Jesus shares His future hope.

GOSPEL OF MARK SERIES.

The Bible: Gospel of Mark icon.

During 2019, each week, I will write a weekly post about the Gospel of Mark, as I review and explore each of the 16 chapters and how it may be applied in our daily lives. If you are following this series for the first time, you will find this series under Scripture- New Testament- Gospel of Mark. 

Click here to read the first post in the series. I have written this series in different years (2012, 2015, 2018) with some irregularity, but am determined to complete this series this year since I am more than half way through this Gospel.

My goal is to understand and pray the Gospel of Mark. I hope you will join me on this journey as we travel through the liturgical season.  In today's post we explore chapter 13:5 -24 which is called Jesus shares His future hope

JESUS SHARES HIS FUTURE HOPE

Jesus does not directly answer the two questions which his close disciples have put to Him, but He describes in apocalyptic style a terrible desecration of the temple, something the roman actually did in the year 70, during the Roman- Jewish war (66-74).

An apocalypse is a literary way of presenting God’s saving action, already coming into the world in the present, by creating imaginative descriptions of its final victory over evil in future destructive events and cosmic upheavals in the world.

It is likely that here Mark has elaborated the work of an earlier Christian author, who to give encouragement and hope to fellow Christians composed a little apocalypse incorporating teaching of Jesus about the future.

The short apocalypse, by Mark ends his narrative of the ministry of Jesus in Jerusalem, has two parts.  There the signs surrounding the destruction of Jerusalem, and the signs accompanying the coming of the Messiah (13:24-37).

In these teachings Jesus invites His disciples to enter into His hope for the future.  Around a central teaching, Mark appears to have arrange the other teachings of Jesus in three parts of successive frames or pairs of teachings.  Awareness of this literary structure helps to a better understanding.

True disciples must be alert and not be deceived by false prophets.  They must not despair when they see wares and natural calamities.

When persecutions and betrauls comes, they must not become anxious but remain watchful for God’s powerful action, even when they have to from Jerusalemn.

  

REFLECTION QUESTIONS.

In our journal and/or our discussion group we may wish to reflect on this passage as follows:

• Name the key points that you have learnt about the person of Jesus in this passage of scripture?

• Imagine that you are the disciples- What do you see and hear and feel. What can I learn from this?

Imagine being the one of the people observing the action of the widow and listening to the comment of Jesus about His future hope.
What inconsistencies in myself do I want to bring to Jesus?

What is reading the Gospel passage with the eyes and ears of disciple mean to me?

• How does Jesus make clear His teaching to me in this passage?
  
  

·         Consider a situation in your life today where the teaching of Jesus needs to be applied. Why is it difficult to be challenged on a long-held view and be open to viewing it differently?

·         Pray for people called to be God’s servants and messengers in places and situations where they are treated badly. Is there a situation or a person in your parish who is treated badly for doing the right thing and therefore is not loved by parishioners in accordance with this commandment of love?

• Consider how much my faith and love gives a special ‘taste’ to my day to day living as a Christian, that is, one who follows Jesus as the Christ?

• What are the areas in my life I need to bring to Jesus in the light of this teaching? What questions do I want to ask Him?

• Am I willing to look into myself with honesty and ask how much do I grasp what it means to be a true disciple of Jesus in the light of this teaching?