In the Ninevites and the apostles Simon, James, and John, scripture today has examples of immediate repentance and turning to follow God. Make a brief examination of conscience and identify what you need to repent.

Most of us equate eternity with afterlife. Even the second definition in the dictionary makes that correlation. It’s an easy mistake to make, since both eternity and afterlife sound fuzzy to us who live and move and have our being in a finite world.

After John was arrested, Jesus went to Galilee preaching the Message of God: “Time’s up! God’s kingdom is here. Change your life and believe the Message.”

Jonah is one of several biblical characters who can’t seem to see beyond their own noses, their own judgments. Like Isaiah and Jeremiah, Jonah is not crazy about being a prophet. When God sends him to Nineveh to preach judgment, Jonah buys a ticket for Tarshis. When he does show up in Nineveh smelling like fish and proclaiming God’s judgment, what happens? Everyone repents, from the king to the cows—and Jonah is royally angry at God!

God of forgiveness and mercy, teach us your gospel, and hear our prayers, as we hear and respond to your call. In the name of our savior Jesus Christ, who lives with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.

As he passed by the Sea of Galilee. In describing Jesus “passing by,” Mark uses an expression similar to the one used to describe the passing by of the Divine Presence in Hebrew scripture. In Exodus, God tells Moses, “I will make all my goodness pass before you . . . . While my glory passes by I will put you in a cleft of the rock, and I will cover you with my hand until I have passed by” (Exodus 33:19, 22). Jesus, Mark makes clear at the beginning of his gospel, not only announces the Good News but is the Good News. His passing by galvanizes people to believe, repent, and respond to his call and his proclamation of the kingdom of God.

We cannot be fishers of men and women if in our hearts we are haters of them. This truth . . . reveals a nonviolent ethic: Love even your enemies; become fishers of them. We will not win people to our convictions if we despise them.