Hitting the mark (Mk 6:7-13)

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.