{"id":4459,"date":"2018-11-13T14:26:54","date_gmt":"2018-11-13T14:26:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/batkol.info\/?p=4459"},"modified":"2018-11-13T14:26:54","modified_gmt":"2018-11-13T14:26:54","slug":"reflections-on-the-readings-for-the-33rd-sunday-of-the-year","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ratisbonne.org.il\/bk\/2018\/11\/13\/reflections-on-the-readings-for-the-33rd-sunday-of-the-year\/","title":{"rendered":"REFLECTIONS ON THE READINGS FOR THE 33rd SUNDAY OF THE YEAR"},"content":{"rendered":"
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REFLECTIONS ON THE READINGS FOR THE 33rd \u00a0SUNDAY OF THE YEAR,<\/strong><\/p>\n

18th November 2018\u00a0 \u00a0CYCLE B<\/strong><\/p>\n

Daniel 12:1-3;\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Psalm 15: 5, 8-11;\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Hebrews 10:11-14, 18;\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Mark 13:24-32<\/strong><\/p>\n

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\"\"In the Book of Daniel, which is our first reading today, God is seen as the omnipotent lord who controls history, setting up and removing earthly rulers and empires, but who also rescues the Eternal One\u2019s people from the power of those kings.\u00a0 The \u201cvisions\u201d of chapters 7-12 of Daniel focus on that future.\u00a0 Today, we read from chapter 12, where the notion of \u2018resurrection\u2019 is explicitly affirmed.\u00a0 This is the only place in the Hebrew Bible where there is a clear statement of belief in life after death, although such a belief subsequently spread, until it finally became orthodox Jewish doctrine.\u00a0 Among those to live forever, the \u201cwise\/learned\u201d have a special place.\u00a0 The language of \u201cwise\u201d and \u201cmaking many righteous\u201d is derived from the description of the Servant in Isaiah 52-3.\u00a0 Wisdom almost becomes equated with righteousness.\u00a0 The notion of a hidden book, revealed just before the end time, is a common feature of such apocalyptic literature, usually composed under critical historical circumstances \u2013 in the case of Daniel, the Maccabean war against the Syrians.\u00a0 Daniel wrote before Israel\u2019s victory, around 167 BCE, and his aim was to comfort and strengthen the fainthearted.<\/p>\n

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Our reading from Mark\u2019s Gospel is also an apocalyptic passage.\u00a0 Chapter 13 of Mark is unlike any other section of the gospel, following a unifying theme, setting out future events right up to the end of time when Christ will come again. The background to this overall theme is found in Jewish apocalyptic writing, particularly Daniel 7-12.\u00a0 In such apocalyptic writing, the secrets of the universe are revealed \u2013 usually in the form of a vision, attributed to some great figure in the past. A speech of this kind, placed on the lips of a great man at the very end of his life has literary precedents elsewhere, for example, in Deuteronomy 32, when Moses addresses the people shortly before his death.\u00a0 Chapter 13 of Mark falls into three sections:\u00a0 the birth pangs; the tribulation; and the End.\u00a0 Today we read from the last of these.\u00a0 Throughout chapter 13, Mark is more concerned to warn his readers about the dangers in store and to urge them to be prepared for a long struggle than to encourage them by suggesting that the End is near.\u00a0 Those who first heard the gospel read could hardly hear these words without realizing that the warnings were addressed to them.\u00a0 The purpose of the whole of Mark 13 seems to be to urge inaction rather than action, for its overall theme is that the time is not yet, although the final section which we read today comes closest to representing Jesus\u2019 own attitude.\u00a0 It is understandable if an original message which ran \u2018Be prepared, watch:\u00a0 the Kingdom of God may come at any time\u2019 encouraged the early Christian community to expect an imminent end to the world.\u00a0 As time went by, a new warning was needed in a situation of over-enthusiasm:\u00a0 \u2018Don\u2019t get too excited:\u00a0 the End is near \u2013 but not as near as all that.\u2019\u00a0 The overall message is a warning that there may be more suffering in store \u2013 a familiar enough theme in a gospel which has emphasized that following Jesus means taking up the cross.\u00a0 But Mark encourages his readers by his confidence in the final coming of the Son of man in glory, bringing victory not only for the Son of man but also for the ordinary faithful.\u00a0 We should certainly not take the message of the readings from Mark and from Daniel as one of doom but rather of hope.\u00a0 As individuals, we have to \u2018read the signs\u2019 of our own times, putting our trust in the all-merciful God, revealed in both the Jewish and Christian Scriptures.\u00a0 Each of us is precious, each of our lives is intensely meaningful, and the way we live our God-given lives is of the greatest importance.\u00a0 One day we will have to render an account of our lives\u00a0 – to our all-merciful God.<\/p>\n

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In our reading from the Letter to the Hebrews, there is a looking towards the end times, which dominates the final chapters of Hebrews and is also the dominant theme of Mark 13.\u00a0 Christ is seen to have \u201cachieved the eternal perfection of all whom he is sanctifying\u201d.\u00a0 The present tense of the verb, \u201cis sanctifying\u201d, implies that the process is a continuing one for the community of Christian believers.\u00a0 We are all on this journey together and need the encouragement given in Mark\u2019s Gospel to sustain us.<\/p>\n

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We read some verses from Psalm 15 today and here again, there seems to be the hope, at least, in a life after death:\u00a0 \u201c\u2026you will not leave my soul among the dead, nor let your beloved know decay\u201d.\u00a0 However, the psalmist\u2019s concern is with this life rather than with death and beyond.\u00a0 The contrast here is between life with God and life without God, who shows us \u201cthe path of life, the fullness of joy in God\u2019s presence\u201d.\u00a0 What is important for us is to \u201ckeep the Lord ever in our sight\u201d.<\/p>\n

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This week\u2019s Sunday Readings Commentary was prepared by<\/p>\n

Sr Margaret Shepherd, NDS, London, UK<\/p>\n

margaretashepherd@gmail.com<\/p>\n

[Copyright \u00a9 2018]<\/p>\n

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PLEASE NOTE: The weekly Gospel commentaries represent the research and creative thought of their authors, and are meant to stimulate deeper thinking about the meaning of the Sunday Scriptures. While they draw upon the study methods and sources employed by the Bat Kol Institute, the views and conclusions expressed in these commentaries are solely those of their authors, and do not necessarily represent the views of Bat Kol. \u00a0Questions, comments and feedback are always welcome.<\/p>\n

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Bat Kol Institute for Jewish Studies, Jerusalem<\/p>\n

1983-2018<\/p>\n

\u201cChristians Studying the Bible within its Jewish milieu, using Jewish Sources.\u201d<\/p>\n

gill@batkol.info Website: www.batkol.info<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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REFLECTIONS ON THE READINGS FOR THE 33rd \u00a0SUNDAY OF THE YEAR, 18th November 2018\u00a0 \u00a0CYCLE B Daniel 12:1-3;\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Psalm 15: 5, 8-11;\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Hebrews 10:11-14, 18;\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Mark 13:24-32 Download   In the Book of Daniel, which is our first reading today, God is seen as the omnipotent lord who controls history, setting up and removing earthly…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":46,"featured_media":4451,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ghostkit_customizer_options":"","ghostkit_custom_css":"","ghostkit_custom_js_head":"","ghostkit_custom_js_foot":"","ghostkit_typography":"","_coblocks_attr":"","_coblocks_dimensions":"","_coblocks_responsive_height":"","_coblocks_accordion_ie_support":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ratisbonne.org.il\/bk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4459"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ratisbonne.org.il\/bk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ratisbonne.org.il\/bk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ratisbonne.org.il\/bk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/46"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ratisbonne.org.il\/bk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4459"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.ratisbonne.org.il\/bk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4459\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ratisbonne.org.il\/bk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4451"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ratisbonne.org.il\/bk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4459"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ratisbonne.org.il\/bk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4459"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ratisbonne.org.il\/bk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4459"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}