It’s like a headline that tries to capture the thrust of what is to follow. Might be a good idea to keep this short crisp headline in mind when we try to work out the meaning of particular ‘sayings’ or ‘doings’ of Jesus so we don’t miss the wood for the trees.

'Repent’, unfortunately only gives half the idea, and not the better half either. Metanoia, (Greek) means change. The moral aspect of sin and guilt is a secondary consideration. It seems the headline writer meant profound, extensive change in thought and attitude. Details emerge throughout the gospel.

'For the kingdom of God is close at hand.’ Much ink spilt on ‘kingdom’, much of it missing the point when above-mentioned ‘change’ is left on the far side of the comma.

At risk of pre-empting the gospel message, let’s try to put the two together:Call for change in thinking and attitude / God is coming into his rightful place.The boss is coming / get your act together.

Who? Where? In your head. In your heart. Straighten out your thinking. Check your loves.

A. in our thoughts: Respect God as beyond our comprehension. Take care to avoid saying things about God that are meaningless. Put truth and justice in their right place in everything.

Stop kidding ourselves, twisting the facts, manipulating priorities. God is manifest in my thinking when it is straight and true, honest and unprejudiced: ‘reign’ of God in me. When my thinking is devious, twisted, self-serving, the ‘kingdom’ is stumped.

B. in our attitudes: e.g., in the stance I take towards others, like ‘superiority’ - as in gender, race, colour, class, wealth, education, language ability, profession, religion!

Mark says: ‘Repent and believe the good news.’ GOOD news. So Matthew’s ‘close at hand’ is the good news. God is taking the initiative, sleeves rolled up, one of us, working beside us to push out the darkness of our thinking, the twisted attitudes.

The good news is this intervention by God to sort us out.

Note: it’s very hard to say anything real (as distinct from academic analysis) about a gospel passage without touching conscience. Conscience is very sensitive to the touch, like a raw nerve. To survive we mostly keep conscience well covered. Like a skilful nurse, Jesus is going to peal off the band-aids bit by bit to open conscience to the air and light.