The End ...

Mark 13:1-8 As Jesus was leaving the Temple that day, one of his disciples said, “Teacher, look at these magnificent buildings! Look at the impressive stones in the walls.” Jesus replied, “Yes, look at these great buildings. But they will be completely demolished. Not one stone will be left on top of another!” Later, Jesus sat on the Mount of Olives across the valley from the Temple. Peter, James, John, and Andrew came to him privately and asked him, “Tell us, when will all this happen? What sign will show us that these things are about to be fulfilled?” Jesus replied, “Don’t let anyone mislead you, for many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am the Messiah.’ They will deceive many. And you will hear of wars and threats of wars, but don’t panic. Yes, these things must take place, but the end won’t follow immediately. Nation will go to war against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be earthquakes in many parts of the world, as well as famines. But this is only the first of the birth pains, with more to come.

Context: This is the end of our lectionary journey in the gospel of Mark as Jesus engages in a long apocalyptic discourse in Chapter 13. The underlying message of apocalyptic prophecy is in the great final battle in the cosmic spiritual realm. In the end, God will prevail over the evil one. Even as Jesus engages the genre of the apocalyptic, he speaks in a starkly different way from that of his known contemporaries. He does not give detailed or extensive descriptions of heaven or hell. Unlike the apocalyptic messengers of his time, there is no theme of Jewish nationalism in Jesus. Neither is there a holy war.

The reconstructed temple with its precincts was begun under Herod the Great ca. 20 B.C. It was completed only some seven years before it was destroyed by fire in A.D. 70 at the hands of the Romans. In this passage, the vision of the end comes in ways brought about by political and religious forces rather than as a result of a great cosmic battle.

Going Deeper: Jesus' prediction of the destruction of the temple provoked questions that the four disciples put to him in private regarding the time and the sign when all these things are about to come to an end. People are still fascinated with these questions. Entire series of books, bible studies, and movies have been produced in an effort to explore these themes. People from the least educated to the most educated differ on the way they view passages such as this. So will we base our interpretation on literal, spiritual, or metaphorical bases? Perhaps we go deeper by layering our understanding … seeking on all three levels.

Pondering: Which level do you begin your exploration with? Are you comfortable or disturbed by interpreting this passage from a different direction than your natural inclination? Are we talking about the cosmic end of all things when the sun burns up billions of years from now? Will there be humans left to see it? Are we speaking of the end of earth's ability to sustain human life … through an Armageddon-type event, a natural cataclysm, or human mismanagement? Are we talking about the end of a certain cultural "way of life" through free-market capitalism, mainline denominationalism, or Western-style democracy? Are we talking about judgment day … the day of the Lord?

Jesus said, “Don’t let anyone mislead you” so … which one of these visions scares you the most? Why? What does a faithful response to each of these visions look like? How do you ground your thoughts about the end times?

Praying: Take a moment in the silence to clear your mind and focus on your awareness on God's presence. Remember that God is always with you no matter whether you are aware of it or not. When you are ready, engage your imagination. Sit with Jesus and the disciples on the Mount of Olives across the valley from the Temple. What do you see as you look upon the temple? Can you see the magnificent buildings? Are you impressed by the stones? What do you hear? What words do you remember from the passage as Jesus talks about signs? How does the silence make you feel when the images are so violent and you hear Jesus say there is more to come?

If you need words, pray this prayer: God of the Cosmos, we thank you for sending Jesus...the word made flesh. We thank you for breathing your Spirit of truth into the world and into our hearts, to guide us into all truth...to show us things to come. We thank you for the Scriptures ... as a lamp unto our feet. Guide us as we pray, as we study your word, and as we live our lives with justice and peace, knowing the end is in sight … whatever that means! Amen.