The Fig Tree Lesson
Preaching
Preaching the Parables
Series II, Cycle B
We were traveling in the dark. The route number told us to make a turn north as we merged with another major highway. Then we relaxed and in a very short time missed the sign that told us to turn east again. In the dark and not watching carefully on an unfamiliar road, we missed the sign. Sometime later we realized that we were not seeing signs for our route and the exit signs pointed toward unfamiliar towns. We realized that we had not read the signs carefully enough. It cost us an hour of travel and added about fifty miles to our trip. Fortunately, missing the signs was only inconvenient and added cost. It was not disastrous.
People are advised to look for signs of cancer. A lump, if detected early, may be removed and the survival rate is increasingly better. If we miss the signs or ignore them, however, it can be tragic.
In the late twenties and thirties the international community did not read the signs of what was happening in Germany and Japan. The consequences were World War II and the concentration camps with millions of deaths and untold suffering and destruction. Reading the signs properly and early may have forestalled the war and saved many lives.
The parable of the budding fig tree is Jesus' response to a question about signs. Jesus warns people about the dire consequences if they do not read the signs and respond in time to be prepared to avoid catastrophe.
Context
Context of the Day
The day is the first Sunday of Advent. It begins a new church year. The day begins the period of preparation for the birth of Jesus. By using the parable for the first Sunday of Advent, people can be alerted to know the signs of the coming birth of Jesus as they were given to people at the time. Some used them for rejoicing and fulfillment of their longings; Herod saw the signs as occasion for threat and fear.
The use of the parable can point beyond the birth to the end of Jesus' life and on to the hope and longing for the fulfillment of history and the kingdom of God. Each of us is given signs in our life of the need to respond to Christ's call so that our life does not end in disaster. We can also read the signs where we are called to work in history to accomplish God's purposes more fully.
Some may need to note that in the revision of the Lectionary, this parable has been moved from Proper 28 to Advent 1. If you are still following the earlier lectionary order you may want to postpone the use of it until that Sunday in the calendar year for Cycle B.
Context in Mark
Chapter 13 of Mark is frequently referred to as the Little Apocalypse. It contains the vivid imagery and picturesque language of other apocalyptic writings, such as is found in Isaiah, Daniel, Matthew 13, Revelation, and some of the noncanonical books.
Apocalyptic writings look forward to the final events of history. They look behind the events of history and also look beyond them. They often use poetic language as they seek to express certainties and hopes that are beyond the normal human experience.
The particular setting for the parable in Mark is when Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives (Mark 13:3). Jesus was looking across the valley to the temple area. He could be aware of two events in the future. It was commonly believed that God would judge the nations at the foot of the Mount of Olives. He also anticipated his death in Jerusalem. The disciples were still refusing to read the signs of the growing opposition that would lead to Jesus' crucifixion.
Context of the Lectionary
The First Lesson. (Isaiah 64:1-9) The section begins with a plea for God to come down and disclose the power that shows the character of the true God. It ends with a plea for understanding and that God will not be exceedingly angry with the people.
The Second Lesson. (1 Corinthians 1:3-9) Paul gives thanks that the grace of God given in Jesus Christ has enriched the Corinthians. They still look forward to the revealing of the Lord Jesus Christ. He calls them to be strengthened so that they will be blameless on that day.
Gospel. (Mark 13:24-37) The passage closes with an admonition to be awake and watchful so that those who read the signs are prepared for the coming event that may be imminent. The exact time when it will occur is uncertain.
Psalm. (Psalm 80:1-7, 17-19) As in the first lesson for the day, the psalmist calls for the intervention of the Shepherd of Israel to stir himself and restore them. It is followed by a plea that God not be angry with the people as is evident from the way the people's enemies scorn and laugh at them. The final verses look for an agent of God who will bring them back to obedience to God and save them.
Context of Related Scriptures
Parallel accounts of Mark 13:24-37 are found in Matthew 24:29-44 and Luke 21:25-31.
Isaiah 13:10 - A somewhat different version of Mark 13:24-25.
Isaiah 34:4-5 - Another description of cosmic disorders followed by judgment.
Daniel 7 - A chapter filled with apocalyptic imagery.
Daniel 7:13 - A reference to the Son of Man (like a human being) coming with the clouds of heaven.
Joel 2:30-3:3 - Portents from heaven leading to judgment but also the salvation of Jerusalem and the gathering of the nations.
Zechariah 2:6-13 - A warning to flee the land followed by the direct intervention of the Lord against the enemies.
Matthew 12:38-42 - The only sign given to the scribes and Pharisees who asked for one is the sign of Jonah.
Matthew 13:41 - The people of Nineveh rising up at the judgment.
Matthew 25:13 - Jesus admonishes the disciples to keep awake, for the day and hour is uncertain.
2 Thessalonians 1:7-10 - The Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven in judgment.
Revelation 19-20 - Apocalyptic imagery of the final judgment.
Content
Precis (Mark 13:24-37)
The passage opens with a free quotation by Jesus of Old Testament images of cosmic events leading to the coming of the Son of Man. Jesus then tells the lesson of the fig tree that gives a sign that summer is coming when it puts forth its leaves. The disciples are admonished to heed the signs of God's judgment. Given the uncertainty of the time of the cataclysmic events leading to the judgment, the disciples are urged to be awake and alert constantly.
Thesis: Be awake and alert for the signs of God's activity that leads to judgment.
Theme: Read the signs of God's coming in power.
Key Words in the Parable
1. "The Son of Man." (v. 26) The divine agent who comes from God to exercise judgment between the good and evil.
2. "Coming in the Clouds." (v. 26) Indications that the Son of Man is more than a human being. He is endowed with the full glory and power of God to carry out judgment.
3. "Gather His Elect." (v. 27) The prevailing view in Judaism was that all the Jews, the chosen people, would be gathered in Jerusalem at the final judgment. This reference does not restrict the chosen people to the Jews but includes the universally scattered elect of God.
4. "Summer is Near." (v. 28) The fig tree sends out new leaves at the approach of summer. You don't need a calendar to tell you when summer is coming. Nature sends its own signals.
5. "Summer ... Gates." (vv. 28, 29) Here is a play on words. Summer in Greek is theros; gate in Greek is thuros.
6. "Near, at the Very Gates." (v. 29) Just as you know that summer is at the gate of the orchard when the fig tree sends out shoots, so you know God's judgment is near when cosmic events occur.
7. "My Words Will not Pass Away." (v. 31) In the midst of the uncertainty of history, the teachings of Jesus remain certain.
8. "That Day or Hour No One Knows." (v. 32) If even the angels and Jesus do not know the time of the Parousia, how much more should we not engage in idle speculation about it.
9. "Evening ... Midnight ... Cockcrow ... Dawn." (v. 35) The use of the divisions of time is according to Roman customs, also known to the Greeks. The night was divided into four parts by them as opposed to the Hebrew division into three parts.
10. "Find you Asleep." (v. 36) Since this occurred on the Mount of Olives prior to the Passover week, this probably has echoes of the memory that the disciples were asleep when Jesus was praying in Gethsemane. They were unprepared when the arrest came.
Contemplation
Issues and Insights
1. What Power? We speak of many kinds of power. Military power, political power, water power, electrical power, mechanical power and the power of the sword. In the face of these kinds of power Jesus seemed to represent powerlessness. He consorted with those whom most people would consider to be outside of power. His opponents represented the ruling leaders of his time, both religiously and politically. They were the so-called "power elite."
Yet the scriptures talk about the power of God. Jesus speaks of the Son of Man coming in glory and power. What kind of power does God exercise or represent in the world? What kind of power did Jesus exercise when he was not part of either the religious or the political governing forces of his day? Is power found in righteousness and justice? Does power reside in moral force? Is the word more powerful than the sword?
Does God's power work mighty deeds because people have an innate sense of what is true, right and fair? If enough people recognize that God's way of love as incarnated in Jesus of Nazareth is the true meaning of human life, will that grow into a power that will overcome the power of evil in human society?
Do we believe that God is active both in history and in nature? We have a difficult time in our scientific culture believing that the power of nature has any purposefulness to it. It seems to operate without regard to any qualities such as right or wrong, justice or injustice, evil or good. Yet nature does seem on balance to support life and goodness rather than death and destruction.
How do we read the signs of power and embrace the way of Christ in love, reconciliation and redemption? Do we act as though these are the real sources of power while appearing to the world to be irrelevant and powerless?
2. Expecting the Parousia. The timing and nature of the Parousia is an issue that already caused concern in the New Testament church and raises questions among commentators yet today. The passage for today seems to suggest that Jesus expected his return as the glorified Son of Man within the generation then living. (See Mark 13:28-30.) If that is so, then two explanations of what that meant are offered.
The first explanation is that Jesus was mistaken about his anticipation of the immediate future. That view would say that his mistaken expectation demonstrates his true humanity. He did affirm that the timing of such future events was unknown to him or to any other agency of God. The events are to occur but they are yet to come. We live in anticipation but with uncertainty as to when it will occur. Our life should be lived in such a manner that we are prepared for the Parousia whenever and however it may happen.
A second explanation would be that Jesus was referring to the presence of Christ in a personal form after his crucifixion. The cosmic events occurred when the sky was darkened and the curtain of the temple was rent in two at his death. Jesus came in a personal way after his death, first to the disciples in his post-resurrection appearances. He came also to Paul on the Damascus road. He appears to other believers when they sense and respond to his presence in their life.
As to the future end of history, we live in trust that God's wisdom will provide for any eventual outcome. We live in such a way as to rely on God's grace and mercy. If the judgment comes with the end of our life on earth or in some cataclysmic final event, we face such outcomes in confidence and hope.
3. Active Waiting. Jesus never expected that his followers would simply engage in passive waiting for some divine intervention into human affairs. In the presence of human need he admonished his followers to be active in preaching the gospel, teaching people all the things he had commanded, and healing those who were hurting.
Jesus taught that a cup of cold water given in his name, feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, and ministering to the sick, the prisoner, the widow and orphan in their distress were activities which would show the presence of God's kingdom. He expected that his disciples would be awake and watching constantly by carrying out the mission that he himself had fulfilled in the days of his flesh.
Homily Hints
1. Triumph Beyond Tragedy. (vv. 24-27) In the midst of the world's tragedies Jesus expected his followers to be meeting the needs of people, bringing God's triumph out of human and natural tragedies.
A. The Tragedy of Natural Events. When nature goes on a rampage in floods, earthquakes, hurricanes, tornadoes and volcanic eruptions people suffer. Christians then have a responsibility and opportunity to show God's mercies by meeting the human need consequent to such disasters.
B. Problems and Challenges. When Jesus met people in need, such as the woman at the well in John 4, the man born blind in John 9, or the epileptic boy in Mark 9, Matthew 17 and Luke 9, he did not look upon them as problem people. He saw them as opportunities to witness to God's power and grace.
C. The Expectation of the Kingdom. Cosmic disorders which may have tragic consequences are opportunities to show the mercy and grace of God and to move beyond tragedy to triumph.
2. Great Power and Glory. (v. 26) God uses the disorders to shake up people and show his power and glory.
A. Nature Shakes. They give evidence of the power God has invested in creation.
B. Worldly Power Shaken. God moves in history to accomplish his purposes. Evil rulers exercise punishment but are also in turn afflicted with the rod of iron in judgment.
C. Personal Power Shaken. God uses the disturbances in people's lives to awaken them to the need for repentance and salvation.
3. Reading the Signs. (vv. 28-29) We learn to read signs from various sources and can anticipate what is coming because of them. Can we also read the signs of the Spirit?
A. The Signs of Nature. We read the signs for life and growth, but also of death.
B. The Signs of Society. We read the signs of health and progress, but also of decay and decline.
C. The Signs of the Spirit. Some signs point to hope and glory while others are signs of warning. Which will we heed?
4. The Power of Endurance. (v. 31)
A. The Enduring Word. Biblical wisdom has withstood the test of time. It has awakened persons in many cultures and endured through centuries despite all the forces arrayed against it.
B. The Enduring Christian. Despite various attempts to suppress Christianity by the Romans, the Soviet Union, the Chinese Communists and others, Christianity has persisted through Christians who have endured faithfully in spite of persecution and suffering.
C. The Enduring God. The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob has become the God and Father of Jesus Christ. He can now become my God as well.
5. What Are You Waiting For? (vv. 32-37)
A. Waiting for Yourself. Awake to opportunities for fulfillment in the image of God.
B. Waiting for History. Watch for the propitious moments in history and then act to make a difference for the kingdom of God.
C. Waiting for the Church. Observe how the church can more faithfully witness to the kingdom of God and support those possibilities.
D. Waiting for God. At times we simply have to wait and let God act, in confidence and hope that God will do so.
Contact
Points of Contact
1. Christians Recognize the Signs. Christians read various signs of God's Spirit at work in the world. A first type of sign is in their own lives. Awareness of sin and failure in our own lives brings us to an understanding of the need for a power outside ourselves. We realize that in our own strength we are insufficient. We are alienated from God and that leads to alienation from others around us. Ultimately we recognize that we are even alienated from our true selves. We yield ourselves to the power of Christ's spirit to redeem us and enable us to come to our real self in him.
The second type of sign is in the society of which we are a part. Having the model of the kingdom of heaven as a realm of mercy, grace and righteousness, we see where society is in need of redemption. Empowered by God we are called to witness to the society by working to change that which is contrary to God's intention for people living together. We do it both by the word of warning and also by the deeds of mercy and the acts to overcome injustice on behalf of the victims of social and natural evils. Through such efforts we point toward the fulfillment of the kingdom.
The third type of sign is in history. We see the signs that point to the inadequacies of all other ideologies and systems to bring humanity to its ultimate fulfillment. We even acknowledge that the church in its human institutional form is so often partially or imperfectly the body of Christ. We persist in the hope and the promise that beyond history a state of existence is found in which the full blessings and glory of God are accomplished.
2. Signs of False Hopes. Not all signs of cosmic disorders point to the end of history. Repeatedly natural disasters have appeared. People have concluded that these were the signs of the end of the world. People have had hopes raised to high expectations that they would enjoy the physical return of Christ soon. When life returned to more normal circumstances and the Parousia had not occurred as they expected, they have become disillusioned. Jesus calls us to be awake, alert, and active through such disasters. They become occasion for giving signs of mercy and hope: signs of mercy by relief of the suffering disasters cause; signs of hope by the comfort to those who are bereaved.
Not all leaders who claim to read the signs of cosmic disorders and are certain that we are approaching the imminent end of time are true prophets. Indeed, Jesus warned that neither he nor the angels of God knew with certainty the day and the hour. That should be enough of a caution to be wary of any who claim to have such knowledge. They may be claiming a superiority to Christ and should not be given full trust.
3. The Unchanging Word. Jesus said that God's words will never pass away. Some persons assume that all the words of scripture are identical with God's words. Obviously not every word of scripture is coterminous with God's words. Jesus himself pointed out instances in which words of the Old Testament needed interpretation. Some of the words of scripture are reports of what exists or has happened in history. They are not necessarily definitive for what God intends or requires.
It is Jesus who according to John is God's word embodied in human form. It is the kingdom that Jesus proclaimed which is God's full intention for humanity. Christians begin with Jesus Christ as the disclosure of God's unchanging word. Then we look for signs of opportunities to do the work of Christ in the midst of the changing vicissitudes of time. We look for signs that the kingdom of God is breaking into the midst of the change and align ourselves with God's unchanging word.
Illustrative Materials
1. Signs of the Fig Tree. God gives us constant signs of the persistence of life and goodness. Even in the midst of the greatest disasters we get signs of grace and mercy. After the disaster of the Russian earthquake of Neftegorsk Vladimir Chichin was pulled out after four days of being buried under the rubble. Workers had assumed that no one could any longer survive the devastation, lack of water, and cold temperatures. Doctors were even more amazed and considered it a miracle when a six-year-old boy and a two-month-old baby were pulled from the basement of an apartment house. They had been trapped for five nights in sub-freezing weather and yet survived with only scratches. The six-year-old boy kept his spirits up by singing and talking with others trapped around him.
We planted bushes along a bike trail on Earth Day. In the winter groundhogs chewed several of them off so that we had to dig through mulch to see if anything was there. Some others appeared to be only dead sticks. All leaves and branches were gone. With the warmth of sun and spring rains suddenly leaves sprouted on what appeared to be dead sticks. Branches shot up from the midst of the mulch. In a couple weeks what appeared to be entirely gone had small branches five or six inches tall. Signs of summer and life were abundantly evident.
In the midst of a slum, in the cell of a prison, in an alcoholic bum, suddenly an amazing new life will emerge. A person will be aroused by the work of the Spirit. In a situation of seeming hopelessness a person will meet the warmth of God's mercy and the sun of righteousness and a life will turn around and bloom again.
2. Signs of God in History. The Communist regime in China tried to suppress the church. Church buildings were appropriated and used for storage, meetings or education. Christians who were known were exiled or sent to do manual labor. In 1995 the general secretary of the Three-Self Patriotic Movement said that China had 8 to 10 million Protestants, though some say it may be as many as 50 million. The China Christian Council said that three believers' groups start up about every two days. God gives signs of the Spirit's presence in the midst of persecution.
3. Reading Signs. Two fellows were traveling together on the Autobahn, the German superhighway. One of the fellows knew very little German. He turned to the other and remarked that they must be near a fairly large city he had never heard of before. He said the signs had been pointing to Ausfahrt. He did not know that Ausfahrt in German means exit! Are we, too, illiterate in the language of the Spirit so that we fail to read or misread God's signs for our lives?
4. Mistaken Signs. Hal Lindsey wrote a book called The Late Great Planet Earth (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan, 1970). He read as a sign of the approaching end times the establishment of Israel in 1948 as a return of the Jews after several centuries. He, along with others, thought that within 40 years, a generation in biblical calculations, the Parousia would occur. Did he misread the signs since it is more than 25 years since he published the warning and well over forty years since the establishment of Israel in Palestine and the Parousia has not yet occurred?
5. Descriptive vs. Prescriptive. Recently a group was discussing poverty in the United States. A few people dismissed the problem by quoting Jesus as saying you have the poor with you always. Others have quoted Jesus as saying that there will be wars and rumors of wars, and that those who take the sword shall die by the sword, as justification for participation in warfare. They argue that those who work for the elimination of warfare are wrong since Jesus predicted that these things would continue. They fail to distinguish words of scripture which are descriptive of what is as opposed to prescription for what should be. They do not give more weight to the scriptures' repeated admonitions to minister to the poor and the passages where Jesus, Paul, and John urge Christians to love one's enemies. They also ignore where Jesus calls Peter to put up his sword, which early Christians understood to mean that when Jesus disarmed Peter, he disarmed every Christian.
People are advised to look for signs of cancer. A lump, if detected early, may be removed and the survival rate is increasingly better. If we miss the signs or ignore them, however, it can be tragic.
In the late twenties and thirties the international community did not read the signs of what was happening in Germany and Japan. The consequences were World War II and the concentration camps with millions of deaths and untold suffering and destruction. Reading the signs properly and early may have forestalled the war and saved many lives.
The parable of the budding fig tree is Jesus' response to a question about signs. Jesus warns people about the dire consequences if they do not read the signs and respond in time to be prepared to avoid catastrophe.
Context
Context of the Day
The day is the first Sunday of Advent. It begins a new church year. The day begins the period of preparation for the birth of Jesus. By using the parable for the first Sunday of Advent, people can be alerted to know the signs of the coming birth of Jesus as they were given to people at the time. Some used them for rejoicing and fulfillment of their longings; Herod saw the signs as occasion for threat and fear.
The use of the parable can point beyond the birth to the end of Jesus' life and on to the hope and longing for the fulfillment of history and the kingdom of God. Each of us is given signs in our life of the need to respond to Christ's call so that our life does not end in disaster. We can also read the signs where we are called to work in history to accomplish God's purposes more fully.
Some may need to note that in the revision of the Lectionary, this parable has been moved from Proper 28 to Advent 1. If you are still following the earlier lectionary order you may want to postpone the use of it until that Sunday in the calendar year for Cycle B.
Context in Mark
Chapter 13 of Mark is frequently referred to as the Little Apocalypse. It contains the vivid imagery and picturesque language of other apocalyptic writings, such as is found in Isaiah, Daniel, Matthew 13, Revelation, and some of the noncanonical books.
Apocalyptic writings look forward to the final events of history. They look behind the events of history and also look beyond them. They often use poetic language as they seek to express certainties and hopes that are beyond the normal human experience.
The particular setting for the parable in Mark is when Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives (Mark 13:3). Jesus was looking across the valley to the temple area. He could be aware of two events in the future. It was commonly believed that God would judge the nations at the foot of the Mount of Olives. He also anticipated his death in Jerusalem. The disciples were still refusing to read the signs of the growing opposition that would lead to Jesus' crucifixion.
Context of the Lectionary
The First Lesson. (Isaiah 64:1-9) The section begins with a plea for God to come down and disclose the power that shows the character of the true God. It ends with a plea for understanding and that God will not be exceedingly angry with the people.
The Second Lesson. (1 Corinthians 1:3-9) Paul gives thanks that the grace of God given in Jesus Christ has enriched the Corinthians. They still look forward to the revealing of the Lord Jesus Christ. He calls them to be strengthened so that they will be blameless on that day.
Gospel. (Mark 13:24-37) The passage closes with an admonition to be awake and watchful so that those who read the signs are prepared for the coming event that may be imminent. The exact time when it will occur is uncertain.
Psalm. (Psalm 80:1-7, 17-19) As in the first lesson for the day, the psalmist calls for the intervention of the Shepherd of Israel to stir himself and restore them. It is followed by a plea that God not be angry with the people as is evident from the way the people's enemies scorn and laugh at them. The final verses look for an agent of God who will bring them back to obedience to God and save them.
Context of Related Scriptures
Parallel accounts of Mark 13:24-37 are found in Matthew 24:29-44 and Luke 21:25-31.
Isaiah 13:10 - A somewhat different version of Mark 13:24-25.
Isaiah 34:4-5 - Another description of cosmic disorders followed by judgment.
Daniel 7 - A chapter filled with apocalyptic imagery.
Daniel 7:13 - A reference to the Son of Man (like a human being) coming with the clouds of heaven.
Joel 2:30-3:3 - Portents from heaven leading to judgment but also the salvation of Jerusalem and the gathering of the nations.
Zechariah 2:6-13 - A warning to flee the land followed by the direct intervention of the Lord against the enemies.
Matthew 12:38-42 - The only sign given to the scribes and Pharisees who asked for one is the sign of Jonah.
Matthew 13:41 - The people of Nineveh rising up at the judgment.
Matthew 25:13 - Jesus admonishes the disciples to keep awake, for the day and hour is uncertain.
2 Thessalonians 1:7-10 - The Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven in judgment.
Revelation 19-20 - Apocalyptic imagery of the final judgment.
Content
Precis (Mark 13:24-37)
The passage opens with a free quotation by Jesus of Old Testament images of cosmic events leading to the coming of the Son of Man. Jesus then tells the lesson of the fig tree that gives a sign that summer is coming when it puts forth its leaves. The disciples are admonished to heed the signs of God's judgment. Given the uncertainty of the time of the cataclysmic events leading to the judgment, the disciples are urged to be awake and alert constantly.
Thesis: Be awake and alert for the signs of God's activity that leads to judgment.
Theme: Read the signs of God's coming in power.
Key Words in the Parable
1. "The Son of Man." (v. 26) The divine agent who comes from God to exercise judgment between the good and evil.
2. "Coming in the Clouds." (v. 26) Indications that the Son of Man is more than a human being. He is endowed with the full glory and power of God to carry out judgment.
3. "Gather His Elect." (v. 27) The prevailing view in Judaism was that all the Jews, the chosen people, would be gathered in Jerusalem at the final judgment. This reference does not restrict the chosen people to the Jews but includes the universally scattered elect of God.
4. "Summer is Near." (v. 28) The fig tree sends out new leaves at the approach of summer. You don't need a calendar to tell you when summer is coming. Nature sends its own signals.
5. "Summer ... Gates." (vv. 28, 29) Here is a play on words. Summer in Greek is theros; gate in Greek is thuros.
6. "Near, at the Very Gates." (v. 29) Just as you know that summer is at the gate of the orchard when the fig tree sends out shoots, so you know God's judgment is near when cosmic events occur.
7. "My Words Will not Pass Away." (v. 31) In the midst of the uncertainty of history, the teachings of Jesus remain certain.
8. "That Day or Hour No One Knows." (v. 32) If even the angels and Jesus do not know the time of the Parousia, how much more should we not engage in idle speculation about it.
9. "Evening ... Midnight ... Cockcrow ... Dawn." (v. 35) The use of the divisions of time is according to Roman customs, also known to the Greeks. The night was divided into four parts by them as opposed to the Hebrew division into three parts.
10. "Find you Asleep." (v. 36) Since this occurred on the Mount of Olives prior to the Passover week, this probably has echoes of the memory that the disciples were asleep when Jesus was praying in Gethsemane. They were unprepared when the arrest came.
Contemplation
Issues and Insights
1. What Power? We speak of many kinds of power. Military power, political power, water power, electrical power, mechanical power and the power of the sword. In the face of these kinds of power Jesus seemed to represent powerlessness. He consorted with those whom most people would consider to be outside of power. His opponents represented the ruling leaders of his time, both religiously and politically. They were the so-called "power elite."
Yet the scriptures talk about the power of God. Jesus speaks of the Son of Man coming in glory and power. What kind of power does God exercise or represent in the world? What kind of power did Jesus exercise when he was not part of either the religious or the political governing forces of his day? Is power found in righteousness and justice? Does power reside in moral force? Is the word more powerful than the sword?
Does God's power work mighty deeds because people have an innate sense of what is true, right and fair? If enough people recognize that God's way of love as incarnated in Jesus of Nazareth is the true meaning of human life, will that grow into a power that will overcome the power of evil in human society?
Do we believe that God is active both in history and in nature? We have a difficult time in our scientific culture believing that the power of nature has any purposefulness to it. It seems to operate without regard to any qualities such as right or wrong, justice or injustice, evil or good. Yet nature does seem on balance to support life and goodness rather than death and destruction.
How do we read the signs of power and embrace the way of Christ in love, reconciliation and redemption? Do we act as though these are the real sources of power while appearing to the world to be irrelevant and powerless?
2. Expecting the Parousia. The timing and nature of the Parousia is an issue that already caused concern in the New Testament church and raises questions among commentators yet today. The passage for today seems to suggest that Jesus expected his return as the glorified Son of Man within the generation then living. (See Mark 13:28-30.) If that is so, then two explanations of what that meant are offered.
The first explanation is that Jesus was mistaken about his anticipation of the immediate future. That view would say that his mistaken expectation demonstrates his true humanity. He did affirm that the timing of such future events was unknown to him or to any other agency of God. The events are to occur but they are yet to come. We live in anticipation but with uncertainty as to when it will occur. Our life should be lived in such a manner that we are prepared for the Parousia whenever and however it may happen.
A second explanation would be that Jesus was referring to the presence of Christ in a personal form after his crucifixion. The cosmic events occurred when the sky was darkened and the curtain of the temple was rent in two at his death. Jesus came in a personal way after his death, first to the disciples in his post-resurrection appearances. He came also to Paul on the Damascus road. He appears to other believers when they sense and respond to his presence in their life.
As to the future end of history, we live in trust that God's wisdom will provide for any eventual outcome. We live in such a way as to rely on God's grace and mercy. If the judgment comes with the end of our life on earth or in some cataclysmic final event, we face such outcomes in confidence and hope.
3. Active Waiting. Jesus never expected that his followers would simply engage in passive waiting for some divine intervention into human affairs. In the presence of human need he admonished his followers to be active in preaching the gospel, teaching people all the things he had commanded, and healing those who were hurting.
Jesus taught that a cup of cold water given in his name, feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, and ministering to the sick, the prisoner, the widow and orphan in their distress were activities which would show the presence of God's kingdom. He expected that his disciples would be awake and watching constantly by carrying out the mission that he himself had fulfilled in the days of his flesh.
Homily Hints
1. Triumph Beyond Tragedy. (vv. 24-27) In the midst of the world's tragedies Jesus expected his followers to be meeting the needs of people, bringing God's triumph out of human and natural tragedies.
A. The Tragedy of Natural Events. When nature goes on a rampage in floods, earthquakes, hurricanes, tornadoes and volcanic eruptions people suffer. Christians then have a responsibility and opportunity to show God's mercies by meeting the human need consequent to such disasters.
B. Problems and Challenges. When Jesus met people in need, such as the woman at the well in John 4, the man born blind in John 9, or the epileptic boy in Mark 9, Matthew 17 and Luke 9, he did not look upon them as problem people. He saw them as opportunities to witness to God's power and grace.
C. The Expectation of the Kingdom. Cosmic disorders which may have tragic consequences are opportunities to show the mercy and grace of God and to move beyond tragedy to triumph.
2. Great Power and Glory. (v. 26) God uses the disorders to shake up people and show his power and glory.
A. Nature Shakes. They give evidence of the power God has invested in creation.
B. Worldly Power Shaken. God moves in history to accomplish his purposes. Evil rulers exercise punishment but are also in turn afflicted with the rod of iron in judgment.
C. Personal Power Shaken. God uses the disturbances in people's lives to awaken them to the need for repentance and salvation.
3. Reading the Signs. (vv. 28-29) We learn to read signs from various sources and can anticipate what is coming because of them. Can we also read the signs of the Spirit?
A. The Signs of Nature. We read the signs for life and growth, but also of death.
B. The Signs of Society. We read the signs of health and progress, but also of decay and decline.
C. The Signs of the Spirit. Some signs point to hope and glory while others are signs of warning. Which will we heed?
4. The Power of Endurance. (v. 31)
A. The Enduring Word. Biblical wisdom has withstood the test of time. It has awakened persons in many cultures and endured through centuries despite all the forces arrayed against it.
B. The Enduring Christian. Despite various attempts to suppress Christianity by the Romans, the Soviet Union, the Chinese Communists and others, Christianity has persisted through Christians who have endured faithfully in spite of persecution and suffering.
C. The Enduring God. The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob has become the God and Father of Jesus Christ. He can now become my God as well.
5. What Are You Waiting For? (vv. 32-37)
A. Waiting for Yourself. Awake to opportunities for fulfillment in the image of God.
B. Waiting for History. Watch for the propitious moments in history and then act to make a difference for the kingdom of God.
C. Waiting for the Church. Observe how the church can more faithfully witness to the kingdom of God and support those possibilities.
D. Waiting for God. At times we simply have to wait and let God act, in confidence and hope that God will do so.
Contact
Points of Contact
1. Christians Recognize the Signs. Christians read various signs of God's Spirit at work in the world. A first type of sign is in their own lives. Awareness of sin and failure in our own lives brings us to an understanding of the need for a power outside ourselves. We realize that in our own strength we are insufficient. We are alienated from God and that leads to alienation from others around us. Ultimately we recognize that we are even alienated from our true selves. We yield ourselves to the power of Christ's spirit to redeem us and enable us to come to our real self in him.
The second type of sign is in the society of which we are a part. Having the model of the kingdom of heaven as a realm of mercy, grace and righteousness, we see where society is in need of redemption. Empowered by God we are called to witness to the society by working to change that which is contrary to God's intention for people living together. We do it both by the word of warning and also by the deeds of mercy and the acts to overcome injustice on behalf of the victims of social and natural evils. Through such efforts we point toward the fulfillment of the kingdom.
The third type of sign is in history. We see the signs that point to the inadequacies of all other ideologies and systems to bring humanity to its ultimate fulfillment. We even acknowledge that the church in its human institutional form is so often partially or imperfectly the body of Christ. We persist in the hope and the promise that beyond history a state of existence is found in which the full blessings and glory of God are accomplished.
2. Signs of False Hopes. Not all signs of cosmic disorders point to the end of history. Repeatedly natural disasters have appeared. People have concluded that these were the signs of the end of the world. People have had hopes raised to high expectations that they would enjoy the physical return of Christ soon. When life returned to more normal circumstances and the Parousia had not occurred as they expected, they have become disillusioned. Jesus calls us to be awake, alert, and active through such disasters. They become occasion for giving signs of mercy and hope: signs of mercy by relief of the suffering disasters cause; signs of hope by the comfort to those who are bereaved.
Not all leaders who claim to read the signs of cosmic disorders and are certain that we are approaching the imminent end of time are true prophets. Indeed, Jesus warned that neither he nor the angels of God knew with certainty the day and the hour. That should be enough of a caution to be wary of any who claim to have such knowledge. They may be claiming a superiority to Christ and should not be given full trust.
3. The Unchanging Word. Jesus said that God's words will never pass away. Some persons assume that all the words of scripture are identical with God's words. Obviously not every word of scripture is coterminous with God's words. Jesus himself pointed out instances in which words of the Old Testament needed interpretation. Some of the words of scripture are reports of what exists or has happened in history. They are not necessarily definitive for what God intends or requires.
It is Jesus who according to John is God's word embodied in human form. It is the kingdom that Jesus proclaimed which is God's full intention for humanity. Christians begin with Jesus Christ as the disclosure of God's unchanging word. Then we look for signs of opportunities to do the work of Christ in the midst of the changing vicissitudes of time. We look for signs that the kingdom of God is breaking into the midst of the change and align ourselves with God's unchanging word.
Illustrative Materials
1. Signs of the Fig Tree. God gives us constant signs of the persistence of life and goodness. Even in the midst of the greatest disasters we get signs of grace and mercy. After the disaster of the Russian earthquake of Neftegorsk Vladimir Chichin was pulled out after four days of being buried under the rubble. Workers had assumed that no one could any longer survive the devastation, lack of water, and cold temperatures. Doctors were even more amazed and considered it a miracle when a six-year-old boy and a two-month-old baby were pulled from the basement of an apartment house. They had been trapped for five nights in sub-freezing weather and yet survived with only scratches. The six-year-old boy kept his spirits up by singing and talking with others trapped around him.
We planted bushes along a bike trail on Earth Day. In the winter groundhogs chewed several of them off so that we had to dig through mulch to see if anything was there. Some others appeared to be only dead sticks. All leaves and branches were gone. With the warmth of sun and spring rains suddenly leaves sprouted on what appeared to be dead sticks. Branches shot up from the midst of the mulch. In a couple weeks what appeared to be entirely gone had small branches five or six inches tall. Signs of summer and life were abundantly evident.
In the midst of a slum, in the cell of a prison, in an alcoholic bum, suddenly an amazing new life will emerge. A person will be aroused by the work of the Spirit. In a situation of seeming hopelessness a person will meet the warmth of God's mercy and the sun of righteousness and a life will turn around and bloom again.
2. Signs of God in History. The Communist regime in China tried to suppress the church. Church buildings were appropriated and used for storage, meetings or education. Christians who were known were exiled or sent to do manual labor. In 1995 the general secretary of the Three-Self Patriotic Movement said that China had 8 to 10 million Protestants, though some say it may be as many as 50 million. The China Christian Council said that three believers' groups start up about every two days. God gives signs of the Spirit's presence in the midst of persecution.
3. Reading Signs. Two fellows were traveling together on the Autobahn, the German superhighway. One of the fellows knew very little German. He turned to the other and remarked that they must be near a fairly large city he had never heard of before. He said the signs had been pointing to Ausfahrt. He did not know that Ausfahrt in German means exit! Are we, too, illiterate in the language of the Spirit so that we fail to read or misread God's signs for our lives?
4. Mistaken Signs. Hal Lindsey wrote a book called The Late Great Planet Earth (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan, 1970). He read as a sign of the approaching end times the establishment of Israel in 1948 as a return of the Jews after several centuries. He, along with others, thought that within 40 years, a generation in biblical calculations, the Parousia would occur. Did he misread the signs since it is more than 25 years since he published the warning and well over forty years since the establishment of Israel in Palestine and the Parousia has not yet occurred?
5. Descriptive vs. Prescriptive. Recently a group was discussing poverty in the United States. A few people dismissed the problem by quoting Jesus as saying you have the poor with you always. Others have quoted Jesus as saying that there will be wars and rumors of wars, and that those who take the sword shall die by the sword, as justification for participation in warfare. They argue that those who work for the elimination of warfare are wrong since Jesus predicted that these things would continue. They fail to distinguish words of scripture which are descriptive of what is as opposed to prescription for what should be. They do not give more weight to the scriptures' repeated admonitions to minister to the poor and the passages where Jesus, Paul, and John urge Christians to love one's enemies. They also ignore where Jesus calls Peter to put up his sword, which early Christians understood to mean that when Jesus disarmed Peter, he disarmed every Christian.
