“And Jesus began to say to them, “See that no one leads you astray. Many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am he!’ and they will lead many astray. And when you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be alarmed. This must take place, but the end is not yet. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be earthquakes in various places; there will be famines. These are but the beginning of the birth pains.”
— Mark 13:5–8, ESV
When I was younger (in my early 20’s), I was all about studying the “End Times,” and many of my Christian friends were as well. We could see wars and conflicts springing up around the globe, and we were convinced that the end must be near. We struggled to fit every new bit of news about what was happening in the world into our picture of what the “End Times” entailed. As I got older, I began to realize that this passage was originally written to people living about 2,000 years ago, and Jesus expected that his hearers, as well as those who came after them, would experience what he was talking about. Consequently, I started to look at this passage from a different perspective. I now think this passage serves as an encouragement and a warning to all of us who follow Christ down through the ages.
A Warning: Many Will Be Led Astray by Distortions of the Gospel
The warning portion of this passage is summed up in the phrase “see that no one leads you astray.” Jesus is speaking of people who are claiming to be representatives of Jesus and the Kingdom of God. They are claiming to have authority or inside knowledge of the way that things should be. They may even claim that their vision for the future of humanity is the only one that is correct, and they may even paint a picture of the future that seems to be based on Christian principles and some carefully selected Scriptures. In reality, they are offering us a distortion of the gospel of the Kingdom of God that Jesus preached and taught.
Given the current climate in our culture, I know that many of you will immediately think of political parties and candidates as the culprits here, but the deceivers Jesus is speaking of inhabit all areas of our culture and society. Companies offer us descriptions of the “good life.” Media entities offer us competing definitions of what it means to be human and what attitudes and behaviors constitute a normal existence. I could go on, but suffice it to say that the voices that are trying to define what our lives should look like are legion. They permeate the culture we live in just as they permeated the culture of Jesus’ time, and Jesus claims they will lead many astray.
An Encouragement: All This Is Normal as God’s Kingdom Breaks into Our World
The encouragement in this verse is that all of this is normal. Wars, natural disasters, famines, etc. are all things that show that creation is giving birth to a new kingdom, the Kingdom of God, and there is opposition to that happening from both the world and our own sinful natures.
It may seem to us like the world is about to fall apart at the seams, but all of the disasters we worry about have been common throughout history. While the troubles that are described here are very real, we should not give up hope. These problems are to be expected as God’s kingdom is slowly breaking into this world.
Living the Simple — Yet Difficult — Counter-cultural Life
So, what are we to do? I would suggest that our first step, as we seek to counter the voices claiming authority they do not really have, would be to live out the message we have been taught by Jesus. The gospel message Jesus and the apostles preached is inherently counter-cultural and radical in any setting. It goes against the grain of politics, materialism, commercialism, etc. Therefore, we should evaluate what we are hearing against that message. Does what we are hearing help or encourage us to grow deeper in Christ? Does it align with the gospel Jesus and the apostles proclaimed? Does it help us to fulfill the mission of the church? Does it cause us to love our neighbor? Love our enemies? Does it help us forgive those who have wronged us? Encourage us to seek forgiveness from those we have wronged? If not, we should be wary of what is being sold.
My second suggestion would be to keep our priorities centered on what Jesus has taught us. When asked what was the most important of the commandments, Jesus replied, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. That is the greatest, the first commandment. The second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ Everything in the law and the prophets hangs on these two commandments” (Mt 22:36-40, REB).
It sounds simple: love God and love your neighbor. However, I can tell you from experience, it is often difficult. Yet, I firmly believe that if we can work toward these two things, the noise from those claiming to have all the answers will recede in our lives, and we will have a greater chance of living at peace with all and walking closer with God. As the prophet Micah says, “He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?” (Micah 6:8).