On this, the final Sunday in our summer sermon series “8 Question from the
Pews,” we end with a rather appropriate question… or rather an
appropriate request “Talk about what ‘the end’ means.”
To do this we’ll:
1. Consider two meanings of the word
2. And look at what today’s gospel readings from the Gospel of Mark look
like in light of those two meanings of the word
Let us pray.
The End.
When we talk about it theologically, we often think about the book of
Revelation, Millenialism of various sorts, the Late Great Planet Earth, and the
Left Behind Series.
What all these things have in common is an assumption that the definition of
“The End” we’re using is “The conclusion” or “Termination.” “Ceasing.”
“Stopping.” A period or exclamation mark, as opposed to a comma or semi-colon.
And this is probably what the questioner meant.
They’re likely wondering what it’ll all be like when the earth ceases to exist,
or this particular epoch, this particular time period, stops.
Yet, I would suggest another one of the 7 definitions of “End” is worth
considering when we look at scripture—the end defined as “Goal.” The end
of something is its direction, where it is going.
By way of example, our Episcopal brothers and sisters confess: “The Chief End
of Man is to glorify God and to enjoy him forever.”
So, instead of “The End” being a period, or point ending a line, it’s an arrow
pointing toward a goal.
Let’s consider Mark’s Gospel in light of these two meanings.
A more literal reading of Mark’s Gospel points us toward the first definition
of Endà “The Passing away of heaven and
earth,” the evaporation of the world.
In this reading Jesus is warning us that at some unknown time there will be a
period of cosmic darkness, and the Son of Man—this figure from the book of
Daniel, will arrive and we ought to look for signs and keep awake so we know
when it happens and are not caught unaware.
Some read this as pointing toward the destruction of the temple, or more
commonly, as pointing toward the destruction of the world. In this case, they
say, Jesus is telling us to look around and read everything as a sign, to be
anxious for the coming cosmic thunderclap that will end it all.
But let’s consider option B—the End as an arrow pointing toward a goal.
To do this we can look more particularly at a pattern in Mark’s Gospel—his
dealing with fig trees.
Yes, Fig trees, it might seem a weird place to go into order to talk
about the end—with a plant… but Jesus himself describes the coming of The Son
of Man as being announced like a fig tree announces summer.
So, let’s consider the Fig Tree.
Jesus enters Jerusalem the first time, his humble act of riding a donkey, which
proclaims the kind of Kingdom we are called to, is met with leaves
galore—it at first seems that there is a fruitful acceptance of the Kingdom of
God.
But, at the gates of Jerusalem, just
outside the city limits, back in Bethany,
Jesus sees the truth, writ large on that small Fig Tree, there are leaves but
no fruit, and so he curses it. As in Jerusalem,
so too the fig tree, both unfruitful.
Then he again passes the threshold between Bethany
and Jerusalem and enters to see the Temple, and attacks it,
turning tables expelling sellers, and mightily kicking out moneychangers.
And again he returns to Bethany, just outside of
Jerusalem, he
sees this fig tree again, this time withered.
Then, a third time, Jesus, in Jerusalem,
declares that there will be a time of darkness in which the Son of Man will be
reveled, he will be at the very gate of Jerusalem—at
the threshold and his presence will be announced like a fig tree announces
summer.
Then Jesus encourages us to stay awake for the Son of Man, for he might show up
at:
evening,
midnight
cockcrow
or
at dawn.
Again, lots of people see this as Jesus explaining what it will be like when
the earth ceases to exist… but, what if this is a goal he is describing? What
if it describes his Passion, Death, and Resurrection, and is telling us where
we might find our Master?
After all, on two previous occasions the events in Jerusalem paralleled the sign of the Fig
Tree.
The Son of Man is coming Jesus tells the high Priest—and then Jesus adds that,
he, Jesus, is the Son of Man.
We must keep alert, stay awake, to see him—look at the Disciples at Gethsemane, who fail to do so.
That evening, the Last Supper, they meet the Son of Man in the breaking
of the bread and the drinking of the wine.
At midnight those in power are judged by the Son of Man, even as they
put him on trial.
When the cock crows, Peter makes a fateful choice and denies the Son of
Man.
At dawn, the women meet the resurrected Lord.
What if the point of talking about the end is not some deathwatch for the
world, or a waiting for everything to be over… what if instead the end is a
goal, to stay awake that we might experience again the saving story of Jesus
Christ’s Life, Death, and Resurrection…
that we might
trust in his resurrection,
recognize when
we deny our Lord,
eschew the
powers of this world that judge falsely,
meet our Lord
in the Holy Meal of Communion,
be awake in
prayer,
and confess
to all that Jesus is our Lord.
A+A.
