Are You Ready?

Scripture: Mark 13:1-8

I don’t know how many of you tend to watch the National Geographic channel, but they have a fun little show on Tuesday nights called “Doomsday Preppers.” People who stockpile food, weapons and medicine in the event of a “doomsday” event of some sort. On the one hand, I find the show fascinating. How all these people are preparing for some big “end of civilization as we know it” event and all the work they put into it. On the other hand, I think, “Gee… now I know where you stockpile all your food and weapons so I know right where to go, thanks.”

But in all seriousness… it highlights something very real and very disturbing about us. How we try and retain some kind of control in a world we never had control of in the first place. To try and pretend like we can do something to make our lives more “secure” from outside forces. Security from the government, from an economic crises, from other nations, from medical issues, even from our neighbors. Maybe if we stockpile enough guns, food and medicine, we can keep these forces at bay. That we can somehow escape or protect ourselves from whatever calamity the future might hold.


Let’s be honest. Right now we live in a time when people are afraid. They feel their way of life is being threatened, and apparently, the American way of life being threatened must mean the end of the world is near. A bit ego-centric on our part, but it’s what we think. And I think in the backs of people’s minds many think, “Maybe the Mayans were right. Maybe our world is going to come to some kind of crashing conclusion a month from now.” For many, things look pretty bleak right now because we’ve lived in a nation that has been, for the most part, protected from many of the atrocities that occur throughout the world. The destructive forces of human power struggles are usually “some place else” and don’t intrude in any real and tangible way in our lives. Genocide. Civil war. Terrorist bombings.

September 11th made us realize – we’re vulnerable. We’re not immune. We’re not as secure as we thought we were as a nation. Then the economic crises that started in 2008 made us realize that the comfortable, and in some cases even extravagant, lifestyles we’ve become accustomed to might be in jeopardy as well.

And it scares us. Let’s just be honest about that. We LIKE our lives the way they are. We don’t want that to change. I’m no different. I worry about things. I can’t help it. I’m human after all.

But if you think about it… is what we are going through any different really than what people have been going through for thousands of years? I remember when I was younger, growing up in the “cold war era.” The threat of nuclear war with Russia hung heavily over our lives. Many of you here probably remember those days. I grew up in Lincoln, which at that point and time was just down the road from SAC, and was pretty much a guaranteed strike in the event of nuclear attack. We didn’t build bunkers and stockpile food because we knew it was futile. Sit on the front porch, watch the show, and pray you didn’t survive was pretty much our attitude.

These fears are nothing new. I think we just have more fear now because – to put it simply – we have more to lose. If I lived in a mud hut, would all this bother me so much? Probably not.

Jesus says do not be alarmed, these are all birth pangs. Enough women here have given birth so they know what that means. Lots of intense pain for a little bit, separated by moments of relief. This cycle of pain and relief going on for hours upon hours – for some perhaps it even seems a bit like it goes on forever. But it’s a helpful reminder for us– our world goes in cycles, it experiences moments and times of intense pain, disruption, tribulation, and angst, separated by more calm and peaceful times. Wars and rumors of wars, nation will rise against nation, famine, earthquakes, plagues.

What does Jesus say about all that? Do not be alarmed. They’re birth pangs.

Wait. Do not be alarmed? Wars, famines, plagues, earthquakes – those are kind of alarming things, aren’t they?

So why should this not alarm us? Because… these things come and go. Nations rise. Nations fall. It’s a part of life in this world.

About a hundred and fifty years ago, our nation was deeply divided. It faced an intense time of turmoil and chaos. 2/3rds of our male population was killed off. It was called the Civil War. For many, the horror of that time seemed like it was the end of the world. In just one battle, we lost 15,000 Americans.

World War I was called the war to end all wars. Ok, maybe not.

In Luther’s day, the black plague had wiped out 25 million people in Europe alone, causing massive shifts not just in the population, but in governmental, social, and economic structures. At one point and time, Luther, too, believed he was living in the “end” times.

Jesus and his disciples lived in tense times as well. The threat of the Roman army kept everyone in Judea on edge.

It’s human nature that during these times, these birth pangs, we look for ways in which to try and control what is going on around us. We turn to human structures to try and ground us. In Jesus’ day, the central structure of Jewish life was the Temple. “Look at that Temple! Look how massive and magnificent it is.”

For the disciples and most people living in Judea, that Temple, that man-made structure, was a grounding force in their lives. It stood on a hill not just as a massive structure of human ingenuity, but it was literally a shining beacon. Much of the temple was coated in gold so that when the sun reflected off of it, it was blinding to look at. It was magnificent to look at. It was the center of not just religious life, but social and political life as well. It was a part of their identity.

So look Jesus – look how amazing this temple is.

Jesus’ response? “Eh.” Stones, buildings, rocks – they’re unimportant. Earthly structures will always fall and always fail. Even structures that we attempt to turn into “godly” idols. What this entire people had centered their lives around – was going to come crashing down around them at some point.

Now Jesus’ statement, “Not one stone will be left here upon another; all will be thrown down,” is how we tend to translate this. But literally, in the Greek, it reads: “No stone here will be permitted upon a stone, which will never be destroyed.”

The meaning is two-fold. The temple structure and system will not stand. It will fall. It has become its own form of idolatry to the people of Judea. People’s faith was structured around the Temple system, not true faith in God who could not be contained in a brick and mortar structure, and it would be destroyed.

But its meaning is more than that – “no stone HERE will be permitted upon a stone which will never be destroyed.” Back in Chapter 12, Jesus referred to himself as the cornerstone that the builders had rejected. Jesus, pardon the pun, is building on this metaphor. Now, as the disciples look at this Temple made by Herod the Great, as they look at all the stones the builders HAD actually used, Jesus dismisses its importance.

Jesus says no physical, earthly stone will stand the test of time. No stone HERE, at the temple, will remain. There is only one eternal stone, eternal rock, eternal structure, eternal temple – and that’s Jesus Himself. These stones no longer mean anything in light of him, who is the true and eternal temple. Brick and mortar cannot stand in the place of Jesus.

All other things will fall and fail. Governments, structures, buildings, homes, economies, societies, cultures, and nations all eventually give way, all will eventually come to an end and give birth to something new. Trusting in the things of this world will always, every single time, no matter what it is – fail us. Only the indestructible cornerstone of Christ will stand and endure forever.

Trust in Him, not the world. Trust in him, not governments, militaries, or presidents.

Destruction, turmoil, pain, war – Jesus says all these things must happen as a part of the birthing process. As a part of our world giving way to something new.

And the disciples don’t miss a beat. “Ok, when Jesus? WHEN is this new thing going to happen? When will these calamities occur? When will this new birth happen? When Jesus, when?”

We’re no different than the disciples. We want to know “when”, too. Why? Same reason the disciples wanted to know. Because what they’re really asking is, “So, when do I need to get serious about this whole discipleship thing?”

Let’s say for a moment that the Mayans were right. That we actually COULD know that next month, everything is going to come to a crashing and violent end. Jesus is going to return, everyone living and dead will be judged, and this whole faith thing is about to get real.

What would you change in your life if you knew that was the case? That you had one month left. Anything? Should it change anything?

Jesus says – this whole faith thing needs to get real right now. Jesus won’t give a date and time, because he expects his disciples to take this discipleship thing seriously right now – not two thousand or ten thousand years from now. He expects his followers to make their faith lives a foundational part of their every-day life, living as though each day is the last day.

Jesus’ point is that He is the foundation – and everything else that isn’t built on that foundation is going to be shaken and fall apart. All of our human endeavors, all the things we spend so much of our time working toward in this world – nice homes, cars, flat screen tvs… will be brought down. Destroyed. Wiped away. Gone.

We’re told this is the case. This is what MUST happen in order for God’s Kingdom, that we’re supposed to actually want, to be ushered in.

So why are we afraid?

Jesus says “Do not be alarmed” when these things happen. So why is this supposed “Christian Nation” as many people insist we are, so terrified? Why are Christians stock-piling guns and living lives based on fear? Why is so much of our message in the world today “be afraid”?

Because that’s not the gospel. That’s not our message. Our message is about hope. It’s about a future that moves beyond what we see here. That moves beyond the war, strife, politics and calamities of this world. It’s about a future where God reconciles and brings us into a new life and a new future that starts with us and how we live our lives and proclaim God’s kingdom.

It’s about new life in Jesus Christ that starts right here, right now. It’s about the fact that “the end” of this life and this world brings about a new beginning. That faith in this Jesus ushers in something a new. A new reality. A new world. A new perspective.

If our foundation is Jesus Christ and Him alone, then we have NOTHING to fear! No government, no earthly power, no economy, no President, no bank, no nation, no terrorist can destroy our foundation. Yes, all these worldly things may fall and fail at some point – no, correction – all these worldly things WILL fall and fail at some point – whether that’s now or hundreds or thousands of years from now – they will fail, but Jesus Christ will not.

The only thing that will stand eternally is Jesus Christ. It is the only stone, rock and structure that will not be moved or be displaced or destroyed.

So do not be alarmed. All this must take place. Do not fear. This is what happens. The end is yet to come. And when “the end” does arrive – it’s so something new can take its place. And until that day, let us not neglect to come together and build one another up. To renew our faith daily, to hear God’s continual promises to us regarding our future so that we do not despair and we do not fear. To remind one another what our true foundational structure is – faith in Jesus Christ.