Hope

Mark 13:24-37

Mark writes this Gospel perhaps with the knowledge of the destruction of the temple.  He writes earlier in the chapter Jesus’ prophecy of its destruction, thus Mark is aware of the great importance that destruction would be had it happened or not when the Gospel was originally written.  For many it would have been a “sign” of the end of the world.  Either way then as there are today many “signs” of the end of the world as Jesus refers to, but he makes it clear that only the Father knows.  Jesus even admits He does not.  It is important to understand that Jesus is pastorally telling us that there is a triumphant end, but not for us to worry about when, but to be vigilant in all we do.

Currently there are many lists in preparation for Christmas.  The children’s lists filled with toys, and the adults with purchasing said toys, decorating, cooking, parties, gifts, etc.  It can be a stressful time, and during the season we use the word hope, a lot.  But we often confuse it with wish.  First of all let us look at the proper grammar of the two words.  If you say, I wish to pass the exam, you are saying you would like to. If you say, I hope to pass the exam, you are confident of that result.  Truly we intermix these words all the time.  The children may hope for a toy, and it may be true they are confident Santa (or a parent) will come through, but they may still say hope for the present they are certainly not getting.  And vice versa. 

Let us explore how we mix these words in a deeper and harder reality than Christmas lists.  I knew a woman who was a victim/survivor of domestic violence.  She shared many horrible aspects of the situation, including her own family origin.  She is certainly not to blame, and would hope to the violence would end, or if things were going well that it had.  She was honestly wishing not hoping at that time, for she hoped as if it would happen without any other changes to her situation.  She was terrified of the financial and social realities of leaving him, and thus was wishing for it to stop.  But almost as if the wish came true, she understood what hope was, to be able to imagine the future without violence, and that included the scary steps.  First a shelter, therapy, a job, but hope was knowing the future without violence and seeing the little things along the way.

Such it is with families with military oversees.  They don’t wish them home, they hope for their return.  Knowing it through the small gestures of remembering the loved one, and thus even if the reality is a return under a flag, they know the greater victory.

Jesus is asking us to be hopeful people, not wishful people.  We know the eventual outcome and we act as if it has happened.  That is what His resurrection is; the victory over death and sin.  We live connecting the small visible resurrection moments together moving toward the great victory.  That is living in hope, that is being vigil and awake.  The guard at the master’s house cannot just sit down on the porch swing and close his eyes, wishing he will hear the twig snap, the guard is to be alert looking out and searching for the moments of resurrection as that brings them together.  We “Keep Awake” and we do that with Hope.