an unlikely kingdom
After John was put in prison, Jesus went into Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God. “The time has come,” he said. “The kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!” Mark 1:14-15
Only Jesus knows when the time has come. For roughly thirty years he’s been doing what humans do: growing, learning, living, and waiting. Just like the people around him, Jesus has been waiting for the kingdom of God. He’s been looking for signs, praying for guidance, and now he declares: it’s time.
This, Mark says in his very first verse, is the beginning of the good news of Jesus Christ. Other writers begin with Jesus’ birth, with his origins, with creation itself. Mark begins when the kingdom of God is at hand.
Jesus picks up his first four disciples—two pairs of fishermen brothers—and heads to Capernaum, where one of his earliest public teachings is interrupted by a man “possessed by an unclean spirit.” When Jesus expels the spirit, people pay attention.
And at once his fame spread everywhere throughout all the surrounding region of Galilee. Mark 1:28
Healing matters to people—and Jesus is just getting started. From the synagogue, he heads to the home of Simon and Andrew, where he heals Simon’s mother-in-law from an illness. Within hours, the entire town turns up. They’re looking for healing. They’re looking for the kingdom of God. And everyone you can imagine is there.
That evening at sundown they brought to him all who were sick or oppressed by demons. And the whole city was gathered together at the door. Mark 1:32-33
People are drawn to a kingdom of healing. Sickness and brokenness and pain touch everyone, from two thousand years ago to today. Ever since the garden of Eden, they’re part of the human experience. But like everything in this world—storms, spirits, seas, the human heart—they answer to Jesus.
Physical and spiritual wellness weave in and out of each other in the gospels. But while healing is a signpost toward the kingdom of God, healing alone isn’t the focal point. The focal point is the source of that healing and wellness: Jesus. To find the kingdom of God, we have to find him. The kingdom of God is where Jesus is.
In Jerusalem, just days before his death, Jesus has a conversation with a scribe who asks him about the most important commandment. What matters to God? What should matter to us?
After Jesus answers, the scribe echoes back to Jesus what he heard.
“To love [God] with all your heart, with all your understanding and with all your strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself is more important than all burnt offerings and sacrifices.” Mark 12:33
Jesus considers this a wise answer, and tells the man: You are not far from the kingdom of God. Where we find the kingdom of God, we find love. Where we find the kingdom of God, we find healing. And we find the kingdom of God by finding Jesus.
It’s time. The kingdom of God is near. Come and see, and bring everyone you know.
Today's Prayer: Lord, my world needs healing. I need healing. People in my life need healing.
Please, bring your kingdom more fully this week on earth. Help me to spread the good news, love, and healing of your kingdom wherever I go.
Today, take a few moments to pray for people in your life who need physical or spiritual healing.
Focus on prayer: Each meditation gives you a starting point for a prayer. Begin with the prompt above, and let your words to God continue and become your own.
Meditation by Meghan Blosser