The time has come.
With these words, the Gospel-writer Mark gives us Jesus’ first recorded words in the Bible:
“The time has been fulfilled, the kingdom of God is at hand, repent and believe the good news.”
With these words, Jesus begins his ministry on earth. With these words he sets out to invite disciples to follow him. And with these words he announces a new direction for our lives and a new comfort and confidence for living.
When Mark records these first words of Jesus –“the time has been fulfilled” — he does not use a word for “time” that means, “it’s time for lunch” or “it’s time to get up.” In the language of the Bible, that would be the word chronos meaning “a moment in time.” It’s a word that refers to minutes and seconds, days and week and months and years. It’s where we get the word chronograph from — an instrument that tells time – and the word chronology — something that marks events on a timeline.
It’s a word I might have used – had I been speaking in biblical Greek – when I was a young father and I was trying to get my kids out of the house. I would say, “It’s time to go!” with an impatient tone that said, “I’m ready and you’re not.” I realize NOW as I’ve gotten older that that wasn’t the most positive way to do get everyone moving and it rarely hurried anyone along. And now my wife and kids are all thinking to themselves, “You did that when you were a young father?” I’m working on it. OK? The point it, chronos is a tyrant. And a thief. It’s a resource that is impossible for us to control and it’s always slipping through our fingers. It sometimes goes too fast; sometimes too slow. It reminds of what we have lost and makes demands we can never meet.
But the word that Mark uses in our Gospel when Jesus says, “the time has been fulfilled” is not the word chronos. He uses a different word; the word kairos – a word which means the right time, the perfect moment, an opportunity. It’s like when President Biden says, “This is our time” last Weds, he’s not referring to noon on January 20. He’s talking about what he feels is a time for action. Kairos refers to critical moments – sometimes a crisis – often something upexpected — when things pivot from one direction to a new direction. It’s a moment — when life is transformed when decisive action is taken.
In the New Testament Kairos is a time when God is interrupting the chronology — the chronos — with promises of new life. It’s used when Paul says, “At just the right time – kairos – God sent his son.” God’s kairos pierced its way into creation at just the right time, slicing through chronos with a cry of a baby in a manger. And then later, at another kairos moment, Jesus gave his life on the cross. Paul also writes,”while we were still helpless, at the right time – kairos — Christ died for the ungodly.” When Jesus is on the scene and on the move, it is the right time – the kairos – for things to happen and God’s love to be revealed. This is what is announced in today’s Gospel reading.
But it must be announced this way: not in a stern warning like my use of chronos that says “Hey! It’s time! You’re late or you’re not ready.” but in a loving invitation and with hope for what is about to happen. Like this: “This is the perfect moment. Everything is prepared for something life-giving and life-changing which is about to happen.” Or as Mark states it in our Gospel today, Jesus’ first words which promise exactly that: “The time has been fulfilled.”
And those words indicate that in Jesus God is about to turn things around – and turn the world around – and turn us around. In Jesus God has invaded our time and space to save and rescue us from thieves and tyrants and give us the gifts of heaven. In Jesus we find relief from fear, we receive grace and mercy, and he gives forgiveness and reassurance. It’s when our mourning turns to dancing – when doubt turns to confidence – when unbelief becomes faith – when darkness gives way to light – when fishermen become disciples – when we get drawn deeper into the love of God. You’re not too late for it. You didn’t miss it. And everything is ready. That is the good news. The time has come – the time is fulfilled – for GOD to act – for GOD to turn things around – for GOD to give us comfort and confidence for our life. The time has come for YOU.
So Jesus began his ministry at that perfect moment – the kairos long awaited – with a call to believe this good news. This good news changes what we believe about ourselves and about our neighbors and about our world. It transforms our attitudes and perspectives and it gives us something to hang on to for comfort and confidence for every day. And he invites you today – in this holy kairos moment — to believe that you are loved. Believe that God is with you. Believe that there is no condemnation for those in Christ. Believe that nothing can separate us from his love. This is what Jesus announces and invites us into – a life a faith.
I saw a church sign the other day that said, “Something is always happening here on Sunday.” I like that. This is our kairos. God is always at work in the holy moments we share together through his word and through the sacraments. And even beyond our gathering, he breaks through our personal chronos — the regular time-bound rhythm of our lives — to deliver his promises and draw us to him.
We have entered a new year – a new chapter in our chronos – 2021 A.D. A designation that reminds us that our traditional measurement of time is shaped by God’s invasion into our time and space – the divine Kairos. A.D. stands for Anno Domini – the year of our Lord. We started counting years – at least on the Western calendar – with the moment God entered our world. And so this year 2021 is a year of our living resurrected Lord. And we are invited to experience God’s Kairos during this year of challenges and opportunities. These moments will stop us in our tracks, turn us around, open our eyes and give us comfort and confidence to keep moving – keep following – keep hoping and keep believing the good news – that God is with us and for us. Not just in the past – not just for the future but for now because the time has come.
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