Last Will and Testament
(Dan.12:1-3; Heb.10:11-14; Mk.13:24-32)
When they realise that their days are numbered, most people like to ensure that their affairs are in order. This usually includes preparing a last will and testament.
It makes life so much easier for those they leave behind.
William Shakespeare did this. He left most of his property to his daughters, and to his wife he surprisingly left his second-best bed. [i]
In the Scriptures, too, several important figures gather their family or followers together in their last days, to give them their final testaments.
Jacob, for example, calls his twelve sons together to give each a blessing, and then he announces that Judah will next be ruling the family (Gen.49:1-28). In Deuteronomy 31-32, Moses knows he’s dying. He gathers the Israelites together, he sings God’s praises and encourages them all to stand firm in the faith, and he announces that Joshua will succeed him.
And in Mark’s Gospel today, Jesus knows his days are numbered. So, he calls his disciples together to give them one last teaching on what is to come.
Jesus warns them (and us) that the world as we know it will not last. But before it ends, there will be a period of terror, persecution and great distress. People will be betrayed, and there will be wars, earthquakes and famines. (See also Mt.24, Lk.21). The prophet Daniel describes some of this in our first reading today.
In these end-times, there will be cosmic upheavals, too – the sun will be darkened, the moon will fade, and stars will fall from the sky.
All this sounds quite frightening, but Jesus then adds a note of hope by promising to return, like a good shepherd, to gather the elect into one community, who will then live in peace. This parousia, Christ’s second coming, will mark the beginning of ‘a new heaven and a new earth’ (Rev.21:1), and the fulfilment of God’s plans for us.
But who are the elect? They are Jesus’ disciples, scattered across the globe. They are the people of God who lived their lives in faith, hope and love, and who tried to nurture some peace, justice and beauty in the world.
And when might all this happen? Jesus says that not even he knows, so don’t waste time trying to predict it. However, it’s important that we prepare ourselves.
How? By reading the signs. By learning to distinguish between what is of God and therefore essential, and what is merely fashionable and worldly. Some of these signs will be obvious, while others will be more subtle, like the sprouting leaves of a fig tree.
By mentioning the fig tree, Jesus is alluding to his famous parable in which a barren tree is given a second chance to bear fruit (Lk.13:6-9). Here, he’s making the point that we, too, need to be fruitful, for God is on his way. Are our hearts full of love, and are we truly ready to receive him?
Our challenge is not to predict the end of the world, but to start getting our lives in order. And in doing this, we need to remember that God knows us better than we know ourselves (Lk.12:7), so there’s no point trying to pretend. We must try to follow the Gospel, and live as though these days are our last.
Jesus’ last testament does not read like a legal document; it sounds more like apocalyptic poetry. But the things he is saying are no less important: you cannot put your faith in the powers of this world to give you the peace and security you need for the future. The world is going to end one day, and it’s important that we prepare ourselves.
Not long before my dear mother died, she gave me a little envelope with a handwritten note inside. It was a personal and loving farewell that included a little card, on which she had written out the beautiful little prayer known as ‘St Teresa’s Bookmark.’
St Teresa of Avila always kept this with her in her prayer book. It was found after her death in 1582.
These are good words to remember as we try to get our lives in order:
Let nothing disturb you,
Let nothing frighten you
All things are passing,
God never changes.
Patience obtains all things,
All that it strives for.
He who has God
Finds he lacks nothing.
God alone suffices.
[i] https://www.shakespeare.org.uk/explore-shakespeare/shakespedia/william-shakespeare/second-best-bed/