Thursday, January 10, 2008

Ioannes Christum evangelizat

When there is good news to proclaim, Mark's voice is heard - in fact all three agree as you can see on the first table in section 16.

We simply don't have a sufficient variety of coloured threads.
We will have to be satisfied with the gray for John and the occasional yellow and blue to highlight common sections with the ones who see with a similar eye.
– Sometimes he seems older, sometimes younger than the others.

The Spirit burns chaff away, refines as in a fire the one who is baptized. Mark focuses on the baptism and the true Baptist, who immerses us in Spirit. We can be in expectation, ready, but it is not by our own efforts that we bring the Spirit onto ourselves.

– Tertius, my shoes!
– Immediately, Master
– That's better. Leave them over there. Bring some water to me.


Gaius' father - even Gaius himself, nor Paul, nor my father, Tertius, not even me. None of us is the one who baptizes with Spirit. How will we anoint our care if we have no anointing?

Who is worthy? As with all Israel who came out to be baptized, we must confess our sins, for we are implicated in the state of the world even if we are perfect. In our day, Beloved, do we not share in the bickering that pervades our civil structure? Is there a slave that is beaten and I do not benefit? It is not a matter of our own assessment of good or not good. This one, who is mightier - we might say by definition, even though he was more worthy than John, he too implicated himself in weakness in the state of this world.

– Every one of you is to repent and be baptized, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
– For the promise is made to you and to your children and to all those far off, whomever the Lord our God will call.


Luke reminds us that the John who is not the Christ and is not the Evangelist nevertheless is the bearer of Good News.

So, with many other exhortations, he preached good news to the people.

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