Tuesday: First Week in Lent Year B

Lent for Everyone
Mark Year B
WEEK 1: TUESDAY...

You know the revolution has become serious when its leaders appoint an alternative government. The Western world watched and waited in the early months of 2011 as the Libyan rebels set up a kind of shadow body. There was still a ‘government’ in Tripoli, loyal to the long-time leader, Colonel Gaddafi, but away to the north-east, in one of the rebel strongholds, the increasingly influential rebel movement set up a body to administer the larger and larger area under its control.

Until we realize that Jesus’ calling of the Twelve must have felt a bit like that, we won’t get to the heart of what was going on. He was, after all, behaving as if he was already in charge – speaking with authority, and backing up his words with decisive and startling actions. This had already aroused hostility and threats from the existing authorities, both real and self-appointed. Undeterred, Jesus moved ahead. His next action spoke volumes. Anyone behaving as if they’re in charge, and then calling
people and giving them new names and an apparently special role, is quite obviously making a statement. He is, it seems, consolidating his position. He isn’t just a maverick, going around doing bizarre and surprising things. He seems to have some kind of strategy...

Taken from Lent for Everyone Mark Year B by Tom Wright