Mark 13:1-37 Tuesday of Jesus’ last week: The Little Apocalypse

1. Mark 13:1-37Tuesday of Jesus’ last week:The Little Apocalypse Lecture by Vernon K. Robbins Produced by Sam Bradford Either left click or push the right arrow on your keyboard to proceed to the instructions on the next slide.

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4. Mark 13:1-37Tuesday of Jesus’ last week:The Little Apocalypse Lecture by Vernon K. Robbins Produced by Sam Bradford No Audio

5. Context of the Gospel of Mark • Mark 13 earliest apocalyptic writing after Paul (1 Thessalonians 4) • Written approx. 70 A.D.  just before or prior to destruction of Jerusalem Temple • Early apostles dead • Crisis of storyline of life of Jesus • Prior to chapter 13, Jesus teaches in Jerusalem Temple  money center • Temple hierarchy worked with Romans • Chapter 13 – Tuesday of Jesus’ last week

6. Jesus Moves to a Place of Opposition to the Temple: Mark 13:1-4 • 13:1 As he came out of the temple, one of his disciples said to him, ‘SEE, Teacher, what large stones and what large buildings!’ • 13:2 Then Jesus asked him, ‘ARE YOU LOOKING AT these great buildings? Not one stone will be left here upon another; all will be thrown down.’ Jesus exits temple Huge temple – rebuilt under rule of King Herod Language of sight, seeing Jesus teaches resistant non-violence, unlike 4 other Jewish groups 66 A.D. Roman army surrounds Jerusalem Temple, Jewish groups camp in temple 68 A.D. head of Roman army called back to Rome because of Nero’s death “Abomination of desolation”  Temple desecrated; military victory is not the answer

7. Jesus Moves to a Place of Opposition to the Temple: Mark 13:1-4 continued • 13:3 When he was sitting on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple, Peter, James, John, and Andrew asked him privately, • 13:4 ‘Tell us, when will this be, and what will be the sign that all these things are about to be accomplished?’ Mountain of Olives on other side of the temple Takes disciples outside of temple Thesis: bodily movement out of temple to create the body as place where God dwells, filled with the Holy Spirit, not the temple • Son of Man gathers elect, bodies w/ spirit of God in them, he does not judge

8. Eyes, Ears, and Emotions during the Beginning of the Birth Pangs: Mark 13:5-8 • 13:5 Then Jesus began to say to them, ‘LOOK OUT that no one leads you astray. • 13:6 Many will come in my name and say, “I am he!” and they will lead many astray. • 13:7 When you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be alarmed; this must take place, but the end is still to come. • 13:8 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. Using eyes, mouths, ears – emphasizing the body to guard against false messiahs Uses emotion as well, “do not be alarmed” End of the world will not come with destruction of Jerusalem Temple Image of birth pangs: strong apocalyptic image, dramatically wonderful: birth of a new age Only the beginning of the birth pangs

9. Mouths as Media for the Holy Spirit during the Time of Being Handed Over: Mark 13:9-13 • 13:9 ‘As for yourselves, LOOK OUT; for they will hand you over to councils; and you will be beaten in synagogues; and you will stand before governors and kings because of me, as a testimony to them. • 13:10 And the good news must first be proclaimed to all nations. • 13:11 When they bring you to trial and hand you over, do not worry beforehand about what you are to say; but say whatever is given you at that time, for it is not you who speak, but the Holy Spirit. • 13:12 Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child, and children will rise against parents and have them put to death; • 13:13 and you will be hated by all because of my name. But the one who endures to the end will be saved. Presence of God moves from temple to bodies of disciples Look out for your bodies Context of much pain Emphasizes emotion again: “do not worry” Holy Spirit talking through them, not disciples talking Leaving family institutions – Christian community as alternative family structure Spirit first enters Jesus at Baptism

10. Feet and Hands during the Time of the Desolating Sacrilege: Mark 13:14-23 • 13:14 ‘But when you SEE the desolating sacrilege set up where it ought not to be (let the reader understand), then those in Judea must flee to the mountains; • 13:15 someone on the housetop must not go down or enter the house to take anything away; • 13:16 someone in the field must not turn back to get a coat. • 13:17 Woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing infants in those days! ... • 13:21 And if anyone says to you at that time, “SEE! Here is the Messiah!” or “SEE! There he is!”—do not believe it. • 13:22 False messiahs and false prophets will appear and produce signs and omens, to lead astray, if possible, the elect. • 13:23 But LOOK OUT; I have already told you everything. “Desolating sacrilege” done by revolutionaries or Roman Emperor defiling temple Instruction for parts of the body – not for covering, but for moving Jesus’ longest speech in Mark Not an apocalyptic Jesus, resembling John the Baptist, but rather went into towns to spread news of redemption  moderate the intensive apocalyptic , invites into new age Do not be led astray by thinking end times are near – much (hard) work to do

11. The Son of Man Gathers the Bodies of the Elect at the End: Mark 13:24-29 • 13:24 ‘But in those days, after that suffering, the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, • 13:25 and the stars will be falling from heaven, and the powers in the heavens will be shaken. • 13:26 Then they will see “the Son of Man coming in clouds” with great power and glory. • 13:27 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. • 13:28 ‘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. • 13:29 So also, when you SEE these things taking place, you know that he is near, at the very gates. Imagery of end times comes from book of Daniel, not typical language Jesus uses Bring Daniel’s language into Jesus’ speech When Jesus refers to Son of Man, he is not referring to himself, but instead a heavenly figure Not until Jesus is resurrected that Jesus is considered the Son of Man

12. Eyes, Ears, and Thoughts as the Keys to Preparedness for Divine Action: Mark 13:30-37 • 13:30 Truly I tell you, this generation will not pass away until all these things have taken place. • 13:31 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away. • 13:32 ‘But about that day or hour no one knows, neither the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. • 13:33 LOOK OUT, keep alert; for you do not know when the time will come. • 13:34 It is like a man going on a journey, when he leaves home and puts his slaves in charge, each with his work, and commands the doorkeeper to WATCH OUT. • 13:35 Therefore, WATCH OUT—for you do not know when the master of the house will come, in the evening, or at midnight, or at cockcrow, or at dawn, • 13:36 or else he may find you asleep when he comes suddenly. • 13:37 And what I say to you I say to all: WATCH OUT.’ Adjustment in verse 30, “all these things” Apocalyptic discourse configured to responsibilities in the world Empowered by the spirit

13. Additional Interpretation • Borg & Crossan: Mark’s community was an anti-imperial movement and yet committed to nonviolence (consistent with the nonviolence of Jesus): nonviolence as a way of resisting evil (p. 81). Apocalyptic eschatology: the expectation of dramatic and decisive divine intervention in near the future (for Mark’s community, the second coming of Jesus, p. 82). • Blount: Abominable desecration (desolating sacrilege) of the temple done by Jewish zealots who turned God’s house of prayer for all nations (Mk 11:17) into a staging ground for war (p. 211, following Joel Marcus). Mark = Gospel of universal inclusion. Shift from correct spiritual behavior (blepete) to correct, faithful behavior (grēgoreite), namely acting in a new way. Belief orders action (pp. 213-214). • Charles: Mark 13 is a remake of the Egyptian plagues without the frogs (p. 228). You better watch out! (pp. 230-231). No Audio