Thursday, week one: The beginning of the euangellion (Devotions for Lent from the Gospel of Mark)

Mark’s gospel begins with a sentence fragment, “The beginning of the euangellion of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.”

That word, euangellion, has become for us the word “gospel” or “good news.” A derivative form of the word, angellos, has become for us the word “angel.” We associate both of these with heavenly revelations, lofty aspirations, and divine callings. Angels bring a saving word to us, a word with the power to grace and transform a broken world.

Mark’s hearers, however, would have heard these words quite differently. An angellos was quite simply a messenger. And euagellion? That was an edict from the emperor or other ruler over a particular territory.

To put things in the context of Mark’s hearers, we might think of the messenger with a scroll, accompanied by a trumpeter. The trumpet sounds, the people gather, the scroll is unrolled, and the official messenger begins, “Hear ye, hear ye….” What follows is not necessarily good news, but rather a pronouncement of how things are going to be from now on. Military drafts, increased taxes, moral and social standards, obligatory tributes and festivals, and more were all announced in this way. A euangellion was carried to the people by an angellos, as a primary communication from an empire exerting its authority, yet again.

If there were any doubt about Mark’s intent here, one could look closely at the title he uses for Jesus. Mark makes it abundantly clear that what follows is an edict from the empire when he calls Jesus “Son of God.” That title in Mark’s time was a title for Caesar, and Caesar alone.

Text for the day:

Mark 1:1

Things to think about:

How would the ruling empire have reacted to this pronouncement of Mark’s?

How do you react?

The word evangelical also comes from this root word euangellion. What does that word mean to you? What could it mean?

Things to do:

Hallow out a space in you for the euangellion of Jesus Christ, emperor. How might you do this? Rest, pray, intentionally take some quiet moments, recover your lost art, meditate, do yoga…. There are as many ways as there are people. Make a beginning today as part of your Lenten journey.

Ask Jesus Christ, the Son of God, to give you a euangellion during these Lenten days.

Jesus Christ, Son of God, help me to hear and understand.