ROME IMPROVEMENT 11/29/2020

MORE POWER! MORE GLORY!! MORE SPIRIT!!!

SURVEYING THE SITE—Mark 13:24-37

What a frightening image: the sun will be like a shadow, the moon will not shine, and the stars will fall from the heavens; the powers of the heavens will be shaken; and then the Son of Man will come in his power and glory. Then He will send out his angels to the four corners of the earth and heaven.

And yet, this is what we wait and pray for every year, and so I say,

“More power! More glory! Let the good news roll!”

READING THE BLUEPRINT

There are many who will wonder why the first reading of Mark comes from the end of the book. But I maintain that the true beginning of Mark is the telling of Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem on Passion Sunday in the 11^th chapter. So, this text rightly belongs to the beginning of the story, not the end. This apocalyptic vision points to the ministry of Jesus yet to come rather than some distant end of time. Where do we find that way of ministry we are to follow? Look to Chapter One. But why?

Mark is writing in a literary form called epic. This means that the work begins in the middle of the story, the middle of the work tells the conclusion of the story, and the end of the work tells the beginning of the story. The “Iliad” by Homer (the poet, not Simpson) is a famous example of this blueprint. It begins with the gathering of the troops and who is fighting on which side. Next, is a battle. When the battle is won, the history of why the battle is being fought gets revealed.

You may have noticed that Mark begins in the middle of Jesus’ life story. There is no birth narrative. There is no childhood for Jesus. Mark’s Gospel begins in “the beginning of the Good News of Jesus Christ”. Following the epic pattern, the end of the post-resurrection narrative of Mark is at 10:56, where Bartimaeus receives the vision of Jesus’ ministry and follows him on the way. 

ROUGHING IN THE HOUSE

Some important things have happened in the Gospel, and because of these events, there are those who will follow Jesus proclaiming the Good News of the world, but what is the beginning of the story?

The story of the Passion, that is, Jesus entry into Jerusalem, his trial and crucifixion, and the empty tomb of Easter morning, is so central to the Christian story that it underlies all that we do. This glorious event that is surrounded by God’s power and love, is that event from which we go and to which we return on a weekly basis, for every Sunday is a little Easter.

But we cannot live only celebrating what God has done for us. We have a world to live in from Monday through Saturday. What does the resurrection look like there? 

PUTTING UP THE WALLS

Mark begins his Gospel narrative by telling us of the struggles of walking in faith, Monday through Saturday. It is an important story that speaks of resurrection living in ways that we can learn from and understand and then begin to catch the vision of what it means to follow Jesus. It is like the fig tree putting tender shoots out on its branches. We need to know the signs of the time because the kingdom has drawn near; it is at the gate. Someone, please, answer the doorbell.

We are challenged to look beyond the trial, crucifixion, and resurrection moment in fear and learn what it means to follow Christ. We need to be Bartimaeus, living in the vision of where Christ is leading rather than the disciples who are afraid.

And so, we come to these words outlining the authority of Jesus’ words for us. His words and actions are powerful enough to dim the sun, to eclipse the moon. It is enough to send the stars falling from heaven. It is a story of power and glory, and it involves sending his messengers into the world to gather them in ways that raise them up from the pointless lives of dying desperation into new life ways with a new vision.

This way, this vision, challenges the very power of Rome establishing a new and improved understanding of our relationship with God and our neighbor. This is the liberating word of this text. The Son of Man is coming. Indeed, he has already come, and we await his coming again.

Where will we see this new coming? In the circle of time Mark has prepared for us in the new creation world.

HANGING THE TRIM

In this Advent season where wreaths and candles predominate our time of waiting for Christ’s return and the telling of Emmanuel, God with us, Mark gives us another wreath or eternal circle of everlasting life. Mark gives us this Gospel in epic proportions. It comes with an urgent immediacy for living our lives today, and it comes with the power of apocalyptic transformation.