Already But Not Yet

I must confess a bit of hesitation as we begin the book of Mark today.  Having just suffered through the crucifixion and celebrated Easter morning, I find the 'rewind' button has been hit, and I'm back at the beginning.  Trying not to feel the connection to the Bill Murray movie "Groundhog Day", I need to pray:   Lord Jesus, your Word is living and active, piercing and true.  There is nothing stale nor repetitive in your Word, for you have given all of it for our good.  As we begin reading the gospel of Mark, will you make it fresh and new?  Draw our hearts and minds to truths we missed in Matthew because you were saving them for us to learn now.  Slow us down if  we are tempted to skim over what feels familiar and remind us that we have only just begun to understand your marvelous ways.  Amen.   I like the Gospel of Mark.  I always have.  I like it because it is written in a way similar to how I  read suspenseful novels - sometimes skipping over the character development and background material in order to focus on the plot.  John Mark, cousin to Barnabas and companion of both Peter and Paul,  wrote what most believe is the earliest gospel in a succinct, almost breathless fashion.  Mark skips the nativity and Jesus' childhood, and He is already baptized by John by verse 9.  I sense an urgency in Mark, for he has Good News to share.   The part of the narrative that struck me today was Jesus' announcement that "The kingdom of God is near!"  The New Testament is full of references to the kingdom of God, but I do not believe that phrase appears in the Old Testament at all.  Certainly the idea of God's kingdom is prevalent throughout the OT, where Psalm 29:10 says "The Lord is enthroned as king forever".  But when the Jews heard Jesus' words about the kingdom, what would they have been thinking?   The Jews of Jesus' day, not unlike some Christians today, believed that they were living at the end of "this age" and at the beginning of "the age to come".  They were eagerly awaiting the Messiah who would usher in a period of justice and tranquility, and would vanquish their enemies.  When they heard "The kingdom is near" they probably thought, "Oh boy, this is going to be good".   When the disciples dropped everything to follow Jesus, they clearly had no idea what kind of kingdom He was announcing.    Were they thinking, "I can't wait to have a front row seat for the big show?"  Certainly they knew nothing about the new kind of kingdom that Jesus proclaimed.    I once read that the key to understanding Jesus' ministry is grasping the tension between already  and not yet.  Jesus has already come, announcing the Good News (actually the Best News) of forgiveness and restoration and new life in Christ.  But, He has not yet fully ushered in His future kingdom - the time of God's rule on earth.  So, as believers, we live in the balance between already and not yet.   I think I spend a bit too much time wishing that my already was a bit more like the not yet.  Lord, why did both my parents have cancer?  Karen...not yet.  And Lord, why does my youngest child have to endure such struggles?  Karen.....not yet.  Well, what about famine?  And war?  And terrorism?  And trying to figure out something for dinner day after day after day?  As I said, my beloved...not yet.   I long for the same kind of kingdom that the Jews were expecting, don't you?  But, Jesus has already given us all that we need.  His kingdom is a present reality - He is exercising His authority right now, and has already "blessed us in the heavenly realms with with every spiritual blessing in Christ" (Ephesians 1:3).     The kingdom that Jesus announced at the beginning of Mark is rich and full and wonderful.  But it is not complete.  Not yet.  The yearning  we feel...the growing discomfort with the suffering of this world.....is because we were created with eternity in mind.    If our already were more like the not yet, then we wouldn't long for Jesus to come again.    His kingdom has come, but we haven't seen anything.  Not yet.   Karen Peikert