The choice is theirs. Mark’s Gospel does not provide
many details about the journey taken by the Twelve at the instruction of Jesus. We only know that he gives them authority
over unclean spirits and sends them on their way with instructions about what
to pack and where to stay—or not, depending on the hospitality they
receive. The specifics of what they are
to do on their journey Jesus apparently leaves up to them. The choice is theirs.
By their own account, the Twelve choose to follow the
example of Jesus. They bring healing to
others in spirit and in body. They
preach repentance. They drive out
demons. They cure the sick. These are the chief means of Jesus and how the
Twelve heal others and restore them to life, both spiritually and physically. Healing is the mission of Jesus himself. Jesus came to call sinners to repentance (Lk 5:32), so that we may have life and have it
abundantly (Jn 10:10). Jesus thus calls
attention to the joy in heaven over one sinner who repents (Lk 15:7).
Repentance involves the renunciation of sin. The
Greek word for sin in the New Testament is amartia, which means “to miss the
mark.” We miss the mark when we imitate
false gods rather than the true God of Love.
In this sense, sin is not a matter of breaking rules. Rather, sin is an orientation in one direction
as opposed to another. Sin is a turning away from God to a reliance
on things, a false god. There are many false gods.
Repentance is the very opposite. Repentance is a reorientation, a turning away
from sin and turning back to God. In this
sense, repentance is a two-step process.
The first step is to turn away from our false god, while the second step
is to turn back to the true God, the real God.
Because the goal of repentance is forgiveness, it is not enough to say,
“I’m sorry.” Genuine repentance requires
both steps. If our regret motivates us
to turn back to God, we can be sure that God’s forgiveness follows.
Most of us tend to think of
repentance and forgiveness as a single moment in time, rather than as a process. We express sorrow for the wrong we have done,
and then act as though feeling sorry is enough.
We expect forgiveness to follow.
But repentance is not just about feeling sorry. The essence of repentance is transformation. To repent means to turn away from sin and
turn back to God. Repentance begins with
an individual choice but it is a process that in some cases takes time.
Seeking human forgiveness
can also be a process that takes time.
This includes the process of forgiving ourselves. Once we express sorrow, especially to the one
we have wronged, we expect to be forgiven by that person. We act as though our expression of sorrow
somehow entitles us to forgiveness. Yet,
the reality is that forgiveness is not automatic because it is not just an
individual choice. Human forgiveness is
a mutual process that involves at least two persons—the one who does the wrong
and seeks forgiveness, and the one wronged who is asked to forgive.
As a result, forgiveness can
take time for both the one who does wrong and for the one who forgives because
transformation—the second step—can take time.
This is true because forgiveness often requires genuine sorrow as well
as a track record to show that such sorrow is in fact sincere. We cannot fool ourselves or others with words
alone. At times we must demonstrate that
our repentance has indeed led to genuine transformation. And that often takes time. Thus, forgiveness does not necessarily happen
all at once as an automatic response to our expression of sorrow and asking for
forgiveness. Rather, forgiveness is a
mutual process that more often happens over time.
Mark’s Gospel does not
provide any details about how the healing that comes from repentance and
forgiveness takes place. Such lack of details
perhaps illustrates that Scripture is not a narrative about rules and formulas,
but a story that invites participation in the healing mission of Jesus. As
participants in the healing mission of Jesus, sometimes we seek healing and sometimes
we offer healing. The good news of Jesus is the possibility that our lives
might become an expression of his love and mercy. The Holy Spirit reveals to us
that our real humanity—the person we are called to be—can reflect the true
humanity of Christ.
When this happens, we can
experience faith as a process of transformation, a journey of healing. We often do not know beforehand the details
of how and when that healing will take place.
But like the Twelve sent by Jesus, we can be sure that healing will occur
if we but imitate Jesus. The choice is
ours.
