Midweek Minute in Mark: Mar 17
Today’s reading is Mark 13:1-8.
“Everything is going to change and the world as you know it will come to an end.”
In essence, this is the message from Jesus according to Mark 13, and it all starts and revolves around the magnificent Temple built by Herod. The Temple would have been the epicenter of Jewish culture: politics, government, religion, and economics all would have found their source there. The building was architecturally designed in a way that would have rivaled the then seven wonders of the world. As Jesus and his disciples come out of the space, one of them observes this, possibly expecting Jesus to share in the moment of marvel, and yet gets exactly the opposite.
“Yes, the building is really great. But it’s going to be destroyed.”
This prophecy, as well as others expressed by Jesus in verse 9 and beyond, came true a mere 40 years later. It’s possible that the Gospel’s original audience would have just experienced the Temple destruction, so reading this would have very much garnered a “We are living this right now!” kind of reaction. Everything in their world would have been dramatically changing as politics, religious beliefs, and “the way things worked” in the world all found a new normal away from the established Temple and social order.
Going through change is difficult. Perhaps one of the most difficult things about change is actually letting go of what once was and moving forward into the new thing that is coming about. It can be so easy to continue to marvel at the structures that were once before us even though the Spirit of Christ is pointing us to something new.
In our apprenticeship to Jesus, there will always be ways that we can take on more of the likeness of Christ in the way we live. That will mean putting certain practices or behaviors to death and allowing new things to take shape within us. Ask the Spirit today: what “wonders” in my life have I built that you want to tear down and replace with something new?
Grace & Peace
Jake