Has the End of the World Arrived? —Lectionary Reflection for Pentecost 26B (Mark 13)

Mark 13:1-8 New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition

13 As he came out of the temple, one of his disciples said to him, “Look, Teacher, what large stones and what large buildings!” ² Then Jesus asked him, “Do you see these great buildings? Not one stone will be left here upon another; all will be thrown down.”

³ When he was sitting on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple, Peter, James, John, and Andrew asked him privately, ⁴ “Tell us, when will this be, and what will be the sign that all these things are about to be accomplished?” ⁵ Then Jesus began to say to them, “Beware that no one leads you astray. ⁶ Many will come in my name and say, ‘I am he!’ and they will lead many astray. ⁷ When you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be alarmed; this must take place, but the end is still to come. ⁸ 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.

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                We live in a time of great angst and anxiety. In the United States, an election has taken place, and we know who will be taking the lead in the government. What we don’t know is where this leads. We have words and promises, we even have a prior example from a previous administration, but whether things will proceed as “promised” is unknown. For some, it almost seems as if the end of the world has arrived. It’s with that angst and uncertainty that we hear this word from Mark 13, which is known as the “Little Apocalypse.” What we have here is just the opening lines of a larger conversation that, according to the Gospel of Mark, takes place just outside the Temple in Jerusalem. Jesus had been spending time in the Temple in the days leading up to his arrest and execution. Depending on when Mark’s Gospel was written, this Temple, which was one of the great wonders of the ancient world, may have lain in ruins after the conclusion of the Roman destruction of Jerusalem in 70 CE. In other words, the apocalypse had occurred, at least in part.

                One of the questions that scholars debate is whether Jesus was an apocalyptic preacher. That is, did he envision some kind of cataclysmic end to the world? There is evidence that Jesus operated out of an apocalyptic framework, drawing from earlier texts such as Daniel and 1 Enoch. Here in Mark 13, he speaks of the coming of the Son of Man in the clouds to gather up the elect from the ends of the earth and heaven (Mk 13:24-27). The synoptic gospels, one of which is Mark’s, envision Jesus proclaiming the coming reign of God, which will be accompanied by some form of final judgment. For more background on these issues, I suggest reading Second Thoughts about the Second Coming: Understanding the End Times, Our Future, and Christian Hope, (Westminster John Knox Press), which I wrote with Ronald J. Allen.

                The passage begins with Jesus and his disciples leaving the Temple. Jesus’ disciples, most of whom came from up north in Galilee, expressed their awe at the magnificence of the Temple. That’s not surprising. Herod had turned what had been a rather small and drab temple into something magnificent. It was more a testament to his narcissistic personality than an expression of praise to God. So, the disciples point out the large stones and buildings. They are in awe. But Jesus, responds by predicting that this magnificent building will soon come tumbling down. He tells them that no stone will be left upon another. If this Gospel was written in the aftermath of the destruction of Jerusalem, as most scholars believe (though not all), this is what took place. The Temple which had been at the center of Jewish life since the Persians allowed the exiles to rebuild the Temple, was no more. So, what did the future hold?

When we come upon apocalyptic texts like this one, we tend to get nervous, especially when some Christians build theologies around these apocalyptic texts. When I was much younger, I embraced the apocalyptic theologies that people like Hal Lindsey proposed. The messages I read in books were reinforced by the music I listened to. I was taken in by Barry McGuire’s song "Eve of Destruction" and Larry Norman’s warning “I Wish We’d All Been Ready.” My friends and I were sure that the end was near. We believed that before too long Jesus would return, just like Mark’s Gospel promised, to gather us up so we could Jesus’ effort to reclaim the earth from Satan’s grasp. As we read the books and heard the apocalyptic teachers, we began to watch for the signs that the end was near. It seemed as if the signs were there. The Jews had returned to their homeland and reestablished the nation of Israel. Might they soon rebuild the Temple? Yes, we were hyper-vigilant when it came to watching for the signs that Jesus would soon return.  

While the opening verses of Mark 13 speak to the glory of Herod’s Temple and its eventual destruction, the reading continues with a question of timing. Mark places Jesus and his disciples on the Mount of Olives. From this vantage point, they could see the Temple, which they had just left. Four of his disciples: Peter, James, John, and Andrew (the first four disciples) spoke to him privately. They wanted to know when the Temple would be destroyed. What signs should they look for so they’ll know that this will be accomplished? Now, if Mark wrote his gospel before the fall of Jerusalem, the meaning of this passage would be different than if Mark wrote after 70 CE. We just don’t know for sure. It’s possible Jesus understood that there were signs of unrest that if left unchecked would lead to the destruction of Jerusalem. The fact that the Romans executed Jesus suggests that they saw him as one troublemaker among others who needed to be dealt with. Whatever the timing of the writing of this Gospel, this chapter has an apocalyptic tone that can’t be ignored.

Jesus answered the question somewhat cryptically. He warns them not to be led astray. He wants them to be alert and discerning. He lets them know that many will come in his name suggesting that they were Jesus, hoping to lead them astray. We know that false messiahs have arisen throughout history. They might not claim to be Jesus, but they may claim to represent him. So be alert. Don’t believe everything you hear. Be discerning. Don’t be caught up in conspiracy theories and false promises.

Jesus then addresses the purported signs. People will speak of wars and rumors of wars. Don’t be alarmed he says because wars will continue. Nevertheless, these wars and rumors of wars don’t portend the end. It’s still to come. In the meantime, nations will rise against nations. Kingdoms against kingdoms. Earthquakes will take place. There will be famines. This is the way the world works. These things happened in the first century and continue to this day. So don’t get caught up in purported signs. They are simply the beginning of the birth pangs.  

This is but the opening lines of a much longer apocalyptic message. It would be helpful to bring into the conversation the final paragraph of the chapter. In this concluding section of the apocalypse, Jesus tells his disciples that no one knows the hour or day when all of this will take place. Not even the Son of Man knows the time, so be on the alert. Keep awake. Stay on the path and don’t be led astray (Mk.13:32-37).

It has been noted that apocalyptic writings, like the one we find here in Mark 13 tend to emerge during times of distress. They reflect the anxiety and even despair of people who are experiencing uncertainty about the future. If, as most scholars believe, Mark’s Gospel emerged sometime around 70 CE, his community would have been experiencing times of trouble. We see in verses 9 to 13 references to persecution from both Jewish and Roman communities. But Mark’s Jesus offers a word of encouragement, telling them that despite what might be transpiring, the gospel still needed to be proclaimed to the nations. In other words, the fall of Jerusalem might be catastrophic but it didn’t mark the end of the age. Therefore, the message to them involved a call to stay firm in their faith and proclaim the gospel wherever they found themselves. Those who endure, they will be saved. When read in context, this word is intended to inform resiliency in the face of persecution. For Christians living in North America and Europe, being a Christian might not always be helpful to one’s advancement in life, but no one is going to jail or being executed because they’re followers of Jesus. Having to close churches during a pandemic might be inconvenient, but it’s not the kind of persecution that Mark details here.

The signs of the time that Jesus speaks of —wars, earthquakes, and famine—happen with regularity, but they are but birth pangs. They’re labor pains that precede birth. These birth pangs may last for a while, but no one can be sure when the birth will take place. So just be awake and alert. When the time comes, you’ll know it. Being prepared, however, is wise. My son came early and we weren’t completely prepared. But when the water breaks, birth is close at hand. So, it’s better to be safe and prepared than to be caught unaware. When the big day comes, it will be time to rejoice.

Since we live nearly two millennia after Mark wrote his Gospel it’s easy to become complacent. We can forget what Jesus taught and exemplified as he revealed God’s nature to us. We may also neglect apocalyptic texts because they seem odd to us. But there is truth to be discovered here about Jesus’ vision of the realm of God if we’re discerning. One thing that a passage like this does is allow us to contemplate the way we view the world around us. It might give people in the church an opportunity to reflect on their anxiety about the future. After all, a rather consequential election took place in the United States. For many of us, the results were less than encouraging. While I am anxious about what is about to transpire, I have much less to fear than others might. After all, I’m white, male, highly educated, Christian, and have sufficient resources (hopefully) to survive challenging economic times. That is because I’m not a woman. I’m not gay or lesbian. I’m not transgender. I’m not a person of color. I’m not an immigrant. I don’t profess a religion other than Christianity (though some might question my Christian faith). In other words, I’m not the one who normally gets othered. So, I can look at what is happening around me with less fear and anxiety than is true for others. But for now, all we can do is watch and wait and be prepared for whatever comes our way.

While we ponder whether we are witnessing the birth pangs that lead to the birthing of the realm of God, we would be wise to pay attention to Jesus’ overarching message, and that is the call to love God and love our neighbor. Perhaps that will help us transcend what looks like might be times of trouble for many.