The Commissioning of the Eleven
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Mk 16:15-20
15[Jesus] said to [the eleven], “Go into the whole world and proclaim the gospel to every creature. 16Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved; whoever does not believe will be condemned. 17These signs will accompany those who believe: in my name they will drive out demons, they will speak new languages. 18They
will pick up serpents [with their hands], and if they drink any deadly
thing, it will not harm them. They will lay hands on the sick, and they
will recover.”
19So then the Lord Jesus, after he spoke to them, was taken up into heaven and took his seat at the right hand of God. 20But they went forth and preached everywhere, while the Lord worked with them and confirmed the word through accompanying signs.
Reflection:
Proclaim the gospel.
Jesus uses the word “gospel” (good news or good tidings) for the
message that he preaches. He brings a living word of hope; he announces
that the salvation foretold by the prophets is now accomplished in his
words and actions.
The word gospel is later used not just
for the word of Jesus but also for the message about Jesus. The
disciples who hear Jesus speak and witness his powerful deeds see him
as more than a prophet or miracle worker. In the light of his
resurrection, they believe Jesus to be the Messiah and the Son of God.
Their gospel includes both the word of Jesus and their belief about
Jesus.
The apostolic preaching is soon put
into writing, and Mark is credited to have begun the literary genre
called gospel. In the Gospel of Mark, we find that for the first time
the words and deeds of Jesus are remembered and proclaimed in a written
form. But the gospel is intended neither as a formal historical
treatise nor as a biography of Jesus—it is a proclamation. It is a
document of faith intended to call people to faith.
How do you personally carry outthe Christ-given mandate to proclaim the gospel?
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