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Mark 13:24-37

“But in those days, following that distress, “‘the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from the sky, and the heavenly bodies will be shaken.’ “At that time people will see the Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and glory. And he will send his angels and gather his elect from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of the heavens. “Now learn this lesson from the fig tree: As soon as its twigs get tender and its leaves come out, you know that summer is near. Even so, when you see these things happening, you know that it is near, right at the door. Truly I tell you, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away. “But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. Be on guard! Be alert! You do not know when that time will come. It’s like a man going away: He leaves his house and puts his servants in charge, each with their assigned task, and tells the one at the door to keep watch. “Therefore keep watch because you do not know when the owner of the house will come back—whether in the evening, or at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or at dawn. If he comes suddenly, do not let him find you sleeping. What I say to you, I say to everyone: ‘Watch!’”

What is Jesus Doing? In 2007 Andrew Purves, during one of my Canonical oral examinations for ordination in the Diocese of Pittsburgh, impressed upon me that the popular expression, “What Would Jesus Do?” was missing the point. Purves went on to say, “The real question we need to ask is, What Is Jesus Doing?” In his book, The Crucifixion of Ministry, published that same year, Andrew Purves went much deeper with this instruction to pastors, and said, “We must invite and enable a conversation in which a parishioner’s story and the gospel story interpenetrate one another so that a deeper understanding of a life situation occurs in terms of Jesus Christ.” Yes, Jesus is risen, and Jesus will come again, and we know from the prophecies of Jesus in the Gospel according to Mark 13 that there is much that will occur before the second coming of Jesus Christ.

Mark 13 is definitely a message for us today. I cannot turn on the TV or review the many news websites on the internet or look at the various social media platforms available on my cell phone without feeling like the prophecies of Jesus in Mark 13 are ever pressing in on us. For example, how the signs of the close of the age (Mark 13:3-13), and the abomination of desolation (Mark 13:14-23) point toward the overwhelming increase of stories we hear and read about today of so many prominent leaders caught up in all kinds of immoral behaviors, such as financial misconduct, abuse of power, sexual perversions that even involve middle and high school teachers, mass murder of innocent people including children, and, yes, abortion of the unborn in their mothers’ wombs. You too must keep watch… (Mark 13:35)

In today’s Gospel reading from Mark 13, Jesus also instructs us how to respond to the alarming growth of tragic and horrifying world events, some even happening in our own families and neighborhoods. This chapter was not given to promote discussions on prophetic timetables but to stimulate right living for God in a world where God is largely ignored. In Matthew 28, when Jesus gave the Great Commission to his disciples to make disciples of all nations and people, Jesus also said this, “And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of age.” I believe we need to be aware of Jesus’ presence in our life and ministry, every waking moment, by asking the question, “What Is Jesus Doing?” If we are ignoring God now, how can we possibly be preparing our hearts and minds to watch for the return of God’s only Son, our Lord, Savior and Friend, Jesus Christ?