Only God Is God – Mark 13:1-8

A text – Mark 13:1-8

13 As he came out of the temple, one of his disciples said to him, “Look, Teacher, what large stones and what large buildings!” ² Then Jesus asked him, “Do you see these great buildings? Not one stone will be left here upon another; all will be thrown down.”

³ When he was sitting on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple, Peter, James, John, and Andrew asked him privately, ⁴ “Tell us, when will this be, and what will be the sign that all these things are about to be accomplished?” ⁵ Then Jesus began to say to them, “Beware that no one leads you astray. ⁶ Many will come in my name and say, ‘I am he!’ and they will lead many astray. ⁷ When you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be alarmed; this must take place, but the end is still to come. ⁸ For nation will rise against nation and kingdom against kingdom; there will be earthquakes in various places; there will be famines. This is but the beginning of the birth pangs.

A reflection:

In this part of Mark’s gospel, Jesus and his disciples have, you might recall, just been watching people contribute to the temple treasury, Jesus has made plenty of negative observations of the temple leaders (scribes, Pharisees), and Jesus has also observed that this temple has been built with money given by those who could least afford it – built upon the backs of the poor.  That the disciples can admire the stones and the architecture is understandable, but Jesus is unimpressed with this temple because its end is drawing near; it will certainly come down.

Then comes apocalyptic language, a very identifiable style at the time of the writing of the Gospel of Mark. We have heard it, too, from streetcorner preachers in cities, and perhaps in Pentecostal churches. I am told that many mainline Christians like Lutherans don’t know what to do with it sometimes. So what do we make of the Gospel reading for this week?

Well, the bigness of the destruction might tell us that God, ruler of the Universe, remains the Creator, ever at work on the planet for the sake of the humans that God loves. Some things will be happening way outside our control. What will Jesus be telling us to do during all of this God action? Stay awake. Watch out. Pay attention. Don’t sleep through it. We need to see the transformation God may be working during the times of upheaval. That is how creation takes place, isn’t it? The incredibly dangerous time of pregnancy and childbirth occur in order that new life might come forth.  Just know that God keeps God’s promises. No matter what. Always.

A prayer:

Lord God, Thank you for loving us. Thank you for even apocalyptic lessons we cannot fully understand. Thank you for Jesus’s teachings that, in the bigger pictures of destruction, even then, God is at work on our behalf. Help us to pay attention and know that God is God, always. Amen.