01-12-25

ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGS
January 12, 2025
We often joke about how time flies when we are having fun, but from the birth of Jesus on December 25 to Baptism of the Lord Sunday (today), Jesus goes from infant to 30-year-old man. Some years, we toss in his trip to Jerusalem at age 12 where he stayed behind and freaked out his parents (Luke 2:41ff), but there isn’t a lot to tell about those 28 or 29 years between Epiphany and Baptism. And of course, the other eleven plus months of the year, we have to get through all the stories of Jesus’ ministry. Between today and mid-April, my plan is to read all of Mark’s Gospel for my own personal study. That won’t be a challenge as it is not a very long Gospel, but my intention is to focus on the individual stories about Jesus and ask the question, “What does this tell me about Jesus’ purpose, at least from the perspective of the Gospel writer Mark?” The more I know about the purpose of Jesus, the more I know about my purpose as a follower of Jesus.

Merciful God, Generous Guide, keep me ever so close to Jesus as we journey from baptism, through the roadways of Galilee, to a lakeside, to a village called Bethsaida, to an Upper Room, a Garden, and a cross. There is a lot that happens, so help me keep attentive, especially to those often overlooked details. Amen.