February 7: Mark 13

Today's reading.

Fun. Prophecy.

Jesus's teaching here is known as the Olivet Discourse, and it is sparked by the disciples asking Jesus (13:3) when the temple would be destroyed as he said it would (13:2). Jesus answers their question, but does not merely speak of the temple's destruction; he speaks of a future time when he would return to "gather his elect from the ends of the earth to the ends of heaven" (13:27).

The picture Jesus paints of the future of his people is not rosy. His disciples will experience hardships—famines, disease, false christs, war, betrayal. Then he speaks of "the abomination of desolation," literally, "the abomination that makes desolate." Remember the context. This abomination is referring to something that happened in conjunction with the destruction of the temple (13:1-3). The best candidate, in my opinion, is the General Titus's entrance into the temple during the Roman sacking of Jerusalem in 70 A.D. Here is a dirty Gentile pagan defiling God's holy place, and after he does so, the temple is destroyed. Nothing but desolation remains in the wake of the Romans' abominating presence. Up to 13:23, Jesus is talking about what happened in 70 A.D. In 13:24-27, Jesus turns his attention to his second coming. And from 13:28 on, Jesus turns to application.

The "take-away" of Jesus's teaching here is not to go home and get out your end-times charts. Only the Father knows the day and hour (13:32). Jesus doesn't want us to read tea leaves, but to "stay awake" (13:37). Our Master will return at an hour we don't expect. Don't you want to be found doing his will, don't you want him to find you being an obedient servant when he does? Stay awake. Expect trial and commit yourself to the Lord who will right every wrong and bring justice once again to the earth. Live every moment of your day expecting that your Lord could return at any moment. And pray trusting and desiring that we will.