Mark 13:32-37
Find a way to separate yourself from whatever’s going on around you so you can fully enter into today’s passage. if you haven’t read the introduction to Mark’s Gospel, read it here.
Before you begin today, look back over Mark 13:3-31. Then read Mark 13:32-37.
As we saw yesterday, prophetic messages from God bend the boundaries of time as we know it, so only God knows when each part of a prophecy will be fulfilled. In today’s reading, Jesus is calling his followers to be both watchful and at work on his mission to restore shalom to people and to the earth. To be overly focused on signs and signals will distract from the work at hand. But being completely consumed with the work at hand without an awareness of the surrounding culture can blind us to opportunities to spread shalom in meaningful ways.
Read Mark 13:32-37 again noting the warning in verse 36.
We can easily become discouraged and even apathetic when the days of our lives seem to fall into an uninterrupted pattern. In such times we can simply “fall asleep” to our purpose as followers of Jesus forgetting that the time we have is limited. When we find ourselves weary of the routine it’s time to reevaluate and take a fresh look at the world around us.
But for followers of Jesus, a balance between watching and working is critical. If we spend too much time watching the culture around us, we can get caught up in cultural conflict and chaos and “fall asleep” to our purpose as Jesus’ followers. Excessive focus on culture can cause us to become cynical, fearful or contentious.
At present, are you more focused on culture watching or on working for Jesus?
In what specific ways are you seeking to spread shalom in the current cultural moment? Could Jesus be calling you to get creative about spreading shalom to the people around you?
What are some ways you could remain centered on Jesus as you watch the culture around you while continuing to work with Jesus on his mission?
Take a few minutes to talk and listen to Jesus about balancing watching and working. If you sense Jesus inviting you to do something specific, write it down and make a plan for taking a first step.
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