Transcript Mark 13:1-37 Tuesday of Jesus’ last week

Mark 13:1-37
Tuesday of Jesus’ last week:
The Little Apocalypse
Lecture by
Vernon K. Robbins
Produced by Sam Bradford
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Mark 13:1-37
Tuesday of Jesus’ last week:
The Little Apocalypse
Lecture by
Vernon K. Robbins
Produced by Sam Bradford
No Audio
Context of the Gospel of Mark
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Mark 13 earliest apocalyptic writing after
Paul (1 Thessalonians 4)
Written approx. 70 A.D.  just before or
prior to destruction of Jerusalem Temple
Early apostles dead
Crisis of storyline of life of Jesus
Prior to chapter 13, Jesus teaches in
Jerusalem Temple  money center
Temple hierarchy worked with Romans
Chapter 13 – Tuesday of Jesus’ last week
Jesus Moves to a Place of Opposition to the
Temple: Mark 13:1-4
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13:1 As he came out of the temple, one of his disciples said to
him, ‘SEE, Teacher, what large stones and what large buildings!’
13:2 Then Jesus asked him, ‘ARE YOU LOOKING AT these great
buildings? Not one stone will be left here upon another; all will be
thrown down.’
Jesus exits temple
Huge temple – rebuilt under rule of King Herod
Language of sight, seeing
Jesus teaches resistant non-violence, unlike 4 other Jewish groups
66 A.D. Roman army surrounds Jerusalem Temple, Jewish groups
camp in temple
68 A.D. head of Roman army called back to Rome because of Nero’s
death
“Abomination of desolation”  Temple desecrated; military victory is
not the answer
Jesus Moves to a Place of Opposition to the
Temple: Mark 13:1-4 continued
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13:3 When he was sitting on the Mount of Olives opposite
the temple, Peter, James, John, and Andrew asked him
privately,
13:4 ‘Tell us, when will this be, and what will be the sign
that all these things are about to be accomplished?’
Mountain of Olives on other side of the temple
Takes disciples outside of temple
Thesis: bodily movement out of temple to create the body as
place where God dwells, filled with the Holy Spirit, not the
temple
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Son of Man gathers elect, bodies w/ spirit of God in them,
he does not judge
Eyes, Ears, and Emotions during the
Beginning of the Birth Pangs: Mark 13:5-8
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13:5 Then Jesus began to say to them, ‘LOOK OUT that no one
leads you astray.
13:6 Many will come in my name and say, “I am he!” and they will
lead many astray.
13:7 When you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be
alarmed; this must take place, but the end is still to come.
13:8 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.
Using eyes, mouths, ears – emphasizing the body to guard against
false messiahs
Uses emotion as well, “do not be alarmed”
End of the world will not come with destruction of Jerusalem Temple
Image of birth pangs: strong apocalyptic image, dramatically
wonderful: birth of a new age
Only the beginning of the birth pangs
Mouths as Media for the Holy Spirit
during the Time of Being Handed Over: Mark 13:9-13
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13:9 ‘As for yourselves, LOOK OUT; for they will hand you over to
councils; and you will be beaten in synagogues; and you will stand
before governors and kings because of me, as a testimony to them.
13:10 And the good news must first be proclaimed to all nations.
13:11 When they bring you to trial and hand you over, do not worry
beforehand about what you are to say; but say whatever is given you
at that time, for it is not you who speak, but the Holy Spirit.
13:12 Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child, and
children will rise against parents and have them put to death;
13:13 and you will be hated by all because of my name. But the one
who endures to the end will be saved.
Presence of God moves from temple to bodies of disciples
Look out for your bodies
Context of much pain
Emphasizes emotion again: “do not worry”
Holy Spirit talking through them, not disciples talking
Leaving family institutions – Christian community as alternative family
structure
Spirit first enters Jesus at Baptism
Feet and Hands during the Time
of the Desolating Sacrilege: Mark 13:14-23
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13:14 ‘But when you SEE the desolating sacrilege set up where it ought not to
be (let the reader understand), then those in Judea must flee to the mountains;
13:15 someone on the housetop must not go down or enter the house to take
anything away;
13:16 someone in the field must not turn back to get a coat.
13:17 Woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing infants in
those days!
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13:21 And if anyone says to you at that time, “SEE! Here is the Messiah!” or “SEE!
There he is!”—do not believe it.
13:22 False messiahs and false prophets will appear and produce signs and omens,
to lead astray, if possible, the elect.
13:23 But LOOK OUT; I have already told you everything.
“Desolating sacrilege” done by revolutionaries or Roman Emperor defiling temple
Instruction for parts of the body – not for covering, but for moving
Jesus’ longest speech in Mark
Not an apocalyptic Jesus, resembling John the Baptist, but rather went into towns to
spread news of redemption  moderate the intensive apocalyptic , invites into new
age
Do not be led astray by thinking end times are near – much (hard) work to do
The Son of Man Gathers the Bodies of the
Elect at the End: Mark 13:24-29
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13:24 ‘But in those days, after that suffering, the sun will be
darkened, and the moon will not give its light,
13:25 and the stars will be falling from heaven, and the powers in
the heavens will be shaken.
13:26 Then they will see “the Son of Man coming in clouds” with
great power and glory.
13:27 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.
13:28 ‘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.
13:29 So also, when you SEE these things taking place, you know
that he is near, at the very gates.
Imagery of end times comes from book of Daniel, not typical
language Jesus uses
Bring Daniel’s language into Jesus’ speech
When Jesus refers to Son of Man, he is not referring to himself, but
instead a heavenly figure
Not until Jesus is resurrected that Jesus is considered the Son of Man
Eyes, Ears, and Thoughts as the Keys to
Preparedness for Divine Action: Mark 13:30-37
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13:30 Truly I tell you, this generation will not pass away until all
these things have taken place.
13:31 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not
pass away.
13:32 ‘But about that day or hour no one knows, neither the
angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.
13:33 LOOK OUT, keep alert; for you do not know when the time
will come.
13:34 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 WATCH OUT.
13:35 Therefore, WATCH OUT—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,
13:36 or else he may find you asleep when he comes suddenly.
13:37 And what I say to you I say to all: WATCH OUT.’
Adjustment in verse 30, “all these things”
Apocalyptic discourse configured to responsibilities in the world
Empowered by the spirit
Additional Interpretation
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Borg & Crossan: Mark’s community was an anti-imperial
movement and yet committed to nonviolence (consistent
with the nonviolence of Jesus): nonviolence as a way of
resisting evil (p. 81). Apocalyptic eschatology: the
expectation of dramatic and decisive divine intervention in
near the future (for Mark’s community, the second coming
of Jesus, p. 82).
Blount: Abominable desecration (desolating sacrilege) of
the temple done by Jewish zealots who turned God’s house
of prayer for all nations (Mk 11:17) into a staging ground
for war (p. 211, following Joel Marcus). Mark = Gospel of
universal inclusion. Shift from correct spiritual behavior
(blepete) to correct, faithful behavior (grēgoreite), namely
acting in a new way. Belief orders action (pp. 213-214).
Charles: Mark 13 is a remake of the Egyptian plagues
without the frogs (p. 228). You better watch out! (pp. 230231).
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