“Repent, and believe in the gospel.” How many times have we heard that before? Repent and believe in the Gospel. What does it mean, what does Jesus want from us when we hear this call over and over again? When I hear this call in the Gospel for this Sunday, I realize that because I hear it so often, I don’t take it seriously enough. But Jesus is very serious about that. It’s a command, not a suggestion. Repent – because Jesus wants me to change, to make changes, to leave all that is evil and sinful behind me and be sorry for all my faults. It is not easy, and it doesn’t mean that I will not sin again. But Jesus wants me to keep trying and trying and trying. And then -- believe in the Gospel, not just my favorite comforting passages of the Gospel but all of it, the whole Gospel message. I can’t choose only what I think is important to follow and to believe in Jesus’s teaching but then forget or ignore the passages that are difficult to understand or follow or to defend. Forgive those who hurt you -- love even your enemies, pray even for those who hate you, give without expecting anything in return. Repent, and believe in the Gospel -- all of it!
