2018-1-21 

朋友们，今天的福音是耶稣的就职演说，为祂的整个传道生涯奠下基调。马尔谷说到祂在宣扬天主的福音，而且“时期已满”。

 

某事已经圆满成就。是什么？就是《圣经旧约》提到的一切。耶稣本人完美诠释了以色列——所以祂本人是如此引人入胜、所以跟随祂是如此重要。因此祂说：“你们悔改，信从福音吧！” 福音就是祂。这是做抉择的时候了。

 

朋友们，这就是全部意义所在，其他一切都是次要的。我们应该像西满、安德肋、雅各伯和若望那样，当耶稣经过时，我们就要回应，刻不容缓。上述四位对此心领神会，所以他们立刻回应。

 

难题在于：追随祂意味着像祂那样把人们召回天国。“来跟随我！我要使你们成为渔人的渔夫。”这句话的对象是我们所有受洗了的信徒。

 

Friends, our Gospel today is Jesus’ inaugural address, setting the tone for the whole of his preaching. Mark tells us that he was proclaiming the Good News of God, and that this was "the time of fulfillment."

 

Something was being brought to completion. What was it? It was everything that the Old Testament had spoken of. Jesus gathered up in his person everything that Israel was about—and this is why his presence was so compelling and why following him was of paramount importance. This is why he says, "Repent and believe in the gospel." The Good News is him. So now it’s time to make a decision.

 

Friends, this is the whole story. Everything else is commentary. We are meant to see ourselves in Simon and Andrew, in James and John. When Jesus passes by, we have to respond. The time is now. They got this, and that’s why they responded so promptly.

 

Now here’s the catch: to follow him means to do what he does, to call other people to the kingdom. "Come after me, and I will make you fishers of men." That line is addressed to all of us, to all the baptized, to all the disciples.