NOT ONE STONE WILL BE LEFT UPON ANOTHER
SCRIPTURE
MARK 13:1-8; 21-23
End times
As he was making his way out of the temple area one of his disciples said to him, “Look, teacher, what stones and what buildings! Jesus said to him, “Do you see these great buildings? There will not be one stone left upon another that will not be thrown down.”
As he was sitting on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple area, Peter, James, John, and Andrew asked him privately, Tell us, when will this happen, and what sign will there be when all these things are about to come to an end?” Jesus began to say to them, “See that no one deceives you. Many will come in my name saying, ‘I am he,’ and they will deceive many.
False messiahs and false prophets will arise and will perform signs and wonders in order to mislead, if that were possible, the elect. Be watchful! I have told it all to you beforehand.
“Watch out for yourselves. They will hand you over to the courts. You will be beaten in synagogues. You will be arraigned before governors and kings because of me, as a witness before them. .But the gospel must first be preached to all nations.
REFLECTION
Mark Chapter 13 deals with End Times. End times in this chapter of Mark can refer to destruction of Jerusalem, the end of the world or our own death on earth. There is something for everyone here, those that lived in the time of Jesus and those living today. In these verses Jesus is foretelling the destruction of the temple and sacking of Jerusalem by the Romans.
Jesus also warns of false teachers, false leaders that will take advantage when Jesus ascends to the Father. Some of us may say if only Jesus was still with us, I would follow him, Jesus is with us in word and sacrament. Watch and be on our guard less we be led astray by false teachers and false gods.
SCRIPTURE
MARK 13:11-13
When they lead you away and hand you over, do not worry beforehand about what you are to say. But say whatever will be given to you at that hour. For it will not be you who are speaking but the Holy Spirit. Brother will hand over brother to death, and the father his child; children will rise up against parents and have them put to death. You will be hated by all because of my name. But the one who perseveres to the end will be saved.
REFLECTION
“If the world hates you, realize that it hated me first. If you belonged to the world, the world would love its own; but because you do not belong to the world, and I have chosen you out of the world, the world hates you… If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. John 15:18-20
Today we are persecuted by the media, by laws of this world, and sometimes even criticized and shamed in our own families. In all instances God must come first. Those who persevere will be saved. Just ask St. Paul.
I have competed well; I have finished the race; I have kept the faith. From now on the crown of righteousness awaits me, which the Lord, the just judge, will award to me on that day, and not only to me…The Lord will rescue me from every evil threat and will bring me safe to his heavenly kingdom. To him be glory forever and ever. Timothy 4:7-8; 18
The Coming of the Son of Man.
SCRIPTURE
MARK 13:24-27
“But in those days after that tribulation the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will be falling from the sky, and the powers in the heavens will be shaken.
And then they will see ‘the Son of Man coming in the clouds’ with great power and glory, and then he will send out the angels and gather his elect from the four winds, from the end of the earth to the end of the sky.
REFLECTION
Now Jesus has broadened his discourse on end times to include the end of the world and the end of time. In the End, Jesus comes to judge the living and the dead. He will send His angels to gather His elect. It reminds me of the old black spiritual, When the saints go marching in.
Oh, when the saints go marching in
Oh, when the saints go marching in
Oh Lord I want to be in that number
When the saints go marching in.
Oh, when the stars fall from the sky
Oh, when the stars fall from the sky
Oh Lord I want to be in that number
When the saints go marching in…..
I hope and pray we will all be in that number. Pray for your family, your friends, your enemies too.
SCRIPTURE
MARK 12: 30-36
Amen, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things have taken place.
Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away. But of that day or hour, no one knows, neither the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. Be watchful! Be alert! You do not know when the time will come. I say to you, I say to all: ‘Watch!’”
REFLECTION
The key here is to be watchful. No one knows but the Father when Jerusalem will be sacked, no one knows the time of their own death, and no one knows when the end of heaven and earth as we know it will be. Trust the Father. Jesus did, “into your hands I commend my spirit.” Work as if everything depended on you, Pray like everything depended on God.
We know we will be judged by our works from Last Judgment discourse in Matthew 25:31-46 “Whatever you do to the least of these, you do to me” Loving our neighbor is how we show in concrete ways our love for God.
Let us not be like the five foolish virgins in Matthew 25:2 who were not prepared when the bridegroom came. They had no fuel in their lamps. They had no light to shine before the bridegroom. Let our light shine everywhere we go. We are disciples of Jesus, grateful and proud, to be a disciple, never to be intimidated by a trendy chaotic world.
JESUS CHRIST YESTERDAY, TODAY, FOREVER
HEBREWS 13:8
CHRIST THE KING TAKES HIS THRONE REVELATIONS 4:2-3
THIS CONCLUDES THE CATEGORY GOSPEL OF MARK.THE REMAINING CHAPTERS OF MARK ARE COVERED IN HOLY WEEK ARCHIVES ON MY HOME PAGE