And what I say to you, I say to all: Watch!

 

 "Now learn this parable from the fig tree:  When its branch has already become tender, and puts forth leaves, you know that summer is near.  So you also, when you see these things happening, know that it is near -- at the doors!  Assuredly, I say to you, this generation will by no means pas away till all these things take place.  Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away.  

 

"But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.  Take heed, watch and pray; for you do not know when the time is.  It is like a man going to a far country, who left his house and gave authority to his servants, and to each his work, and commanded the doorkeeper to watch.  Watch therefore, for you do not know when the master of the house is coming -- in the evening, at midnight, at the crowing of the rooster, or in the morning -- lest, coming suddenly, he finds you sleeping.  And what I say to you, I say to all:  Watch!"

 

- Mark 13:28–37 

 

In our recent readings, Jesus is in Jerusalem.  The setting is the final week of Christ's earthly life, which is called Holy Week.  Jesus has been teaching the disciples about end times.  Yesterday we read that He taught them, "So when you see the 'abomination of desolation,' spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing where it ought not" (let the reader understand), "then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains.  Let him who is on the housetop not go down into the house, nor enter to take anything out of his house.  And let him who is in the field not go back to get his clothes.  But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days!  And pray that your flight may not be in winter.  For in those days there will be tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the creation which God created until this time, nor ever shall be.  And unless the Lord had shortened those days, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect's sake, whom He chose, He shortened the days.  Then if anyone says to you, 'Look, here is the Christ!' or, 'Look, He is there!' do not believe it.  For false christs and false prophets will rise and show signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect.  But take heed; see, I have told you all things beforehand.  But in those days, after that tribulation, the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars of heaven will fall, and the powers in the heavens will be shaken.  Then they will see the Son of Man coming in the clouds with great power and glory.  And then He will send His angels, and gather together His elect from the four winds, from the farthest part of the earth to the farthest part of heaven." 

 

"Now learn this parable from the fig tree:  When its branch has already become tender, and puts forth leaves, you know that summer is near.  So you also, when you see these things happening, know that it is near -- at the doors!  Assuredly, I say to you, this generation will by no means pas away till all these things take place.  Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away."  My study Bible comments that this generation refers to all believers at all times (in other words, the generation of the Church), and not simply those alive at the time of Christ.  Christ's prophecy is that the Church will continue to thrive until His return, regardless of how desperate things may sometimes appear. 

  

"But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.  Take heed, watch and pray; for you do not know when the time is.  It is like a man going to a far country, who left his house and gave authority to his servants, and to each his work, and commanded the doorkeeper to watch.  Watch therefore, for you do not know when the master of the house is coming -- in the evening, at midnight, at the crowing of the rooster, or in the morning -- lest, coming suddenly, he finds you sleeping.  And what I say to you, I say to all:  Watch!"  My study Bible notes that although the Son does not know the day of His own return, St. John Chrysostom teaches that this is not to be understood literally, but as a figure of speech.  The meaning is that Christ won't reveal the exact day to anyone, and that believers should not be so brazen as to inquire of Him.  

 

 What does it mean that there will be an end to the period of time in which we exist?  According to the Scriptures and our faith, this age began with the mission of Christ into the world as the incarnate Jesus, and so the whole of the era since then is considered "end times."  But Jesus clearly indicates there is a finishing point to this age, a moment in which all that was meant to be fulfilled in His mission is fulfilled, and then He will return.  At His Second Coming, unlike His first, He will come spectacularly, with great power and glory.  This time will be accompanied by signs preceding it, such as that the powers in the heavens are shaken, the moon and sun appearing dim or darkened, the stars falling.  This fulfillment of the age means that regardless of what we see and think we know of the world, it is in an ever-moving transition of some sort.  There are potentials being fulfilled, working themselves out somehow.  The notion of fulfillment in Greek is the real gist of what it means to "end" -- things end at their fullest point, when all possibilities and purposes have been exhausted and there is no more left to do.  Thus, at Christ's return, judgment occurs, and a new period begins (Isaiah 65:17, 2 Peter 3:13, Revelation 21:1).  In the Christian era, through the coming of the Church, the mission of Jesus Christ, and the gift of the Holy Spirit, such things as the "new creation" are partially fulfilled, for this is the process begun for us.  But its fullness is in the new.  Why is all of this important, and why should Jesus forewarn us about these things which are to come at the end of the age?  It's not so that we make timetables, for there would be little sense in that in and of itself.  But Jesus' byword for us throughout these prophecies He gives of end times is to teach us to endure in our faith, to be watchful and aware of the purpose for which He came into the world and the ongoing mission He has left us with and our role in it.  Christ's final word here is, "And what I say to you, I say to all:  Watch!"  We are to be prepared for that end, by living out our faith, being persistent in it, and enduring to the end through all the things He prophesies for us.  Clearly, His intention here is deliberate.  He wants us to be aware of all of these things, and the process that will unfold, especially at the time He will return, so that we are aware and prepared, and ready for this struggle for faith that is so all-important.  Let us consider the depth and power of His words, for they convey to us the purpose for our age, and frame our lives in that struggle for the faith He gives us, the life in which we also participate in the preparation for that new age He will bring, and in the fulfillment of these end times.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Take heed; see, I have told you all things beforehand

 

"So when you see the 'abomination of desolation,' spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing where it ought not" (let the reader understand), "then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains.  Let him who is on the housetop not go down into the house, nor enter to take anything out of his house.  And let him who is in the field not go back to get his clothes.  But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days!  And pray that your flight may not be in winter.  For in those days there will be tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the creation which God created until this time, nor ever shall be.  And unless the Lord had shortened those days, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect's sake, whom He chose, He shortened the days.  Then if anyone says to you, 'Look, here is the Christ!' or, 'Look, He is there!' do not believe it.  For false christs and false prophets will rise and show signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect.  But take heed; see, I have told you all things beforehand.  But in those days, after that tribulation, the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars of heaven will fall, and the powers in the heavens will be shaken.  Then they will see the Son of Man coming in the clouds with great power and glory.  And then He will send His angels, and gather together His elect from the four winds, from the farthest part of the earth to the farthest part of heaven."

 

- Mark 13:14–27 

 

On Saturday we read that, as Jesus went out of the temple in Jerusalem, one of His disciples said to Him, "Teacher, see what manner of stones and what buildings are here!"  And Jesus answered and said to him, "Do you see these great buildings?  Not one stone shall be left upon another, that shall not be thrown down."  Now as He sat on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple,  Peter, James, John, and Andrew asked Him privately, "Tell us, when will these things be?  And what will be the sign when all these things will be fulfilled?"  And Jesus, answering them, began to say:  "Take heed that no one deceives you.  For many will come in My name, saying, 'I am He,' and will deceive many.  But when you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be troubled; for such things must happen, but the end is not yet.  For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom.  And there will be earthquakes in various places, and there will be famines and troubles.  These are the beginnings of sorrows.  But watch out for yourselves, for they will deliver you up to councils, and you will be beaten in the synagogues.  You will be brought before rulers and kings for My sake, for a testimony to them.  And the gospel must first be preached to all the nations.  But when they arrest you and deliver you up, do not worry beforehand, or premeditate what you will speak.  But whatever is given you in that hour, speak that; for it is not you who speak, but the Holy Spirit.  Now brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child; and children will rise up against parents and cause them to be put to death.  And you will be hated by all for My name's sake.  But he who endures to the end shall be saved."

 

"So when you see the 'abomination of desolation,' spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing where it ought not" (let the reader understand), "then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains."  The abomination of desolation was a prophecy of Daniel (Daniel 9:27; 11:31; 12:11), fulfilled in the Siege of Jerusalem (AD 70), when the Roman general Titus entered the Most holy Place and had a statue of himself erected in the temple before having the temple destroyed.  My study Bible says that the Lord's phrase when you see indicates that many of the disciples would still be living at that time.  The phrase let the reader understand is an encouragement to the early Christians who may have witnessed this event.  

 

"Let him who is on the housetop not go down into the house, nor enter to take anything out of his house.  And let him who is in the field not go back to get his clothes.  But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days!  And pray that your flight may not be in winter."  My study Bible comments that the severity of winter weather or respect for the Sabbath would prevent many faithful from fleeing quickly in a time of desperation.  Jesus' sympathy for nursing mothers is reinforced in Luke 23:29, when He blesses the barren in preparation for the time He describes.  My study Bible quotes commentary on that verse from St. John Chrysostom:  "Mothers are held by the tie of feeling for their children, but cannot save them.  How can one escape the bonds of nature?  How can she who nurses ever overlook the one she has borne?"

 

 "For in those days there will be tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the creation which God created until this time, nor ever shall be.  And unless the Lord had shortened those days, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect's sake, whom He chose, He shortened the days. Then if anyone says to you, 'Look, here is the Christ!' or, 'Look, He is there!' do not believe it.  For false christs and false prophets will rise and show signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect.  But take heed; see, I have told you all things beforehand."   My study Bible points out that, here in St. Mark's Gospel, the account of the end times is given in a reverse or mirrored parallel form, often called chiastic (from the word "chi" meaning X in Greek).  That is, the topics He mentions in the first half of the passage are repeated and amplified in reverse order in the second half.  Taking the beginning of this discourse from Saturday's reading (see above), we begin to see the parallels.  He began (in Saturday's reading) with a warning to take heed about false christs, which is repeated here and amplified.  The second warning was about wars which He then described in detail just above these verses in today's reading, and includes the abomination of desolation.  The second-to-last warning is about tribulation here, which amplifies His warnings in Saturday's reading of being delivered up to councils, and betrayed and delivered up by family members.  Today's reading gives us the second half of that X shaped prophecy, the center of which was that "the gospel must first be preached to all the nations" in Saturday's reading (see above), which my study Bible calls the heart of the apostolic ministry and the mission of the Church.

 

"But take heed; see, I have told you all things beforehand.  But in those days, after that tribulation, the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars of heaven will fall, and the powers in the heavens will be shaken."   My study Bible says that, according to patristic commentary, the sun will not be destroyed, but will be darkened in relation to the glory of Christ.  In other words, it will appear to be dark by comparison to the fullness of Christ's splendor.  Note that when Christ says that the powers in the heavens will be shaken, this can't be separated from the spiritual powers in the heavens, and the things described here are in response to that transition and glory in spiritual battle, the victory of Christ described in the next verses.  

 

"Then they will see the Son of Man coming in the clouds with great power and glory.  And then He will send His angels, and gather together His elect from the four winds, from the farthest part of the earth to the farthest part of heaven."   Note that at Christ's first coming, He came in humility and mortality, (as signified through His entrance into Jerusalem on a donkey's colt; see this reading).  But at Christ's return, His second coming, He will be revealed with great power and glory.  My study Bible refers us to 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 on the gathering of the elect, from the farthest part of the earth to the farthest part of heaven.  

 

What is the farthest part of heaven?   This seems to affirm that the elect include those on earth, but also those of the great cloud of witnesses, who stand in the resurrection.  This vast and incomprehensible number of souls is impossible for us to calculate, and I daresay, to even imagine.  In fact, much of what Christ has to say in this end times prophecy is to us, unimaginable.  That would include even those terrifying events of the Siege of Jerusalem, documented for us in history books, so vividly told here in Christ's forewarnings to the people.  These warnings -- such as to pray that their flight may not be in winter, or of the woe to those who are pregnant and those who are nursing babies in those days -- carry with them the terror of such a calamitous and disastrous time.  They don't soften the sense of desperation and fear; quite the opposite.  Christ does not seek to minimize the dangers and harm that may exist for us in this world, particularly as His followers.  But He does warn us about them, and about the things we will be called upon to face for His name's sake -- and He also gives us His solemn promise and assurance of His return, and the gathering together of His elect from the four winds, and from the farthest part of the earth to the farthest part of heaven.  Let's consider once again the depth and breadth of what these words mean, and the unimaginable number of souls gathered in Christ's power and glory and His return.  "From the four winds" indicates all the directions of the earth, not a single soul overlooked from anywhere in the world.  That even the powers in the heavens will be shaken should give us a sense of the shattering of our present reality in exchange for another one at the end of the age, and in the fullness of the coming of His Kingdom.  None of these things can be glossed over or de-emphasized, for all of it is important to us, and none of it is sugar-coated for us.  It all comes as part of the package of our faith in Christ.  Often we get the impression that there has been so much progress in terms of medical science, or technology, or a host of other modern developments, that we have great control over our lives and our world.  But Christ tells us something quite different, which perhaps we discover in our own lives through time and experience, that despite all of these innovations and modern wealth and productivity, we still have unforeseen circumstances to deal with.  We remain with wars and rumors of wars (perhaps more destructive, violent, and frightening than ever); we remain with natural disasters we can't seem to fully control or explain; and we certainly remain with evil in our world and political machinations and hardships of all kinds.  While we have news reported and available to us with 24-hour availability, it does seemingly little to reassure us that all things are stable and cared for; quite the opposite, in fact.  But with Christ, we have something more.  We have His reassurance that not a hair on our heads goes uncounted by God (Matthew 10:30), not a sparrow drops to the earth apart from God's knowledge and will (Matthew 10:29), and that God knows the things we have need of (Matthew 6:31-33).  Let us first seek the will of God, to know God in prayer and communion and to build up our faith, to find the things that Christ has for us to do in the world.  For ultimately we are dependent upon God, from whom every good and perfect gift comes -- and who gives us warnings about our world and knows the dangers and fears we live with; for He has been with us as one of us, and offers us the Kingdom and our discipleship.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

He who endures to the end shall be saved

 

 Then as He went out of the temple, one of His disciples said to Him, "Teacher, see what manner of stones and what buildings are here!"  And Jesus answered and said to him, "Do you see these great buildings?  Not one stone shall be left upon another, that shall not be thrown down."  

 

Now as He sat on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple,  Peter, James, John, and Andrew asked Him privately, "Tell us, when will these things be?  And what will be the sign when all these things will be fulfilled?"  And Jesus, answering them, began to say:  "Take heed that no one deceives you.  For many will come in My name, saying, 'I am He,' and will deceive many.  But when you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be troubled; for such things must happen, but the end is not yet.  For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom.  And there will be earthquakes in various places, and there will be famines and troubles.  These are the beginnings of sorrows.  But watch out for yourselves, for they will deliver you up to councils, and you will be beaten in the synagogues.  You will be brought before rulers and kings for My sake, for a testimony to them.  And the gospel must first be preached to all the nations.  But when they arrest you and deliver you up, do not worry beforehand, or premeditate what you will speak.  But whatever is given you in that hour, speak that; for it is not you who speak, but the Holy Spirit.  Now brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child; and children will rise up against parents and cause them to be put to death.  And you will be hated by all for My name's sake.  But he who endures to the end shall be saved."

 

- Mark 13:1–13 

 

Yesterday we read that Jesus answered and said, while He taught in the temple in Jerusalem, "How is it that the scribes say that the Christ is the Son of David?  For David himself said by the Holy Spirit:  'The LORD said to my Lord, "Sit at My right hand, till I make Your enemies Your footstool."'  Therefore David himself calls Him 'Lord'; how is He then his Son?"  And the common people heard Him gladly.  Then He said to them in His teaching, "Beware the scribes, who desire to go around in long robes, love greetings in the marketplaces,  the best seats in the synagogues, and the best places at feasts, who devour widows' houses, and for a pretense make long prayers.  These will receive greater condemnation."  Now Jesus sat opposite the treasury and saw how the people put money into the treasury.  And many who were rich put in much.  Then one poor widow came and threw in two mites, which make a quadrans.  So He called His disciples to Himself and said to them, "Assuredly, I say to you that this poor widow has put in more than all those who have given to the treasury; for they all put in out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty put in all that she had, her whole livelihood."

 

  Then as He went out of the temple, one of His disciples said to Him, "Teacher, see what manner of stones and what buildings are here!"  And Jesus answered and said to him, "Do you see these great buildings?  Not one stone shall be left upon another, that shall not be thrown down."   Christ's prophecy of the destruction of the temple was fulfilled in AD 70, when the temple was destroyed by the Romans, my study Bible reminds us.  This prophecy was quite literally true, as all that remained of the temple was one retaining wall, today called the Western Wall, and historically called the Wailing Wall for the prayer which pilgrims through the centuries would come to pray, as they do still today. 

 

 Now as He sat on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple,  Peter, James, John, and Andrew asked Him privately, "Tell us, when will these things be?  And what will be the sign when all these things will be fulfilled?"   Note that these disciples who come to ask Christ privately about the destruction of the temple are those closest to Him, the two sets of brothers, James and John, and Peter and Andrew, the first-called disciples.  Peter, James, and John were referred to by St. Paul as the "pillars" for their profound faith (Galatians 2:9).

 

 And Jesus, answering them, began to say:  "Take heed that no one deceives you.  For many will come in My name, saying, 'I am He,' and will deceive many."   Let us note that Jesus' first warning, in beginning this prophecy of "end times" is on deception.  In St. Matthew's Gospel as well, the warnings against deception are given the most emphasis.  In particular, this warning is against following a false Christ, which Jesus will warn against yet again, and with even greater specificity, in verses 21-22.

 

"But when you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be troubled; for such things must happen, but the end is not yet.  For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom.  And there will be earthquakes in various places, and there will be famines and troubles.  These are the beginnings of sorrows."  My study Bible comments that the Scriptures describe the end times in a variety of ways, so that no precise chronology can be determined (see Daniel 7 - 12; Matthew 24; Luke 21; 1 Corinthians 15:51-55; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-17; 2 Thessalonians 2:1-10; and the Book of Revelation).  Christ's emphasis, it notes, is on watchfulness and the practice of virtue rather than constructing timetables of things that have not yet happened.   The wars here refer first and and foremost to the Roman destruction of Jerusalem, but also include subsequent wars, my study Bible says.  Wars, we're told, are not a sign of the imminent end, but of the opposite -- the end is not yet.  In addition, there are calamities of natural disasters, such as earthquakes, famines, and troubles; but these are the beginnings of sorrows.  

 

"But watch out for yourselves, for they will deliver you up to councils, and you will be beaten in the synagogues.  You will be brought before rulers and kings for My sake, for a testimony to them.  And the gospel must first be preached to all the nations.    Here again, the emphasis is on watchfulness, and a warning of tribulation to come.  But all these calamities and all this opposition, my study Bible notes, cannot stop the spread of the gospel, which will be preached to all nations.  It says that, according to St. John Chrysostom, this truth was evident already at his time, for he marveled that while the Romans subdued countless Jews in a political uprising, they could not prevail over twelve Jews unarmed with anything except the gospel of Jesus Christ.  

 

"But when they arrest you and deliver you up, do not worry beforehand, or premeditate what you will speak.  But whatever is given you in that hour, speak that; for it is not you who speak, but the Holy Spirit.  Now brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child; and children will rise up against parents and cause them to be put to death.  And you will be hated by all for My name's sake.  But he who endures to the end shall be saved."   Midst these persecutions, we're also given a great blessing.  This is the gift of the Holy Spirit, our Comforter and Helper, who will give us what we need to speak, our testimony. Amid devastating -- even deadly -- betrayals, turmoil, hatred, and persecutions, we are to rely upon God.  The watchword with Christ also is always on endurance, persistence, forbearance -- for he who endures to the end shall be saved.  This is about endurance in our faithfulness. 

 

 Jesus says, "You will be brought before rulers and kings for My sake, for a testimony to them."  This wording is quite striking, because it can be read in at least two different ways.  Jesus says that His followers will be brought before kings and rulers for His sake.  First of all, one may take it that this indicates that it is because believers are followers of Christ, they will be brought before rulers and kings.  But there's another way to read this, and perhaps the text -- as often happens -- is purposefully ambiguous so that both meanings become important.  It is Christ who wants us to testify, and this, too, is what can be meant by, "for My sake."  For testimony is clearly important, not simply perhaps to courts, kings, rulers, dictators, tyrants, and other hostile powers.  But one would say no, it's not important to persecutors.  Testimony is clearly important to Christ, necessary to the Gospel.  For we are witnessing as part of the very crux of our faith, and the missions of all the disciples and others sent out over the centuries and in living their faith, in practicing one's faithfulness.  "Testimony" in the Greek is μαρτύριον/martyrion, and "witness" is μάρτυρ/martyr.   From this, clearly, we get our English word "martyr," and we must know and understand the powerful necessity of such martyrs -- again, throughout the centuries including the most recent periods in places around the world, even today (see here, and here) -- and the role they play in the Church.  Of course, Christ is our great, first Witness and Martyr, even as our Savior.  But to take up our own crosses, and follow Him might also mean to meet Him in this place of sacrifice and even death.  In our modern, prosperous countries where religious freedom is often taken for granted, we are perhaps more used to a certain way of life, an expectation perhaps of goodness and blessedness even in material terms.  We forget about how essential and important to our faith testimony is, and that its root also includes that meaning even of martyrdom.  Most of us, perhaps, do not make such a sacrifice, but nonetheless Jesus' words remind us once again that our faith calls us to a kind of heroism, to sacrifice, to witnessing.  Testimony is important, and essential to our faith, for there would be no Church without it, no struggle for faith without it, no examples of great saints with tremendous courage, and inspiring knowledge for everyday people and common believers who struggle to find faith in their lives and to, indeed, endure in that faith.  For that is the true picture of the reality where we all are, if we would but know it and turn to Christ and His teachings, for the world remains as it was despite the spread of the gospel.  New forms of opposition to the truth of Christ happen everywhere, and we can see them with our own eyes around us.  We remain, no matter where we are, in a spiritual battleground in which "we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places" (Ephesians 6:12).  The "end times" began with Christ and we remain in those "end times" until the end of the age, at the time of His return.  Let us remain faithful and true witnesses to our faith, in simply living our lives and being true to Him and what He teaches.  For all that we do in His name becomes a testimony to Him, glorifying God. 

 

 

 

 

Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away

 

 "Now learn this parable from the fig tree:  When its branch has already become tender, and puts forth leaves, you know that summer is near.  So you also, when you see these things happening, know that it is near -- at the door!  Assuredly, I say to you, this generation will by no means pass away till all these things take place.  Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away.  

"But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.  Take heed, watch and pray; for you do not know when the time is.  It is like a man going to a far country, who left his house and gave authority to his servants, and to each his work, and commanded the doorkeeper to watch.  Watch therefore, for you do not know when the master of the house is coming -- in the evening, at midnight, at the crowing of the rooster, or in the morning -- lest, coming suddenly, he find you sleeping.  And what I say to you, I say to all:  Watch!"

 

- Mark 13:28-37 

 

In yesterday's reading, Jesus continued His discourse on end times to the disciples (see Saturday's reading for the first part of His prophecy).  Jesus taught, "So when you see the 'abomination of desolation,' spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing where it ought not" (let the reader understand), "then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains.  Let him who is on the housetop not go down into the house, nor enter to take anything out of his house.  And let him who is in the field not go back to get his clothes.  But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days!  And pray that your flight may not be in winter.  For in those days there will be tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the creation which God created until this time, nor ever shall be.  And unless the Lord had shortened those days, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect's sake, whom He chose, He shortened the days.  Then if anyone says to you, 'Look, here is the christ!' or 'Look, He is there!' do not believe it.  For false christs and false prophets will rise and show signs and wonders to deceive, if possible even the elect.  But take heed; see, I have told you all things beforehand.  But in those days, after that tribulation, the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars of heaven will fall, and the powers in the heavens will be shaken.  Then they will see the Son of Man coming in the clouds with great power and glory.  And then He will send His angels, and gather together His elect from the four winds, from the farthest part of earth to the farthest part of heaven." 

 "Now learn this parable from the fig tree:  When its branch has already become tender, and puts forth leaves, you know that summer is near.  So you also, when you see these things happening, know that it is near -- at the door!  Assuredly, I say to you, this generation will by no means pass away till all these things take place.  Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away."  Let us remember that Christ's words in today's reading continue His discourse on the end times from the past two readings.  So, in this passage, when He refers to this generation, it's important that we keep in mind His words that alluded both to things which would happen in the immediate sense of history (such as the destruction of the temple and the Siege of Jerusalem) and also His prophecies about the entire age as we await His return.  My study Bible says that "this generation" refers to all believers at all times (in other words, the generation of the Church) and not only those alive at the time of Christ.  In other words, His prophecy is that the Church will continue to thrive until His return, regardless of how desperate things may sometimes appear.  

 

"But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.  Take heed, watch and pray; for you do not know when the time is.  It is like a man going to a far country, who left his house and gave authority to his servants, and to each his work, and commanded the doorkeeper to watch.  Watch therefore, for you do not know when the master of the house is coming -- in the evening, at midnight, at the crowing of the rooster, or in the morning -- lest, coming suddenly, he find you sleeping.  And what I say to you, I say to all:  Watch!"  My study Bible comments that, although Jesus declares that the Son does not know the day of His own return, St. John Chrysostom teaches nonetheless that this is not to be understood literally.  It is rather a figure of speech.  Its meaning is simply that Christ will not reveal the precise day to anyone, and that believers should not be so brazen as to inquire of Hm.  Again, we note that the focus here is not on timetables, but on preparedness day by day.  We are to take heed, watch and pray.  

 

From the beginning of the Bible with the story of Adam and Eve in the Garden and our earliest ancestors, there seems to be a history that continually repeats itself.  This is a history of God doing everything in order to bring God's creation back into embrace, into community, with God.  Human beings are even made mortal so that we may be able to repent and to return to God, and this story continues through the New Testament, where Christ comes into our world to call us into communion, and becomes one of us to draw us up with Him.  In today's reading, Jesus is emphasizing the nature of importance that we not forget who we are and what we're supposed to be about.  His repeated warnings about His return, and the judgment that will occur at that time, are not made to simply chastise, but to teach us to continue to be in communion with Him as best while can during the period of this age, in which we await His return.  We are to understand the difficulties, the "birth pangs" of this world as the age progresses, and the apocalyptic ("revealing") nature of the things we witness.  Christ calls us to "take heed, watch and pray."  So important is this message, that Jesus repeats the command to "watch" four times in today's reading.  We need to develop our discernment, and be alert to the opportunities that present themselves for doing as Christ asks of us (and also when to refrain from doing as we're not to do).  This calls for prudence and alacrity, the capacity to be aware, to study His word and the things available to us to help us to understand our faith.  Prayer is indispensable for coming closer to God, for remaining in communion and finding our way, and to enlighten our minds as to the things we need to open ourselves to, and the ways in which we might need to change and to discard what we think we know that is not good for us nor for community.  Perhaps there is a good reason we are not to know when His return is to be, so that we remain in this state of seeking how He wants us to live our lives in faith.  In short, this time of tribulations and upheavals, of "revelations" and things that may shock or surprise, is also a time of opportunity to follow Him, to abide in His word, to endure in faith and in the things Christ calls us to do and to be aware of.  Let us follow His word and remember, especially when we see the chaos of what might be revealed to us, and to seek the good order He would set us into.  Jesus says, "Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away."   In so doing, He reminds us again that this language, this discourse, is "apocalyptic" in the sense that in this time, of this age, old things are passing away to reveal the new, the fullness of which comes with His return (Revelation 21:1-2).  

 

 

 

 

 

And then He will send His angels, and gather together His elect from the four winds, from the farthest part of earth to the farthest part of heaven

 

 "So when you see the 'abomination of desolation,' spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing where it ought not" (let the reader understand), "then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains.  Let him who is on the housetop not go down into the house, nor enter to take anything out of his house.  And let him who is in the field not go back to get his clothes.  But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days!  And pray that your flight may not be in winter.  For in those days there will be tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the creation which God created until this time, nor ever shall be.  And unless the Lord had shortened those days, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect's sake, whom He chose, He shortened the days.  Then if anyone says to you, 'Look, here is the christ!' or 'Look, He is there!' do not believe it.  For false christs and false prophets will rise and show signs and wonders to deceive, if possible even the elect.  But take heed; see, I have told you all things beforehand.

"But in those days, after that tribulation, the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars of heaven will fall, and the powers in the heavens will be shaken.  Then they will see the Son of Man coming in the clouds with great power and glory.  And then He will send His angels, and gather together His elect from the four winds, from the farthest part of earth to the farthest part of heaven."

 

- Mark 13:14-27 

 

On Saturday we read that as Jesus went out of the temple, one of His disciples said to Him, "Teacher, see what manner of stones and what buildings are here!"  And Jesus answered and said to him, "Do you see these great buildings?  Not one stone shall be left upon another, that shall not be thrown down."  Now as He sat on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple, Peter, James, John and Andrew asked Him privately, "Tell us, when will these things be?  And what will be the sign when all these things will be fulfilled?"  And Jesus, answering them, began to say:  "Take heed that no one deceives you.  For many will come in My name, saying, 'I am He,' and will deceive many.  But when you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be troubled; for such things must happen, but the end is not yet.  For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom.  And there will be earthquakes in various places, and there will be famines and troubles.  These are the beginnings of sorrows.  But watch out for yourselves, for they will deliver you up to councils, and you will be beaten in the synagogues.  You will be brought before rulers and kings for My sake, for a testimony to them.  And the gospel must first be preached to all the nations.  But when they arrest you and deliver you up, do not worry beforehand, or premeditate what you will speak.  But whatever is given you in that hour, speak that; for it is not you who speak, but the Holy Spirit.  Now brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child; and children will rise up against parents and cause them to be put to death.  And you will be hated by all for My name's sake.  But he who endures to the end shall be saved."

 

  "So when you see the 'abomination of desolation,' spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing where it ought not" (let the reader understand), "then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains.  Let him who is on the housetop not go down into the house, nor enter to take anything out of his house.  And let him who is in the field not go back to get his clothes.  But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days!  And pray that your flight may not be in winter.  For in those days there will be tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the creation which God created until this time, nor ever shall be.  And unless the Lord had shortened those days, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect's sake, whom He chose, He shortened the days.  Then if anyone says to you, 'Look, here is the christ!' or 'Look, He is there!' do not believe it.  For false christs and false prophets will rise and show signs and wonders to deceive, if possible even the elect.  But take heed; see, I have told you all things beforehand."  The first half of this discourse on end times is given in Saturday's reading (above).  As we discussed in the commentary on Saturday, this end times prophecy is given by Jesus in reverse parallel or chiastic form (from the word for the Greek letter Χ which is "chi").  That is, the warnings to take heed come in the beginning and in the last warning.  The second warning is elaborated on in the second-to-last part, and the third warning is in the "middle" of the discourse and also elaborated upon third-from-last.  So, the warnings to take heed regarding false christs came both at the beginning, and here where He tells us that false christs and false prophets will rise and show signs and wonders to deceive, if possible even the elect.  The first several verses in today's reading seem to apply directly to the destruction of the temple itself at the Siege of Jerusalem, with the 'abomination of desolation' referring to Daniel's prophecy (Daniel 9:27; 11:31; 12:11), fulfilled when the Roman general Titus entered the Most Holy Place and erected a statue of himself there, before having the temple destroyed.  This is an indication that among those to whom Christ spoke there would be witnesses of this event, and they are to "understand" about the prophecy and be encouraged despite their experience.  Then Christ speaks again of the tribulation as mentioned in Saturday's reading, elaborating that it is so severe that it is "such as has not been since the beginning of the creation which God created until this time, nor ever shall be.  And unless the Lord had shortened those days, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect's sake, whom He chose, He shortened the days." 

 

 "But in those days, after that tribulation, the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars of heaven will fall, and the powers in the heavens will be shaken.  Then they will see the Son of Man coming in the clouds with great power and glory.  And then He will send His angels, and gather together His elect from the four winds, from the farthest part of earth to the farthest part of heaven."   After that tribulation, then Christ's return will occur.  According to patristic commentary, the sun will not be destroyed, but rather darkened in relation to the glory of Christ.  In other words, the sun will look dark by comparison when Christ returns in the fullness of His splendor, once again reminding us of the light revealed at the Transfiguration.  At His first coming, my study Bible comments, Christ came in humility and mortality.  But at His second coming, He will be revealed with great power and glory.  

Jesus says that after the intense tribulation, His return will commence.  He says that just prior to His return, the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars of heaven will fall, and the powers in the heavens will be shaken. It has the strange quality of apocalypse, or apocalyptic writing, particularly in that the events Jesus describes seem to image the very meaning of the Greek word ἀποκάλυψις/apokalysis.  This word literally means uncovering or unveiling.  The scenario He describes seems to be precisely that, with the sun and moon darkened, and the stars of heavens falling.  It's as if the entire cosmos falls like a blanket to reveal the "new" that Christ's return will bring.  To think of these images in such a way becomes more interesting, when one considers that the word "cosmos" (Greek κόσμος/kosmos) for the creation or universe, can also mean "adornment," and is the root for the Greek word for jewelry, and even cosmetics.  In this sense, the creation or "ordered existence" created by God in the beginning falls away, so that Christ may reveal the new creation, the new heavens and the new earth (2 Peter 3:13; Revelation 21:1).  This ties in with what we have read.  On Saturday, we were given Mark 13:8,  "For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be earthquakes in various places, and there will be famines and troubles. These are the beginnings of sorrows."  The word that is translated as sorrows literally means "birth-pangs."   And these events of upheaval and conflict, the frightening specters of earthquakes and famines and all manner of disruption, even including the betrayals and tribulations, are a part of a process of the birth of something new, the new heaven and new earth.  When we see such things, we should remember, and we are meant indeed to remember what we must be about.  We should think about the struggle of something new being born, and how such experiences are signs that point to Christ's return, but especially how we are meant to be faithful amidst them, not to forget that these are included in His warnings.  Perhaps even when we personally go through difficulties, we can pause to consider that something old may be falling away in order to reveal something new, and we ourselves are feeling those birth pangs.  There is undoubtedly an ongoing process of repentance, or change, in living a prayerful life, with God presenting to use things we need to discard such as ways of thinking we must revisit, and behavior that need to conform to the new.  As such we are a microcosm of the events Jesus describes as a whole cosmic arc of the present age, and the beginning of the age to come.  Everything, we should be assured, is being revealed, and the process looks to us in this disarrayed, messy form of upheaval.  Let us consider most important and precious to us His words, teaching us what He wants and expects.  We're to take heed, and not to be fooled.  We are to remember who we are, that we are His.  We're to abide in His word, and endure to the end -- which is a new beginning at His return.

 

 

Take heed that no one deceives you

 

 Then as He went out of the temple, one of His disciples said to Him, "Teacher, see what manner of stones and what buildings are here!"  And Jesus answered and said to him, "Do you see these great buildings?  Not one stone shall be left upon another, that shall not be thrown down." 

Now as He sat on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple, Peter, James, John and Andrew asked Him privately, "Tell us, when will these things be?  And what will be the sign when all these things will be fulfilled?"  And Jesus, answering them, began to say:  "Take heed that no one deceives you.  For many will come in My name, saying, 'I am He,' and will deceive many.  But when you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be troubled; for such things must happen, but the end is not yet.  For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom.  And there will be earthquakes in various places, and there will be famines and troubles.  These are the beginnings of sorrows.  But watch out for yourselves, for they will deliver you up to councils, and you will be beaten in the synagogues.  You will be brought before rulers and kings for My sake, for a testimony to them.  And the gospel must first be preached to all the nations.  But when they arrest you and deliver you up, do not worry beforehand, or premeditate what you will speak.  But whatever is given you in that hour, speak that; for it is not you who speak, but the Holy Spirit.  Now brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child; and children will rise up against parents and cause them to be put to death.  And you will be hated by all for My name's sake.  But he who endures to the end shall be saved."

 

- Mark 13:1-13 

 

 Then Jesus answered and said, while He taught in the temple, "How is it that the scribes say that the Christ is the Son of David?  For David himself said by the Holy Spirit:  'The LORD said to my Lord, "Sit at My right hand, till I make Your enemies Your footstool."'  Therefore David himself calls  Him 'Lord'; how is He then His Son?"  And the common people heard Him gladly.  Then He said to them in His teaching, "Beware of the scribes, who desire to go around in long robes, love greetings in the marketplaces, the best seats in the synagogues, and the best places at feasts, who devour widows' houses, and for a pretense make long prayers.  These will receive greater condemnation."  Now Jesus sat opposite the treasury and saw how the people put money into the treasury.  And many who were rich put in much.  Then one poor widow came and threw in two mites, which make a quadrans.  So He called His disciples to Himself and said to them, "Assuredly, I say to you that this poor widow has put in more than all those who have given to the treasury; for they all put in out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty put in all that she had, her whole livelihood."

 

Then as He went out of the temple, one of His disciples said to Him, "Teacher, see what manner of stones and what buildings are here!"  And Jesus answered and said to him, "Do you see these great buildings?  Not one stone shall be left upon another, that shall not be thrown down."   Christ's prophecy of the destruction of the temple was fulfilled in AD 70, when the temple was destroyed in the Siege of Jerusalem.  Not one stone was left upon another, as there were rumors that there was gold between the stones.  Only one retaining wall remained, long known as the Wailing Wall, or today as the Western Wall.

 

 Now as He sat on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple, Peter, James, John and Andrew asked Him privately, "Tell us, when will these things be?  And what will be the sign when all these things will be fulfilled?"  And Jesus, answering them, began to say:  "Take heed that no one deceives you.  For many will come in My name, saying, 'I am He,' and will deceive many.  But when you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be troubled; for such things must happen, but the end is not yet.  For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom.  And there will be earthquakes in various places, and there will be famines and troubles.  These are the beginnings of sorrows.  But watch out for yourselves, for they will deliver you up to councils, and you will be beaten in the synagogues.  You will be brought before rulers and kings for My sake, for a testimony to them.  And the gospel must first be preached to all the nations.  But when they arrest you and deliver you up, do not worry beforehand, or premeditate what you will speak.  But whatever is given you in that hour, speak that; for it is not you who speak, but the Holy Spirit.  Now brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child; and children will rise up against parents and cause them to be put to death.  And you will be hated by all for My name's sake.  But he who endures to the end shall be saved."  Here Jesus begins His discourse on the end times (to be continued in Monday's lectionary reading).   My study Bible comments that Christ's account of the end times in Mark (Mark 13:1-23) occurs in what is known as chiastic (mean "cross") form.  That is, it is in a kind of reverse parallel order, where topics mentioned in the first half of this passage are then repeated and amplified in reverse order in the second half.  Today's reading begins with a warning to take heed about false christs, and we will see this repeated at the end of the passage.  The second warning here in today's passage is about wars (and Jesus will teach about tribulation in the second half of the passage we'll read on Monday).  The third warning here is regarding being delivered up to councils, whereas the third-to-last regards being delivered up (betrayed), but by family members, also in today's reading.  At the very center of this chiastic form is verse 10 of today's reading:  the prophecy that the gospel must first be preached to all the nations.  My study Bible calls this the heart of the apostolic ministry and mission of the Church (see Matthew 28:19-20). 

My study Bible comments that the Scriptures describe the end times in a variety of ways, so that there is no precise chronology laid out neatly.  But what is important is that we notice that our Lord's emphasis is rather on what we do during these times.  We can say "these times" as the Church has understood the end times to be continuing from the beginning of the apostolic period, until the time that Christ returns.  Therefore, the elements that we see noted by Jesus in this prophecy here are things that are with us, and have been with us from the beginning of what we know as the Christian era, and will continue to be with us until the time Christ returns in what we know as the Second Coming.   In my study Bible's words, then, Jesus' emphasis is not on us knowing when and how things will happen so much as it is a warning to us, plus an emphasis on how we conduct ourselves.  He asks us for watchfulness and the practice of virtue through these difficulties, and He prepares us for these times.  If we see persecutions in the world for our faith, He has warned us about them.  If we see and hear wars and rumors of wars, He has told us this.  Then and now, this is true -- certainly for the people He was addressing who would witness the horrific Siege of Jerusalem, but also for us today and clearly in recent history.  Yet, both of these things are true.  But Christ's first words (as well as His final warning which we'll read on Monday) are that we should take heed that no one deceives us.  This is a clear emphasis on our own need to be alert and aware to deceptions.  We are not meant to be like children in the sense that we are unaware of the dangers He's teaching us about, and the things to come.  We should, in fact, expect deception or those who will attempt to deceive us.  He teaches us about wars between nations, a characteristic of this time in which we have lived and continue to live.  He teaches us about earthquakes and famines and troubles as but the beginning of sorrows.  His prophecies do not make these things happen, and yet neither has He told us that we can necessarily fix or prevent them from happening, for until the time of His return there will be this struggle in the world not only affecting natural forces but also continuing in a spiritual sense.  He does not tell us which side to take, or which sort of political or other acts to take, but He does teach that these are but the beginning of sorrows.  The real tribulation for His followers comes from persecutions, and betrayals that may come even from those closest to us, with the most extreme forms of punishment meted out through even the closest and more cherished of relationships.   He even goes so far as to say that we will be hated by all for His name's sake.  The most important thing through all of these things, however, is our endurance, that we endure to the end.  That is our endurance in obedience and loyalty to His commands, to living our lives in the ways that He has taught us through the Gospels.  Most of us have not experienced the most extreme forms of the tribulation and wars He names, but nonetheless in living memory there are those for whom vicious genocide and horrific war remain clear memories in recent times, with threats of the same hanging over their heads.  Let us do what we can to uplift our brothers and sisters in the faith, to sustain those whom we cannot physically help through prayer, to strengthen our own faith so that we can help others both to take heed and to endure.  Let us be faithful to Him and strengthen faith through the ways He teaches us to live.  Let us take heed that we are not deceived into complacency or fantasies that we will not need to struggle in our own ways for Him and for the faith He gives us.

 

 

 

 

Take heed, watch and pray

 

 "Now learn this parable from the fig tree:  When its branch has already become tender, and puts forth leaves, you know that summer is near.  So you also, when you see these things happening, know that it is near -- at the doors!  Assuredly, I say to you, this generation will by no means pass away till all these things take place.  Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away.

"But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.  Take heed, watch and pray; for you do not know when the time is.  It is like a man going to a far country, who left his house and gave authority to his servants, and to each his work, and commanded the doorkeeper to watch.  Watch therefore, for you do not know when the master of the house is coming -- in the evening, at midnight, at the crowing of the rooster, or in the morning -- lest, coming suddenly he find you sleeping.  And what I say to you, I say to all:  Watch!"

- Mark 13:28-37 

 

In yesterday's lectionary reading, Jesus warned His disciples:   "So when you see the 'abomination of desolation,' spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing where it ought not" (let the reader understand), "then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains.  Let him who is on the housetop not go down into the house, nor enter to take anything out of his house.  And let him who is in the field not go back to get his clothes.  But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days!  And pray that your flight may not be in winter.  For in those days there will be tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the creation which God created until this time, nor ever shall be.  And unless the Lord had shortened those days, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect's sake, whom He chose, He shortened the days.  Then if anyone says to you, 'Look, here is the Christ!' or, 'Look, He is there!' do not believe it.  For false christs and false prophets will rise and show signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect.  But take heed; see, I have told you all things beforehand.  But in those days, after that tribulation, the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars of heaven will fall, and the powers in the heavens will be shaken.  Then they will see the Son of Man coming in the clouds with great power and glory.  And then He will send His angels, and gather together His elect from the four winds, from the farthest part of earth to the farthest part of heaven." 

 

 "Now learn this parable from the fig tree:  When its branch has already become tender, and puts forth leaves, you know that summer is near.  So you also, when you see these things happening, know that it is near -- at the doors!  Assuredly, I say to you, this generation will by no means pass away till all these things take place.  Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away."  Once again, the two events of the destruction of the temple at the Siege of Jerusalem and the tribulation through the entire period of history to follow seem to be mixed here.  My study Bible says that this generation refers to all believers at all times (i.e., it is the generation of the Church), and not simply those who were alive at the time of Christ.  His prophecy is that the Church will continue to thrive until His return, regardless of how desperate things might sometimes appear.

 

"But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.  Take heed, watch and pray; for you do not know when the time is.  It is like a man going to a far country, who left his house and gave authority to his servants, and to each his work, and commanded the doorkeeper to watch.  Watch therefore, for you do not know when the master of the house is coming -- in the evening, at midnight, at the crowing of the rooster, or in the morning -- lest, coming suddenly he find you sleeping.  And what I say to you, I say to all:  Watch!"   Although Jesus declares that the Son does not know the day of His own return. my study Bible says that St. Chrysostom teaches that this is not to be understood literally, but rather as a figure of speech.  The meaning here is that Christ won't reveal the exact day to anyone, and that believers should not be so brazen as to ask it of Him.

 

 As my study Bible emphasizes in its comments, the real byword in Jesus' warnings about end times is His final word here:  "Watch!"  The command to "Take heed, watch and pray" gives us a picture of the condition in which He leaves us.  These are the things He tells us to do, the attitude He wants us to have in His absence, and until His return.  The warning in the parable of the fig tree is clear:  we're supposed to keep our eyes open for the unfolding of these events and the signs He's given that they are coming.  This clearly applies to the people to whom He's directly speaking, as the "abomination of desolation" or the defilement of the Holy of Holies in the temple was something they would understand.  But it also applies to us ("And what I say to you, I say to all"), as we're told of deceivers who come in His name, of "wars and rumors of wars," of natural disasters such as "earthquakes in various places," and "famines and troubles," and that these are but "the beginnings of sorrows" (see Saturday's reading).  He also prophesies persecutions, tribulation, and betrayal by even believers' closest family members.  We can think of worldwide catastrophic events in which all of these things are present, including the persecutions and betrayals of events in recent history such as revolutions and the rise to power of those who would persecute the Church on both far right and far left.  But what Jesus essentially teaches us is that it is our job not to put on rose-colored glasses but always to be aware of our surroundings and to note the events that we see happening.  We are not to live in denial of the reality and possibility of all of these things, but rather to watch for them and be alert to them.  He teaches us to "watch out for yourselves."  Moreover, Jesus also emphasizes our preparedness for the day of His return, also known as the Second Coming.  We're to remember what it is we are supposed to be about as servants and disciples who follow His commands.  He's the Master who leaves the house for a long journey, and expects those whom He's instructed to follow His commands while He's gone, and to find them watchful upon His return -- no matter what unexpected time that occurs.  Our whole attitude is supposed to be one of watchfulness, and to take heed, watch and pray.  This is an effort He asks of us, and one that asks for constant vigilance, not forgetting who we are and what we're to be about, and for Whom we await while we knowingly go about the business of discipleship.  We're to put energy and effort into keeping our Master's house in order the way He wants it to be, our lives working at the things that He's told us are important, caring for the way in which our household runs and the ways in which we treat one another according to His expressed desires.  This attitude of watchfulness extends to mindfulness in prayer and awareness of our surroundings and situations.  In short, He gives us a life plan, a concept for living in these times as He's leaving the world, and we are preparing for His return.  In Luke's Gospel, Christ characterizes the day of His return as one that "will come as a snare on all those who dwell on the face of the whole earth" (Luke 21:35).  As He indicates, we each have our work we're given, and He doesn't want to find us sleeping on our watch.

 

Take heed; see, I have told you all things beforehand

 

 "So when you see the 'abomination of desolation,' spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing where it ought not" (let the reader understand), "then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains.  Let him who is on the housetop not go down into the house, nor enter to take anything out of his house.  And let him who is in the field not go back to get his clothes.  But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days!  And pray that your flight may not be in winter.  For in those days there will be tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the creation which God created until this time, nor ever shall be.  And unless the Lord had shortened those days, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect's sake, whom He chose, He shortened the days.  Then if anyone says to you, 'Look, here is the Christ!' or, 'Look, He is there!' do not believe it.  For false christs and false prophets will rise and show signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect.  But take heed; see, I have told you all things beforehand.  

"But in those days, after that tribulation, the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars of heaven will fall, and the powers in the heavens will be shaken.  Then they will see the Son of Man coming in the clouds with great power and glory.  And then He will send His angels, and gather together His elect from the four winds, from the farthest part of earth to the farthest part of heaven."

 

- Mark 13:14–27 

 

On Saturday we read that, as He went out of the temple, one of Christ's disciples said to Him, "Teacher, see what manner of stones and what buildings are here!"  And Jesus answered and said to him, "Do you see these great buildings?  Not one stone shall be left upon another, that shall not be thrown down."  Now as He sat on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple, Peter, James, John, and Andrew asked Him privately, "Tell us, when will these things be?  And what will be the sign when all these things will be fulfilled?"  And Jesus, answering them, began to say:  "Take heed that no one deceives you.  For many will come in My name, saying, 'I am He,' and will deceive many.  But when you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be troubled; for such things must happen, but the end is not yet.  For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom.  And there will be earthquakes in various places, and there will be famines and troubles.  These are the beginnings of sorrows.  But watch out for yourselves, for they will deliver you up to councils, and you will be beaten in the synagogues.  You will be brought before rulers and kings for My sake, for a testimony to them.  And the gospel must first be preached to all the nations.  But when they arrest you and deliver you up, do not worry beforehand, or premeditate what you will speak.  But whatever is given you in that hour, speak that; for it is not you who speak, but the Holy Spirit.  Now brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child; and children will rise up against parents and cause them to be put to death.  And you will be hated by all for My name's sake.  But he who endures to the end shall be saved." 

 

  "So when you see the 'abomination of desolation,' spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing where it ought not" (let the reader understand), "then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains.  Let him who is on the housetop not go down into the house, nor enter to take anything out of his house.  And let him who is in the field not go back to get his clothes.  But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days!  And pray that your flight may not be in winter.  For in those days there will be tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the creation which God created until this time, nor ever shall be.  And unless the Lord had shortened those days, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect's sake, whom He chose, He shortened the days.   We continue Jesus' discourse on end times from Saturday's reading.  Here in the middle of what is called a chiastic pattern to this prophecy.  That is, it has a kind of "X" pattern, in that the earliest statements are repeated in the last part and amplified in the second part, in a sort of reverse order of topics.  See also Saturday's reading, above, for the first half of this prophesy.  Here in this section, Jesus speaks quite distinctly about the terrible destruction that is to come in Jerusalem.   The abomination of desolation is a term known from the prophecy of Daniel (Daniel 11:31, 12:11) and was fulfilled in AD 70, when the Roman general Titus entered the Most Holy Place and had a statue of himself erected in the temple before having the temple destroyed (described in Daniel 9:27).  My study Bible says that the Lord's phrase when you see is an indication that many of the disciples would still be alive at that time.  The phrase parenthetically inserted by Mark, let the reader understand, is understood as an encouragement to the early Christians who may have witnessed this event.  The first warnings here denote the immediate terror of the sacking of the city and destruction of the temple.  My study Bible comments that the severity of winter weather would prevent many from fleeing quickly in a time of desperation.  His warnings enforce the need for quick and immediate flight.

"Then if anyone says to you, 'Look, here is the Christ!' or, 'Look, He is there!' do not believe it.  For false christs and false prophets will rise and show signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect.  But take heed; see, I have told you all things beforehand."   These warnings repeat the beginning of the discourse:  they are against false christs and false prophets, and they repeat the emphasis on resistance to the attempts by the evil one to deceive, as He has told them all things beforehand.

"But in those days, after that tribulation, the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars of heaven will fall, and the powers in the heavens will be shaken.  Then they will see the Son of Man coming in the clouds with great power and glory.  And then He will send His angels, and gather together His elect from the four winds, from the farthest part of earth to the farthest part of heaven."  In the Scriptures, the end times are described in a variety of ways, and done so that no precise chronology can be determined (in addition to this chapter in Mark, see Daniel 7-12; Luke 21; 1 Corinthians 15:51-55; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-17; 2 Thessalonians 2:1-10, and the Book of Revelation).  Here there is a reference to Christ's own return.  His emphasis throughout the discourse is on watchfulness, endurance in faith, and the practice of virtue rather than on constructing timetables of things that have not yet happened.  My study Bible comments that the period of the great tribulation includes the entire Christian era and is not limited to the final years before Christ's return.   The return of the Son of Man will be unmistakable to the whole world.  If there is any doubt, that alone is evidence that He has not returned.  According to patristic interpretation, the sun will be darkened in relation to the glory of Christ.  Just as at the Transfiguration the divine light around Christ appeared to be more brilliant than sunlight, so it will be at His return in the fullness of His splendor.  The four winds, and the farthest part of the earth to the farthest part of heaven symbolically encompass all of the cosmos, all of creation.

The destruction of the temple at Jerusalem had to be one of the most terrifying acts of history.  Not only was the unthinkable event of the destruction of the temple part of this experience in Jerusalem, but the subsequent fire swept through the whole city.  Of the temple itself, Christ's prophecy that "not one stone shall be left upon another, that shall not be thrown down" (see Saturday's reading, above) would be manifestly true.  Only one retaining wall was left standing of the entire splendid and beautiful temple, known as one of the architectural wonders of the world.   That is today known as the Western Wall, and long referred to as the Wailing Wall, as it is the tradition through the centuries  to pray and mourn this event at that site.  It seems a fitting understanding that in the prophecies of the end times the destruction of the temple (and the abomination of desolation) should be tied to the return of Christ, the Son of Man, and the ultimate end of creation as we know it.  Or, it seems to me, we could truly say the ultimate transfiguration of all that is, the entire created order.  In that sense, it is a misnomer to call it "end times," because it is the end of what we understand as the world and our experience of it, but it is the beginning of something renewed and transformed -- and this is really our promise from Christ and the full manifestation of His Kingdom.  In this sense, it has always been understood in the tradition of the Church that the period of the great tribulation (and of the end times in full) includes the entire Christian era and is not limited to the final years before Christ's return.  In the fullness of our received understanding of these things, it is not surprising that the terrible destruction of the temple (and the violation of the Holy of Holies -- the "abomination of desolation" in the phrase from the prophecy of Daniel) should be tied to the fullness of the end and the ultimate coming of Christ's Kingdom.  We see this entire period as a struggle, a "war in heaven" taking place on spiritual levels we don't physically see but which manifest themselves in the events of the world that we do experience with great trauma, not only to humankind, but to the entirety of the world (Revelation 12:7, 19:11).  They are the labor pains of a new creation being born, and the struggle for its fullness (see Revelation 12).  As followers of Christ, we are born into the middle of this struggle.  We stand at its center, and we are told to each take up our own crosses daily in that struggle.   But, to quote St. Paul, "we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places" (Ephesians 6:12).  We might see manifestations in these things in our experiences and understanding of the world, but ultimately this is not a battle against people (flesh and blood, as St. Paul says) but is about about hearts and minds, because it is a battle of values.  In the spiritual terms in which Jesus preached, it is a battle against the hatred of truth -- that is the truth of Christ the Logos.  Therefore it must be fought in the spiritual way we are taught, through faith, and our own willingness to endure through all things, to bear our cross in the practice of virtue He teaches us.  One cannot fight nor win such a battle for spiritual truth through conventional means of coercion, just as even God -- by God's own creation -- cannot compel us to love God and embrace God's truth.  We have a different way to walk through this battleground, and it is His way, His truth, His life He has shown us (John 14:6).  Just as the end times are mixed with wars and tribulations, with the fullness of the time from Christ's final week of human life to the present time, so the ways in which we are asked to carry our cross and live our faith will be as varied as there are individual lives and faithful people.  But let us understand the one way is through faith and through the things we've been taught.  St. Paul teaches us to fight the good fight of faith (1 Timothy 6:12), to "take up the whole armour of God" (see Ephesians 6:13-20).  Our battles will intersect with the events of our lives the world; there will be times to stand up to say "yes" to some things, and to say "no" to others, and we can't predict what that will entail.  But we are rooted in this good fight, and His way of endurance and watchfulness right through to the end.

But he who endures to the end shall be saved

 

 Then as He went out of the temple, one of His disciples said to Him, "Teacher, see what manner of stones and what buildings are here!"  And Jesus answered and said to him, "Do you see these great buildings?  Not one stone shall be left upon another, that shall not be thrown down."

Now as He sat on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple, Peter, James, John, and Andrew asked Him privately, "Tell us, when will these things be?  And what will be the sign when all these things will be fulfilled?"  And Jesus, answering them, began to say:  "Take heed that no one deceives you.  For many will come in My name, saying, 'I am He,' and will deceive many.  But when you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be troubled; for such things must happen, but the end is not yet.  For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom.  And there will be earthquakes in various places, and there will be famines and troubles.  These are the beginnings of sorrows.  But watch out for yourselves, for they will deliver you up to councils, and you will be beaten in the synagogues.  You will be brought before rulers and kings for My sake, for a testimony to them.  And the gospel must first be preached to all the nations.  But when they arrest you and deliver you up, do not worry beforehand, or premeditate what you will speak.  But whatever is given you in that hour, speak that; for it is not you who speak, but the Holy Spirit.  Now brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child; and children will rise up against parents and cause them to be put to death.  And you will be hated by all for My name's sake.  But he who endures to the end shall be saved."

 

- Mark 13:1–13 

 

 Yesterday we read Jesus answered and said, while He taught in the temple, "How is it that the scribes say that the Christ is the Son of David?  For David himself said by the Holy Spirit:  'The LORD said to my Lord, "Sit at My right hand, till I make Your enemies Your footstool."'  Therefore David himself calls Him 'Lord'; how is He then his Son?"  And the common people heard Him gladly.  Then He said to them in His teaching, "Beware of the scribes, who desire to go around in long robes, love greetings in the marketplaces, the best seats in the synagogues, and the best places at feasts, who devour widows' houses, and for a pretense make long prayers.  These will receive greater condemnation."  Now Jesus sat opposite the treasury and saw how the people put money into the treasury.  And many who were rich put in much.  Then one poor widow came and threw in two mites, which make a quadrans.  So He called His disciples to Himself and said to them, "Assuredly, I say to you that this poor widow has put in more than all those who have given to the treasury; for they all put in out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty put in all that she had, her whole livelihood."

 

Then as He went out of the temple, one of His disciples said to Him, "Teacher, see what manner of stones and what buildings are here!"  And Jesus answered and said to him, "Do you see these great buildings?  Not one stone shall be left upon another, that shall not be thrown down."  My study Bible comments that Christ's prophecy of the destruction of the temple was fulfilled in AD 70, when the temple was destroyed by the Romans during the Siege of Jerusalem.

Now as He sat on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple, Peter, James, John, and Andrew asked Him privately, "Tell us, when will these things be?  And what will be the sign when all these things will be fulfilled?"  And Jesus, answering them, began to say:  "Take heed that no one deceives you.  For many will come in My name, saying, 'I am He,' and will deceive many.  But when you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be troubled; for such things must happen, but the end is not yet.  For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom.  And there will be earthquakes in various places, and there will be famines and troubles.  These are the beginnings of sorrows.  But watch out for yourselves, for they will deliver you up to councils, and you will be beaten in the synagogues.  You will be brought before rulers and kings for My sake, for a testimony to them.  And the gospel must first be preached to all the nations.  But when they arrest you and deliver you up, do not worry beforehand, or premeditate what you will speak.  But whatever is given you in that hour, speak that; for it is not you who speak, but the Holy Spirit.  Now brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child; and children will rise up against parents and cause them to be put to death.  And you will be hated by all for My name's sake.  But he who endures to the end shall be saved."  Jesus' response regarding end times begins here and continues through verse 23 (which will be in Monday's reading).  My study Bible notes for us that the account in Mark is given in reverse parallel form (also called chiastic, meaning cross-wise in its shape, deriving from the letter chi in Greek which resembles an X).  That is, the topics which are mentioned in the first half of the passage are repeated and amplified in reverse order in the second half.  This structure is characteristic of many important ancient documents, including, for example, the Old Testament and the literature of Homer.  Therefore, my study Bible notes, this passage -- and its second half which will be in Monday's reading --  both begins and ends with a warning to take heed about false christs.  The second warning here is about wars.  Then the second-to-last is about tribulation (in verse 19, on Monday).  A third warning here concerns being delivered up to councils, while the third-to-last warning is also about being delivered up, this time by family members (brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child; and children will rise up against parents and cause them to be put to death).  At the very center of this discourse, Jesus gives the prophecy that the gospel must first be preached to all nations -- the heart of the apostolic ministry and mission of the Church (Matthew 28:19-20).  

Since Jesus' words have, at their very heart, the prophecy that the gospel must first be preached to all nations, "end times" must give us a rather fluid sense of time.  That is, a need to accommodate Christ's words with an understanding of their very permeable construction.  "End times" cannot be traced down to a particular year and a particular linear development, as the chiastic construction of these words itself would indicate to us by its image.  Since the time of Christ, and the earliest apostolic missions of the Church and His immediate disciples, efforts have unceasingly been made to preach the gospel to all nations, and those efforts actively continue today in each way possible.  Therefore, to read "end times" as those times which will happen somehow immediately before the end of all things is a mistake.  We have, indeed, been experiencing "end times" since the time of Christ; it is the Incarnation that initiated the end times, and the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost was, as at the Incarnation itself, the birth of end times.  Christians began, from the start of the Church, to experience the advent of false christs, wars, tribulation, betrayals, persecution, etc.  And these things continue for the Church around the world, even as her apostolic ministry and mission continue of preaching the gospel to all nations.  Individual Christians may also experience these things in their own personal lives, rather than on a collective basis as a movement against the Church by organized forces.  Jesus gets right to the heart of the personal when He speaks of family betrayals.  Most intriguing are Jesus' words regarding testimony:  "But whatever is given you in that hour, speak that; for it is not you who speak, but the Holy Spirit."  He speaks in terms directly applicable to the disciples to whom He speaks:  "they will deliver you up to councils, and you will be beaten in the synagogues.  You will be brought before rulers and kings for My sake."  But in various countries around the world, Christians are experiencing new persecutions even where Christianity has long been established, such as across the Middle East and in Africa.  In various ways, there are even movements in the West which are hostile to the Church, and on one level to another, seek to shut down or curb its activities or public representations.  What is important is not that we take notice and great alarm at these things which we may experience on a small personal scale, or even a larger and organized one.  What remains of the greatest importance is that we understand we have been warned by Christ about these things, and although the period of martyrdom of the early Church is now passed, we are still to conduct ourselves as He has said here.  We are still to be prepared to give our own testimonies as the occasion might demand.  We are still to rely on the Holy Spirit to help us do so.  We still might face betrayals of one sort or another by family members or friends for our faith.  We might face hatred for our faith.  But the most important word is what He teaches us:  But he who endures to the end shall be saved.  So when we read about end times, the really important thing is to remember His teaching about our disposition through it all:  we must endure to the end.  Our choice must be to endure.  We bear all things as we also take up our crosses, as He has taught.  Whatever comes, we rely on God, just as Jesus has taught in today's reading that one must rely on the Holy Spirit at moments when we're called to give testimony.  There are all kinds of ways in which we might experience the "trauma" of end times, both personally and collectively.  But it is our job to endure in our faith, to bear what comes, and to live as He has taught us even through the things about which we've been warned.  The disciples to whom He speaks would endure it all.  Let us follow in their footsteps and endure through all things.  In the journey of faith, Jesus keeps us all looking ahead, on His road, His "way."  For we all go forward, and let us not look back (Luke 17:31-33).   Let us consider that to "endure" is not to be unduly aggressive.  For His is also known as the gospel of peace (Romans 10:15, Ephesians 6:15).  Throughout His ministry, Jesus has been protective of His flock.  He teaches the disciples to "watch out for yourselves."  The byword with which He begins is "take heed that no one deceives you."  In all ways, Jesus' words teach us about prudence, not about being conventional conquering heroes, nor about inventing new methods of self-promotion, but to endure -- with all the attitude that goes with this choice of words.  It is entirely in keeping with His words in Matthew chapter 10, when He sends the disciples out on their first apostolic mission: "Be wise as serpents and gentle as doves" (Matthew 10:16).  We remain sheep in the midst of wolves; let us conduct ourselves as He declares we must, with eyes wide open and our mission in our hearts.