The End is Near
Adapted from a sermon by Fr Mark Basily
Mark 13:3-37
Our Lord discusses with His disciples the signs to come that will signify the end times are near. There is a whole list of signs to look out for regarding the end of times. Our Lord Jesus Christ concludes these signs with some advice. When you notice these signs, keep in mind this advice.
We live in a time where many will ask if certain events are
signs of the end. We turn to the advice of Christ. There are a few different
pieces of advice that Christ gives when we begin to notice these signs come to fruition.
But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. Take heed, watch and pray; for you do not know when the time is. It is like a man going to a far country, who left his house and gave authority to his servants, and to each his work, and commanded the doorkeeper to watch. Watch therefore, for you do not know when the master of the house is coming—in the evening, at midnight, at the crowing of the rooster, or in the morning— lest, coming suddenly, he find you sleeping. And what I say to you, I say to all: Watch!”
Mark 13:32-37
Watch
The first piece of advice from our Lord is to be watchful.
When He says, “Watch,” what is He asking to watch for? Is He asking us to watch
for the signs? Rather, He is asking us to watch ourselves. To watch our actions.
To watch our thoughts. To watch our intentions. To watch myself.
When Christ was speaking to Peter, James and Andrew, He tells them, “watch lest they come in the evening, at midnight, at the crowing of the rooster, or in the morning.”
Whenever you see the rooster mentioned in the gospels, you think of Peter. In the very next chapter, Jesus says to them, “All of you will be made to stumble because of Me this night” (Luke 14:27). Peter responds, “Even if all are made to stumble, yet I will not be.”
We know that Peter was made to stumble, at the crowing of
the rooster. Peter’s mistake here is that he did not watch. He did not assume
that he was capable of stumbling. At Christ’s warning to watch, Peter says, “no,
even if all will stumble, I will not stumble.”
To be watchful is to realise that I, too, have the potential
to stumble. I have the potential of falling away. I have the potential to be
tempted. No sin is beyond me.
When we have this mindset, we become very mindful of our
actions. I can never assume that I am not capable of stumbling. Our Lord is
telling us to be careful of ourselves.
…And Pray
The second thing He tells them is to watch, and pray.
It is like a man going to a far country, who left his house and gave authority to his servants, and to each his work, and commanded the doorkeeper to watch. Watch therefore, for you do not know when the master of the house is coming—in the evening, at midnight, at the crowing of the rooster, or in the morning—lest, coming suddenly, he find you sleeping.
Mark 13:34-36
Our Lord divides the night into four sections. The evening,
midnight, the crowing of the rooster and the morning. This is the exact same
way the Agpia is divided. We have the evening prayer, the midnight prayer (with
first, second and third services to correspond with evening, midnight, crowing
of the rooster and the morning).
The church creates for us this structure to be watchful in
prayer at all times. We are called to watch and pray.
Timing
The final advice our Lord gives to the disciples is not be
concerned with the timing itself, “But of that day and hour no one knows,
not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.”
How it possible that not even Christ knows the time of the
end of the world? Isn’t He God? Doesn’t He know all things? How could it be
that the Son of Man does not know the time of the end of the world?
Actually, He does know; He must know, for He is God. He
doesn’t know In His capacity as a Teacher to tell us. It is not beneficial for
us to know. Since it is not beneficial for us to know, then He does not know,
in His role as a Teacher.
If someone comes for confession, and soon after another
person comes and says, “did he confess that he lied?” What can the priest say?
He cannot say yes as he cannot reveal confessions. He can’t even say no, because
even that he cannot reveal. What the priest can say is, I don’t know. I
don’t know what he confessed, because it is not my place and it is not beneficial
for you to know.
Our Lord Jesus Christ who instructs us to the Kingdom, says He
does not know for it is not beneficial to us. What does that mean to us? It
means that He wants to be prepared at all times. To always be ready.
If He were to give us the exact date, then I know I can relax for now. It is not helpful to me. Rather, our Lord tells us, no one knows the time, so therefore, now is the time. Now is the time to be prepared. Today is the day to be ready.
When we look around us in the world, we can see almost all the signs of the end. There are wars, there are rumours of wars. There’s Afghanistan, there’s COVID, there’s famine. There is everything. So what do we do with these signs? Our Lord tells us to watch, watch ourselves. Pray and be prepared now.
