Go Into All the World
Trusting the Promise (Feast of St. Mark The Evangelist)
Today, we celebrate the Feast of St. Mark the Evangelist, the author of the Gospel of Mark and one of the earliest witnesses to the Good News of Jesus Christ. Our reading for this feast, Mark 16:15-20, feels like a sudden and dramatic conclusion: Jesus commissions the disciples to "go into all the world and proclaim the good news to the whole creation," promising that believers will cast out demons, speak in new tongues, survive deadly poison, and heal the sick.
At first glance, these words can feel so distant from our everyday experience that they almost sound like they belong in a fantasy novel, not in a guide for real life. How many of us have seen someone drink poison unharmed, or cast out demons in the street? Is this passage a relic of a more "superstitious" age, or does it still speak to us today?
The truth is that this ending of Mark isn't just about miraculous spectacles. It's about trusting in the ongoing presence and power of God—even when we can't always see it in the ways described. It's important to know that Mark 16:9-20 was likely added later by early Christians who deeply believed that the risen Christ continued to be active through his followers. Whether or not these signs were literal, the message is clear: we are not alone.
When Jesus sends the disciples out, he doesn't just send them into safe or easy places. He sends them "into all the world," to a humanity that would often resist, reject, or misunderstand them. He promises that when they are at their most vulnerable, when they are face-to-face with evil, danger, and sickness, they will not be abandoned. God's Spirit will be with them, empowering them in ways beyond their own strength.
And that is still true today.
- When we speak words of love and truth in places of hatred and division, we are speaking in a "new tongue."
- When we confront injustice, addiction, violence, and despair, we are participating in the healing of God's world—casting out the powers that harm God's beloved children.
- When we endure the poisons of cynicism, corruption, and fear without losing heart, we are living testimonies to the resurrection power of Christ.
We may not often see these signs in flashy, miraculous ways. But every time a community forgives rather than retaliates, every time an exhausted caregiver finds the strength to continue, every time someone chooses hope instead of despair—that is the work of Christ continuing in the world. That is a miracle.
St. Mark's Gospel reminds us that the story doesn't end with the resurrection; it launches a movement. The disciples were flawed, ordinary people, not superheroes. And yet, by God's grace, they changed the world. We are their inheritors, their fellow witnesses.
On this Feast of St. Mark, we are invited to hear Jesus' call again:
"Go into all the world and proclaim the good news."
The world still needs healing.
The world still needs hope.
The world still needs Christ’s love—and it needs us
to be brave enough to carry it.
May we go forth with confidence, trusting that even when the journey feels far-fetched or impossible, the Lord is working with us and through us, just as he promised.
Amen.
