Today, we are nearing the end of our lectionary year centered in Mark’s gospel, and it’s the last Sunday we’ll hear from Mark, before we celebrate the Reign of Christ next Sunday and begin Advent after Thanksgiving.
When Mark wrote his gospel, his audience would have been accustomed to hearing stories told about Jesus and his ministry. But Mark’s Gospel is the first written account we have. We believe it was written in response to changes he witnessed.
We don’t know for certain what changed – it appears from things Mark says in this chapter that there were false teachers claiming to come in Jesus’ name but leading believers down wrong paths, and there were believers being persecuted and arrested, silencing their witness and testimony. Whatever was happening, now it was important to have a reliable written record of the “good news of Jesus Christ” (1:1).
Today we get to eavesdrop on Jesus. He has moved away from the crowd and is in what Mark describes as a private conversation. You know what this looks like. Four of his disciples pulled him aside to ask him what he meant when he told the others that the great buildings surrounding them would be destroyed.
But, when Peter, James, John and Andrew ask Jesus to tell them, “…when
will this be, and what will be the sign that all these things are about to be
accomplished?” (v. 4) Jesus tells them, there isn’t a clear sign.
There will be betrayal. There will be alarming rumors. There will be disasters.
But the obvious, unambiguous sign they are looking for doesn’t exist.
The only assurance Jesus gives them is that the turmoil will not last forever.
We don’t know what turmoil Jesus is referring to. He may have been recalling earthquakes and famines in the same timeframe as we think of the Dust Bowl or the Great Depression. Or wars from decades earlier – in our context, it would be like talking about the Korean conflict today - or any number of more immediate, local disputes put down by Roman authorities. In any case, he was referring to historical events that shape our narrative. It’s all the stories that we carry around with us that have shaped how we look at the world.
And then Jesus says,
“This is but the beginning of the birth pangs.” (v. 8)
And there is The Good News. Birth pangs hurt, but they are necessary for new life to enter the world. And “God is always about the business of making new futures possible.”[i]
Last Saturday, our younger child, Emerson, took the GRE. Emerson is applying to graduate school and the test is one of the requirements. The scores for two of the three parts were available immediately, but we’re all waiting for the third part to be graded.
Waiting is hard.
You can guess what choices you may have, but everything is one giant question mark. There are so many unknowns. And it can be excruciating if you fall into the trap of wondering, “What if…”
Like Peter, James, John and Andrew, we want to know what the
future holds. We want certainty, assurance and clear direction. It makes us
anxious to realize how little we know and how little we control.
What Jesus reminds the disciples, and us, is that faith calls us to trust God. We can have confidence that the future will be what God ordains for us. As Jesus teaches in his Sermon on the Mount, none of us can add even a single hour to our lives by worrying. (Mt. 6:27)
What we can be certain of is God’s love for each one of us.
We may not have signs of what will come next, but the signs of God’s love for us are all around us. They are in the prayers that are said when we are sick, grieving or scared. They are in the time given to mentor a student or spend time with one as a study buddy. They are in the gifts of skills and knowledge shared in ministries every day in our congregation – people who know how to read financial statements and help us be good stewards of financial gifts; people whose gifts of hospitality welcome others and foster a place of belonging; people who enliven our music and worship; and people who help us stay connected with our community partners and know how we can best help our neighbors.
All of these signs point to a God-given future, one we can anticipate with unwavering faith and hope.
Let us pray…
Good and gracious God,
Help us always to follow Jesus
and not be led astray by imposters or false promises.
Draw us near to You and
open our eyes to the signs of Your love that surround us.
Show us how to share the Good News of Your Love through our words and
actions.
We pray in the name of Your Son Jesus, our Savior and Lord.
Amen.
[i] Amanda Brobst-Renaud. “Commentary on Mark 13:1-8”. Working Preacher. Luther Seminary.
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