What will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?

As Jesus came out of the temple and was going away, his disciples came to point out to him the buildings of the temple. Then he asked them, ‘You see all these, do you not? Truly I tell you, not one stone will be left here upon another; all will be thrown down.’

When he was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately, saying, ‘Tell us, when will this be, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?’ Jesus answered them, ‘Beware that no one leads you astray. For many will come in my name, saying, “I am the Messiah!” and they will lead many astray. And you will hear of wars and rumours of wars; see that you are not alarmed; for this must take place, but the end is not yet. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places: all this is but the beginning of the birth pangs.

‘Then they will hand you over to be tortured and will put you to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of my name. Then many will fall away, and they will betray one another and hate one another. And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray. And because of the increase of lawlessness, the love of many will grow cold. But anyone who endures to the end will be saved. And this good news of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the world, as a testimony to all the nations; and then the end will come.

- Matthew 24:1-14

In yesterday's reading, which was the end of a long critique of the scribes and Pharisees (see also readings for Wednesday and Thursday), Jesus began a prophetic note about what was to come in Jerusalem. Today he expands on that beginning, and this discourse will continue through the next few days as we go through this chapter of Matthew's gospel. In our reading today, he begins to tell his disciples what is to come, and to prepare them (and those who will follow them) for the future of the Church and the times of the world.

In the first paragraph of today's reading, Jesus' predicts the destruction of the temple: "As Jesus came out of the temple and was going away, his disciples came to point out to him the buildings of the temple. Then he asked them, ‘You see all these, do you not? Truly I tell you, not one stone will be left here upon another; all will be thrown down.' " This was to happen in A.D. 70, during the Siege of Jerusalem.

In the second paragraph of our reading above, Jesus and his disciples are sitting on the Mount of Olives. They are looking out over the city of Jerusalem as they speak. "When he was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately, saying, 'Tell us, when will this be, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?' Jesus answered them, ‘Beware that no one leads you astray. For many will come in my name, saying, “I am the Messiah!” and they will lead many astray. And you will hear of wars and rumours of wars; see that you are not alarmed; for this must take place, but the end is not yet. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places: all this is but the beginning of the birth pangs.' " In this beginning of Jesus' discourse on the end of the age, Jesus begins with a description of the immediate events which will happen in and around Jerusalem following his death. The reference in verse 6 to wars and rumours of wars is not to the wars of the world which will happen over the centuries, but to wars in Jerusalem.

My study bible notes that the question about signs and persecutions is connected in Matthew's gospel with the sign of Jesus' coming and the end of the age. The disciples hope for the expected earthly kingdom, which they assume will appear almost immediately. We must keep in mind that Jesus knows all of this, and so is preparing them for what is to come. He is warning his disciples to beware: not to be seduced by false prophets and deceivers, not to be overcome by the violence and afflictions which they will experience and witness, nor to stumble by betrayal of those who are false within the church.

"Then they will hand you over to be tortured and will put you to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of my name. Then many will fall away, and they will betray one another and hate one another. And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray. And because of the increase of lawlessness, the love of many will grow cold. But anyone who endures to the end will be saved. And this good news of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the world, as a testimony to all the nations; and then the end will come." All of the calamities and difficulties that Jesus predicts and prepares them for will not stop the spread of the gospel. The good news of the kingdom will indeed be proclaimed throughout the world as testimony.

My study bible notes that the whole of the New Testament (in its various books in which this subject appears, including here in Matthew's gospel and those of Mark and Luke, in various epistles of Paul, and in the Book of Revelation), the end time is described in a variety of ways, so that no precise chronology can be determined. It's important for us to understand, therefore, Jesus' emphasis. It's not on chronologies. It is on being prepared through watchfulness and stewardship. In this chapter in Matthew (readings from which will continue over the next few days), Jesus describes the end of the age as a process with three overlapping stages: the beginning of sorrows, the Great Tribulation, and the coming of the Son of Man.

As we are in Advent, the emphasis on waiting and watchfulness is poetic: a double reflection as we wait for the good news of the birth of the baby Jesus, and ponder these words in today's reading that are given in the chapters prior to his arrest and crucifixion. The lessons here regarding a lack of emphasis on chronology, on knowing precisely when things will happen, and on watchfulness instead, are very important to us, and take on a double meaning at this time. We remember that we are to watch - and that now, as happens every year at Advent, we are waiting and we watch for the light. But clearly, Jesus set the tone in this discourse on end times for how all of us are to pass our years in faith -- in waiting and watchfulness, and good stewardship. We are to focus on the day to day process of living our lives in faith, developing our relationship to Creator through prayer, and set our sights on something more than whatever is around the corner or concrete predictions of what is to come. 2,000 years later, we know that all the expectation of an immediate kingdom is foolish, and that these words here and the way we are prepared to wait and watch is wise. There is more important business to attend to - the daily practice of our faith and our development in that faith, and all the things we're warned about in his teachings as well - the pitfalls of arrogance and blindness, the need for humility and the willingness to change. Think about these words in today's reading, and all that the saints and faithful in each place in the world have had to endure. We watch and wait for the light to be born again when we celebrate Christmas, and we remember his words. We pray for the light to reach everyone, and hope for the illumination it offers.