MARKAN MEDITATIONS

Meditations in the Gospel of St. Mark

St. Mark 13:1-13

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RISING OUT of a comment by the disciples in verse one, Jesus in this chapter, speaks of the coming of the end of all things in our world. The chapter is a little confusing because Jesus has two ends in mind, the first happened in AD 70 which marked the end of the Old Testament era and the final judgement of the Jewish nation, together with the end of their privileges as a chosen nation. The other end is that of the end of the world as we know it, and not just of our world but the whole of the solar system that we know in space. The two ends get a bit mixed up but they can be distinguished, and things that Jesus says sometimes applies to both. We shall look at the words of Jesus in two meditations dividing the chapter after verse 13.

The words of the disciples in verse 1 concerning the seeming invincible permanence of the temple are that which triggered off the teaching and expresses the feeling of humanity concerning the world. Although the fact of entropy, where we know that everything in the universe is winding down from a peak, people still feel that the world is going on forever, though these days there is much alarm at the way the worlds resources are being used up and our environment being polluted and destroyed by human carelessness and greed. Jesus corrects this idea by telling us that there is to be an end to this world, and perhaps sooner than we think. His words give warning of the way history will reveal itself, and of events that we will witness happening as time passes and as the end comes.

Firstly Jesus destroys the nationalistic pride and illusion of the disciples by telling them that the time was very near when the temple would be raised to the ground (verse 2). This happened in AD 70 when the Romans came and invaded Jerusalem and sacked it. If anyone takes the time to read the Jewish historian Josephus, they will see that this was the time of the greatest tribulation that has ever happen on this earth before or since (v19). It marked the judgement of God on the Jewish Nation and the end of their privileges as the chosen people. From this time on the Jews became equal and the same before God as all the rest of humanity. There was still salvation but only by the means opened to all, which is by faith in Jesus as Saviour and Lord. This judgement of the Jewish nation is symbolic of the judgement that will come at the end of the world.

Jesus refuses to tell the disciples what they would have liked to have known. He refused to tell them the time and date of the end of all things. What Jesus does is to give them, and the church down the ages, enough information, so that Christians will be able to understand history and face it and be prepared for the end when it comes. This teaching gives the Christian the ability to face all the great horrors in the world and history and not be dismayed.

In verses 5 to 8 Jesus tells us of the things we may expect down the ages of history. There will be disceptions in the church where people will make false claims concerning the coming of Jesus again to the earth. There will conflicts between nations and disturbances in the natural order. The book of Revelation speaks of these event under the warning Trumpets (ch.8&9). The trumpets were warnings to the world, and marked the devastation of a third of the earth by disasters of war and natural catastrophes. These events are allowed by God as warnings to this sinful world and are a call to repentance.

Verses 9-10 are warnings to the church in particular. It is a warning that the church down the ages will be hated by the world and suffer persecution because of the witness to the Gospel. Two assurances are given by Jesus to the church. The first is that he will always be with his church to sustain and strengthen, giving words to speak when the world challenges them and persecutes them. The second is that the Gospel has to be preached throughout the world before the end of the age can come. The whole world must have heard the Gospel by the time Christ returns. Missionary effort over the last century means that this is very nearly fulfilled. I believe there are still some isolated tribes in such places as South America which have not yet been evangelized.

Verses 12 and 13 are further warnings concerning Christians. Allegiance to Christ will often mean rejection from our nearest and dearest, who will work to bring about our death. However Jesus ends verse 13 with the reminder that the believer, though there are no promises of acceptance in this world, does give the absolute assurance of acceptance in heaven in the life to come.

The fact is that for humanity and for this world, the end will come. When the end comes there will be total loss for all except those who have embraced the life that is in Jesus. It is through Jesus alone that we receive eternal life and glory. Whatever the difficulties may be in this life for believers, it is all worth it. Not only do we have the joy of the presence and love of the Lord in this earthly life, but through the work of Christ for us, heaven is our true home, and will be our eternal joy and bliss.