Mark 1:14–15 ‘Believe the good news!’ (v15b)
You may recall the BBC sitcom character Victor Meldrew and his frequent mantra, ‘I don’t believe it!’, which depicted his rather grumpy and cynical outlook on life in One Foot in the Grave. In the Christian world, belief has also been misunderstood.
For many it represents fanciful ideas that we accept even though there’s no logical reason to do so, even in the Church. Perhaps a better rendering of ‘I believe’ would be ‘that which we put our confidence in’.
Jesus is telling His hearers that they can put their confidence in this new reality that is at work in the nation through His ministry: the good news of the inbreaking reign of God. In Mark’s Gospel, we will see many occasions where this new reality becomes evident.
Ask a blind man who can now see what he thinks of this new reality. Ask a woman whose hand is shrivelled but is now able to use it what she thinks of this new reality. The good news of the gospel means that you and I, though sinful, may be made right with God, knowing His peace and forgiveness and eternal security.
But God also draws near in the here and now and transforms our reality. You are allowed to look to Him and ask Him for anything in His name (John 15:16). You will know that He is a good God and does not withhold good gifts from His children, but also sometimes has purposes beyond what we think are best. Too many Christians say, ‘I don’t believe it!’ But you’d better believe it!
A Prayer To Make:
‘Help me today, Lord, to see the world as You see it and to put my confidence in Your work. Amen.’
An Action To Take:
Take a tricky situation before God and tell Him that you’re choosing to put your confidence in Him.
Scripture To Consider:
Num. 20:1–13; Ps. 78:17–31; Rom. 4:1–8; Gal. 3:1–6
