Advent One

A Sermon on Mark 13:24-37 | November 29, 2020 | by the Rev. Dr. Judson F Merrell, STS |

²⁴ „But in those days, after that suffering, the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, ²⁵ and the stars will be falling from heaven, and the powers in the heavens will be shaken. ²⁶ Then they will see ‚the Son of Man coming in clouds‘ with great power and glory. ²⁷ Then he will send out the angels, and gather his elect from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of heaven. ²⁸ „From the fig tree learn its lesson: as soon as its branch becomes tender and puts forth its leaves, you know that summer is near. ²⁹ So also, when you see these things taking place, you know that he is near, at the very gates. ³⁰ Truly I tell you, this generation will not pass away until all these things have taken place.

 ³¹ Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away. ³² „But about that day or hour no one knows, neither the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. ³³ Beware, keep alert; for you do not know when the time will come. ³⁴ It is like a man going on a journey, when he leaves home and puts his slaves in charge, each with his work, and commands the doorkeeper to be on the watch. ³⁵ Therefore, keep awake– for you do not know when the master of the house will come, in the evening, or at midnight, or at cockcrow, or at dawn, ³⁶ or else he may find you asleep when he comes suddenly.

 ³⁷ And what I say to you I say to all: Keep awake.“ (Mar 13:24-37 NRS)

As we begin a new liturgical year in the church today our focus shifts to Mark’s account of the Gospel.  Unlike Matthew that we have predominately heard from since last Advent, Mark has a narrower focus on Jesus’ ministry.  There is no birth narrative in Mark like in Matthew.  Mark also ends with the women running away from the empty tomb afraid, with no post-resurrection appearances.  As we move into this new liturgical year, we move like Mark:  constantly towards the empty cross, for the cross is where Mark’s entire account leads the reader.  It is the climax and culmination of Jesus’ earthly ministry.

We might think that as we begin this new year we would begin with the first verses of Mark chapter 1.  But instead we have a lesson towards the end of Mark.  It is a message to stay awake, to be on the lookout, for the end times are near.  Jesus tells his disciples that only the Father knows the day and the hour, and therefore they must keep awake.  Perhaps Mark is using a little foreshadowing here, because in the next chapter we find Jesus praying in the Garden of Gethsemane while the disciples actually sleep.  They couldn’t even keep awake for one hour!  As we look at this text, perhaps the unsaid part is that the disciples, and by extension today’s church, shouldn’t get comfortable with our surroundings.

Let me give you an example.  You all know that my family consists of Clemson fans.  A few weeks ago Clemson lost to Notre Dame in football.  It was tough to swallow that loss.  Why? Because we have gotten comfortable with winning.  I am reminded though that it wasn’t long ago that we celebrated when Clemson got its 6^th win of the season, which meant going to a bowl game.  Now we lose one game and it’s a downer.  We are simply too comfortable where we are, and we have to be brought back to reality.  The church is the same.  We get comfortable where we are, and we have to be brought back to reality.  It is easy to get wrapped up in the upcoming season of Christmas.  It is easy to stay in the drones of our weekly mundane life.  Our lesson challenges us not to get caught up in that.  Our lesson reminds us that things will be shaken, the normalcy of life will be turned on its head when the Son of Man comes in the clouds with power and glory.  We can’t assume the future is going to just happen as it always does.  Like the example Jesus gives of the fig tree, we like to get caught up in the normalcy and expectations of daily life.  Jesus gives us a reminder though that God doesn’t fit into what we bind as normalcy.  Therefore his warning should be heeded all the more.  The warning we hear today from Jesus reminds us by using some good Advent words:  “Keep Alert.”  “Keep Awake.”

Although it is used several times, keeping awake is only a part of our lesson today.  Yes, we are to pay attention, to “Listen” as Jesus asks in several places throughout Mark’s account of the Gospel.  But our lesson also reminds us that the things that make us comfortable will go away.  “Heaven and Earth will pass away.”  But…..His words will not.  Our comfort, our sleepiness, our inability to see the signs….those pass away.  But Jesus’ words do not.  In Mark 13:10 Jesus says: “¹⁰ And the good news must first be proclaimed to all nations.” Jesus words are for the world.  They must be proclaimed, and they will continue forever.  As we go through Mark this year I hope that we can remember this theme, especially as we eventually hear the Parable of the Sower.  Mark presents a Jesus that is hard at work sowing his word throughout the world. It is a word that brings us out of our comfort zone and reminds us to stay alert and to keep awake.  In keeping with Mark’s theme, all of this leads to the cross, the place where our Lord and Savior died so that we may be free of our sin.  One day we will see the sower gathering the harvest.  We believe that because we believe his word.  We don’t know when, but we have faith that it will happen because Jesus told us, and his word lives forever.  So stay awake, keep alert, and be on the lookout for the kingdom in all its glory, because we know it is coming.  In the name of the Father, and the +Son, and the Holy Spirit.  Amen.