Such Things Must Happen
Mark 13:1-8
“When you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come.”
You can’t turn on the evening news without hearing of war and rumor of wars. Russia/Ukraine, the Middle East... Taiwan/China... rumors of WW3 starting, or having effectively started. Such is the reality of living in a fallen world. Strife and conflict. It’s a story as old as Cain and Abel. Nations rising against nation, kingdom against kingdom… earthquakes, famines. We hear about such things all the time. And we’ve heard about such things our entire lives. It’s nothing new.
Jesus’ words from Mark’s Gospel were never meant to make his disciples (or us) fret over, or worry about, the future. They were written to offer comfort to those first century believers who were struggling to make sense of their world in light of their faith. Of course, you and I have the same struggles… so these words are meant for us, too!
We’re often tempted to put an awful lot of weight or significance on the things Jesus is describing here - while placing less emphasis on his primary point. And that’s because all of these things that Jesus mentions are things that we fear. We fear the prospect of war, we fear natural disasters, we fear scarcity, we even fear the collapse of our most sacred institutions. We lament the days when the church was full, and we can’t help but wonder if the church will even be here 5 or 10 years from now.
One thing is certain: this physical church structure won’t be here forever. One day not a single brick will be left standing.
YET... Jesus says, with crystal-clear clarity, to his disciples, to those who had given-up everything in this world to follow him… “When you hear of such things, do not be alarmed.” Don’t be shocked; don’t be troubled by the headlines and the doom and gloom - or by the fact that nothing in this life lasts forever.
Jesus wanted his disciples to understand something very critical crucial to their calling - and ours. And that’s the fact that Jesus is more concerned with beginnings, than endings.
All things in this life end. It all has a expiration date.
But the Good News for Christ’s followers, is Christ came to make all things new. He came to bring us hope. In fact, the Gospel is hope itself! Not some wistful daydreaming or wishing! The Gospel is the assurance that Christ is always with us, and he’s bringing us thru this temporal, momentary existence (filled with troubles) into a reality that’s secure and immovable, unshakable, in his presence. In his eternal kingdom.
It’s a gospel about new birth, and new realities. It’s Good New, reminding us, that IN CHRIST we find our true meaning and purpose. It’s a Gospel about the future, my future, your future… not in this disaster riddled world, but in the eternal presence of the One who brings order to the chaos. The One who calmed the wind and waves, and fed the multitudes with only 5 loaves and two fish. Ours is a promised future... a future NOT amid the war in the rumor of wars... but a future that is held securely in the hands of Christ... no matter what happens in this physical life.
The truth is: usually when we are deeply alarmed, and concerned about tomorrow… it’s because our actual focus is on the NOW, the present!
Jesus had just described a day when the temple would come crashing down. No stone left upon another. That caused his disciples question when that was gonna happen, and to ask for a sign. They wanted to be prepared... it all created a certain amount of anxiety, worry, fear.
When we start to become anxious, alarmed over our future… what we really want to know is whether the temples that we built will stand the test of time? Will the foundation hold? Will my relationships last? Will all the things that I’ve acquired throughout this life, the things I’ve invested my days building... all the accomplishments that I’ve made... will they continue to hold meaning, and purpose? Will my well-being, my happiness, endure? Are the foundations of my life strong enough to last?
Jesus was saying, “you’re worried about all the wrong things!” Don’t be alarmed when you see the things of this world collapse. Don’t be troubled… don’t be surprised.
Instead: trust. Trust me! Believe in me! Have faith in the One who holds the past, present, and future.
All of these dreaded things must happen, but they’re not the end… they’re the beginning! Birth pains! Something is being born. Something new! Something joyful.
Jesus wants us to trust that when we center our lives on him, watching and expecting his return... we’re exactly where we need to be… no matter what we see going on around us.
And while the world crumbles… we stand firm on the Rock of our salvation. When the nations rage… we hold to the assurance that this world is not our home. When resources dwindle… we find our sufficiency in Christ, and Christ alone.
So, hear and believe the words of Jesus: “When you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come.”
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