Mark 13: 1-13 NPMC
Anita Retzlaff Lent 4
March 22, 2009
When Kingdoms Fall
Grace and peace to you from God the Father of our Lord and Saviour Jesus the Christ. In our moment of silent meditation this morning we remember the countries that are at war within their own borders; where the threat to stability comes from within. Today we remember Stephanie Epp as she observes the tension between long-standing neighbours in the Middle East; between Palestinians and Israelis. We pray for acts of kindness in the center of hostility. Let us pray…. Deep peace of a quiet earth we pray. AMEN
We make our way, along with Jesus, through the events leading into his passion. We have followed the path these last Sundays, into Jerusalem on a colt - hardly a triumphal entry; through the temple confrontations with injustice; into heated arguments with Jesus’ detractors who mock his authority; and today, outside the temple for the last time, to a place where systems and certainties begin to unravel for good.
Sitting outside the temple, never to return to it, Jesus observes that the stones of this grand edifice, the sign and symbol of power and tradition, are about to be thrown down. The political situation at the time of the writing of Mark’s gospel is a tremendously unstable one. The Jewish people will rise up against their Roman oppressors and take power for a short time. However, the Jewish independence is brutally suppressed by Rome, and in a matter of a couple of years, the city of Jerusalem leveled and the temple destroyed. The writer of Mark’s gospel is living through tumultuous times. We don’t know exactly where within the political story, Mark’s account of Jesus is written, but in any case it is clear that a kingdom is about to fall or has already fallen.
The time is out of joint, the Temple tradition is in its death throes and the world of God’s faithful is about to change – forever. The community of Israel is scattered once again; society in total upheaval as leaders emerge who proclaim various solutions for the deadly times…. nothing seems clear anymore.
There are many people today who are feeling that our time is out of joint as well. A way of life is in the process of being thrown down today too. We who live in North America have grown up with the assurance that hard work and careful planning will lead to social and financial success, the possibilities limited only by our imaginations. The expectation is that we will push ahead of what our parents achieved, earn more money, do more things, have more things and provide even greater opportunities for our children.
But the bubble has burst! The tables of a global economy based on ever-increasing profit and luck has splintered and broken apart and along with the loss of life savings and carefully planned futures has disappeared a predictable way of life. A kingdom has fallen; the kingdom of unlimited wealth and ever-improving options. That has disappeared; it has been thrown down. Outrageous financial speculation and wealth built on an illusion has brought the burgeoning economies of the world to its knees. We are all affected.
The time has come for us to look at our way of life and to assess with an eye to the world-wide situation, our hope and expectations for the future. Whom will we choose to lead us into a new time and a new era of global economic interdependence? Will we follow only those who promise us increased wealth? Will we follow those who teach that the hard work of establishing international trust and cooperation will be the way of the future? Will we just give up? For some, it feels like the end of the world approaches.
I believe that our scripture this morning shows us a faithful way to live in critical times. As kingdoms fall around us we have been given a template of how to think and act. For Jesus was living in time that was out of joint! Mark’s gospel has narrated Jesus’ ministry and passion as a journey, for he is always leaving one place and going toward another. In the passage we read today Jesus is between places and events; he sits opposite the temple pronouncing judgment on it. That part of the story is over but the events that lead up to his betrayal in the garden have not yet taken place. As Jesus occupies this space between the ancient traditions of the past and the upheaval and consequences of his gospel preaching he prepares his followers for what they will experience as they too continue to live as kingdoms fall.
“Beware that no one leads you astray,” Jesus warns them. “When you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be alarmed; this must take place, but the end is still to come. 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.” Jesus describes the situation of the moment. Within Judaism there are different solutions to the threat of Roman occupation; some expected a Messiah to come and deliver them and others chose to take matters into their own hands immediately. There was civil insurrection as well as acts of violence perpetrated throughout the country, within villages and even against family members. Natural disasters take place at the time – earthquakes and famine – and for some it seems that the end of the world is imminent. But Jesus says, “No. This is but the beginning of a new time and way of life. Do not give in or give up.”
Some things don’t change over the centuries. Today too, when we face catastrophes or unspeakable acts of violence, there are those quick to predict the end of the world. It is not at all unexpected that some lose hope and the ability to imagine carrying on in the face of the horror and destruction. But Jesus says, “Do not despair. This is not the end. Birth pangs often feel like death but this is a beginning. Kingdoms are falling around you and there are many threats all around but you can’t quit. Don’t give up now. Hold on; stand fast.”
Jesus says this to his friends, knowing that they need encouragement to withstand the events that are about to unfold. Jesus will die; some things will come to an end but the hope of God’s love does not die. As Mark’s gospel is being written some of the early apostles have been martyred. There has been persecution of those who follow the Jesus way. It is a fear-filled time when kingdoms fall - but - it is not the end!
The story that the children and I read together is a simple encouragement to act with compassion and kindness even when we are anxious about the future, afraid or in a tough spot. During times of crisis we are encouraged to find a way of living with hope. Endurance is freedom! The story of the little hedgehog ended happily ever after; we know that does not always happen. But, should that change our course of action?
The Mennonite
Mission Network, the mission agency of MC USA, in its most recent publication
Beyond Ourselves features a piece by Mauricio Chenlo.
Chenlo is the Hispanic Church Planting Academy director for the Mennonite
Mission Network and he tells this story:
In late 2001, Argentina’s economy melted down…. I was working part-time as an associate pastor and mediation/conflict consultant for a human resource business in Buenos Aires. My role was to assist employees and workers to cope with massive layoffs and personal crises, including how to process the dismantling of entire factories that were moving their operations to Brazil.
Many of our church members—most of whom were considered upper middle class—were losing their jobs. We ministered to now-unemployed men who were used to job security, had clean professional resumes, and had impeccable work ethics.
Many of [these men] didn’t know what to do with their “free time” at home, so somebody came with the idea of doing something for the “poorest of the poor’—people from our outreach ministries who were hungry or could not pay their bills.
Men from our church organized a sort of communal co-op in which fresh food was bought in large quantities from the central market and distributed to the neediest families. Organizers understood Jesus’ gospel teachings in a new way and received a sense of purpose and inspiration. They were again providers to others who were struggling. They spent more time in fellowship, prayer and mutual support, and it offered them a way to move from anger into action.
A lack of material resources can unite people who center their lives on the divine. In Argentina, many of us developed a deeper sense of daily dependence on God’s grace, while placing new value on the church as a true community.
During my last trip to Buenos Aires, I reconnected with good friends who have recovered since the crisis. A group of young, successful professionals are continuing to use resources and skills to create jobs for the disenfranchised. We understand, now, that the market does not solve critical issues related to distribution of wealth and income. Praise God.
Mauricio Chenlo’s story reminds us that many before us have faced down uncertainties and troubling times. Along with Chenlo and his friends, along with Jesus and his followers we consider what it means to endure, to stay put, to remain in place as kingdoms fall around us. It is not easy. In the very next chapter of Mark Jesus prays in the garden asking his disciples to wait with him, to stay awake and alert, with him, through a critical time. Not only do they fall asleep but in the encounter that follows - Judas’ betrayal of Jesus to the authorities - all of Jesus’ friends desert him and flee.
We are challenged to stay grounded and firm when panic and hysteria threaten to undo us. It may not be a simple task but we have Jesus as an example. He emptied himself, gave himself as servant and encourager. In this time of Lent we are encouraged to remain with Jesus, to acknowledge the fear that surrounds us but to take heart refusing to abandon kindness and compassion in a crunch. The grace of God meets our need and carries us through troubled and troubling times. The one who endures to the end will know the peace of Christ and the comfort of the Holy Spirit today and always. AMEN