The Kingdom and the Calling, Mark 1.14-20

Jesus’ preaches the kingdom and repentance and in this preaching calls his disciples. When Jesus calls Peter, Andrew, James, and John, it isn’t the first time they’ve met. They have all recognized him as the Messiah previously, but now, Jesus calls them out of their daily lives into ministry and discipleship apart from their everyday lives. Not all of us receive this kind of call into ministry, but we all receive the call into the kingdom just as his first disciples did. How do we respond? How do we react?

image: A print from the Phillip Medhurst Collection of Bible illustrations, Pieter van der Borcht (ca. 1540-1608), CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Image location: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:77_Life_of_Christ_Phillip_Medhurst_Collection_3543_Simon_Peter_%26_Andrew_with_Christ_Matthew_4.18-20_Mortier.jpg

Boldly Trusting, 1 Thessalonians 2.1-8

St. Paul reminds the Thessalonians of his coming into Thessalonica, having been poorly treated in Philippi. Yet, even in that poor treatment, he was undeterred in proclaiming the Gospel. Where did this boldness come from? Why was St. Paul not shy to preach despite knowing it would mean mistreatment eventually? Father Jeremiah looks at these questions and helps us to see that St. Paul was fully focused on the work of Christ and trusting in him boldly, that he might boldly step out in trust.

Image: Nheyob, CC BY-SA 3.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0>, via Wikimedia Commons. Stainless window of St. Paul preaching at the Areopagus.