apocalyptic writing – Be Still…

Mark 13:24-37 – Watch for Him!

Read Mark 13:24-37

The second part of Jesus’ warning points to himself and his return. To the disciples, this must have sounded absurd. Jesus had not yet been taken from them, killed, or raised to life again. But we come at this from a different vantage point. We are the ones waiting to see Jesus coming in the clouds.

Jesus makes it clear that he will not return until after the horrendous things of our last reading take place. Here, we learn more about that rescue mission. “And he will send out his angels to gather his chosen ones from all over the world.” What a glorious promise!

Mark 13:1-23 – Jesus’ Warning

Read Mark 13:1-23

Jesus gives us so much detail in this apocalyptic passage, and it’s frightening. I don’t think Jesus meant for us to be scared, rather to be prepared. The end times are not going to be pretty. For those who will witness such things, there will be death and chaos. The promise is also there for us believers. The Holy Spirit will be with us.

I have vivid memories of being afraid of my closet as a child. I was sure there was something to fear lurking in the shadows, and the closet door had to be closed every night lest I couldn’t fall asleep. I can still hear my dad saying, “There is nothing to fear; I’ll be right across the hall.”

Luke 21:5-38 – What the Future Holds

Read Luke 21:5-38

Our journey to the cross with Jesus continues, and today we see Jesus teaching in the Temple. The topic in this reading seems to be very timely for us today, too. But we miss the point if we think that Jesus was talking about a specific set of calamities. In every age, there have been false prophets and plenty of natural disasters. Yet Jesus wanted to include this lesson so his followers would know what to expect. Even more, he didn’t want them to be afraid.

Jesus wanted to prepare us so that we would not be led astray. Over the centuries, there have been plenty of examples of people claiming to be the Messiah or making predictions about Jesus’ return. Jesus warns us about that. “Don’t panic,” he says. All of these things will take place as Jesus said, but his words are meant to calm us not elicit fear.