For in those days there will be tribulation

"So when you see the 'abomination of desolation,' spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing where it ought not" (let the reader understand), "then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. Let him who is on the housetop not go down into the house, nor enter to take anything out of his house. And let him who is in the field not go back to get his clothes. But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days! And pray that your flight may not be in winter. For in those days there will be tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the creation which God created until this time, nor ever shall be. And unless the Lord had shortened those days, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect's sake, whom He chose, He shortened the days. Then if anyone says to you, 'Look, here is the Christ!' or, 'Look, He is there!' do not believe it. For false christs and false prophets will rise and show signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. But take heed; see, I have told you all things beforehand."

- Mark 13:14-23

We are now in the midst of Jesus' discourse on the end of the age. It began with yesterday's reading, in which he warned of great upheavals, wars and rumors of wars, famine, earthquakes, and troubles that "are but the beginning of sorrows." That discussion began with the prediction of the destruction of the temple. In today's reading, Jesus continues with this focus. We remember that the discussion of the end of the age couples the destruction of the temple with the end of the age. In the Jewish mind, and in the Scriptures, these two events were inextricably linked.

"So when you see the 'abomination of desolation,' spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing where it ought not" (let the reader understand), "then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains." My study bible has a long note on the passages covered in today's reading selection. I will begin here: "The destruction of Jerusalem in A.D. 70, culminating in the burning of the temple, appears to be the major focal point in these verses. The Roman general Titus defiled the temple by first entering into it and standing where [he] ought not (i.e. in the Most Holy Place)." The "abomination of desolation" is a warning from the prophecy in the Book of Daniel. Jesus continues his warning to the disciples: "Let him who is on the housetop not go down into the house, nor enter to take anything out of his house. And let him who is in the field not go back to get his clothes. But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days! And pray that your flight may not be in winter. For in those days there will be tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the creation which God created until this time, nor ever shall be." The note in my study bible continues, "Heeding prophecies, the Church in Jerusalem fled before this great tribulation occurred." "And unless the Lord had shortened those days, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect's sake, whom He chose, He shortened the days. Then if anyone says to you, 'Look, here is the Christ!' or, 'Look, He is there!' do not believe it. For false christs and false prophets will rise and show signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. But take heed; see, I have told you all things beforehand." My study bible notes: "This was a time of great suffering and consternation, vividly recounted by the Jewish historian Josephus, an eyewitness."

My study bible continues as follows: "Christians have suffered many great tribulations throughout the centuries -- in the twentieth century alone, many millions have been martyred -- and there will likely be great trials in the future." It goes on to note that popular speculation regarding a single tribulation period is not consistent with historical views of the Church. Furthermore, the ideas that a convenient deliverance from tribulation, or a secret second coming of Christ, are both inconsistent with historical understanding of the Church. It further notes: "Christian consensus is, 'He shall come again with glory to judge the living and the dead' (Nicene Creed). There is nothing secret here. The Scriptures teach that many events spoken of in the Old Testament regarding the end will not be understood until they happen. 'Many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall increase' (Daniel 12:4). Dazzling words claiming to set forth God's prophetic scenario for the end times are at best speculative, and at worst, heretical."

It is important that we understand Jesus' dialogue on the destruction of Jerusalem (and the temple), and the end of the age, in context as a whole - taking in yesterday's reading, today's and tomorrow's as well. From the point of view of our time, twenty centuries later, I think my study bible (and the historical Church Fathers) had it right. There have been many periods of Christian tribulation, and there continue today many periods of tribulation in different places around the world. I am certain that some of my own readers have experienced this firsthand. I also number my grandparents' generation among them, who survived genocide based on their Christian faith (see photo on the left of my blog, marked "genocide orphan 1915"). The world as a whole continues to experience wars and rumors of wars, great empires that come and go, upheavals, famines, earthquakes. And we continue, as Christians, to be tested in our faith, and must "endure to the end" (see yesterday's reading). And we must also recall Jesus' warning, that we take heed and not be deceived midst any form of tribulation, be it personal or communal. In today's reading, we follow the words of warning to his disciples about the events that will take place in Jerusalem, and the destruction of the temple, the fulfillment of the prophecy of Daniel. It is also in the book of Daniel that we find the term "Son of Man" which refers to an apocalyptic messiah.

Today's passage sets out Jesus' warnings to his disciples of what was to come in their lifetime, foreseeing the eventual destruction of the Holy City and the temple. As my study bible points out, the early Church in Jerusalem was saved by this warning. The Holy City today stands not only as a city which is sacred to three religious traditions, but a city beset by violence and struggle. It is not a place of peace, not "the New Jerusalem," but remains a place of tribulation and sorrow and division, violence and provocation and oppression, corruption and intrigue. We do not know when or how this will change. But it stands as a strong reminder of Jesus' words, that they are still with us, and still important and as potent as they ever were. While the words in today's selection apply to a specific event which would occur in 70 A.D., Christ's warning about persistence in our faith, preparation for tribulation and testing, about the potential in our world for violence and upheavals, continues in its relevance for our time, for we are still in this "end time" period that began with his death, and strikingly, vividly expressed itself in the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple. We continue in this period of the "birth pangs" (see yesterday's reading and note from my study bible on the translation of the word "sorrows" in the phrase: "These are the beginnings of sorrows"). It is St. Peter who wrote in his epistle, that, "With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day." We must continue to keep these words in mind in order to keep our perspective, and to understand the reality of the warning not to be deceived, but to remain watchful. We continue in the struggle of our faith in this time, meeting challenges and heeding warnings, understanding that we are still in this period of repeated tribulation, and "birth pangs" of the kingdom.

As we are today in the Easter season of 2010, let us consider what it is to be in this period of which we're warned, and also that we live with the Good News of the Risen Christ. Even as Jesus taught in this same passage (see yesterday's reading) that the Holy Spirit, the Comforter, would come to us, we remain in the "birth pangs" of the kingdom. And, I feel, that it is somehow this great event of the Good News that ties the whole thing together, that is the reason for the "birth pangs" of our world. Christ's incarnation via the womb of his mother, Mary, was in some sense a prefiguring of a world in the process of transfiguration through spiritual change and transformation. It is up to us. Do we receive this Spirit in our hearts, and allow it to renew us? Do we follow his words and teachings? Do we live in faith and the renewal of his words about what is in our hearts, even the summing up of the greatest commandments that the scribe of his time also agreed to? Remember that Jesus came into the world to be "the fulfillment of the Law and the Prophets." In these passages, Christ strands - in the figure of Jesus and his words - the whole of the ancient Jewish history, the events of his time, and the future that was to come. We have his Good News, we have the Comforter, we live with the risen Christ, who is "with us always, even to the very end of the age." The birth pangs are, in some way, the result of that process, a spiritual battle that continues in the world, the incarnation, if you will, of a spiritual kingdom. Our response is to be vigilant, not to be deceived, but to keep his commandments and teachings. We remember that God is love, and that the greatest commandments remain the same. We are to love God with all our heart and soul and mind and strength, and our neighbor as ourselves. This is endurance, even to the end, as He has asked of us. And we have his help with us, always.