14
The Message -- for Catholics of Southwestern Indiana
Signs of the last days: The return of Jesus in
By FATHER DONALD DILGER
Columnist
Gospel commentary for Nov.
16: Thirty-third Sunday, Ordinary
Time, Cycle B: Mark !3:24-32.
As winter approaches, the liturgy reminds us
every year of that section of the gospels that deals with
the end of time and the return of Jesus. In the Gospel
of Mark this subjecttakes up all of chapter thirteen.
This chapter is known as "The Little Apocalypse,"
because it contains themes similar to a much longer
New Testament book, The Book of Revelation, which
is also known as "The Apocalypse." The word "apoca-
lypse" is derived from a Greek verb meaning "to
unveil," i. e. to reveal events of the near future. Our
Church reserves two Sundays for this unveiling, today
and the first Sunday of Advent, two weeks from now.
Much of New Testament literature is full of antic-
ipation of Jesus' return, the final judgment, the end of
time. The return of Jesus was known by the technical
term, "parousia," meaning "advent, coming, return,
visit." Enthusiasm among Christians for the parousia
was rampant in earliest Christianity. It is a theme that
runs through Paul's letters and letters attributed to
Paul. In the earliest letter of Paul known to us he
describes with confidence how the end will come
about. By the time he wrote his last letter known to
us, the Letter to the Romans, he doesn't seem to be
quite so sure.
Of our four gospels Mark is the most certain of an
impending parousia. It is Mark's creation of a one-year
ministry of Jesus that sets the pattern for both Matthew
and Luke, even though a one-year ministry is ex-
tremely unlikely. Mark's Jesus has to hurry to get it all
in within the short time allotted. That impression is
heightened by Mark's constant use of the word "imme-
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diately," (42 times). Mark must have expected a quick
end and the return of Jesus just as Paul had proclaimed.
When the awaited end did not occur, the later gospels
of Matthew and Luke, just as later letters of the New
Testament, had to cope with the crisis of of faith caused
by this non-event. The solution, the parousia has been
delayed. For some authors the reason is simple, God
allows more time for repentance or God' s measure-
ment of time is not the same as ours. Those reasons are
as good as any, while none of them make any sense.
The Scriptures do speak of God as repenting or having
a change of mind from time to time, but that is only a
human way of speaking and could not touch the reality
of an infinite Being incapable of change.
Facts have to be faced. Our New Testament authors
were all mistaken on the matter of the quick return of
Jesus. It does not help to try to explain that they were
actually talking about a later time. All New Testament
literature arose out of and was written for a Christian
community of the first and early second centuries. The
authors were talking primarily to those people of those
times. Therefore our New Testament documents tell us
more about the past than about the future. They tell us
what Christian people thought and authors proclaimed
at a time when Christianity was emerging. Thus they
tell us that many Christians of the first century expect-
ed the end very soon and leaders like Paul and Mark
proclaimed exactly that. From Paul's trumpets and rap-
ture to Mark's catastrophes in the heavens and on
earth, all were expected in their generation.
It is misleading for people like Pat Robertson
and Hal Lindsey and fundamentalist preachers to
keep proclaiming that the end is at hand. They only
feed the frenzy of doomsday cults and deceive the
faithful. The "signs" such as earthquakes, floods,
celestial catastrophes, famine and wars have always
• happened and will probably continue to happen as
long as humanity inhabits this planet.
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Are the Scriptures then in error?
tinue to scream that there are no errors in
have never studied the Bible. The)
and memorized it. It is necessary to
biblical material between the human
elements, between human words and the
word, between the vehicle and what
tains, between the medium and the
God is a hidden God, and perhaps
Scriptures. Revelation is clothed in
and in different forms of human litE
ry, fable, history, legend, myth. The
when reading a story or other
Bible is not, "Is this true?" but "What
or "What message of revelation has
be conveyed by this human
Human authors did not lose their human
when chosen by God to convey his
were left to their own devices, but
Christian affirms with faith that no
human error might be found, in
there can be no error. Therefore,
come as expected in and for the
tians to whom New Testament at
predictions, what could be the message
dictions? Rather than the second
understood as heralded by
not accept that Jesus comes to us a
through Word and sacrament? Above
of our apocalypses can be
ready at any and all times to meet the One
believe will judge them and
Father's house of many rooms." Our liveS!
thread, and the end may indeed be at
time. Thus Mark's ending to his Little
still valid: "WATCH!"
Readings: Daniel 12:1-3; Hebrews
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Psalm 119:105
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