Mark seems to recognize the collapse of institutions and chaos on the world stage that mark times of upheavel. When war, violence, disasters and suffering, seem to surround you, how do keep from letting events sweep us away? What does gratitude look like when the large picture seems dark?

1. Prayer: 1 Sam 1:4-20 (alt: 2:1-10)
2. Reading: Mark 13:1–8

Sightseeing in Jerusalem

One day, Jesus and his disciples visited the temple. As they were leaving, one his disciples turned to him, pointed at the buildings. He jabbed his finger at the huge stones and waved his hands at the impressive buildings then let out a long whistle. DUUUUUUUUUUDE

The Lesson they Missed

Compared to the small town he was used to, it was impressive. And…. Jesus has warned them not to be taken in by the the appearances of wealth and status. In last week’s passage, the one right before this one, Jesus talked about exactly this problem. He describes scribes who desire expensive impressive clothes, status and recognition as devouring widow’s homes. All the difference they could make for widows and they choose to use their relationship with widows in terms of what they can take.

Fancy robes, status, Impressive buildings, large titles, wealth, having your king in power are not the means Jesus uses to build a Kingdom.

Understanding the future

Jesus doesn’t say they’ve missed the point. Instead he points out the problems with buildings, no matter how impressive: These enormous buildings? They’re all coming down. Eventually they come down. Some quicker than others. [There’s a poem Ozimandius that speaks to this] 

The Questions Come

Then Mark cuts to the Mount of Olives. Perhaps it’s later that day. They’ve left the City and are up on a mountain side with a good view of the temple. And they can ask Jesus about something that’s puzzled them away from the crowds. Jesus, your statement about the fate of these buildings… maybe you were talking about the temple complex… maybe the whole city… When will this happen? How will we know when it’s going to happen?

Let’s start with when. If Jesus means the literal destruction of the temple complex, that would 70CE. If Jesus meant it as a metaphor for his crucifixion, that would be a few decades earlier. 

Prophecy is not prediction…

Some people, when they hear the word “prophecy,” think the point is a prediction about what the future will be. I still have to fight that urge. And I certainly wouldn’t be the first ones to make that mistake. Take Jonah and his fishing expedition. The Jonah we read about certainly made that assumption. He resists and resists saying what needs to be said… until he’s forced to take up his appointment in Ninevah. Where he preaches that the city where he’s appointed is going to be destroyed. People hear his message and they change their behavior. And everything Jonah warned about never happens. The people in Ninevah are really thankful. BUT Jonah, we find out, did not like the people he’d been appointed to serve. He gets depressed that Gd doesn’t punish them. Sometimes even prophets misunderstand the purpose of prophecy. 

… but it might be understanding what’s going to happen

Jonah’s prophecy was like other prophecies in the Hebrew Bible: they point out the failings of the powerful, of rulers, of nations. The “prediction” was what would follow if things did not change. 

The Cry for Justice

The purpose of prophecy is not to predict the future but warn about what is coming is things don’t change. By the time the “what’s coming” comes, there’s a sense that justice is finally being served. This is the moment when the widows, the ones whose houses have been devoured, the ones who have been praying and crying for justice.. feel that prayers really are answered and justice has come. And, for all those who think justice means people get what they have deserve, those consequences had been earned a long time before. 

Diagnosing Spiritual and Mental Health

A better way to make sense of prophecies is that they provide a framework for diagnosing spiritual or moral health. Turns out Jonah’s parisioners understood prophecy better than he did. They heard the diagnosis loud and clear… and did something about it. And… no matter how much their city had earned justice… somehow… grace poured out and mercy happened instead.

Still Waiting

So, when the disciples asked when? one answer would have been Jonah’s generation is still waiting. But… that would have really taken the discussion down a rabbit hole. So maybe that’s why Jesus seems to answer the second question: How will we know? 

Jesus is (not) hanging on Google News

And jesus replies: wars, and rumors of wars. Earthquakes, famines. Suffering. Quite the list: war, violence, natural & man-made disasters, widespread suffering. 

We can relate to Jesus list. You can almost hear Jesus say Should I go on? It’s almost like Jesus is up in the balcony, got bored with the sermon, and started reading Google news! It’s tempting, if you see prophecy as prediction, to say Jesus is predicting our future. But, Jesus never says anything about wiping away the tears after an election. He never says anything about the fear some people are feeling. He never say watch for scribes dancing at rallies.

Jesus’ List is just what happens in Times of Upheavel

The list Jesus gives is not remarkable because it predicts what is happening around us. What’s remarkable is how this list has happensed again and again and again down through history. We did not invent wars that last decades or rumors of a new war. Earthquakes are not new. In 1692, one caused 2/3rds of Port Royal Jamaica to sink into the sea. Every generation has music that speaks to wars and rumors of War. Bob Dylan had an Album called Masters of War. A generation later there was A Time for Fear by The Art of Noise. There was even an album called Wars and Rumors of Wars by The Chariot in 2009. Post-apocolyptic is even a type of fiction.

When Jesus is asked how will we know? Jesus replies with examples of what happens during great upheavel. I wonder if he thought of saying You know what happens when the world gets turned upside down. 

And Carpetbaggers, too

His list actually continues. People will come in my name. People will say you want to hear. People will rush in to take advantage of the situations. Great upheavel brings change… and some of those scribes will realize that the political tide is changing and will jump on board. 

So What will You Do?

So, what will you do? How will you conduct yourselves, how will you treat others, in the midst of turmoil, persecution, and chaos. If it looks like the end of the world as we know it, how will you live your life?

We forget that living in times of wars and rumors of wars is the story of our times. Violence, natural & man-made disasters, widespread suffering are just part of the world we live in. Sometimes it surprises us. Yesterday a black grandmother I know in Columbus posted video she shot of men in black, marching with red swastikas flags, yelling at her to bow down. Something that actually manages to shock us. 

What do you do when you’re living in a time of wars and rumors of war? What do you do?

Breath and Ask

Breath. And ask what can you do? Because there is always something. And… the most basic question is what can I hold onto? What can I be thankful for. Even in times that are far bleaker than anything we have experienced, people always find what has not been swallowed by events. 

Understand and Look

Prophecy is not prediction… but it might help us understand what’s happening. And, more importantly, let go of trying to control events, and begin with what we already have. Recognize what you see out there is not all that there is. There will always be something that deserves gratitude. Practice looking in the moment… even if it is a simple flower, a bird signing, a memory, you choose the practice of gratitude. Look. Look. Look for what you have not been looking for. Look for gratitude.

Conclusion

Duuude! That building is amazing! Duuuuude! Space X is going to take people to Mars! Duuuuude! We won the election! Duuuuuude! And… Jesus has a way of ruining the moment but pointing out that, sometimes, the sky really is falling. The times are changing. Things are in great upheavel. War, violence, disasters and suffering rise. And… for most of us, all that threatens to sweep us away. And Jesus asks, what will you do? What will you do when I haven’t given you a calendar of end time events to argue over? Realize that what you see out there is not all that there is. Gd is still acting in the world. Open your eyes and Practice looking in the moment… look for what you have not been looking for. Look for the small, the things everyone else is missing, and choose gratitude. Look. Look. Look for gratitude … and give thanks.

Benediction

    The Lord bless you
            and keep you;
    May you know that you are valuable and
            beloved of the All that is Holy 

    May you look
    May you find something small
    May you see
    May you give thanks