Mark 1:14-20

Jonah 3:1-5, 10

Psalm 25:4-5, 6-7, 8-9

1 Corinthians 7:29-31

Mark 1:14-20

After John had been arrested,

Jesus came to Galilee proclaiming the gospel of God:

"This is the time of fulfillment.

The kingdom of God is at hand.

Repent, and believe in the gospel."

As he passed by the Sea of Galilee,

he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting their nets into the sea;

they were fishermen.

Jesus said to them,

"Come after me, and I will make you fishers of men."

Then they abandoned their nets and followed him.

He walked along a little farther

and saw James, the son of Zebedee, and his brother John.

They too were in a boat mending their nets.

Then he called them.

So they left their father Zebedee in the boat

along with the hired men and followed him.

Opening Prayer: Lord, help me to rest and worship today as I should. This is your day, the day that recalls your work of creation, the day that recalls your work of redemption, and the day that looks forward to the consummation of all things in heavenly glory.

Encountering the Word of God

1. The Story of Jonah: The story of Jonah teaches us that all people are called to repent from sin and experience divine mercy. This call was made very concrete when God asked Jonah to preach repentance to Nineveh, the capital city of the Assyrian Empire, the sworn enemy of Israel. The last thing that Jonah wanted was for the people of Nineveh to repent and be spared. He wanted to see the city burn and for Israel’s enemy to be utterly destroyed. Instead of obeying the Lord’s command, he tried to get as far away from Nineveh as possible. He went to the port city of Joppa and got on a boat to Tarshish, possibly southern Spain. But no matter what he did, Jonah brought Gentiles to convert to the worship of the one true God. The Gentile sailors worshiped Jonah’s God and asked for forgiveness when they threw Jonah overboard. The Ninevehites heard Jonah’s preaching, repented, and begged Jonah’s God for mercy.

2. Parallels between Simon Peter and Jonah: There are many connections between the story of Jonah and that of Simon Peter. The first is that Simon is the son of a man named “Jonah.” As well, both were sent to the capital cities of the dominant empires of their time: Jonah was sent to the capital of the Assyrian Empire; Peter was sent to the capital of the Roman Empire. Both Jonah and Peter go to the port city of Joppa (Jonah 1:3; Acts 9:43). But they go for different reasons: Jonah goes to Joppa because he does not want the Gentiles to convert; Peter goes precisely to encounter the Gentile Cornelius. After Jonah spent three days in the belly of the great fish, he relented and reluctantly preached to the Gentiles in Nineveh. After Peter had a vision of eating unclean food three times, he relented and willingly went to Cornelius’s house to preach the Gospel. God commanded both Jonah and Peter in the same way, using the phrase: “Arise and go” (Jonah 3:2; Acts 10:20). The response to their preaching was belief (Jonah 3:5; Acts 10:43): the Ninevites believed and were saved; the family and household of the Roman centurion believed and was saved. In the end, Jonah, and Simon Peter, the son of Jonah, both witnessed the conversion of the Gentiles and saw them experience God’s mercy and forgiveness.

3. The Focus of the Gospel of Mark: The Gospel of Mark, which we will read on Sundays this year, focuses on Jesus’ identity and destiny. Tradition holds that Mark’s Gospel is a record of the preaching of Peter to the Gentiles in Rome. The first half of the Gospel presents Jesus as the Christ, the Son of God. The second half tells us that, as the Christ, Jesus will suffer, be put to death, and rise on the third day. Mark’s Gospel also focuses on what it means for us to be one of Jesus’ disciples. We are called to carry our cross and suffer with Christ. This is the path that leads to glory. This was the path that Simon Peter had to learn and that we have to learn.

Conversing with Christ: Lord, when I am stubborn, hard of heart, and reluctant to follow your will, please soften my heart. When I do not want to forgive, remind me of how you have forgiven me time and time again. I want to be faithful to your love and imitate your merciful heart in my life.

Resolution: Is there something God is asking me to do that I do not want to do? Am I like Jonah who wanted to see his enemies vanquished by God? Am I like Peter who hesitated to preach the Gospel to people he did not know? Who, in my life, needs me to be merciful toward them? Who, in my life, needs to hear and experience the Good News of salvation?