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"Now learn this parable from the fig tree: When its branch has already become tender and puts forth leaves, you know that summer is near. So you also, when you see all these things, know that it is near -- at the doors! Assuredly, I say to you, this generation will by no means pass away till all these things take place. Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away.
"But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only. But as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and did not know until the flood came and took them all away, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. Then two men will be in the field: one will be taken and the other left. Two women will be grinding at the mill: one will be taken and the other left. Watch therefore, for you do not know what hour your Lord is coming. But know this, that if the master of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched and not allowed his house to be broken into. Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect."
- Matthew 24:32-44
In yesterday's reading, Jesus continued His discourse on "end times""Therefore when you see the 'abomination of desolation,' spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place" (whoever reads, let him understand), "then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. Let him who is on the housetop not go down 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 or on the Sabbath. For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be. And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect's sake those days will be shortened. Then if anyone says to you, 'Look, here is the Christ!' or 'There!' do not believe it. For false christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. See, I have told you beforehand. Therefore if they say to you, 'Look, He is in the desert!' do not go out; or 'Look, He is in the inner rooms!' do not believe it. For as the lightning comes from the east and flashes to the west, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. For wherever the carcass is, there the eagles will be gathered together. Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And He will send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other."
"Now learn this parable from the fig tree: When its branch has already become tender and puts forth leaves, you know that summer is near. So you also, when you see all these things, know that it is near -- at the doors! Assuredly, I say to you, this generation will by no means pass away till all these things take place. Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away." Jesus has just described two scenarios: the destruction in Jerusalem that was to come, and also the time of His return, His second coming. My study bible says that this generation referred to here is the "generation" of the Church, all believers at all times; it's the characteristic of the age, not merely those alive at the time of Christ. But in yesterday's reading, it was made clear that among those listening to Him speak there would be those who would see the catastrophe to come in Jerusalem.
"But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only." My study bible cites St. Chrysostom, who comments that Christ tells of the angels being unaware of the exact day of His return "so that men should not seek to learn what angels do not know," and to forbid them not just from learning the day but even inquiring about it. In Mark 13:32, and also in Chrysostom's Matthew text, Jesus declares that the Son also doesn't know the day of His return. Chrysostom's commentary teaches that this isn't to be taken literally but rather is a figure of speech. Christ has revealed all the signs that will accompany His return, but won't reveal the exact day to anyone - and believers should not attempt to inquire of Him. However we understand it, Christ's words are very clear: this is a great mystery, not to be known nor revealed until the time of the return itself.
"But as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and did not know until the flood came and took them all away, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. Then two men will be in the field: one will be taken and the other left. Two women will be grinding at the mill: one will be taken and the other left." The signs of judgment are in the vivid images Jesus gives here. His second coming will come with a sudden revelation of judgment. One will be taken to be with Him, and the other left. This will happen with the coming of the Son of Man. These images of two together, and one taken is reminiscent of the parable of the Wheat and the Tares. Jesus' first emphasis, however, is on the fact that no one will know the time at which this occurs.
"Watch therefore, for you do not know what hour your Lord is coming. But know this, that if the master of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched and not allowed his house to be broken into. Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect." Jesus assures His followers of several things. He has assured us of His return. He has assured us of judgment. And He assures emphatically and repeatedly that we do not know what hour our Lord is coming. This is something that will remain a mystery, and will take the world as a sudden event, at an hour we do not expect. What He calls us to be is ready, aware of what He has told us, and about the work of good servants.
Judgment is a tricky subject. There are theories about what is called Universalism: that is, put very simplistically, that in an eternity of God's love, repentance will come to all, and all will be saved. Jesus speaks, however, quite vividly about two together, and one taken. We have to wonder, what is the other left behind for? All of these things are mysteries we don't really know the answer to. But there are some things that Jesus assures us about. One is the reality of Judgment, another is the fact of His return. He assures us that it will happen suddenly, and when we don't expect it. And His counsel for His followers is simply one thing: to be alert. That is, to be carrying out His commandments. As Master of the house, He may return any time, and it's His servants He wants to find doing as He's asked. Let's recall His commandments: loving God with all our heart and soul and mind and strength, and loving neighbor as oneself -- that is as another creation of God. He's given us, His followers, another command: to love one another as He has loved us. In tomorrow's reading, we'll be given a parable about what a good servant is, and what constitutes a bad servant. Jesus' parables about good servants and bad focus quite a bit on justice and on forgiveness, treating one another well and justly. They also give us an insight into corruption, and how it flourishes where His commands aren't heeded. There's a very good reason why we are to remember the imminent, unknown, surprising nature of His Return, and to keep it uppermost in our minds. It reminds us of His values, and most of all it is a prompting about the essence of justice and mercy in His sight and in the ways in which we live our lives. To be just is not only to be merciful but also to treat one another with the kind of fairness that puts His call to community first, to right-relatedness before all else. What gets in the way? The selfishness of corruption, of looking the other way when someone else is beaten, or targeted, or cheated. "Corruption" has often been used as a word that indicates the state of being "fallen," and to indicate evil and its its effects. When corruption flourishes in a society it goes hand in hand with a denial of God. If we are to look at Scripture, the great prophets all roared about corruption: judges who were bought off, false prophets who foretold good news for those who paid them to do so. Jesus' critiques of the leadership in the temple speak of an underlying corruption, hardship laid on the poor, even tithing used as a cover-up for practices that obscure and deny justice and mercy and faith. The prophet Micah speaks against those "who build up Zion with bloodshed and Jerusalem with iniquity" (see Micah 3:9-11). It doesn't matter how "good" the stated cause, what counts in the sight of God is how we get there, whose word and teachings we follow, and what and who we truly love. If we keep His return in mind, His judgment, we are far more likely to take these teachings seriously. As the prophets speak, it is those who feel that "God doesn't see" who are the most corrupt (see Psalm 94:7). John's Gospel teaches that those who fear the light do so because their deeds are evil; those who live His truth do not fear the light (John 3:20-21). How we treat one another, how we build our societies, what levels of corruption we tolerate that harms the poor and powerless, have everything to do with our faith and whether or not we take His return seriously. It all depends on what we love most and first. St. Paul tells us that it is the love of money that is the root of all (kinds of) evil, continuing the teachings of the prophets of Israel and of Jesus the Messiah. Whose judgment and consideration do we put first? What do we love before everything else?
