Little Apocalypse

Is Mark 13 about the end of the world and the return of Jesus?

November 10, 2021November 8, 2021 by Ian Paul

The Sunday lectionary reading for the Second Sunday before Advent in Year B is Mark 13.1–8. This feels a little odd, in that we last visited Mark 13 all the way back last Advent, when this lectionary year was just beginning, and the reading is quite truncated and only really makes sense when the chapter … Continue Reading

How does the ‘Little Apocalypse’ in Luke 21 relate to us?

November 3, 2021November 15, 2019 by Ian Paul

Sunday’s gospel lectionary reading (Second before Advent, Year C) is Luke 21.5–19. As usual, we need to read on to put this text in its context to understand both the text itself and how it compares with its parallels in Mark and Matthew. The opening of the discourse, which stimulates the whole narrative, is the … Continue Reading