Lectionary for Pentecost 25
Hannah said: ‘My heart exults in the Lord; my strength is exalted in my God, who raises up the poor from the dust and lifts the needy from the ash heap. The Lord will judge the ends of the earth.’ 1 Samuel 2:1, 8, 10
Collect. Almighty and ever-living God, before the earth was formed and even after it ceases to be, you are God. Break into our short span of life, and let us see the signs of your final will and purpose; through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Reading. Hebrews 10:11-14,19-25. As we have read through the lectionary readings for Hebrews we have noticed again and again the writer emphasises that the Christian faith is much better than the Judaic rituals which in the end changed nothing. Here in this opening sentence we are reminded that the year on year sacrifices made by the priest did not resolve the issue of sin which resulted in separation from God. But!, he writes when Christ offered himself in a once only sacrifice, the transaction that was offered perfected for all time those who trusted in that offering. A new relationship had thus begun. To remind them that Christ sat down was the signal that his work of removing sin was complete. Once the forgiveness through Christ’s sacrifice is received no added sacrifice will ever be needed. Then the writer urges the readers to join the forgiven band and enter into the very presence of God. The added excitement for going into the true presence of God was, under the Jewish system, reserved for the High Priest only, but now through Jesus all who are covered by his death and resurrection can approach this most exalted place with confidence. The writer wants every believer to share in this excitement and so encourage one another. When believers isolate themselves from the fellowship, doubts and fears can easily creep in but together in a spirit of unity problems and issues are faced with confidence because of the living presence of Jesus the Lord. Jesus has perfected a new and living way of worship and of living.
Prayer. Almighty God, how rich is the blessing that Jesus Christ has won for us through his perfect sacrifice. May that blessing continue to touch hearts and minds and draw believers closer and closer to you. You are the true source of life. As we trust in you we receive the love and power we need to live life to the full. So in Jesus Christ we offer to you all thanks and praise knowing that each day your love constantly surrounds us. Worthy are you O Lord our God to receive universal acclimation. Amen
Reading. Mark 13:1-8. This thirteenth chapter of Mark is noted as the Apocalyptic chater. Words like apocalyptic and apocalypse have enter our vocabulary in a modern way to describe disasters but in a biblical and linguistic sense the word means “the unveiling”. In other words it is designed to reveal to us some of what the end times will be life and while there may be disasters because we know something of what to expect there is also hope. It is therefore with a sense of hope that we read this chapter of Mark. The temple in our passage was one of the great wonders of the world. It was commissioned to be built by Herod the Great around 20BC and was completed long after his death about 65AD so this is the building that Jesus and his disciples are observing. Made of polished white marble when completed it covered some 30 acres. The building blocks were 11 X 3.5 X 5.5 metres! It was magnificent and gave every impression of being able to stand forever. Jesus prediction that it would be totally destroyed would have stunned the disciples. Quickly the disciples realised that such a destruction would mark the end of everything. The temple represented the very heart of the nation of Israel. With that in mind they asked Jesus what the signs would be that would accompany the end. The signs that Jesus foretold fell into two distinct categories. Firstly, international and natural cataclysmic disturbances: secondly there would be the appearance of anti-Christs, who would claim to be God and or Christ. These would stand against the salvation and freedom that God in Jesus Christ offered.(Revelations seems to describe a single major figure who is Anti-Christ, but here Jesus describes a plurality of figures who are working against the Kingdom of God and the salvation that Jesus has completed.)
This passage in Mark has raised much controversy, but the early church as far back as Eusebius who was born about 200 hundred years after the Crucifixion accepts Mark’s record as the words of Jesus. For us the difficulty is much more that we can get fixated on the end time and the destruction that will precede it rather than the message that Jesus was giving to his disciples. It is so easy to think that the things we can see and rely on as secure are there forever. Jesus is reminding his disciples that the plan of God is constantly unfolding and so things change. However opposition to God’s plan is ongoing until the end actually comes. As we say, “Things will get worse before they get batter!” The signs of the end time are not things that we should worry about; they are things that warn us to keep our faith in Jesus firm and fresh. Jesus alone is the Saviour who will bring us safely through the tribulations of the end time. Jesus reveals the signs of the end so that when disasters happen we should understand them as signs which encourage us to renew our hope for the return of Christ as Lord of the New Creation.
Prayer. Faithful God, through Jesus Christ keep us ever faithful to you alone. You are the one who holds all things in your hands, help us to trust in you in all circumstances. We thank you for the foreknowledge that Jesus gave to his disciples. Teach us to learn from them that we may never be lead away from the true pathway to eternal life and the wonders of your Kingdom. In you alone we trust, meet us in our doubts and fears and renew in us the hope that only Jesus can give. To you be all glory and honour, now and forever. Amen
Collect. Jesus, you see the outcome of human achievement which refuses to care for the powerless; you warn of the ruin of nations and the havoc of war. Give your people the power to proclaim the signs of the new world in the midst of the old, for you are Lord. Amen.
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