How is Mark 13 a message to humanity?

The message of Mark 13 is a way of saying God understands, is with us, and everything will be okay. Today, if you are struggling or suffering, then read Mark 13, because it is for you.

A close-up of two people hold hands comfortingly. One pair of hands enclosing another.

Mark 13.1-37

As he came out of the temple, one of his disciples said to him, “Look, Teacher, what large stones and what large buildings!” Then Jesus asked him, “Do you see these great buildings? Not one stone will be left here upon another; all will be thrown down.”

When he was sitting on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple, Peter, James, John, and Andrew asked him privately, “Tell us, when will this be, and what will be the sign that all these things are about to be accomplished?” Then Jesus began to say to them, “Beware that no one leads you astray. Many will come in my name and say, ‘I am he!’ and they will lead many astray. When you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be alarmed; this must take place, but the end is still to come. For nation will rise against nation and kingdom against kingdom; there will be earthquakes in various places; there will be famines. This is but the beginning of the birth pangs.

“As for yourselves, beware, for they will hand you over to councils, and you will be beaten in synagogues, and you will stand before governors and kings because of me, as a testimony to them. And the good news must first be proclaimed to all nations. When they bring you to trial and hand you over, do not worry beforehand about what you are to say, but say whatever is given you at that time, for it is not you who speak but the Holy Spirit. Sibling will betray sibling to death and a father his child, and children will rise against parents and have them put to death, and you will be hated by all because of my name. But the one who endures to the end will be saved.

“But when you see the desolating sacrilege set up where it ought not to be (let the reader understand), then those in Judea must flee to the mountains; the one on the housetop must not go down or enter to take anything from the house; the one in the field must not turn back to get a coat. Woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing infants in those days! Pray that it may not be in winter. For in those days there will be suffering, such as has not been from the beginning of the creation that God created until now and never will be. And if the Lord had not cut short those days, no one would be saved, but for the sake of the elect, whom he chose, he has cut short those days. And if anyone says to you at that time, ‘Look! Here is the Messiah!’ or ‘Look! There he is!’—do not believe it. False messiahs and false prophets will appear and produce signs and wonders, to lead astray, if possible, the elect. But be alert; I have already told you everything.

“But in those days, after that suffering,

the sun will be darkened,
and the moon will not give its light,
and the stars will be falling from heaven,
and the powers in the heavens will be shaken.

“Then they will see ‘the Son of Man coming in clouds’ with great power and glory. Then he will send out the angels and gather the elect from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of heaven.

“From the fig tree learn its lesson: as soon as its branch becomes tender and puts forth its leaves, you know that summer is near. So also, when you see these things taking place, you know that he is near, at the very gates. Truly I tell you, this generation will not pass away until all these things have taken place. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.

“But about that day or hour no one knows, neither the angels in heaven nor the Son, but only the Father. Beware, keep alert, for you do not know when the time will come. It is like a man going on a journey, when he leaves home and puts his slaves in charge, each with his work, and commands the doorkeeper to be on the watch. Therefore, keep awake, for you do not know when the master of the house will come, in the evening or at midnight or at cockcrow or at dawn, or else he may find you asleep when he comes suddenly. And what I say to you I say to all: Keep awake.”

Reflect

Are you an optimist or a pessimist? Are you a glass half full or a glass half empty kinda person? Me, I am an optimist and, to be honest, I really struggle with negativity, however, I am also prone to seeing the world through rose-tinted glasses. I oft do not see the world as it really is, wearing self-imposed blinkers to pain and suffering however, one thing about the gospels, and ‘the gospel’ itself, is that it never shies away from telling it how it really is. Jesus confronts pain and suffering head on.

I remember once, when my daughter, Gemma, was just two years old. We would walk with her little friend around the cricket green where we lived. The two would toddle, poking long stems of grass into the pond and climbing on a wooden tractor. One night, her little friend was tucked up in bed and died in his sleep due to an undiagnosed brain virus. I think it was the first time I had come face-to-face with a death that was unexpected and so, so ‘wrong’. The next day I knelt at the foot of a cross and cried and cried, shouting and yelling at God at the injustice of it all. I gave God ‘both barrels’ and did not hold back. This ‘event’ was so incompatible with the idea of a loving God, and so incongruous with the gospel message of hope and love.

Since that day, I have encountered many, many such events. Being a priest regularly puts me on the front line, interacting with those who have lost loved ones: parents who have lost babies and children, children who have lost parents, siblings, partners, wives, husbands, grandparents, and so on, and you know what? The pain does not get any easier. No matter how we wrap it up or couch it in comforting language, every death feels like a blow to life, and is deeply felt by those left behind.

There is a Chapter in Mark’s gospel that is unlike any other, and that chapter is No. 13. “Dun, dun, duuuuun!” It is in the form of a long farewell speech, the kind that someone in power or authority, such as a king or queen, might give at the end of their lives, and it is very similar to a stylised way of writing called ‘apocalyptic’ which is a kind of visionary way of revealing future events using fancy imagery imbued with deeper meanings. Apocalyptic writings tend to be quite doomy and gloomy in nature, but contain some kind of spectacular divine intervention in the midst of all the turbulent chaos.

The whole text of Mark 13 is made up of smaller pieces of writing that have been edited and glued together and it was no doubt written after the temple in Jerusalem had been destroyed in 70AD, but why include this Chapter, what is its purpose, and more importantly, what does it mean for us?

At the time the Gospel of Mark was written, the Jewish community, including Christians, were being persecuted and there was great suffering. A false hope had formed that Jesus was going to return at any moment and put an end to it all, and that people should take immediate action to prepare for God’s imminent and dramatic arrival. If you think about it, this makes perfect sense, for if you are in the midst of great suffering, you very much look forward to it ending, and soon! Suffering was very much in the minds of Mark’s readers and people needed to take action, but in this chapter, Mark is pressing on the brake pedal and writing to slow people down. He affirmed that, yes, although the temple would be destroyed within their lifetime (and they had since witnessed it), and yes, although one day all things would come to fruition and Jesus would fully come, the people should to do one thing, and that was to stand firm in their trust in Jesus.

Coming from a different time and culture, the language of Mark 13 is pretty difficult to unpack and understand but the message is simple and clear. If I could sum up the whole of Chapter 13 it would be this:

“You are going to suffer and it’s going to be horrible, but God is in the process of coming and you can be filled with the Holy Spirit in the here and now, and although it’s grim, together we’re gonna get through this, and one day (we don’t know when), God will fully come and everything will be okay.”

And what could be more relevant to us today? We Christians are in the world. We know the world is not as it should be, that there is pain and suffering, and we are working with God towards a time when there will be no more pain and suffering. As individuals, as families, as communities, and as nations, we are called to work out our salvation for the good of the world and its inhabitants. To aid us in this mission, if we can call it that, we are filled with the Holy Spirit — Jesus has made that possible — and so we seek to be led by the Spirit of God in all we do and all we are.

If God could give us a message today, what would it be? It would be to hang in there, do not give up, and stand firm in the hope set before us — a hope that God’s plan is bigger and better than we can imagine. None of us are bystanders or spectators, but active participants in the ongoing mission of God in the world.

All of us go through pain and suffering. All of us. And the message of Mark 13 is a way of saying God understands, is with us, and everything will be okay. Today, if you are struggling or suffering, then read Mark 13, because it is for you.

Amen.

Fabbed 0 times.

Insights

Rev Gav

How is Mark 13 a message to humanity?

Mark 13.1-37

Reflect

Welcome