Nov. 17th, 2024 No, We're Not There Yet Mark 13:1-8
Over the years, many people have speculated about the end of the world and the end of time. Will there be a great war? A great earthquake? Will some of us suddenly disappear and others stay? People thought that things would end in 2000 some 24 years ago, and look we are still here. Let’s just face people have been wrong and they will continue to be wrong.
Even Jesus' first disciples wanted to know. One day as they were leaving the temple, one of them remarked on the great stones of the temple buildings. The original temple built by King Solomon had been destroyed centuries ago. A second temple had been re-built. But for Herod that wasn't enough, so he began expanding and rebuilding the temple before Jesus was born, and the construction continued even during Jesus' adult ministry. It was a massive project, but Jesus replied, "Do you see these great buildings? Not one stone will be left here upon another; all will be thrown down." That was enough to arouse the curiosity of Peter, James, John, and Andrew, but they waited to ask Jesus privately. "When will this be?" they asked, "What will be the sign?"
Our text for today is just the first13 verses of Mark, but we are going to only look at the first 8 verses of this text because it is Jesus' long answer to an apparent simple question. We will look at parts of the remaining verses in Mark next week where Jesus goes into much greater detail. Jesus made it clear that no one knows when the end will be. He couldn't fully answer the disciples' questions because even he did not know. As he said in Mark 13:32: "But about that day or hour no one knows, neither the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father."
On one level, Jesus was talking about the destruction of the temple in Jerusalem. It was a devastating loss for the people, and for many it must have seemed like the end of the world.
On another level, however, Jesus was looking ahead even further to the end of time and to his own return. "Then they will see 'the Son of Man coming in clouds' with great power and glory," he said in Mark 13:26. "Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away," he added in Mark 13:31. Again, Jesus said that he does not know exactly when these things will happen.
Although Jesus was fully God, he was also fully human. In Jesus' response to his disciples, we see another human limitation that he had accepted as part of his incarnation, that even Jesus did not know the day or hour that was to come.
What's more, instead of speculating on the future, Jesus focused on what to do in the meantime. In our text, he said, "Beware that no one leads you astray" (v. 5), and "do not be alarmed" (v. 7). Later in the same chapter he added, "do not worry beforehand about what you are to say" (v. 11), "be alert" (v. 23), "beware, keep alert" (v. 33), "keep awake" (v. 35), "what I say to you I say to all: Keep awake" (v. 37).
See a pattern here? Many of you need to wake up and look around you. Whether Jesus comes back tomorrow, or 200 years from now, or if you die tomorrow can you stand before God and say that you did everything you could do to extend His Kingdom.
Near the end of the chapter, Jesus told a brief parable about a master who went away on a journey and left his slaves in charge of his household. Each one had work to do and was to keep at it in preparation for their master's arrival. While they did not know when he was to return, they certainly knew enough that they should be working instead of sleeping. In the same way, Jesus' disciples would not know when he would return, but they too needed to keep working, to keep awake until he came again.
Today, we're still waiting. We hear of wars and rumors of war. Followers of Jesus have been beaten and even killed for their faith. Is this the time? There has been endless speculation and searching for signs. People still seem to be asking, "Are we there yet?" But still the end has not come. No, we're not there yet, and no one knows when it will be. In the meantime, we are to follow Jesus' instruction and example for what to do while we wait.
Instead of being overly concerned about the time to come, we need to attend to our work. Clearly, God has left us with work to do. That's the point of Jesus' parable of the master away on a journey. That's the point of Matthew 25, where Jesus again talked about the end of time, when all the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate them one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. "What sets them apart said Jesus is feeding the hungry, giving drink to the thirsty, welcoming the stranger, clothing the naked, and visiting those who are sick or in prison."
The coming day of the Lord is no excuse to be lazy or careless or to ignore our responsibilities as God's stewards. While we eagerly await the master's arrival, we need to attend to the master's work.
As my life work/ministry as a Pastor begins to enter into it’s final chapter, I look back and ask myself did I do enough? Did I preach with enough energy to encourage God’s people to work for the Kingdom? Did I point people to Jesus? Did I truly live a life worthy of my calling as a servant of God? I will stand before God on that last day just like each one, longing to hear the words “well done my good and faithful servant.” But no one knows the date or the time when this shall happen.
Instead of falling asleep, we need to keep alert. Some may wonder, will he ever come? Will the world just keep on keeping on as it has for centuries? On the night of his arrest, Jesus prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane, and asked Peter, James, and John to keep him company. "I am deeply grieved, even to death; remain here, and keep awake," he said to them (Mark 14:34). But in spite of his urging, three times he returned to them and found them sleeping. Perhaps it was the lateness of the hour, or sheer fatigue from the events of the day -- whatever the reason, they could not keep awake.
Today, there are many things that might lull us into complacency or distract our attention. For whatever reason, just as Jesus' first disciples had trouble staying awake physically, we too may have trouble staying awake in a spiritual sense. We need to be reminded that this present world is not all there is. The Lord is coming, and we live in expectation of that day.
Be patient, therefore, beloved, until the coming of the Lord. The farmer waits for the precious crop from the earth, being patient with it until it receives the early and the late rains. You also must be patient. Strengthen your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is near.
No farmer can just sit around and do nothing -- the fields need to be prepared, rocks removed, the soil tilled and plowed, and the seeds planted. All through the growing season, the farmer is watering, feeding, weeding, pruning or thinning out the plants, fixing the fence or putting up netting to keep out the birds. Yet in all this activity, the farmer still needs to wait patiently for God to give the growth.
In the same way, as we wait for the coming of the Lord, even as we do the work we have been given, even as we are alert to the opportunities around us, we also need to be patient, to wait, to place our confidence in God. No, we're not there yet, but we know that God goes before us and will sustain us to the end.
God grant us grace for this in-between time -- in between Jesus' first coming and his coming again, in between birth and death, in between all of the ordinary and extraordinary events of our lives. Open our eyes to the opportunities you place before us each day -- to be alert to prayer, to do good work, and in all things to depend on you. Amen.