Book of Common Prayer Lectionary
Daniel 12:1-13
Psalm 16
Hebrews 10:31-39
Mark 13:1-8, 14-23

Revised Common Lectionary
Daniel 12:1-13 or

1 Samuel 1:4-20
Psalm 16 or

1 Samuel 2:1-10
Hebrews 10:11-25
Mark 13:1-8, 14-23

Reflection and Response
Prayer Starter

Today’s readings encourage us to hold fast to our faith, even in troubled times and persecution. Daniel speaks of a time of great trouble, through which the righteous will “shine like the stars.” The barren Hannah, the mother of Samuel (Alternative RCL), trusts in God to give her a son so she can give that son back to God. As the Day of the Lord approaches, the author of Hebrews tells us that our hard struggle with suffering will be rewarded. In today’s gospel, Mark assures us that—even in chaos—God remains in control.

First Reading: Daniel 12:1-13
The book of Daniel is an example of a kind of writing that flourished in the period between the Old Testament and the New Testament called apocalyptic literature. The name comes from a Greek word meaning to unveil, reveal, disclose. Such writing was common during periods of national or community tribulation, which are interpreted through signs and symbols to disclose the unseen reality of God’s purpose beneath the appearance of disaster.

The book of Daniel is attributed to a certain Daniel, who had been taken captive by the Babylonians (c. 605 B.C.) before the final fall of Jerusalem (586 B.C.). Many contemporary scripture scholars think that the book was actually written much later, during the fierce conflict triggered by Antiochus IV (175–164 B.C.), who desecrated the Jewish temple by setting up a heathen altar there. According to this view, many of the prophetic portions of the book are actually symbolic interpretations of the events then taking place.
Daniel 12:1-13
“At that time Michael, the great prince,
the protector of your people, shall arise.
There shall be a time of anguish,
such as has never occurred
since nations first came into existence.
But at that time your people shall be delivered,
everyone who is found written in the book.
Many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake,
some to everlasting life,
and some to shame and everlasting contempt.
Those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the sky,
and those who lead many to righteousness,
like the stars forever and ever.
But you, Daniel,
keep the words secret and the book sealed
until the time of the end.
Many shall be running back and forth,
and evil shall increase.”
Then I, Daniel, looked,
and two others appeared,
one standing on this bank of the stream and one on the other.
One of them said to the man clothed in linen, who was upstream,
“How long shall it be until the end of these wonders?” The man clothed in linen, who was upstream,
raised his right hand and his left hand toward heaven.
And I heard him swear by the one who lives forever
that it would be for a time, two times, and half a time,
and that when the shattering
of the power of the holy people comes to an end,
all these things would be accomplished.
I heard but could not understand; so I said,
“My lord, what shall be the outcome of these things?”
He said,
“Go your way, Daniel,
for the words are to remain secret
and sealed until the time of the end.
Many shall be purified, cleansed, and refined,
but the wicked shall continue to act wickedly.
None of the wicked shall understand,
but those who are wise shall understand.
From the time that the regular burnt offering is taken away
and the abomination that desolates is set up,
there shall be one thousand two hundred ninety days.
Happy are those who persevere
and attain the thousand three hundred thirty-five days.
But you, go your way, and rest;
you shall rise for your reward at the end of the days.”

Psalm: Psalm 16
This song of trust in God seems to be set in a context where some Israelites worship other gods (v. 4). Though the psalm is one of supplication, the petition itself takes only one half of a verse (v. 1). The remainder of the prayer is a meditation on the reasons the psalmist can turn to God in this time of need.
Psalm 16
Protect me, O God,
for in you I take refuge.

I say to the LORD, “You are my Lord;
I have no good apart from you.”

As for the holy ones in the land,
they are the noble, in whom is all my delight.

Those who choose another god
multiply their sorrows;
their drink offerings of blood I will not pour out
or take their names upon my lips.

The LORD is my chosen portion and my cup;
you hold my lot.

The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places;
I have a goodly heritage.

I bless the LORD who gives me counsel;
in the night also my heart instructs me.

I keep the LORD always before me;
because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved.

Therefore my heart is glad, and my soul rejoices;
my body also rests secure.

For you do not give me up to Sheol,
or let your faithful one see the Pit.

You show me the path of life.
In your presence there is fullness of joy;
in your right hand are pleasures forevermore.

Alternative First Reading: 1 Samuel 1:4-20 (RCL)

First Samuel focuses on the man who ushered Israel through the political transition from judges to kings. Samuel united in himself many of the roles of the tribal confederacy period of Israel’s history. He was a Nazirite dedicated to the Lord, a judge, a prophet, a priest and the reluctant leader of the movement to place a king over Israel.

Today’s reading tells the story of Samuel’s birth. Like Sarah before her (see Genesis 16), Samuel’s mother Hannah is barren and childless. Her barrenness was not only the source of private grief, but also brought public taunting from her husband’s other wife, who was fertile. In her desperation, she promises that if God will give her the gift of a son, she in turn will give her son as a gift to God.
1 Samuel 1:4-20
On the day when Elkanah sacrificed,
he would give portions to his wife Peninnah
and to all her sons and daughters;
but to Hannah he gave a double portion,
because he loved her,
though the LORD had closed her womb.
Her rival used to provoke her severely, to irritate her,
because the LORD had closed her womb.
So it went on year by year;
as often as she went up to the house of the LORD,
she used to provoke her.
Therefore Hannah wept and would not eat.
Her husband Elkanah said to her,
“Hannah, why do you weep?
Why do you not eat?
Why is your heart sad?
Am I not more to you than ten sons?”
After they had eaten and drunk at Shiloh,
Hannah rose and presented herself before the LORD.
Now Eli the priest was sitting on the seat beside the doorpost
of the temple of the LORD.
She was deeply distressed
and prayed to the LORD,
and wept bitterly.
She made this vow:
“O LORD of hosts,
if only you will look on the misery of your servant,
and remember me, and not forget your servant,
but will give to your servant a male child,
then I will set him before you
as a nazirite until the day of his death.
He shall drink neither wine nor intoxicants,
and no razor shall touch his head.”
As she continued praying before the LORD,
Eli observed her mouth.
Hannah was praying silently;
only her lips moved,
but her voice was not heard;
therefore Eli thought she was drunk.
So Eli said to her,
“How long will you make a drunken spectacle of yourself?
Put away your wine.”
But Hannah answered,
“No, my lord, I am a woman deeply troubled;
I have drunk neither wine nor strong drink,
but I have been pouring out my soul before the LORD.
Do not regard your servant as a worthless woman,
for I have been speaking out of my great anxiety
and vexation all this time.”
Then Eli answered,
“Go in peace;
the God of Israel grant the petition you have made to him.”
And she said,
“Let your servant find favor in your sight.”
Then the woman went to her quarters,
ate and drank with her husband,
and her countenance was sad no longer.
They rose early in the morning and worshiped before the LORD;
then they went back to their house at Ramah.
Elkanah knew his wife Hannah,
and the LORD remembered her.
In due time Hannah conceived and bore a son.
She named him Samuel, for she said,
“I have asked him of the LORD.”

Alternative Psalm: 1 Samuel 2:1-10 (RCL)

These verses are Hannah’s song of exultation, expressing her joy at being the recipient of the Lord’s gift of a child. Hannah knew first-hand what it meant for the needy to be raised up. Her barrenness was not only the source of private grief, but also brought public taunting from her husband’s other wife, who was fertile. Hannah knew too the joy of conceiving a child and this joy is poured out in her praise of God.
1 Samuel 2:1-10
Hannah prayed and said,
“My heart exults in the LORD;
my strength is exalted in my God.
My mouth derides my enemies,
because I rejoice in my victory.

“There is no Holy One like the LORD,
no one besides you;
there is no Rock like our God.

Talk no more so very proudly,
let not arrogance come from your mouth;
for the LORD is a God of knowledge,
and by him actions are weighed.

The bows of the mighty are broken,
but the feeble gird on strength.

Those who were full have hired themselves out for bread,
but those who were hungry are fat with spoil.
The barren has borne seven,
but she who has many children is forlorn.

The LORD kills and brings to life;
he brings down to Sheol and raises up.

The LORD makes poor and makes rich;
he brings low, he also exalts.

He raises up the poor from the dust;
he lifts the needy from the ash heap,
to make them sit with princes
and inherit a seat of honor.
For the pillars of the earth are the Lord’s,
and on them he has set the world.

“He will guard the feet of his faithful ones,
but the wicked shall be cut off in darkness;
for not by might does one prevail.

The LORD! His adversaries shall be shattered;
the Most High will thunder in heaven.
The LORD will judge the ends of the earth;
he will give strength to his king,
and exalt the power of his anointed.”

Second Reading: Hebrews 10:31-39 (BCP)
Today’s reading begins with the final verse of the author’s admonition on willful apostasy (10:26-31) and continues with an exhortation to persevere in the faith.

The recipients of this letter earlier underwent persecution and remained steadfast. They endured abuse and, despite the risk of imprisonment, aided those in prison. Now they are called to persevere in the face of discouragement and apathy. The memory of past endurance should inspire continuing steadfastness.
Hebrews 10:31-39 (BCP)
It is a fearful thing
to fall into the hands of the living God.
But recall those earlier days when,
after you had been enlightened,
you endured a hard struggle with sufferings,
sometimes being publicly exposed
to abuse and persecution,
and sometimes being partners with those so treated.
For you had compassion for those who were in prison,
and you cheerfully accepted
the plundering of your possessions,
knowing that you yourselves possessed
something better and more lasting.
Do not, therefore, abandon that confidence of yours;
it brings a great reward.
For you need endurance,
so that when you have done the will of God,
you may receive what was promised.
For yet “in a very little while,
the one who is coming will come and will not delay;
but my righteous one will live by faith.
My soul takes no pleasure in anyone who shrinks back.”
But we are not among those who shrink back
and so are lost,
but among those who have faith
and so are saved.

Second Reading: Hebrews 10:11-25 (RCL)
The author of Hebrews compares the work of the Levitical priest to the superior work of Jesus. The priest from Levi’s line had to offer sacrifices on a daily basis. These sacrifices, though symbolic of forgiveness through the shedding of blood, could not accomplish true purity. Jesus offered a different kind of sacrifice. The greatness of this one sacrifice attained perfection, not just outward cleansing, and assured eternal consecration. No further offering for sin is required.

In verses 19-25, the author draws out the implications of Jesus’ complete work. As to our relationship with God, nothing remains to obstruct our full communion. As to our spiritual lives, we hope for the approaching day of final judgment and full revelation. As to our relationships with others, we live to encourage and support one another.
Hebrews 10:11-25 (RCL)
And every priest stands day after day at his service,
offering again and again the same sacrifices
that can never take away sins.
But when Christ had offered for all time
a single sacrifice for sins,
“he sat down at the right hand of God,”
and since then has been waiting
“until his enemies would be made a footstool for his feet.”
For by a single offering
he has perfected for all time
those who are sanctified.
And the Holy Spirit also testifies to us,
for after saying,
“This is the covenant
that I will make with them after those days, says the Lord:
I will put my laws in their hearts,
and I will write them on their minds,”
he also adds,
I will remember their sins
and their lawless deeds no more.”
Where there is forgiveness of these,
there is no longer any offering for sin.
Therefore, my friends,
since we have confidence
to enter the sanctuary by the blood of Jesus,
by the new and living way
that he opened for us through the curtain
(that is, through his flesh),
and since we have a great priest over the house of God,
let us approach with a true heart in full assurance of faith,
with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience
and our bodies washed with pure water.
Let us hold fast
to the confession of our hope without wavering,
for he who has promised is faithful.
And let us consider
how to provoke one another to love and good deeds,
not neglecting to meet together,
as is the habit of some,
but encouraging one another,
and all the more as you see the Day approaching.

Gospel: Mark 13:1-8, 14-23
Chapter 13 of Mark is known as the “little apocalypse.” It is full of ominous signs and strong counsel. Mark has combined various sayings of Jesus related to events in the near and far future. Some have already come true, but because prophecy often has many applications, they may some day be fulfilled again in a deeper way.

Jesus’ disciples comment on the temple’s magnificence, which embodied for the Jews their religious hopes and identity. Yet this temple, finally finished in A.D. 64, was a pile of rubble after Titus’s invasion and devastation in A.D. 70. Jesus bids his disciples to turn from the apparent permanence and grandeur of the temple in order to place their trust in God’s sovereignty.

 The early Church suffered from conflicting fears that the end time had already come or that it would not come. Given Jesus’ prediction (v. 13:2), the Roman siege of Jerusalem and destruction of the temple (A.D. 66–70) may have prompted speculation that the second coming was imminent. Yet it is most important not to be misled by premature claims that Christ has come (13:6). False prophets were an endemic problem for the early Church. Mark’s conclusion in regard to Jesus’ second coming is: “Yes, not yet but soon—watch!”
Mark 13:1-8, 14-23
As he came out of the temple,
one of his disciples said to him,
“Look, Teacher, what large stones and what large buildings!”
Then Jesus asked him,
“Do you see these great buildings?
Not one stone will be left here upon another;
all will be thrown down.”
When he was sitting on the Mount of Olives
opposite the temple,
Peter, James, John, and Andrew asked him privately,
“Tell us, when will this be,
and what will be the sign
that all these things are about to be accomplished?”
Then Jesus began to say to them,
“Beware that no one leads you astray.
Many will come in my name and say,
‘I am he!’ and they will lead many astray.
When you hear of wars and rumors of wars,
do not be alarmed;
this must take place,
but the end is still to come.
For nation will rise against nation,
and kingdom against kingdom;
there will be earthquakes in various places;
there will be famines.
This is but the beginning of the birth pangs.
“But when you see the desolating sacrilege
set up where it ought not to be
(let the reader understand),
then those in Judea must flee to the mountains;
the one on the housetop must not go down
or enter the house to take anything away;
the one in the field must not turn back to get a coat.
Woe to those who are pregnant
and to those who are nursing infants in those days!
Pray that it may not be in winter.
For in those days there will be suffering,
such as has not been from the beginning of the creation
that God created until now,
no, and never will be.
And if the Lord had not cut short those days,
no one would be saved;
but for the sake of the elect,
whom he chose,
he has cut short those days.
And if anyone says to you at that time,
‘Look! Here is the Messiah!’
or ‘Look! There he is !’—
do not believe it.
False messiahs and false prophets will appear
and produce signs and omens,
to lead astray, if possible, the elect.
But be alert;
I have already told you everything.

Reflection and Response
One almost pities the preacher at a “feel good” church who must address today’s gospel. The good news, if it is present here at all, is veiled, and Mark’s language is cryptic because, in its original setting, it was too dangerous to speak forthrightly. At the most basic level, it offers us relief that our lives, chaotic as they may seem, are not caught up in the polarized atmosphere of war. Our brand of Christianity seems to come at a lesser cost.

So much for the token reassurance. The challenge of the gospel is to examine what we hold dear and to see if we count it more important than Christ. This chapter of Mark begins with the destruction of the temple. Imagine how the early Christians must have felt, when Jerusalem was still in many ways their spiritual home. The Jewish heritage and tradition had probably been handed as carefully to them as a precious heirloom passed from parent to child.

All that was threatened by their new religion, then lost when Roman armies demolished the temple. It does not require a great leap of the imagination to see them feeling abandoned and without direction. To his community and to us, Mark issues a warning: watch. Be cautious of simplistic solutions, of the desire to cling to possessions and security. Beware of even well-meaning political reformers who simply replace one form of domination with another. Christ alone is our new direction, our liberation and only security.

Quietly consider:
When am I most tempted to abandon my faith? What keeps me holding fast in the face of suffering, persecution or doubt?

Prayer Starter
“You show me the path of life. In your presence there is fullness of joy” (Psalm 16:11)...