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"But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then know that its desolation is near. Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains, let those who are in the midst of her depart, and let not those who are in the country enter her. For these are the days of vengeance, that all things which are written may be fulfilled. But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days! For there will be great distress in the land and wrath upon this people. And they will fall by the edge of the sword, and be led away captive into all nations. And Jerusalem will be trampled by Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.
"And there will be signs in the sun, in the moon, and in the stars, and on the earth distress of nations, with perplexity, the sea and the waves roaring, men's hearts failing them from fear and the expectation of those things which are coming on the earth, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken. Then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. Now when these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption draws near."
- Luke 21:20-28
In current readings, Jesus is in Jerusalem, and teaches daily in the temple. He has made His Triumphal Entry, cleansed the temple, and faced the challenges of the leadership. He has also returned a few challenges of His own. He speaks to the leadership, His disciples, and also the public. (See readings from Saturday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday). In yesterday's reading, Luke told us that as some spoke of the temple, how it was adorned with beautiful stones and donations, He said, "These things which you see -- the days will come in which not one stone shall be left upon another that shall not be thrown down." So they asked Him, saying, "Teacher, but when will these things be? And what sign will there be when these things are about to take place?" And He said: "Take heed that you not be deceived. For many will come in My name, saying, 'I am He,' and 'The time has drawn near.' Therefore do not go after them. But when you hear of wars and commotions, do not be terrified, for these things must come to pass first, but the end will not come immediately." Then He said to them, "Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be great earthquakes in various places, and famines, and pestilences; and there will be fearful sights and great signs from heaven. But before all these things, they will lay their hands on you and persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues and prisons. You will be brought before kings and rulers for My name's sake. But it will turn out for you as an occasion for testimony. Therefore settle it in your hearts not to meditate beforehand on what you will answer; for I will give you a mouth and wisdom which all your adversaries will not be able to contradict or resist. You will be betrayed even by parents and brothers, relatives and friends; and they will put some of you to death. And you will be hated by all for My name's sake. But not a hair of your head shall be lost. By your patience possess your souls."
"But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then know that its desolation is near. Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains, let those who are in the midst of her depart, and let not those who are in the country enter her. For these are the days of vengeance, that all things which are written may be fulfilled. But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days! For there will be great distress in the land and wrath upon this people. And they will fall by the edge of the sword, and be led away captive into all nations. And Jerusalem will be trampled by Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled." My study bible says this is "a prediction of the siege and capture of Jerusalem by Titus, son of the Emperor Vespasian, in A.D. 70. Damage included the total destruction of the temple." Of the prediction regarding "all things which are written" that may be fulfilled, my study bible cites Daniel 9:24-27. Regarding the fulfillment of "the times of the Gentiles" there is also a reference to the prophecy of Daniel (Dan. 9:27; 12:7). Thus, Christ's mission into the world, and this prophecy regarding what is to come in Jerusalem, is never separate from the history of Jewish spirituality. On the contrary, it is a fulfillment, as Christ has taught, of the Law and the Prophets.
"And there will be signs in the sun, in the moon, and in the stars, and on the earth distress of nations, with perplexity, the sea and the waves roaring, men's hearts failing them from fear and the expectation of those things which are coming on the earth, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken. Then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. Now when these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption draws near." Of this, my study bible tells us, "Cosmic as well as historical upheavals will precede the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. The expectation of Christ's return sums up the Christian hope and constitutes an important doctrine of the Church."
One passage cited in my study bible regarding the end of the earth and the time when Christ returns is from Peter's Second Epistle (2 Peter 3:10). This is a very interesting passage, because in the Greek what it tells us is that while the elements we know may be dissolved (with great heat or fire) what actually happens is a revelation or discovery of all that truly is, including all the "works" of the world. In other words, Christ's return assures us of a deeper reality exposed, a true reality that includes hearts and minds, in which time doesn't function the way we understand it now. This is to be a revelation of what actually is the full state of the world, in Christ's terms. Prophecy understood in a similar vein tells us of the revelation of works through events that unfold as a result of the failure to acknowledge the full reality of God, and the presence of God's kingdom, even in this world. Jesus has lamented over Jerusalem, saying, "If you had known, even you, especially in this your day, the things that make for your peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes. For days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment around you, surround you and close you in on every side, and level you, and your children within you, to the ground; and they will not leave in you one stone upon another, because you did not know the time of your visitation." And, linking once again with the fullness of the history of Israel, today's lectionary also includes 1 Samuel 4:1-11, a time when another prophecy of destruction was fulfilled because of the failure to know "the things that make for your peace." If we combine a look at the prophecies and their fulfillment, together with the understanding of the scenarios we're given of the end of the age, what we have is a depth of reality that includes all our "works," our choices -- the things we think are hidden but are not really so. Our hidden choices work out into our own daily individual lives, just as on a grand cosmic scale beyond our understanding, so all "works" are to be exposed as the fabric of what truly is in this world. When we consider the Kingdom to be something ephemeral, something we simply can't see and feel and know, and ignore its presence and relationship to our own internal lives, then we fail to include all of reality. We fail to understand, really, what works for our peace -- and the depth of the meaning of the words "your peace." Our peace is made up of much more than a mask or bandage covering up wounds or injustice, more than a sword that demands silence. Our peace, on the contrary, is made up of the things of God, heeding the prophecy that comes from the presence of the Spirit, the words of Christ regarding righteousness and healing. When we fail to acknowledge the full truth of this reality, we are blind to all that is, we fail to know what truly is. The true fabric of reality is far more than what we see and feel around us, but requires a depth of understanding and a respect for that spiritual truth. Let us remember that our inner worlds are as essential to us as the outer; our hearts and minds and souls are the place of this Kingdom and our capacity to bear it into the world -- and that so much depends on our wisdom to do this, and our failure to do so.
