We have heard the message, now live the story

“A long time ago, in a land far far away there was new hope. It was a period civil unrest, of viral infections, striking from the unknown…:

Paraphrasing from Star Wars V opening words

The hero then, in Star Wars V, was a young Princess who returned with the plan for the Empire’s Death Star, their secret weapon, stored within some droids. They had little time to prepare, not really knowing when the end might arrive, but they had to do something. They had heard the message; now they had to live the story.

No I’m not saying that life is like Star Wars but the theme is a persistent one in story telling. Lights sabres might be an interesting add-on to the protection mentioned in Ephesians 6 though, yes? Perhaps not 😉

Context

In the preceding verses to our passage this week – Mark’s Gospel (Mark 13:24-37) – Jesus has been explaining to the disciples, in the Mount of Olives, that the end is nigh: mirroring Matthew Chapter 24. What end though? His? The Temple? The World?

It’s pretty dire…earthquakes (not that common in that area), wars (ok occasionally they happen), famines, (ok), …and they’ll be beaten up and sent for trial. It’s going to tough, and let it not happen in a Glaswegian winter (Mark 13:18)! Many books this year have heralded such that end is nigh.

Words

Our passage starts with “After the suffering of that time“…’After’…it ends?

We have the ‘Son of Man‘, a term introduced by the writer of Daniel (Daniel 7:13) from the Hebrew Scriptures. That focusses upon the terrible times of an Empire which oppressed the Jews, first the Babylonians and then the Seleucids. Over 400 years ‘Daniel’ tells of this Empire banning all foreign religions, not allowing them to flourish, to have hope. But they hold onto hope by telling their story. Were the Romans the next Empire to strike? (Think back to when the Gospel of Mark was written). They had heard the message; now live the story.

We have the ‘chosen‘ or ‘elect’ – not a Calvinistic or Mormon connection – which has often been associated with the cloud of witnesses being called to Heaven on that day, could it be referring solely to Jesus?

And ‘Beware, Be Awake’, followed by ‘Be Alert’ – which we see on three occasions in this passage alone. Does this refer to us being asleep, as were the disciples in a Chapter so’s time; or us being prepared for Jesus to arrive? But when?

Jesus appears to be unaware of when it would all end. We note the four times of the night when it might all occur: late in the day (possibly just as in the Last Supper); or at midnight (recall the Bridesmaids awaiting the bridegroom – and bride, who arrived late?); as the cock crows (as Peter denies Christ); or in the dawn (as Jesus is found in the Garden of Gethsemane by the Roman soldiers). Interestingly to note that these are the four Roman watches of the night, and not the 3 Jewish watches.

The End is nigh?

If the Jews at the time were referring to Jesus’ resurrection, albeit metaphorically, they may also be referring to the destruction of the Second Temple. Then the future tense for the Kingdom of Heaven was not the point. Something we have kept hearing throughout recent Matthew parables. The Gospel of Mark does not provide an answer to say that the Kingdom of God is either here or will come in the future. Jesus’ whole message of good news applied then and forever more. It wasn’t a time when the good news would apply for a short time and then stop, nor may come in the future – such as seen in the fluffy visions of heaven on a cloud. We have heard the message; now live the story.

It’s alive, vibrant and present.

Advent & Christmas

Perhaps it is time now to reject the false binary of Advent or Christmas. The hope we see in this period of waiting is one that we look forward to the celebrations. But ssshh! <spoiler alert >… we know the ending.

“Our task is to invite people to look for Jesus in the need of those around them and to be awake to God’s presence in response to their own need”

When it speaks of ‘Being awake” it isn’t the physically state of not sleeping, but the spiritual being awake. We are called to look around, to look for Christ in the other. Possibly whenever we are in conversation with whomever, we can listen also to what God is telling us – be spiritually awake to that. That different perspective can then be seen, of what the Kingdom of God looks like …now. We have heard the message; now live the story.

So what?

Rather than the focus of this season to be a single day or even twelve days… perhaps we need to refocus upon this day. If the message is that the Kingdom of Heaven can be experienced here if we wish to dare to look, to reach out, then why not?

What impact can we already see in our local neighbourhood, the neighbour who is in need, the one whom we haven’t heard of recently, of the person who’s not been heard of for a week or so – what joy to give that person a call so their voice is heard; that someone receives a letter or even an email saying that we are praying for them, that they are remembered; of helping where it is possible someone we don’t know who is in need.

For then we may see more closely, more vividly, the Kingdom of Heaven …now.