I have started reading the Gospel of Mark. To keep the habit going on, I decided to “mark my words”; in this blog.

The Gospel of Mark starts with the ministry of Jesus. In all the events described in the first chapter, we see a transformation - in people. As I read the chapter this time around, two events stood out.

First, it was John the Baptist who preached the baptism of repentance. He had a following, and people went from Jerusalem to the wilderness to listen to John’s message. When Jesus arrived, the roles reversed. John acknowledged Jesus, and later he was put in prison. Jesus then went to Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God. “The time has come,” he said. “The kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!”

The second incident is with the man with skin disease. Jesus healed the man of his illness and instructed him to be quiet about his healing. Instead he went out and began to talk freely, spreading the news. The man while he had the disease, as it was the custom, was living outside the city in lonely places. His enthusiasm, and probably disobedience, restricted Jesus from entering the towns openly. In the end Jesus had to stay outside in lonely places.

Both men acknowledged Jesus, causing quite opposite results. In the first instance Jesus went to John and was glorified by God. In the second instance, the sick man came to Jesus and was healed. He tried to glorify Jesus with his efforts, which ended up being counter-productive. Many a times, we apply our humanly wisdom and devise plans to glorify Jesus. Let us keep these events in our mind and seek His guidance continually.