But take ye heed; behold, I have foretold you all things. St. Mark 13:41-23; also Daniel 12:1-13
In the Name of God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Ghost. Amen.
Our lessons from the Book of Daniel and from the Gospel according to Saint Mark this morning are prophecies concerning the End; that is the end of this world and the kingdoms of this world. Both lessons are rooted in history and they point beyond history to the Kingdom of God. We start with Daniel, because our Lord mentions this very prophecy in today’s Gospel.
Daniel’s prophecy forecasts what scholars generally believe to be the invasion of Jerusalem and the desecration of the Temple by the Hellenistic King Antiochus IV, Epiphanes, in 167 B.C. It was Judah’s worst disaster since the Babylonian captivity. The Hellenists set up a Greek gymnasium in the Holy City. [Those of you who know classical history will know it wasn’t like the average New York workout gym.] The “abomination of desolations” refers to a profanation of the temple sanctuary by the heathen invaders to humiliate the Jews and defile their holiest place. The feast of Hanukkah celebrates Jerusalem’s recovery from this disaster through the heroic leadership of Judas Maccabeus.
Jesus also prophesies the destruction of Jerusalem and desecration of the Temple, which came in 70 A.D. as the Romans brutally crushed a Jewish revolt. The “abomination of desolations spoken of by Daniel the prophet” in this case was the setting up of images of the Roman Emperor and of Roman military banners in the Temple. The disaster came to pass in the lives of Saint Mark and his fellow Christians, which is why the evangelist adds his parenthetical remark, “Let him that readeth understand.”
Both Daniel and Jesus link their prophecies to End-times, which means they see these catastrophes as pointing to the end of all the kingdoms of this world and to the coming eternal Kingdom of God, in which the dead will be raised and the Son of man, the Christ of God, will come in power and great triumph to judge the world.
There have been many “eschatological” moments in history, moments in time where the powers that be are shaken to their foundations, great tribulations occur, with wars, blasphemies and other abominations which reveal man’s perennial pretensions to divinity. We saw several in the twentieth century, and new ones are coming our way in the new millennium. The famous bass recitative from Handel’s Messiah comes to mind, “I will sha-a-a-a-ke all nations.” The shaking really comes across in the singing!
The point of these prophecies is to put people of faith on alert. “Take heed,” says Jesus. “Go your way,” Daniel is told in his vision, but he goes his way with a new wisdom and reassurance about the trials and tribulations of this world; namely, God is in charge, and it is He who shakes things up in order to reveal what is everlasting.
So, practically, what is to be done? The best counsel I can give myself or anyone else arises from the fact that each one of us carries about the End within us. If you want to see what a dying person looks like, look at yourself in the mirror. Since I am about to become 60 years old, I am more keenly aware of this truth than ever. God’s “shaking” comes to each of us: Aches and pains, “senior moments” which become more frequent; the sudden realization that I am often the oldest person in a room; the birth of a third grandchild; the accumulation of a little wisdom from the pains of experience – all these shake me out of my torpor, complacency, or false security and remind me that my time is short and precious, and that eternity is pressing in. We are mortal; we bear the signs of death; the End is, at least for me, not more than a few decades off.
How then does one, like Daniel, go one’s way with reassurance? By taking heed, as Jesus admonishes us. And how do we do that? By attending to our life in two ways.
First, remedy what is defective in your present life. Examine yourself. Judge your behavior by the standard of the Ten Commandments. Or assess your character by the definitions of the seven deadly sins: pride, lust, anger, gluttony, greed, envy, sloth; or by contrast with the seven virtues: faith, hope, love; prudence, justice, courage, self-control. Repent; confess your sins, and, if necessary, come to a priest of the Church. Apologize and make reparations where you should. Amend your ways. And keep your repentance fresh, up to date. The deeper and newer your repentance is, the more you make ready against the End and the Day of your own singular, particular judgment, which could be at any time; the more serene you will be in facing that End whenever it comes; the more alive you will be in the time you do have to live.
Second, acquire more of the things that will survive this world’s End and will go with you into the Kingdom of God. Invest in the things that last rather than the things that perish and will be burned up in the fire. Believe in God and in Jesus Christ whom God has sent. Learn to pray and learn more of the wonders of prayer. Become more familiar with Holy Scripture, especially the four Gospels; Scripture is the Word of God written and speaks to the attentive reader. Get to know the Psalms. Be kind, practice kindness, beginning with the members of your own family, including the members of your church family. Pray for and bless your enemies, and if possible make peace with them. Do good works; give to the poor, visit the sick and lonely, comfort the afflicted, show hospitality; help the weak; resist evil and give the devil no quarter. Be faithful and generous to the Church with your time, talent and treasure. A devout parishioner, very near death, just finished his 2006 pledge and purposely made a new one, which will be paid, for 2007! That’s the spirit! Enjoy the beauty of God’s creation, especially in music, art, old people, animals and little children.
Remedy what is defective; invest in the things that last. This is how we take heed, as Jesus warned. It is how we, like Daniel, can go our way in peace and serenity, come what may. In so doing we are already entering the Kingdom of God, living each day to the full, prepared for the hour of death and the day of judgment, ready (or if surprised, at least not shocked or repelled) when the Lord comes to us. Then, like the first Christians, we can say with faith and hope: Even so, come, Lord Jesus.
In the Name of God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. Amen.
