DYNAMIS!
A publication of St. George Orthodox Christian Cathedral
Wichita, KS
St. Mark 13:9-13
(2/18)
Gospel for Monday of the Week of the Prodigal Son
Counting
the Cost: St. Mark 13:9-13, especially vs. 13: “But
he who endures to the end shall be saved.” In today’s Gospel the
Lord Jesus warns of the possible consequences in one’s life and family
relationships for professing Christ.
He begins with a blunt caution: “watch out for yourselves”
(vs. 9). Later in this same
chapter, He again admonishes and urges keeping alert and watchful for His
return (vss. 33,35,37).
Skim through this Gospel and notice that the specifics of the Lord
Jesus’ warnings parallel, step by step, what later occurred to Him in His
Passion, events described in the following chapters (Mk. 14-15). Then, glance ahead, notice that the final teachings of our Lord in
this Gospel transition directly into the plot against Him in St. Mark
14:1-2. In love, the Lord is
warning us to count in advance the cost of discipleship and the price of our
salvation.
The sufferings of the Lord Jesus in His Passion, as well as the
afflictions that countless martyrs and confessors have endured, pose a serious
question: “Why follow Christ if arrest, beating, interrogation, public
confession, betrayal, hatred, and execution are possibilities?” Let us be forthright: there are many
answers to such a question, but the true answer is salvation - your eternal
life (vs. 13). If you call yourself
a Christian, heed St. Makarios of
As the Lord Jesus advises, count the cost of discipleship in advance, (Lk. 14:28-30).
As you do, you might come to admit that there are real, tangible
benefits for deciding against discipleship. Uninhibited pleasures in this life are
the principle reason for deciding against real Faith. However, you should also examine the
ineffable benefits of the salvation to which you are called. Genuine humanity is found only in
Christ. Deliverance from sin and
eternal death is of incalculable worth, beyond all measure. Even union with God becomes a radiant
possibility.
The world offers what can be touched, consumed, held, and tasted. Committing to Christ can often imply
forgoing momentary pleasures.
However, when one looks at the confusion, bitterness, and sterility that
so often accompany unbridled indulgence, the promises of the Gospel - love,
hope, faith, life, light, integrity, and purity - shine very brightly.
Having looked at the “why” of being Christ’s disciple,
we must also look, with the Lord Jesus, at what may have to be endured to be
saved. Loyalty to Him may require
resisting social consensus (vs. 9), advocating for the Gospel (vss. 10-11), or denying some family demands (vs. 12). Such resistance, such taking of a stand,
may exact a price ranging from loss of life to the surrender of some mere
trifle. Make no mistake: our
secular culture constantly presses against loyalty to Christ, incessantly
demanding that we defend our beliefs, values, and practices. These pressures are the essential price
of enduring “to the end,” in order to be saved (vs. 13).
Finally, how long may you have to endure if you stand for Christ? In one respect, the answer is
simple. Until the
“end.” And when
is that? The Apostle teaches that
“it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment”
(Heb. 9:27). In other words, we
have to endure until we are judged.
And so we pray for “a Christian ending to our life, painless,
blameless, peaceful; and a good defense before the
dread Judgment Seat of Christ.”
Yea, let my humble heart be lighted by Thy fear lest it rise and fall
from Thee, O all compassionate One.
Purify me before Thou raisest me from this place.
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