Jesus Remembered: Christianity in the Making, vol. 1

THE MISSION OF JESUS §13.2
which suggests that they remained somewhat obscure to the disciples but were
retained because they were remembered as something said by Jesus.
Hearing Jesus, then, was not a straightforward business. The parable of the
sower certainly suggested that there would inevitably be different hearings with
different results. Those who heard and responded positively were, in the event, a
relatively small group. 35 How much of this was foreseen by Jesus? Were his realistic
aims quite modest? Did he count his preaching mission a success? It is dubious
whether we can give any clear answers to such questions. What we can do,
once again, is to focus on how he was heard by those who responded to his
preaching and became his disciples.
13.2. The Call
We began the main review of Jesus' kingdom preaching where Mark began it —
Mark 1.15 (§§12.4a, 5a). So it is appropriate to begin the next phase at the same
point. For Mark completes his summary with an exhortation: 'The time has been
fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has drawn near; repent and believe in the gospel'.
According to Mark, Jesus called his hearers to repentance and faith.
a. 'Repent'
That this was a substantial theme in Jesus' preaching is a matter of some debate.
It is true that Matthew follows Mark at this point, even though he modified Mark
1.15 itself (Matt. 4.17). Mark reports the mission of the twelve in similar terms:
'they went out and preached in order to bring their hearers to repentance (hina
metanoösin)' (Mark 6.12). On this point Jesus (and his disciples) are remembered
as preaching with the same objective as the Baptist (Mark 1.4 pars.; Q
3.8). 36 But Mark 1.15 and 6.12 are both Markan summaries; Mark does not recall
an actual word of Jesus himself on the theme. Q however does recall two sayings
of Jesus already referred to more than once: 37 the woes against the Galilean
towns who failed to repent (Matt. 11.21/Luke 10.13), and the similar commendation
of the men of Nineveh who repented at the preaching of Jonah (Matt. 12.41/
Luke 11.32). And Luke includes further occasions when repentance was called
for or spoken of. 38 But the total word count is not substantial.
35. Luke numbers only 120 in Acts 1.15.
36. See above, § 11.3b.
37. See above, chapter 9 n. 304, chapter 12 n. 177, and §12.4e.
38. Luke 13.3, 5; 15.7, 10; 16.30; 17.3-4. The comment in 5.32 is certainly redaction-
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