Mark

13:32-37

Entering the promised land, 11:1-16:20

3. Prophecies concerning the kingdom of Israel,13:1-37

v] Be prepared for the coming day

In the concluding section of Mark's "little apocalypse", Jesus encourages his disciples to "watch", to be prepared as the day of the Lord's "coming" draws near. The passage is a call to vigilance; "keep awake."

The passage consists of stitched sayings and an illustrative parable, bound together by the common theme of watchfulness in the face of the coming day, the end of all things. The usual stitching links are used to aid oral transmission: v32, know; v33, know / watch; v34, watch / door; v35-36, doorkeeper / watch; v37, watch.

N.T. Wright argues that in this passage Jesus is still addressing the destruction of the temple, this against most commentators who argue that he is speaking about the not yet, of the end of all things, of the final "abomination", of judgment. In fact, most commentators take a futuristic view of some, if not all, of the proceeding verses. France argues that v1-31 are focused on the destruction of the temple, and only in v32-37 does Jesus look beyond his immediate circumstance to the parousia. Indeed, Jesus may have lifted his eyes beyond the immediate circumstance of the temple's destruction, given the "dramatic shift in perspective from signs to no signs, from knowing to not knowing", Boring. Yet, as already argued in these notes, what Jesus says of the now applies to the not yet, ie. prophecy is multi-layered. From the perspective of the prophet, the prophecy is fulfilled in the present, but it is also fulfilled in the future. "The destruction of the temple serves as a mysterious paradigm of the parousia", Edwards. See the introductory notes in Mark 13:28-31 for an interpretive perspective of chapter 13.

In this first saying Jesus makes the point that no one, neither prophets nor angels, not even Jesus himself, knows ekeinhV "that" particular day or hour. Given the context, the singular demonstrative pronoun "that" most likely refers to the destruction of the temple which was the focus of the disciples' question in v4, cf. "know that it is near", v29. Of course, the parousia is also in view. See above. Concern has been expressed over Jesus not knowing the exact date of the temple's destruction, but is best explained "as a necessary part of [Jesus] participation in the limitations of human existence", Marcus.

de "-" - A collection of independent sayings is often stitched with a particle, or conjunction, and so not translated. Yet, an adversative is possible; "but about that day or hour no one knows", NRSV. Jesus may well be saying that the destruction of the temple/Jerusalem will be in the lifetime of "this generation", but the exact "day or hour" is no known, cf. v30.

peri "-" - about, concerning. "As for the day or hour", Cassirer.

hJmeraV ekeinhV "that day" - this is an Old Testament technical term often used for a day of divine judgment. In this setting it refers to the destruction of the temple/Jerusalem, and by implication, the parousia. The addition of the "hour" emphasizes the New Testament theme of the unexpected and sudden coming of the Son of man.

oiden (oida) perf. "knows" - The clarity of "no one knows" should put an end to predictive speculation, although there are still many believers who enjoy this fruitless pastime. Given that not even "the Son" knows the date we are best to leave it as an unknown.

oJ uiJoV "the Son" - This is the only time the shortened title "the Son" is used in Mark. Marcus suggests that it has "a subordinationist ring." Some commentators regard this phrase as an addition to the text.

In the next saying Jesus makes the point that "the disciples ignorance of the date of the Parousia is not an excuse for being unprepared, but a reason (gar) for unceasing vigilance", Cranfield.

blepete (blepw) pres. imp. "be on guard" - beware. "Keep your eyes open, keep on the alert", Phillips.

agrupneite (agrupnew) pres. imp. "be alert!" - be wakeful, alert, vigilant.... As opposed to sleepy. The question is, of course, in what sense is the believer to be alert, on the lookout? The best guess is that being "on guard" and "alert", "vigilant", means being prepared. We must be prepared for an unexpected and sudden return of Christ. Of course, we must then ask in what sense should we be prepared? Possibly faith, but there are numerous other suggestions, usually in the terms of "faithfulness".

gar "-" - Introducing a causal clause; "For you do no know when the crucial moment will come", Barclay.

estin (eimi) "[when the time] will come" - is. "You don't know the timetable", Peterson.

A short pericope is now added to develop the exhortation for watchfulness in v33. It consists of an illustrative parable, v34, an explanation of the parable, v35, and an application in the form of a warning, v36. This teaching unit may have been constructed from different sources, so Nineham, but is best read as a unified whole. The unit teaches that the future belongs to God such that "every present moment is transformed and renewed in the light of that future since it becomes the very moment in which God may surprise men by his coming", Anderson.

wJV "[it is] like" - Serving to introduce a simile / parable. "As / like" = "the coming of the Son [of Man] is like the situation where ....."

anqrwpoV (oV) "a man" - Functioning as the subject of a rather complex sentence, although making a simple point. The main verb does not appear until well into the sentence; "a man ........ commanded." In between there is i] an adjective which limits "man", "a man away on a trip". May best be translated as a relative clause; ii] a clause made up of two attendant circumstance participles expressing action accompanying the verb "commanded", "a man .... having left his house and having given [responsibility for it] to his slaves ..... commanded". TH suggests that the participles are adjectival, "a man ....... who had left ......."; iii] a clause in apposition to the previous clause, but without a verb, lit. "the authority to each his work" = "[having given] authority to each [slave to administer] his work/business." Finally we come to the main clause, "a man ....... commanded the door-keeper", obviously one slave in particular who is given a special job. The sentence concludes with a dependent statement expressing what the man commanded the door-keeper to do, "that he keep watch" = "keep watch."

apodhmoV adj. "[a man] going away" - on a journey. "A man who was away on a trip."

afeiV (afihmi) aor. part. "he leaves" - having left. He commissions his slaves to look after his affairs; "having left his property and given its management to his servants", Weymouth.

thn exousian (a) "[each with his assigned task]" - [to each one] the authority [of his work]. This third clause stands in apposition to the second; "[And having given] to each one his special duty", Weymouth.

eneteilato (entellomai) aor. + dat. "tells" - commands, orders.

tw/ qurwrw/ (oV) "the one at the door" - the door-keeper, porter. Dative of direct object following the verb "command". This person guarded the entrance of the courtyard to a wealthy home or combined homes.

iJna + subj. "to [keep watch]" - that [he should keep watch, be alert]. This construction here forms a dependent statement of commanding. The doorkeeper is to keep watch. "Commands the doorkeeper to be on the watch", NRSV.

oun "therefore" - Drawing a conclusion

grhgoreite pres. imp. act. "keep watch" - you watch. Like the guard we must keep watch (for the coming of a thief or the return of the master. Note the echoes of a number of end-time parables in this illustration), cf. v37. We must be prepared for the coming of the Son of Man. The problem is defining what Jesus means by being watchful, by being prepared, by being alert. Many commentators argue that Jesus is calling for "faithful service", active watchfulness, rather than passive waiting, eg. "in Mark's view particularly, the responsibility of the world wide promulgation of the gospel", Anderson. Given the dire warnings against "sleeping", if we adopt the faithfulness tact we end up with a justification and/or sanctification by works scenario. Salvation is by grace through faith and therefore watchfulness, preparedness, must necessarily be a reliance on this one and only means of salvation, namely the grace of God through faith in Christ. In simple terms, we must not take our eyes off Jesus. One easy way for a believer to get into "sleeping" is to start thinking that their faithful behavior secures their standing in the sight of God and/or progresses their Christian life. cf. Gal.3:1-5.

gar "for" - Introducing a causal clause. Since we do not know the hour or the day we must be constantly prepared.

h] "whether" - Used 4 times so "either .... or .... or ..... or ....." Here identifying the four Roman watches of the night.

elqwn (erxomai) aor. act. part. "if he comes" - having come. The participle is adverbial, probably temporal, "when he comes", but possibly conditional, as NIV, "beware unless he should arrive unexpectedly", Weymouth.

exaifnhV adv. "suddenly" - suddenly, immediately. Note again the stress on a sudden return.

mh .... euJrh (euJriskw) aor. sub. act. "do not let him find [you]" - not ... he finds. Probably a subjunctive of prohibition, as NIV, or possibly expressing a doubtful assertion, "otherwise he might come unexpectedly and find you sound asleep", Phillips .

kaqeudontaV (kaqeudw) part. "sleeping" - The participle is adjectival, limiting "you". There is vigilance/watching, or sleeping - a being prepared, or unprepared. "He finds you asleep", Moffatt.

This saying serves to sum up the theme of watchfulness covered in v32-37. Cranfield suggests it sums up the whole discourse from v5 onward. As already noted, "being alert" is best understood as maintaining faith in Christ and this because Christ's coming (best understood as a coming in judgment) will consume all who are without faith. Other suggestions have been offered, eg. Marcus suggests an attitude of eschatological vigilance which keeps an eye on the signs of the time. He also suggests an eye to "the eschatological drama of Jesus life, which is about to unfold in the gripping conclusion of the gospel." Edwards suggest a constant readiness in obedience; "Christian are to be about their masters work", Edwards; believers are to be "on the job", Hurtado.

pasin "everyone" - "What I say to you [apostles]" is widened to "everyone", all disciples in all ages.

grhgoreite (grhgorew) pres. imp. "Watch!" - keep awake, be alert, watch out, take heed, be vigilant.

Mark Introduction

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