November 16th, 2024

This Sunday has been given the title of the Twenty-sixth Sunday after Pentecost. That number is huge and will soon come to an end. The next Sunday will be the last Sunday of the church year. And this past year we have been looking at the Gospel according to Mark, in the way that it was originally laid out by the writer.

This Sunday’s Gospel Reading is Mark 13:1-13 and is about the End Times. These past few writings of this website have been about an overview of this very interesting Gospel account; but all four accounts are interesting in some particular way.

This Gospel account has been seen by some as the first one to be written, but it may be better to say that it was written with the early Christians in mind. Some of the early Christians were being persecuted for the faith. There are many wonderful stories that show their dedication and a miraculous perspective when confronted with such evil.

One of the things these writings have recently been looking at is the use of what are called “the historical presents”. Such a thing happens when the past tense verb is commonly used, but a present tense verb appears in the text. In the past writings of this website, those verbs have appeared in bold print or capital letters. They really do stand out in the midst of a text. In a sense, it no longer is just the historical record of what happened; it is something that is happening right now. And it is important enough to stop looking at the television or your smart phone. Two-thousand-year-old events can be incredibly significant for today.

One of the ramifications of the Gospel according to Mark being written at a slightly later date is the opportunity to make the statement that this Gospel account was written with a knowledge of the other three as well. In the midst of our twenty-first century optimistic world view, we often do not see the point in something being repeated. People are so busy that hearing something once is enough. But there is a great deal of repetition in the scripture, and this is done with other ancient writers. And important things are certainly worth repeating. Many years ago, I learned the saying, “Repetitio est mater studiorum.” (Repetition is the mother of learning.)

If the fourfold Gospel was intentional from the beginning of the “writing stage” of the Christ followers, and if the Gospel according to Mark is the second of the four accounts, then an abrupt ending of that account is acceptable. The other accounts that follow make up for the loss within the Gospel according to Mark.

Some manuscripts have a different order of the four accounts that Christians usually know quite well. This different order also happens to be a more Jewish order, since it has the disciples first and the secretaries second, with the longer accounts being first. (This ordering can be seen elsewhere in the bible.) In some manuscripts, the second and fourth account switch places. Here is the order with a more Jewish emphasis: The Gospel according to Matthew, the Gospel according to John, the Gospel according to Luke, the Gospel according to Mark.

With such a work, it would be terrible to have such an abrupt ending as was seen previously, that of the women leaving the tomb quickly and afraid to talk to anyone. What follows is, therefore, a somewhat-literal translation of what is appropriate if the Gospel according to Mark is the last of the four, and what follows is typically called the longer ending of the Gospel according to Mark (16:9-20; you may wish to look at what it says in different bibles or commentaries regarding this text):

Now, having risen, early, first of Sabbath, he appeared first to Mary, the Magdalene, from whom he had thrown out seven demons. That one, having gone, she reported to the ones with him, having been mourning and weeping; and those, having heard that he lives, and he was seen by her, they disbelieved.

Now after these things, to two of them, they were walking, he appeared in another morph, going into country. And those, having come back, they reported to the rest, but not those they believed.

Now later, reclining, they, to the eleven he appeared, and he reproached the disbelief of them and hard-heartedness, because to the beholders of him, having risen, not they believed.

And he said to them: “Having gone into the world, all, proclaim the Gospel to all, the creation. The one having believed and having been baptized, he will be saved, now the one having disbelieved, he will be condemned. Now signs to the ones having believed, these it will follow after: in the name of me, demons they will throw out; in tongues they will speak, new; and in the hands, snakes they will pick up; and if deadly thing, any, they drink, certainly not them, it will harm; upon sick ones, hands they will place upon, and well they will have.”

Therefore, on the one hand, the Lord Jesus, after the, to speak to them, he was taken up into the heaven, and he sat at right side of the God. Now those, having gone out, they proclaimed everywhere the Lord, working together, and the word, confirming through the following on signs.
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Another suggestion for study is to look at the resurrection accounts in the other Gospel accounts, to see the possible references within these verses above. This a good summary of the other appearances of the risen Christ that appear elsewhere.
When we are talking about God and man coming together, it should not be surprising that there are four perspectives of the event.