It seems that even the youngest of children were aware of the drama on the literal political stage this week. A friend – someone most of us know – does day care in her home. This past Tuesday she had six children 3 years old and younger under her care. While watching the kids play she decided to turn on the television in her living room to the C-SPAN station because soon Barack Hussein Obama was going to take the oath that would make him President of the United States. C-SPAN…probably the most boring, but informative, stations you can find. Making sure the kids were doing ok she went in the kitchen to make lunch so she could feed everyone and watch the inauguration. Soon she noticed an unusual quiet…and we all know six 3 year olds can’t be THAT quiet. She went into the living room and there, sitting mesmerized in front of the television, C-SPAN (!), were the six kids. They were absolutely silent watching the drama of history unfold before them. Somehow they knew something special was going on – and it wasn’t cartoons, or Sesame Street, or Barney, it was C-SPAN, and the inauguration of a new president. How did they know? And why were they so QUIET?

And why were so many of us shedding tears as we watched the same event take place? A new spirit of hope, relief that the previous administration was gone, some fear given the violent events in our history, the culmination of so much hard work, loss of life, and audacity. There are many reasons some of us felt the flowing of tears down our faces on Tuesday. And in listening to the inaugural address by the new president, it struck me that his words were a kind of sermon, a sermon that hit an emotional cord within me and also a kind of sermon that was strong, deliberate, and straightforward.

The Jesus we see in today’s reading from Mark is our first real view of Jesus at work in the Gospel of Mark. He has been baptized, struggled in the wilderness, recognized by the Holy Spirit – like a dove – and what does he do? He preaches. He explodes into the world with words, good words. Jesus is on a roll, preaching in the reign of God!! And one of the first things we might notice about Jesus the preacher is that his sermons cause CONFLICT. Yet, Jesus is not the least concerned about that. That’s OK with him, there is this hard edge to his good news, particularly in the Gospel of Mark. Another observation: His sermon is unabashedly “political.” Jesus doesn’t come here today preaching personal happiness, individual peace, or harmonious tranquility. Jesus comes preaching a new kingdom, a new kind of kingdom, a shift in power. He doesn’t say that God will get God’s rule someday, one day, off in the by and by. He says is NOW! The kingdom has “drawn near,” just by his announcing it in a sermon. Jesus is NOT the T.V. preacher, making money telling us how to vote and explaining what REAL Christian politics is…for sure…and send more money…and buy my book since it will tell you how to get to heaven. But what IS a part of Jesus’ sermons is a claim about, 1) who is in charge, 2) who rules, and, 3) the journey of the Christian community.

Then look what happens. Jesus’ sermon calls people to “repent.” Isn’t that something? That means that Jesus doesn’t just come dropping some interesting new information on people, on us!! He expects, demands radical response, turning around. He comes not to communicate but to enlist. He comes not just saying, “Do you agree?” but rather, “Will you join up?” His sermon is not a lecture that we are to ponder and perhaps say, “Yes, that sounds interesting.” We are rather to say, “I didn’t know that the world had changed. Wow. I’ve got to move on in a new direction. I’ve got to live differently because I’ve heard the announcement.”

So the test of preaching for me is never, “Preacher, that was a beautiful sermon,” but rather, “Preacher, I can’t wait to get out of here and put this into practice. I’m not only going to take these good words to heart, but also to put them into my hands and my feet and live the Kingdom of God because it is here NOW!!

Repentance is a change of heart but it is more a change in direction. We see this as Jesus’ sermon culminates in the calling of Simon and Andrew, James and John as disciples. The sermon ends in vocation, enlisting help. Jesus’ sermon calls for real repentance, turning around, looking and moving in another direction within the reign of God, a reign characterized by love, by justice, and by respect for all of God’s children. Note that Jesus begins his ministry at the same time that John the Baptist is arrested. John’s arrest casts a dark shadow over Jesus’ beginning. John was “handed over” to the authorities. How long will it take for Jesus to be “handed over”? The beginning of Jesus ministry is the beginning of a storm. From the very first, conflict will stalk Jesus at every step of the way. As disciples, as those who repent, turn in a new direction, moving in solidarity with “the least of these” we shall be stalked by that conflict as well. That one tenth of one percent who own the wealth and hold the power in this country are terrified by repentance, by love, justice, and respect. A corporation like General Dynamics, which makes the white phosphorous bombs falling on Gaza and melting human skin to the bone, does not want to hear about a new vocation proclaimed by One blessed by the dove of the Holy Spirit.

Jesus came preaching words that both challenged and encouraged, cut and healed, hurt and helped at the same time. He came announcing a new world. It seems that a lot of people hung around but that very few turned around, even fewer repented and joined up. Just enough to turn the whole world upside down because of one sermon. And that’s called gospel, that’s called good news. Are we going to just hang around, or are we going to turn around?

Amen.