The Life of Jesus in Mark: Immediacy
The Life of Jesus in Mark: Immediacy
Major Roy Johnson
USA Southern Territory
Scripture: Mark 1
“People worry about losing their money and they never worry about losing their days. Your money won’t help you, and your days will never come back.”
Rabbi Chaim Ben Bezalel (c. 1520 - 1588)
Do it Today
In January 2021, I had the “privilege” of being confined to a COVID ward in a hospital for over 30 days. Despite the lethal nature of the virus however, I never felt that I was in any danger of losing my battle with the virus, and almost always felt like “tomorrow” would be the day that I would be going home. Consequently, if there were any matters of perceived urgency (e.g. had I taken care of my Will? Did my wife have access to important documents, account numbers, passwords, etc.?), I figured that they could wait until I got home. Unfortunately, the daily reports and my increasing state of weakness were telling me that my tomorrow was probably not going to happen for a while. So, all those urgent tasks had to be kicked down the road a little further until I was able to deal with them.
You may not have been affected by COVID to the degree that I was, but I’ll bet you might be guilty of the same mistakes that I made. Namely, presuming that you will have a tomorrow to get things in order, and considering that, failing to live your life with a sense of urgency.
Immediately
When we turn to the Gospel of Mark and see how Jesus lived His life and mission, we can’t escape the fact that Mark wanted to convey to his readers that Jesus lived His life with a sense of urgency and resoluteness. This fact is expressed through Mark’s heavy use of the word “immediately” (eutheos). Eutheos appears about 60 times in the New Testament, and 41 of them are used by Mark to either describe an action or attitude of Jesus, or a response by others to an action by Jesus. When examined together, Mark’s use of the word “immediately” is intended to convey something more than just a simple measurement of time. It is also meant to reveal the character and motivation of Jesus when He does act.
Let’s consider a few examples. When Jesus arises out of the baptismal waters, He is impelled by the Spirit to go immediately into the wilderness to be tempted of Satan for 40 days
(Mk 1:9-13). Jesus wastes no time reveling in the glory of the baptismal moment, but immediately follows the leading of the Holy Spirit into the harsh wilderness. Think for a moment how His actions reveal His humble acceptance of the Father’s will, and His resoluteness to carry out His will even when it involves suffering and hardship.
Another case is when learning that his cousin, John the Baptizer had been arrested, Jesus does not allow this news to detour Him. Instead, He prioritizes the mission above His own interests, and decisively proclaims that the “… time is fulfilled, for the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel” (1:14). In other words, the time for action is now! The balance of chapter 1 reveals Jesus as a man of action, as He sets out on a dizzying pace of ministry, as He calls four men to help Him carry out His mission (1:16-20); teaches with authority in the synagogue, and casts out a demon (1:21-28); heals Peter’s mother-in-law (1:29-31); devotes Himself to a prolonged ministry to the entire of Capernaum (1:32-34); and, instead of resting, He says, “Let’s go to the other towns in Galilee and preach. This is what I came for!” (1:38-45).
Jesus was a true servant of God, and One who was gripped with a sense of urgency “to be about His Father’s business”, even when it meant that “the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected … and killed” (Mark 8:31). When it comes to the matter of “immediacy”, consider these words befitting the life and ministry of Jesus as recorded in the Gospel of Mark: Urgency: Resolute. Decisive. Prioritizing. Determined. Servant. Disciplined. Ordered. Humble. Self-denying. Perhaps this is best summed up in a sentence by A.W. Pink when he said: “There was no holding back, no reluctance, no slackness, but a blessed ‘immediateness’ about all His work.”
The Time is Now
The words of Rabbi Chaim Ben Bezalel quoted above are pretty convicting, as their truthfulness speak loudly to me, and were written under similar circumstances in my own life. Ironically, they were written in 1578 when the rabbi was confined to his house for two months during a plague (probably much worse than COVID!). I can’t honestly say that I’ve fully embraced a “do-it-today” philosophy as he proposed, but considering my own experience with COVID, and the fact that I have fewer days ahead of me than I have behind, I’m compelled to be mindful of the brevity of life and that my days will never come back. So, I’m grateful for the rabbi’s reminder to measure everything in light of the eternal, and to live my life with a greater sense of immediacy and urgency.
How about you? How did the words of the rabbi impact you? How would you apply this to your life? I hope they compel you to live your life with the same sense of immediacy as our Savior did and cause you to do today what matters and counts for eternity. Reflect on the verses below, and then whatever you need to do, DO IT TODAY! Don’t wait for a “plague” to give you perspective!
“Yet you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow. You are just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away” (James 4:14 NASB).
“As for the days of our life, they contain seventy years, or if due to strength, eighty years … therefore, teach us to number our days, that we may present to You a heart of wisdom” (Psalm 90:10 & 12 NASB).
Our Corporate Prayer
Dear Lord, Too often I put things off that I know I need to do right now. Sadly I admit, many times I do that with the things that You are talking to me about. You tell me to talk to someone and I don't. You tell me to go check on someone, and I put it off. You tell me to read my Bible or to pray and I start doing something else. And then I do the same thing with the people I love. Please forgive me for delaying what should be acted on right now. Help me to act when You say so and trust Your timing. In Jesus' name, Amen.
Our Worldwide Prayer Meeting
Australia Territory
Thinking it Through
In reading today's devotion, what came to mind that you have been putting off? Is there any good reason why you should keep delaying? Is God telling you to move on it now? Why would you wait?
Notable Quotables
Faith never knows where it is being led, but it loves and knows the One who is leading. - Oswald Chambers
The Belfast Sydenham Songsters bring us this wonderful reminder as they sing "In the Love of Jesus"
We would appreciate any feedback and/or suggestions on how to improve these devotionals. Please email comments to: SpiritualLifeDevelopment@uss.salvationarmy.org or by going to our website: https://southernusa.salvationarmy.org/uss/spiritual-life-development.
We would love to hear from you.
Lt. Colonel Allen Satterlee
Territorial Spiritual Life Development Officer/THQ Chaplain
USA Southern Territory