Mark 13:37 … Remaining Awake (02/26/17)
“Be alert; I have already told you everything … Heaven & Earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away … And what I say to all: Keep Awake.” ~ Jesus (Mark 13:23, Mark 13:31, & Mark 13:37)
That the Earth is fundamentally impermanent and inevitably passes away is a Truth known by every Master – Jesus included (see Matthew 24:35, Mark 13:2 et al). Of course, his statement here that “Heaven” could also “pass away” is a bit more problematic, and yet we should remember two things when considering the same:
First, that Heaven for Jesus was an internal reality (see his comments on “the Kingdom of God” in Luke 17:20-21), which is why it too can “pass away” (the Greek “pareleusontai” – Strong’s #3828, which actually means “to pass out of sight”) once one’s physical body dies and no longer contains the same … and
Second, note that the Greek word used for “Heaven” here was not related to a spiritual paradise, but rather meant “the heavens” or “the sky above” (the Greek “ouranos” — Strong’s #3772), a conglomeration of material entities that indeed will one day all “pass away” as well.
In addition, note that Jesus is telling his listeners here to “Be alert” (see also Matthew 22:42, Matthew 25, Matthew 26:40-41, Luke 21:34-36, John 12:34-36 et al) – a state of clear awareness that was a key prerequisite to walking his Way; the re-cognition of the Truth of Oneness that we have known since our conception …
And note as well that he says here that he has already told his disciples everything – essentially (for literalists, at least) that we need only look to his words as found in the Scriptures to know all there is to know about his Way of Selfless Service (see John 13:15-17 & Matthew 25:35-40 et al) and his Truth of unconditional Love (see Matthew 5:40-44 & Matthew 18:21-22 et al) and his Life of Joy-full elf-sacrifice (“Take up your cross and follow [my Way]” ~ Matthew 16:24) …
And there is indeed no need to speculate on what else he might have said or what else he might have learned or where else he might have traveled or even where he might have gone after his crucifixion. The words he offered during his ministry were more than enough for anyone to find The Way – at least anyone humble enough to See that Way within those words, and courageous enough to leap onto that Way by setting the same into motion (see John 12:47-48 et al).
Amen … Let it be so.
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