The Last teaching of Jesus Mk 13 24-37

GOSPEL OF MARK SERIES.

THE BIBLE: GOSPEL OF MARK SERIES 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 13:24 -37 which is called The Last Teaching of Jesus.

THE LAST TEACHING OF JESUS.

 The second portion of the teaching of Jesus about the future has a different focus.  It is the future coming of God’s Messiah in glory. (24-37).  His coming will be accompanied by cosmic upheavals and changes in the world.  He will come as the leader who unifies the world, and He will gather together those faithful to God from all regions of the world.

The Son of Man coming in the glory and power of God is a reference to the prophecy of Daniel (7:13-14), but also points to the enigmatic name Jesus uses for Himself in Marks Gospel.

When Marks wrote probably in the early 70’s he and other Christians may have expected the coming of the Messiah in glory in their own time.  That was not to be as we know two thousand years later.  Yet by His resurrection Jesus has come already as the Messiahs.  He is with us in a partially hidden way which reveals His presence among us by different signs, while we await His final coming in future glory.

Jesus teaches that not even He knows the time of that future coming.  The secret of the Father alone is put by Mark at the centre of these teachings.  Preceding it, we find the little parable of the figure tree, the teaching on the nearness of the Messiah’s return, and the certainly of the future hope of Jesus.  Following that central teaching, watchfulness in mentioned in almost every verse.

The disciples must be on the watch always. The need to watch for the Messiahs is taught in a short parable about a man who went away on a journey. (34-36).  The sum of all Jesus wants to say to His disciples about the futures is be watchful (37).

Mark’s apocalypse helps us feel the sure hope of Jesus for the future and the urgency of His last teaching ‘Keep awake’’!

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 disciples listening to Jesus about His teaching. What questions 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?
  
• Consider how much my faith means to me and what does my church/parish mean to me?

• 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?