00:05What is the ministry of Jesus?
00:07Having finished preparing for Jesus' ministry, let us now begin with Jesus' ministry in Galilee.
00:17We already saw that initial triptych that set the stage for Jesus' ministry.
00:23The evangelist Mark narrates Jesus' return to Galilee from the region of the Jordan.
00:30There Jesus begins his preaching with a central and urgent message.
00:37God's time has come and the kingdom of God is near.
00:43Repent and believe in the gospel.
00:47I really like remembering the structure to know where we are walking.
00:52Well, we saw the initial prologue.
00:56After this, it is time to delve into the first section which will cover chapter 1, verse 14,
01:07up to chapter 8, verse 30.
01:10This already corresponds to Jesus' ministry in Galilee.
01:14And Saint Mark will detail for us in it the intense activity of Jesus in Galilee, precisely, and its regions
01:25surrounding areas.
01:26During this period, Jesus presents himself as the embodiment of the message of the kingdom of God.
01:34A recurring feature in this section is the question that arises among its listeners.
01:42Who is Jesus?
01:45As his messianic identity becomes evident to some, Jesus imposes messianic secrecy, asking them to remain silent.
01:57This silence is crucial because, according to Mark's theology, the true messianism of Jesus can only be fully understood
02:08through his passion and death on the cross.
02:11The full confession of his identity as the Messiah does not occur until chapter 8, verse 29, when Peter
02:22He acknowledges it as such and says,
02:25You are the Messiah.
02:29Mark presents a summary of Jesus' preaching in this region, starting from chapter 1, verse 14,
02:39to chapter 3, verse 35.
02:42In it, the urgency of conversion to enter the kingdom of heaven is emphasized.
02:49Then, he describes Jesus' activity in Capernaum and other nearby places.
02:54There too we find the call of his apostles.
03:00This summary, which Marcos has previously given us, helps us to understand the following sections.
03:09What are these?
03:10The description of the kingdom of God in parables, which we find in chapter 4.
03:15And the manifestation of Jesus' power, also in chapter 4.
03:20But, this will be from verse 35 until reaching chapter 6, verse 6.
03:28Let's begin by looking at the call to conversion.
03:33Saint Mark tells us about the beginning of Jesus' ministry in the following way.
03:55In this passage, Mark presents Jesus announcing the good news and the time of God, the time of the dawn, which
04:05has become fully present.
04:09Establishing the kingdom of God so that we can participate in it, brothers who believe that conversion is necessary.
04:18And what is conversion?
04:20The Greek word for conversion is metanoia; etymologically it suggests a change of mind or direction.
04:32However, for Jewish understanding, the key term is the word shub, which implies return or comeback.
04:43This perspective is crucial, as it is not simply a superficial change of mindset, but a return to
04:53path established by the will of God.
05:02The prophets of the Old Testament, in exhorting God's people with the cry, shub, return to the path, were anticipating the
05:12Jesus' urgent call.
05:14Conversion, therefore, is a return, brothers, to the straight path of the Lord, which we can see in our lives,
05:25It's easy to get sidetracked.
05:27This isn't about a metanoia from the Greek mindset, where I just turn around and that's it, but about the mindset
05:38Jewish, where one must return to the straight path, the path of God.
05:43And this is not limited to a single act, that is, to a single moment in which I say, already
05:52I'm going back, I'm going to change, that's it.
05:55Rather, it is a continuous process that affects our moral life, involving actions that we must take or sometimes
06:05also to avoid.
06:07The prophet Isaiah expresses it clearly by saying the following.
06:26This effort to stay on track is continuous, as the tendency to stray is persistent.
06:33Often, after moments of spiritual renewal, such as attending Mass or a retreat, we realize
06:42that suddenly we've lost our way and need a new boost, a return to the right path.
06:51On the other hand, in Galatians 5, verses 19-21, St. Paul details the actions that lead us astray.
07:00of this path of righteousness.
07:02It says the following.
07:43Paul's statement, as he had already told them before, indicates that the recipients were already aware of these warnings,
07:53which suggests that they had strayed from the path.
07:57This underscores the need to return to God's path.
08:02While we may not identify with all of these negative behaviors in Galatians, it is likely that to some extent we have
08:13deviated and we need this constant call to conversion.
08:20This concludes our class.
08:23In the next session, we will continue talking about this first stage of the Gospel and delve deeper into the theme of the call to
08:33the first disciples.
08:35See you in the next class.
08:38God bless you.
09:02Thank you.
