Mark 16:15-20

Gospel according to Mark 16:15-20

Jesus appeared to the eleven and said to them, “Go into all the world and proclaim the good news to the whole creation. The one who believes and is baptized will be saved; but the one who does not believe will be condemned. And these things will accompany those who believe by using my name, they will cast out demons; they will speak in new tongues; they will pick up snakes in their hands, and if they drink any deadly thing, it will not hurt them; they will lay their hands on the sick, and they will recover.” So then the Lord Jesus, after having had spoken to them, was taken into heaven and sat down at the right hand of God. And they went out and proclaimed the good news everywhere, while the Lord worked with them and confirmed the message by the signs that accompanied it.

Reflections

After a time of preparation, reflection, and witnessing the risen Lord, the disciples were now ready in heart and mind to proclaim what they have seen and heard. They were now prepared for the task ahead of them. Their preparedness came from having gone through many painful events and suffering, as well as glorious moments offering comfort and encouragement in the presence of the Lord. These experiences matured the disciples in their understanding of their beliefs. Gradually, God’s grace helped them to express and to transmit their faith to others.

The courage to speak and to live the Gospel message came in several phases: At the appointed time, in fulfillment of the Scriptures, Jesus was physically with the disciples in his earthly body, in his humanity and divinity. This was the case since divine incarnation, whereby God took on human nature in every way, except for sin. The disciples saw Jesus act with mercy and forgiveness. They were with him when he talked about God’s commandments and goodness. They accompanied him on the rough seas, witnessed the miraculous catch of the fish; when he multiplied the bread for the multitudes, healed the sick, all the way to the foot of the cross, when Jesus prayed for those who still did not believe, “acted in ignorance” (Peter 3:17), and dwelled in the darkness. The disciples walked and talked with Jesus. They experienced his closeness in their everyday lives. They saw him transfigured on the mountain, walking on water, and praying to “Abba,” the Father (Luke 11:1-4). Even then, Jesus gently prepared them for what was to come: “The Son of Mann will be rejected and must suffer and die but will rise on the third day” (Luke 9:22). --And even though they could not yet comprehend this message, his words echoed in their minds and reverberated in their hearts: He has promised that he will rise from the dead and offer new life to those who believe in him.

Since the Resurrection, Jesus was with the disciples in his glorified body, with extraordinary abilities. He appeared to them when they were behind closed doors, when they were trembling with fear, and when they could hardly believe their senses that he was alive again after a horribly torturous death on the cross. They could see Jesus’s wounds, they could touch the mark of the spear in his side, and they “recognized” him at the breaking of the bread (Luke 24:30-31). “Peace be with you,” Jesus reassured them (John 20:19), --“Shalom,” he may have said; “Good-bye, Hello, and Peace to you.” “As I have loved you, so you must love one another,” he implored them (John 13:34). “Abide in my love,”—remain in the faith that I taught you while I was with you and live accordingly, he instructed them (John 15:9). “Go to the ends of the world and proclaim the good news to everyone,” he exhorted them (Mark 16:15).

The fourth week after the Resurrection, Jesus ascended into heaven, to sit at the right hand of the Father. He promised to remain with the disciples as they continued the mission he entrusted to them. He established the sacraments, such as baptism, as visible signs of a commitment of God to his people, to offer strength and consolation.

Receiving the sacraments is an act of free will and is the manifestation of response-ability to God in a state of being ready to receive His grace. Through baptism, we are invited to be children of God, part of his “chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession,” (1Peter 2:9). God’s promise to his beloved is that “…they will cast out demons; they will speak in new tongues; they will pick up snakes in their hands, and if they drink any deadly thing, it will not hurt them; they will lay their hands on the sick, and they will recover.” This extension of what it means to be the chosen “People of God” from the Jewish people in the Old Testament (Deuteronomy 7:6, and the Exodus 19:6) to the entire humanity who have been “called out of darkness into his wonderful light” (1 Peter 2:9).

This promise surpasses, supersedes, and completes every previous covenant between God and humanity. Through Jesus’ sacrifice, God enters into an eternal agreement of love with humanity. He promises that those who follow his will and obey his precepts are going to be able to fight and withstand evil; understand, and show understanding; be the instruments of peace, love, harmony, and healing.

God offers protection in this world through the next. He offers a sense of belonging, a place of safety, and a source of identity. He has a vision and a mission for everyone who can open their hearts and minds to welcome his message.

In a nutshell, the message of today’s good news is that just like the fertile soil that welcomes the seeds and allows them to take root, sprout, and bring fruit, all at the appointed time—in God’s time--nothing is impossible to God, wherever he is invited, whenever He is welcomed, and by whomever He is received—here are now.