1 Samuel 1:6-8, 12-16; Mark 13:5-8; November 17, 2024; 26th Sunday after Pentecost
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“5Then Jesus began to say to them, ‘Beware that no one leads you astray. 6Many will come in my name and say, “I am he!” and they will lead many astray. 7When you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be alarmed; this must take place, but the end is still to come. 8For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom; there will be earthquakes in various places; there will be famines. This is but the beginning of the birth pangs.” – Mark 13:5-8
This section of Mark is often called The Little Apocalypse, and I think you can understand why.
And sometimes it causes problems as inevitably a question arises… as in, “Why hasn’t the end come, especially if the beginning of the birth pangs were put into motion 2000 years ago? Could Jesus have been fearmongering, or just flat-out wrong?”
Some have asked this question of this text. But, perhaps, they or we, like the disciples, have misinterpreted Jesus once again.
Last week, we were told to “beware of the scribes” for they would try to devour the vulnerable to keep their places of honor and their positions of power.
And today, we are told to “beware of those who would lead us astray.” Those who would just as soon as say, “I am he! – “I am your savior” – “I alone can fix this” when times of trouble, division, and war come our way.
But “beware that no one leads you astray,” Jesus tells us.
Often, I think we hear this section on The Little Apocalypse and mistakenly read our own perceived “signs” into the story. As in, some around us have said… “look at all the famine and droughts we are experiencing. And look at these earthquakes and hurricanes causing incredible hardship and damage. And look at these wars between nations like Russia and Ukraine, Israel and Palestine… and look at all this infighting between kingdoms and parties, and how we divided we are. Surely then, these must be the signs that Jesus was talking about. That he is coming soon. Beware! For the End-Times are near!”
No doubt you’ve heard this elsewhere, from a pulpit, podium, or Facebook post.
But beware, my friends.
Beware of these Kirk Cameron types. Those who fantasize about End-Time prophecies. Who manufacture rumors of wars to get us all riled up. Who create trouble in our hearts and chaos in the streets as they use natural disasters, and sinful human nature, to sow deeper divisions within us all.
Beware of these people and voices, my friends!
These podcasts that would you lead you astray and away from the light. Steering you further from goodness, peace, and hope into a downward spiral of darkness, turmoil, and fear.
For Jesus tells us, “Do not be alarmed… this must take place… these things will take place, and the end is still later to come.”
As in, try (as hard as it is) not to be so alarmed… for these things have always taken place, will take place; and will unfortunately continue to take place in a fallen world. Nation will rise against nation, kingdom will go against kingdom, and party against party… just as it’s been since the days of Cain and Abel and will continue long after any Republicans or Democrats remain.
It’s a cold reality that we all must face. For life hasn’t and will never be perfect. Things will inevitably go wrong and spectacularly so. And acknowledging this is not only the beginning of wisdom but unfortunately also the start of the birth pangs.
But be on guard, Jesus is saying, be on guard so as not to listen to those who would try to capitalize on this reality – this fear; who get off on compounding your anxiety; and who would amplify what’s happening in the world so to try to convince you that you are better off following them instead of the only voice that should ever be followed – God’s own.
Beware, and remain strong, you people of God!
For while there are certainly HUGE problems that we all must face and deal with –things that we can’t deny or just blindly pray away — this has yet been the story of time, of creation.
There has always been light and shadow. Order and chaos. And an eternal struggle therein.
And while that’s not necessarily comforting – especially that Light just doesn’t trounce the darkness all the time — we must remember that we are not exceptional in time. But rather, we join millennia of ancestors who have also suffered. Who have also seen and heard and fought through rumors of wars and real divisions. And now it’s our turn, just as it’s been for these past years and generations before.
In Tolkien’s “Lord of the Rings,” Frodo Baggins confesses to the wizard Gandalf — “I wish the Ring had never come to me. I wish none of this had happened.
To which Gandalf responds: “So do all who live to see such times, but that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to us.”
So beware, my friends. And as best as we can, let us try to decide to remain strong. Rising above fear and those who would lead us astray either by keeping us afraid, tired, and weak, or saying that they alone will be our remedy and hope.
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6Hannah’s rival used to provoke her severely, to irritate her, because the Lord had closed her womb. 7So it went on year after year; as often as she went up to the house of the Lord, she used to provoke her. Therefore Hannah wept and would not eat. 8Her husband Elkanah said to her, ‘Hannah, why do you weep? Why do you not eat? Why is your heart sad? Am I not more to you than ten sons?’ …. “12 As she continued praying before the Lord, Eli [the priest] observed her mouth. 13Hannah was praying silently; only her lips moved, but her voice was not heard; therefore Eli thought she was drunk. 14So Eli said to her, ‘How long will you make a drunken spectacle of yourself? Put away your wine.’ 15But Hannah answered, ‘No, my lord, I am a woman deeply troubled; I have drunk neither wine nor strong drink, but I have been pouring out my soul before the Lord. 16Do not regard your servant as a worthless woman, for I have been speaking out of my great anxiety and vexation all this time.’” — 1 Samuel 1:6-8; 12-16
See! In Hannah we have a person who made that Gandalfian decision! A woman who would not be lead astray, and who decided what to do for herself in the time and environment she was given, even when powerful men would attempt to convince her otherwise.
She is praying. Just praying. With a little bit of tears and weeping (like some of you were shedding last week). And yet she is called a drunken spectacle by a priest. And she is asked “why be sad when you have me?” by her own dopey, narcissistic husband. But even so, she just wouldn’t be put in her place, would she? No! Not this strong woman. Not Hannah. For she was not and will never be a worthless, weak woman. But the exact opposite!
And in her decision to be strong, to refuse to be gaslit, called names, or outright silenced, she helps model before us what our own response should be when the powers and principalities of this world seek to vilify us for our resolve and our feelings.
My wife — who doesn’t get enough of my praise – sometimes struggles with anxiety and vexation, lacking confidence in herself and her voice. Living with an ancient chorus in her head of people who enjoyed telling her what to do and how to act. But like Hannah, she is such a strong woman.
Her story, which began in Kyiv, eventually took her out to Indiana. Where she met a guy who said, “I am he!” and who loved to tell her that she was worthless without him. “Why be sad when you have me?” He tried to lead her further astray by physically abusing her, attempting to keep her in a state of paralyzing weakness and fear. The stories are as awful as you can imagine.
But do you know what she one day said to him? “No! my lord…” and she left his ass and came to Doylestown. Where she not only reclaimed her life going back to school, but where she became a nurse to help others who feel trapped or helpless by diagnosis or injury.
My friends, there have been and will always be people who will want to lead us astray by keeping us stuck and afraid. Who will say whatever serves them best so to hurt us worse. Who will scream we’re just making drunken spectacles of ourselves if we ever dare to unfollow them for another voice.
But we must, my friends. We must try to find and follow that other voice.
So that when things go wrong, we might be strong enough to say “No! my lord…” For there is but one Lord. And his name ain’t yours, but Jesus Christ!
And He will always decide to liberate us rather than control us. And strengthen us rather than weaken us.
And thanks be to the LORD for that.
Amen.
