last word.
The second word in the Greek, is the word euaggelion from which we get the word, evangelize. The Greek word euaggelion means glad tidings or good news, we translate it often, Gospel.
In Mark’s time, the word euaggelion referred to “news from the imperial government”. “Good news from your government, Caesar has defeated the scythians or Caesar has constructed a new amphitheater”. On the occasion of an imperial victory angeloi—messengers—were sent around the empire announcing the euangelion—the victory message of the emperor. Angeloi would also be sent to remind everyone of Caesar’s birthday. They would herald “Good news, it is time for us again to celebrate with feasts and festivities the birthday of our great God emperor Augustus Caesar”.
And here you have to love Saint Mark. Because St. Mark has the audacity and courage to announce from the belly of the beast, from the heart of Rome, the capital of the mighty empire, that the true euaggelion is not the birthday of Ceasar, the true euaggelion has nothing to do with an imperial victory—the true good news is the ushering in of a new kingdom, a new order, greater than that of Caesar, the victory of God through God’s anointed one.
Then St. Mark really drives the point home—and declares that it is not Caesar who is the anointed one of God, the Christ. Nor was Ceasar the hiou theou, the Son of God—as was printed on the Roman Coins. Rather, the Christ and Son of God, is Jesus of Nazareth.
Then Mark continues recalling the prophecy of Isaiah which we read in our first reading today from Isaiah chapter 40. And this passage too, was chosen very carefully. In the first 39 chapters of Isaiah, the prophet had explained that the terrible calamity that had befallen the Jewish People was because of their unfaithfulness to God. Because of their sins, because they did not uphold the ways of the Lord, because they did not teach their children to be faithful, they had become vulnerable to their enemies and had been captured and carried away into exile by the Babylonians.
But the 40th Chapter of Isaiah, which we heard today, contains some very good news, indeed. The prophet describes how even though Israel had been unfaithful, God was going to do something great. So get ready, prepare the way of the Lord. God is going to bring the exiles home.
And St. Mark declares that Jesus Christ has fulfilled that ancient prophecy—and not just for the Jewish people, but for all people—all people exiled from God because of sin have salvation through Christ.
Jesus is the consolation for which Israel longed; and all those who are lost in sin, all those who are captive to the powers of the world, can find deliverance in Jesus Christ. This message is such good news that Isaiah says, “Go up on to a high mountain, Zion, herald of glad tidings; cry out at the top of your voice…here is your God.”
There are people out there who don’t know, or don’t believe, that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. They are discouraged by the evil in the world, they have allowed evil into their own lives. But Advent involves preparing for an end of evil and sin, but believing in Jesus Christ, the promised one “conducting ourselves in holiness and devotion” as St. Peter says in the 2nd reading. But also, like Peter, like St. Mark, like Isaiah, like John the Baptist, Advent involves making the invitation to believe in the promises of God and the good news.
There are countless people today who feel like those captive exiles and persecuted roman Christians; they feel helpless and imprisoned, subject to the selfishness of tyrants, discouraged by the evils in the world, caught in chains of addiction, fear, and grief, and meaninglessness, and cycles of sin. And Advent calls us to “cry out at the top of your voice…here is your God”—Jesus Christ the Son of God can come into your life and transform your life and bring you peace and joy and salvation.
God has done something new in history, and you are invited to see it and believe it and follow it through a new way of life through faith—faith that involves worship, and repentance, and living for others, cultivating holiness and the fruits of the Holy Spirit and devotion to something that the world cannot contain or silence. Advent is the call to all people to prepare for God through discipleship of Jesus Christ.
This Advent, what does it mean to share the Gospel? How might you share your reasons for believing in God with the faithless? How might you rekindle hope to the discouraged? How might you point to Christ in a culture which tells us that money and politics and science and entertainment and nostalgia are the keys to happiness? Who is that person lonely or depressed that you can comfort in Christ’s name? How is God calling you to be a herald of the Good News, for the glory of God and the salvation of souls.
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