Repent

Repent

Mark 1:14-15 After John had been arrested, Jesus came to Galilee proclaiming the gospel of God: “This is the time of fulfillment. The kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel.

Matthew 4:12-17   When Jesus heard that John had been arrested, he withdrew to Galilee. He left Nazareth. And went to live in Capernaum by the sea, in the region of Zebulon and Naphtali, that what had been said through Isaiah the prophet might be fulfilled: “Land of Zebulun. and land of Naphtali, the way to the sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles, the people who sit in darkness have seen a great light, on those dwelling in a land overshadowed by death – light has arisen. From that time on. Jesus began to preach and say, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”

Both John the Baptist and Jesus preached the same message: Repent. Today the Church continues with the same message especially during Lent, urging all to repent. What does it mean to ‘repent?’ Repentance involves change in both action and thinking. Change in action requires one to stop engaging in sinful behavior. Changing in thinking implies a closer look at what the action really means and calls for. For example, to repent the action of anger is to replace it with acceptance, patience, and kindness. To repent in thinking about anger requires us to admit that anger is hurtful and harms others. We must no longer consider anger as okay; we are to rethink how anger hurts and destroys relationships.

Another example: sex outside of marriage. Scripture and the Church teaches that fornication/adultery is sinful. To repent, one must change sexual action, no longer having sex outside of marriage. In addition, true repentance requires one to rethink fornication (or adultery) – no longer is the pleasure to be considered as good and acceptable outside marriage; it is to be thought as wrong and sinful. Recreational sex is not acceptable for the disciple (follower) of Christ. Thinking that recreational sex is okay if one uses ‘protection’ so there is little danger of conception is not correct thinking for the follower of Christ. Correct thinking is to change one’s thinking to be pure and modest.

Repentance means to change the action and to rethink the meaning that requires a different approach to life and meaning.