Epiphany
Celebration of God
Manifested in the World
February 15, 2015

 Scripture Reading: Mark 9:2-9

As they were coming down the mountain, he ordered them to tell no one about what they had seen, until after the Son of Man had risen from the dead. — Mark 9:9

 This theme of not telling anyone what the first disciples were hearing and experiencing runs throughout Mark. Mark is apparently the first of the gospels in order of writing, but it was written many years after the fact. Mark does convey a certain sense of telling just the facts, getting the story down. But it has always been a puzzle to me why Jesus did not what them to tell others about his life.

I suppose it could have something to do with the timing of Jesus’ mission. He felt a need to accomplish some specific tasks, mainly preparing the disciples to carry on the ministry. I have never thought that it indicated a lack of confidence. He was confident at the age of 12. Perhaps Mark just wanted his readers to gain an understanding of the importance of the mission by telling it in such a full-motion manner.

Whatever the reason, we need to understand that we are engaged in a full-motion ministry that may be 2000 years old but is no less essential today than it was then, perhaps it is even more so.  There is no question about telling the story of Jesus now, however. We have even been commanded to tell it. (Matthew 28:19-20)

Prayer: Lord, write your words on our hearts so that that we can tell your story not only with your words and our words, but also with our actions. Amen.

All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of American. Used by permission. All rights reserved.