Today’s Readings and Thought for August 18th. “FOR YOU DO NOT KNOW …”
Today we have read the challenging text of Mark – his record of the words of Jesus (Ch. 13) in what we usually call the ‘Olivet prophecy’. The disciples had been astonished by his prediction that the Temple they had just praised would be destroyed. Four of them “asked him privately ‘Tell us when will these things be, and what will be the sign when all these things are accomplished?” [v.3,4]
These are two different questions, they imagined they applied to the same event – but they were wrong. We can see which parts of the response of Jesus apply to the events 40 years later when the Romans destroyed Jerusalem and the Temple; we can see there is a double application of some of what he says.
The most important part for them and also for us is how we should personally behave up to the time of this awesome climax. Verses 9-18 primarily applies to them. Of special thought for us is Jesus words’, ”the gospel must first be proclaimed to all nations” [v.10] and we think the initial application is to its proclamation throughout the nation of Israel in those first 40 years. However, the proclamation throughout all the world is now just about complete!
The personal message cannot be over emphasized! “Be on your guard, keep awake for you do not know when the time will come … lest he come suddenly and find you asleep. And what I say to you I say to all: Stay awake.” [v.33,36,37] Daily Bible reading is an essential foundation to staying awake and fully developing our relationship with our Saviour. The time is surely coming when “he will send out the angels and gather his elect from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of heaven” [v.27] (that is, under the heavens).
May we be awake and alert. Our reading will make us aware of the “false prophets” who will “lead astray, if possible, the elect. But be on your guard: I have told you all things beforehand.” [v.22,23] That is, all things that are needful for us to know, we neglect these “all things” at our peril.
