Sunday 30 November 2014

Psalm: Psalm 80

Background

Chapter 13 of Mark's Gospel is essentially a farewell speech byJesus, set towards the end of the last week of his life. If theGospel was written between AD 65 and 75, its early readers wouldhave easily related these words to their own experiences. Theywould have lived through an uprising against the Roman occupyingforces which had culminated in the destruction of Jerusalem withits temple, their most holy place, in 70 AD. They would be familiartoo with persecution for their faith. Mark's Gospel may be drawingon earlier Jewish apocalyptic writings about the end of the world,and combining them with some words of Jesus, to help the earlyChristians make sense of their situation.

Verses 3 to 23 warn against the sort of things that might beseen to lead up to the end of all things and verses 24-27 describein vivid terms the cosmic break up that precedes the coming of theSon of Man. This draws on the apocalyptic book of Daniel (Daniel7:13-14). Daniel speaks of a mysterious figure 'like' a son ofman, but in Mark it is clear that the one who comes in the cloudsis Christ. The idea of an ingathering of the scattered people ofGod is found in the Old Testament (Isaiah11:11-12), but here it refers to the dispersed Christiancommunity. Apocalyptic writing is intended to strengthen those whoare going through a time of trial and persecution and contains anelement of judgement, but that is absent from verses 24-27. Theearly readers of the Gospel would have been greatly encouraged.

What follows is rather ambiguous. Jesus uses the way in whichthe changes in plant life herald the change of the seasons to referback to the trials and tribulations earlier in the speech as signsthat the end is coming. Verse 30 implies that it will be very soon.But the final sentences affirm that only God knows when the endwill come, and that the appropriate attitude is one of readiness.The final parable (verses 34-37) underlines the importance of beingready.

To Ponder

• Today is the first Sunday in Advent, and this Gospel passagehighlights the Advent theme of the return of Christ. How importantis this to you? What part of in your faith journeydoes it play?

• Throughout history, people have seen signs in the world aroundthem that 'the end is nigh'. What is your opinion of suchideas?

• Does the story of the servants not knowing when their masterwill return relate to your expectation of the end, whether cosmicor personal? What do you do to keep awake?