Good News For Who? (Mark 2:13-3:6)

In his gospel, Mark is purposefully stringing seemingly random and unrelated stories together and in doing so, invites us into the interpretive process.  He wants us to not examine these stories in isolation but in relationship to one another to see for ourselves the bigger picture he is painting.  This bigger picture of course is a picture of Jesus, who he was, what he did, how he did it, and why he did it. 

The picture is radically good one. Jesus’ good news is too good and his religious and political opponents can’t take it anymore.  Jesus relieves the oppressed of their oppression but invites their oppressors to dine with him.  Jesus brings restoration and healing to those exploited by political, religious, and economic systems, and he also appeals to those in charge of those systems.

Jesus’ arrival is good news.  For us and for our enemies.  For the oppressed and the oppressor.  For the ones who think they’re righteous and for the ones who know they are not.  Jesus came to love us all.