mark 13 is a long discourse on the future. it begins with the disciples commenting on the huge stones that make up the temple complex. jesus tells them that "these great buildings" will all be "thrown down." later on the mount of olives, peter, james, john, and andrew ask jesus, "when will this be, and what will be the sign that all these things are about to be accomplished?" in answer to their question, jesus tells them that false messiahs will appear, wars will be raged, earthquakes will happen, and famines will come, signaling the beginning of "the son of man coming in clouds with great power and glory."
he goes on to tell them that they will be tried and beaten but that "the holy spirit" will give them the words to proclaim the good news. in the coming persecution, family members will betray one another, and "you [the disciples] will be hated by all because of my name." jesus assures them that "the one who endures to the end will be saved."
they are to watch for "the desolating sacrilege" to be set up. the writer warns: "let the reader understand," but offers no explanation of what this sacrilege is. when this happens, there will be great suffering "such as has not been from the beginning of the creation that God created until now." those "in judea" must flee to the mountains, regardless of their circumstances at the time. during this time of suffering, jesus warns again that "false messiahs and false prophets will appear and produce signs and omens" in order to "lead astray, if possible, the elect." jesus instructs them to be alert, since he has "already told you everything."
during this time of suffering, when the son of man comes in the clouds, he will send the angels to gather the elect. like the fig tree that puts out new leaves heralding the coming of summer, the signs jesus predicts will herald the coming of the son of man. this, jesus says, is to take place before the present generation has passed away. he goes on to tell them that "heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away."
jesus' final message in this chapter is that the disciples must stay awake and alert, since "only the Father" knows when these times will come. they are to watch, just as those left in charge when the master leaves on a long journey must watch, since they "do not know when the master of the house will come."
these words must have been frightening to the four disciples who heard them. jesus lays out a vision of a dark time ahead before the mysterious son of man appears to make things right for the faithful followers of jesus. their teacher makes it clear to the disciples that the adoration jesus has received from the people is short lived and that the arrival of the kingdom that expels the roman oppressors and crowns jesus king with the twelve disciples at his side is not going to happen in a matter of days. one wonders if they questioned whether they had been right in abandoning everything to follow him and if the events that follow in the next chapter are not the result of the disillusionment of at least some of the disciples with the direction jesus is heading.
what are we to make of these troubling prophecies of jesus? are we to understand that jesus was an apocalyptic preacher who believed that world-changing events were imminent when the "son of man" would come to make jesus king, not just of palestine but of the entire world, with his disciples as subordinate rulers? is this the culmination of secret teachings that jesus had been sharing with the disciples over the course of his ministry, teachings that he dared not reveal publicly?
may we try to understand who jesus was and discern which of his teachings lead us to live better lives? may we be unafraid to question orthodox understandings of jesus and his role in history. may we follow the evidence where it leads us. shalom.
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