Mark through the eyes of Jesus (3)
Mark 1.14, 15
Now after John was put in prison, Jesus came to Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel.”
What did Jesus see in His mind as He proclaimed the Good News of the Kingdom to the people of Galilee?
Surely visions of righteousness delighted Him, people turning back to the Law of God, loving and caring for one another, sharing generously, enjoying their work and rejoicing in the Lord, living contentedly and with respect for one another.
He saw these people experiencing His peace, being delivered from the burden of sin, fear, deprivation, loss, and pain. He could see whole communities alive with joy and worship, every aspect and facet of their lives devoted to praising, thanking, and honoring God the Father. He saw this in His mind, and He saw glimpses and moments of it in the very people who heard Him, as He observed eyes brightening, faces beaming, and people pressing closer to Him and to one another.
Jesus carried the vision of the Kingdom in its fullness with Him always, even as He was on the cross. I can believe that it pleased and delighted Him greatly to see Kingdom first-fruits in the people who heard Him and were blessed in one way or another by His teaching and His work. Those first evidences of the Kingdom’s coming near must have confirmed His mission and encouraged I’m to press on in His calling.
We have the mind of Christ (1 Cor. 2.16). Do we use it to nurture a vision of the Kingdom, coming on earth as it is in heaven?