How Long Will We Punch The Afflicted In The Face? - Mark 13 Exegesis
And as he came out of the temple, one of his disciples said to him, “Look, Teacher, what wonderful stones and what wonderful buildings!”
Do you see the haughtiness of mankind? Look at our pride, presumption, arrogance, insubordination, lip, guff, gall, loftiness, effrontery, insolence and chutzpah. In the face of the incorruptible and Almighty God who is so deep that the fish cannot swim to Him and so high that the eagles cannot fly to Him, we see fit to talk about the earthly constructions of our hands. The earthly constructions of our hands are always and everywhere chaff. They will wither and dissolve. Moth and rust shall devour them. Inevitably, time will kill them all. We should spend all of our time awestruck not at the beauty of our hands, but at the splendor of the mercy, justice and righteousness of God who was, is and always will be. Who charitably became flesh, and dwelt amongst us. Who died, that we may repent and live.
“Take heed that no one leads you astray. Many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am he!’ and they will lead many astray. And when you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be alarmed; this must take place, but the end is not yet. 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.
Hear your neighbor when she is talking about the good news. Give her an chance. Give her a second chance. Be charitable in understanding what she is trying to say in the best possible light. In the end, you will need discernment that comes with the regular consumption and digestion of the word of God. Is she a false teacher? Or is she a good bondservant of Jesus Christ of Nazareth? Does she ignore suffering in her sermons? Does she preach sunshine and rainbows for the rest of your days if only you would fork over wads of cash into the offering tray? If so, you know she is wrong. There will be suffering for the sake of the gospel of Jesus.
“But take heed to yourselves; for they will deliver you up to councils; and you will be beaten in synagogues; and you will stand before governors and kings for my sake, to bear testimony before them. And the gospel must first be preached to all nations. And when they bring you to trial and deliver you up, do not be anxious beforehand what you are to say; but say whatever is given you in that hour, for it is not you who speak, but the Holy Spirit.
When you suffer for the gospel of Jesus, pray for the grace of the Holy Ghost to put lifegiving words on your lips.
And brother will deliver up brother to death, and the father his child, and children will rise against parents and have them put to death; and you will be hated by all for my name’s sake. But he who endures to the end will be saved.
Your ethnicity, royal lineage, eye color, skin tone, hair texture, height, weight, speed, monetary wealth and wittiness is irrelevant to God. God is impartial. He only cares about whether or not you stand with the afflicted. If you do, you will upset all of your former tribesmen. Your only valuable connections are to God and to your neighbor.
“But when you see the desolating sacrilege (abomination of desolation) set up where it ought not to be (let the reader understand), then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains;
This verse and the following verses are eschatological. They reflect the end times. Beware, be alert and watch out for the altar of God becoming an altar of sinning. It is a sign of the end times. We should repent if we want to live. We should supplant our ways, for His way which is The Way.
And then they will see the Son of man coming in clouds with great power and glory. And 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.
If He is coming with great power and glory, why does He need angels (messengers)? He doesn't need angels. He uses them so that they can receive blessings by obeying and thanking Him.
“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. So also, when you see these things taking place, you know that he is near, at the very gates. Truly, I say to you, this generation will not pass away before all these things take place. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.
Let's take God seriously and consider that he is at the very gates. He's knocking on our door. How long will we punch the afflicted in the face? How long will we neglect God's commandments? How long will we love sin instead of hating it? How long will we flee from repentance?
But of that day or that hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. Take heed, watch and pray; for you do not know when the time will come.
The Apostles fell asleep on the Lord at the mountain. Don't fall asleep on the Lord. Take heed to keep His commandments. Love God. Love your neighbor. Always and everywhere.
Furthermore, we must love each other.