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TWENTY-FOURTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST

Only the Beginning

Mark 13:1-8

On the third day, as Mark tells it, on the morning after the Sabbath after the day Jesus died, three women go to the tomb.  The question on their minds is not, “Will he be alive or dead?”  There is no question about that.  They have watched him die.  They have witnessed his execution.  They have heard his last breath.  They have seen where his body was laid.

Jesus is, beyond any doubt, dead.  They are only coming to the tomb to do what they can, to do the only thing in their power in the face of death – to anoint his body for burial.  Their question is not, “Is he alive or dead?”  The only question they have is, “Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance to the tomb?”

To their surprise, when they arrive at the tomb, they discover that this has already been done.  Further, they meet a stranger – a young man wearing a white robe.

They are alarmed.  But he says to them.  “Don’t be afraid!  You’re looking for Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified.  He isn’t here, as you can see for yourselves.  He’s been raised!  So, go tell the disciples and Peter that he is going ahead of you to Galilee.  There you will see him, just as he promised.”

The women flee from the tomb – not in joy and amazement, but in terror and amazement.  They say nothing to anyone, because they are afraid.

Why are the women so afraid?  Why are they so afraid that they say nothing to anyone?  Is it because something has happened that caught them completely off guard – that the shock of Jesus’ death followed by the shock of his resurrection is just too much?  Is it that after encountering the results of God’s marvelous action they are stunned into silence, as sometimes happens in scripture?  Or is it because they realize that now, everything is different, everything has changed, and that nothing will ever be the same again?

I don’t know.  But lately what I’ve been thinking that what has always kept their lives anchored has become unmoored.  The rug has been pulled out from under them.  The familiar path that they have always walked is now closed.  What they have seen as everlasting has been reduced to rubble. 

This too is what Jesus promised.  For, a few chapters earlier, Jesus and his disciples finally make it to Jerusalem.  This is the destination toward which they have been traveling for some time.  It’s hard to know whether the disciples, these Galilean fishermen, would have visited the great city before.  But they are clearly awed by the wonder of the temple, the center of the faith of Israel, and the surrounding buildings.

“Look, Teacher!” they say.  “What huge stones!  What great buildings!  How could they have possibly built such a place?  What could possibly bring it down?  This place will last forever!”

But Jesus says, “If you think this place is indestructible, you are wrong.  The day will come when these magnificent buildings will be nothing but a huge heap of rubble.”

Then they go just outside the city to the Mount of Olives.  There they sit down.  They can look across the valley and see the whole city with the temple at its center.  And they talk quietly among themselves.  They ask Jesus, “When is this going to happen?  And how will we know?  What will be the sign that these things are ready to take place?”

Jesus says, “When things begin to happen, there will be those who try to sell you easy answers.  They will come up with clear time-lines and pat solutions.  Don’t be fooled!  There will be turmoil.  There will be tumult.  There will be all kinds of rumors flying around.  But keep your cool.  This is only the beginning of the birth pangs.”

When things begin to change, when trouble arises, when our world is coming undone, we are subject to many temptations.  We may want easy answers that will not expect us to change.  We may want quick solutions so the trouble will not last too long.  We may want a sure defense of what we have, even if it means putting others at risk.

But living in the face of the unexpected and uncertain, whether it is personal or cosmic, requires three things: faith in the power of God, hope in the plan of God, and love for the people around us.  Faith will bring the assurance that, even in the midst of change, our protection is ultimately in the hands of God who is for us.  Hope will give us the confidence that, despite the difficulty of the present, there are better things ahead, maybe even a greater life than we can possibly imagine.  And love will keep us together, so that if the end doesn’t come, we will not tear each other apart.

Despite the apparent warnings of the ancient Mayans, I do not believe the world is going to come to an end in 2012 or anytime soon for that matter.  But our time nevertheless is limited, no matter how you count it.  And if we live as though we have forever, we are likely to live unwisely.

So – How do we live in the face of an unknown and uncertain future?  How do we live with the time that is given us?  If you knew that life as you know it was going to come to an end, what would you do? 

Would you bring projects to a close, finish up important matters at work?  Would you travel to a place you always wanted to go?  Would you try to reconcile a fractured relationship?  Would you pray more, go to church more, or be more generous?  Would you find ways to leave a lasting mark on the world?  Would you spend the precious time that you have with loved ones?  What would you do?

If we knew that Hope had only a short time to go, what would we do?  Would we have one more Cookie Walk?  Would we plan one last, great worship service?  Would we make sure that all our financial assets were in order and our property sold and the money distributed to needy causes?  Would we sit around telling stories about the good old days?  Would we grieve for what we have lost?  Would we flee in terror and hide?  Would we see it as the end or would we see it as the beginning of a great, new adventure of life in God?

When things change, when the way we had planned our life is lost, when the way things have always been is coming to an end, it is a frightening thing.  But it is also a chance to reorient our lives.  It is a chance to do things that may not have been possible before.  Above all, it is a chance to live in faith and trust the on-going work of God to bring about life.

For this is only the beginning of the birth pangs.