Now when these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption draws near

 

 "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 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 

 

Yesterday we read that, as some spoke of the temple, how it was adorned with beautiful stones and donations, Jesus 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 to 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."  Here, Jesus refers quite vividly to the destruction of Jerusalem that is to come within one generation of His contemporaries (in the Siege of Jerusalem, 70 AD).  These warnings are expressed with detail that gives His hearers the dire conditions that this battle will entail for the people of Jerusalem and Judea.  My study Bible comments that the phrase when you see indicates that many of the disciples would still be alive at that time.  

 

"And there will be signs in the sun, in the moon, and in the stars; and on 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."  Here Jesus refers again to the entire age, and the time of His Second Coming.   In Christ's first coming, He came in humility and mortality, symbolized by His Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem riding a donkey's colt (see this reading).  At the time of His return He will instead be revealed in power and great glory.  

 

 Christ's warnings in today's reading come on two different levels, or perhaps we should speak of them as two different layers.  The first is for events in the immediate future, within one generation of His contemporaries, many of whom will witness these horrifying and unthinkable events.  Certainly we could say that the destruction of the temple, mingled as it is with Christ's prophecies of the end times, is tied to the end of an era, and the beginning of another.  These two events are juxtaposed in each of Christ's reporting of end times to the apostles in the Gospels, and so it seemingly tells us that one event is inextricably tied with the other.   The devastation of the Siege of Jerusalem is unparalleled in descriptions of the wrath of war.  It had not been part of the Roman plan to besiege the temple as it came to be destroyed, neither was the fire that engulfed Jerusalem nor the sheer levels of destruction that eventually took place.  But this fearsome outcome should teach us more about the dangers of war than we usually want to recognize:  once violence is begun as a sort of solution to something, there is no telling where it will go.  Control easily vanishes, replaced by rage, fear, and the sheer ferociousness of battle which becomes easily uncontrolled, and chaos plays its role.  But Christ here is clear in His previews of what is to come.  Woe, indeed, to those who were nursing babies and could not flee in this time of vengeance and great desperation.  But then the topic switches to the end times prior to Christ's return: "There will be signs in the sun, in the moon, and in the stars; and on 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."  These portend what we might call the great shake up and fall of a kingdom and rule that has dominated our world in terms of the "prince of the power of the air" (Ephesians 2:2), the "ruler of this world" (John 14:30).  These are the signs of the "powers of the heavens" shaken and falling.  Christ's return in power and great glory is the fullness of the manifestation and claim of His Kingdom, and full authority in our world, one in which He will render judgment, but also full redemption of the faithful.  While these things are frightening, as Jesus describes them, we should understand them in terms of the fullness of the age, which was begun at His Incarnation for us and for all who desire the love of God and God's justice prevail in this world.   It is all for our redemption, and against those powers that enslave and harm humankind, those which fan the flames of chaos and mischief and tempt us to war, wrath, and lusts of every kind.  Christ comes to save, and save He will.  But first we are offered a choice midst the times of wars, natural disasters, and the fearsome sights He describes.  For we are meant above all to endure in faith, to be watchful, to find our redemption in the midst of this all. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold

 

 Then Jesus went out and departed from the temple, and His disciples came up to show Him the buildings of the temple.  And Jesus said to them, "Do you not see all these things?  Assuredly, I say to you, not one stone shall be left here upon another, that shall not be thrown down."  

Now as He sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, "Tell us, when will these things be?  And what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?"  And Jesus answered and said to them:  "Take heed that no one deceives you.  For many will come in My name, saying, 'I am the Christ,' and will deceive many.  And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars.  See that you are not troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.  For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom.  And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places.  All these are the beginning of sorrows.  Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My name's sake.  And then many will be offended, will betray one another, and will hate one another.  Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many.  And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold.  But he who endures to the end will be saved.  And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come."

 

- Matthew 24:1-14 

 

In our current readings, Jesus is in Jerusalem, and it is Holy Week, the final week of Christ's earthly life.  He has been teaching in the temple and disputing with the religious leaders.  Matthew's chapter 23 is a grand critique of the practices and hypocrisy of the scribes and Pharisees.  Yesterday we read the final part of that chapter.  Jesus said, "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!  For you are like whitewashed tombs which indeed appear beautiful outwardly, but inside are full of dead men's bones and all uncleanness.  Even so you also outwardly appear righteous to men, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.  Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!  Because you build the tombs of the prophets and adorn the monuments of the righteous, and say, 'If we had lived in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets.'  Therefore you are witnesses against yourselves that you are sons of those who murdered the prophets.  Fill up, then, the measure of your fathers' guilt.  Serpents, brood of vipers!  How can you escape the condemnation of hell?  Therefore, indeed, I send you prophets, wise men, and scribes:  some of them you will kill and crucify, and some of them you will scourge in your synagogues and persecute from city to city, that on you may come all the righteous blood shed on the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah, son of Berechiah, whom you murdered between the temple and the altar.  Assuredly, I say to you, all these things will come upon this generation.  O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones  those who are sent to her!  How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing!  See!  Your house is left to you desolate; for I say to you, you shall see Me no more till you say, 'Blessed is He who comes in the name of the LORD!'" 

 Then Jesus went out and departed from the temple, and His disciples came up to show Him the buildings of the temple.  And Jesus said to them, "Do you not see all these things?  Assuredly, I say to you, not one stone shall be left here upon another, that shall not be thrown down."   In the previous reading, Jesus mourned over Jerusalem, and said, "See!  Your house is left to you desolate. . .."  Here Christ prophesies regarding the destruction of the temple.  This prophecy was fulfilled in AD 70, when the temple was destroyed by the Romans.  

Now as He sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, "Tell us, when will these things be?  And what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?"  My study Bible comments that the Scriptures describe the end times in a variety of ways.  So, therefore, there is no precise chronology that can be determined from it (see Daniel 7-12; Mark 13; Luke 21; 1 Corinthians 15;51-55; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-17; 2 Thessalonians 2:1-10; and The Book of Revelation).  Christ's emphasis is on watchfulness and the practice of virtue -- not on constructing timetables for things that haven't yet happened.  My study Bible says that Matthew's account describes the end times as involving (1) initial sorrows (verses 4-14, contained in today's reading); (2) the great tribulation (verses 15-28); and (3) the coming of the Son of Man (verses 29-31).  It notes, importantly, that the period of the great tribulation includes the entire Christian era.  It is not limited to the final years before Christ returns.

And Jesus answered and said to them:  "Take heed that no one deceives you.  For many will come in My name, saying, 'I am the Christ,' and will deceive many."  These warnings against deception are given first emphasis in Jesus' response to the question about end times.  My study Bible says that of particular importance is the warning against following a false Christ, which Jesus will repeatedly stress (see also verses 11, 23-27).  

"And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars.  See that you are not troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet."  My study Bible comments that the wars here are references first and foremost to the Roman destruction of Jerusalem; however, this warning certainly also includes subsequent wars.  It notes that wars are not a sign of the imminent end, but rather of the opposite.  That is, as Jesus says, the end is not yet (see 1 Thessalonians 5:1-3).

"For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom.  And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places.  All these are the beginning of sorrows.  Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My name's sake.  And then many will be offended, will betray one another, and will hate one another.  Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many.  And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold.  But he who endures to the end will be saved.  And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come."  My study Bible says here that all these calamities and all this opposition nonetheless cannot stop the spread of the gospel.  In fact, persecutions against the Church, it says, often increase the number of souls who are being converted.  It notes that St. John Chrysostom marvels that while the Romans subdued countless Jews in a political uprising, they could not prevail over twelve Jews who were not armed with anything but the gospel of Jesus Christ.

In His prophesy of the time to come following His death and Resurrection, Jesus says, "Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many.  And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold."   We should remember that, for the Church, this entire period of the Church's history is understood as "end times."  That is, the end times are this entire period in which we await Christ's return, His Second Coming.  So, as my study Bible points out, all the warnings in Christ's summary of the period of the end apply to all times in which we live, although His warning about the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple are certainly prominent -- and this did indeed happen within a generation of His prophecy.  But it seems that there are many sorts of false prophets that are alarming to people today, many varieties of what might pass for religion.  People offer theories about extraterrestrial visitations as spiritual events, or ideas regarding psychedelic drugs as a spiritual practice; even social theories may be followed as if one were worshiping the theory while rejecting God or any concept of a deity.  Some treat politicians as if they were deities, and public figures themselves can indeed serve as false prophets of one type or another.  Social media makes such things proliferate, to the point where social contagion is no longer simply a theory but studied and correlated with mass movements and trends, even of sobering trends among children (especially young women) such as anorexia several years ago, and more recently gender dysphoria.  Possibly even more worrisome is Christ's prophesy that "because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold."  Lawlessness can certainly take on many forms, and Jesus here is undoubtedly speaking of those who care nothing for traditional moral and spiritual teachings, which are meant to preserve, protect, and build good community under teachings of God traced through the entirety of the Bible.  We may recall here that Jesus, in His dispute with the scribes and Pharisees, gave two great commandments.  He said, "'You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.'  This is the first and great commandment.  And the second is like it:  'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.'  On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets."  (See this reading.)   How many seem to have given up on the practice of both of these commandments?  Popular political and social theories teach ideas entirely contrary to Jesus' teaching in the parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37) in which we learn that to act as a neighbor is to be a neighbor, regardless of tribe, group, race, or other affiliation of any kind.  Instead, we find popular refuge for an emphasis on the opposite, that those of a particular group or ethnicity or race may be simply evil in some ontological sense connected to their physical characteristics.  Lawlessness can indeed mean that we no longer approach people as if they were of our same nature, as created in God's image and likeness, but rather our behavior differentiates on an entirely different, physical basis.  Jesus prophesies that because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold.  Certainly there are many who feel that kind of alienation and an existential sense of loneliness has grown.  We can see it among young people who feel extremely isolated.  This is correlated, of course, with the effect of lockdowns on school age young people, but more recently between social media use and what seems to be a significant rise in depression levels in young people.  We should be entirely aware of this correlation between "lawlessness" and the coldness that signifies a lack of love among people, within communities, families, institutions.  We should give great care to consider that it is in the practice of our faith that love can be maintained, grown, and deliberately cultivated.  For Christ always calls us to compassion, to acts of compassion.  The story of the Good Samaritan is a case indeed for active love, crossing all boundaries, creating neighbors where there were none before, building community where none was thought to exist.  Let us consider Christ's words carefully, and see where they might apply in our lives, and where we can observe this element of His prophesy around ourselves.  Let us consider the importance, then, of living our faith, living His guidance for ourselves and for our world.  Because if love itself depends upon this, then how essential is that faith to human life and the quality of our lives within the whole of our communities?   In another important passage, Jesus stretches His hand toward His disciples, and says, "Here are My mother and My brothers! For whoever does the will of My Father in heaven is My brother and sister and mother" (Matthew 12:48-50).  What He is revealing to us is the powerful force for love that is present in hearing the will of God and doing it, living it.  Let us practice the love He teaches to us.

By your patience possess your souls

 

 Then, 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."

 

- Luke 21:5-19 

 

Yesterday we read that Jesus said to the religious leaders who were questioning Him in the temple in Jerusalem, "How can they say that the Christ is the Son of David?  Now David himself said in the Book of Psalms:  'The LORD said to my Lord, "Sit at My right hand, till I make Your enemies Your footstool."'Therefore David calls Him 'Lord'; how is He then his Son?" Then, in the hearing of all the people, He said to His disciples, "Beware of the scribes, who desire to go around in long robes, love greetings in the marketplaces, the best seats in the synagogues, and the best places at feasts, who devour widows' houses, and for a pretense make long prayers.  These will receive greater condemnation."  And He looked up and saw the rich putting their gifts into the treasury, and He saw also a certain poor widow putting in two mites.  So He said, "Truly I say to you that this poor widow has put in more than all; for all these out of their abundance have put in offerings for God, but she out of her poverty put in all the livelihood that she had."

 

  Then, 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."  Jesus' prophecy of the destruction of the temple was fulfilled in AD 70, during the Siege of Jerusalem, when the temple was destroyed by the Romans.  There were rumors that there was gold between the stones of the magnificent temple, which had been rebuilt and refashioned with many architectural additions by Herod the Great, who was also known as Herod the Builder.  The temple was meant to be preserved, but in the fury of the fighting and midst a great fire that resulted in Jerusalem, the temple -- then considered one of the architectural wonders of the known world -- was leveled.  All that remained was one retaining wall, long known as the Wailing Wall, now called the Western Wall.

 

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."    My study Bible comments that the Scriptures describe the end times in a variety of ways, so that no precise chronology can be determined (see Daniel 7 - 12; Matthew 24:3-31; Mark 13, 1 Corinthians 15:51-55; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-17; 2 Thessalonians 2:1-10; and the Book of Revelation).  As we can read here, and we will read in the continuation of this discourse on Monday, Jesus' emphasis is on watchfulness and the practice of virtue, rather than on constructing timetables of things that haven't yet happened.  Jesus here first gives warning about deceptions:  false Christs and false reports of His return.

 

"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."  His emphasis is a warning of wars and violence to come on many levels and involving many places and times; this also involve natural disasters of different types, including fearful sights and great signs from heaven.  All these the world has experienced since.  My study Bible says that the wars here refer first and foremost to the Roman destruction of Jerusalem, but also include subsequent wars.  Wars are not a sign of the imminent end, but the opposite -- "these things must come to pass first, but the end will not come immediately" (see 1 Thessalonians 5:1-3). 

 

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."   Finally, Jesus turns specifically to the persecution of the Church, which will come "before all these things."   His emphasis is on endurance and reliance upon God, through hatred and persecutions, even the falling away of friends and family.  But, He says, not a hair of your head shall be lost, meaning that even death cannot destroy the life in Christ that is promised.  My study Bible says that the period of the great tribulation includes the entire Christian era, and is not limited to the final years before Christ's return, as is witnessed by history.  But, it notes, all these calamities and all this opposition cannot stop the spread of the gospel.  Indeed, persecutions against the Church often increase the number of souls being converted.  It notes that St. John Chrysostom marvels that while the Romans subdued countless Jews in a political uprising, they could not prevail over twelve Jews unarmed with anything except the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Jesus teaches the disciples, "By your patience possess your souls."  These are words not only for the disciples standing in His immediate presence at the temple in Jerusalem twenty centuries ago, but the words apply to us today as well.  Can we understand what He means, that "not a hair of your head shall be lost," even though "you will be betrayed even by parents and brothers, relatives and friends; and they will put some of you to death."  How do these two things go together?  The key is in His teaching, "By your patience possess your souls."  There is something that the world cannot take away from us, because it is the thing guaranteed by our communion with Christ, and that is the power of the soul to endure and to remain one's own.  There are always things guaranteed to take our attention away from this primary concern of possessing our own souls, of choosing what we will worship, and where our life is fastened and held.  If we find our lives in Christ, if this anchored mooring is the place in which we thrive as faithful, then to have patience is to forbear all the things that want to take us away from that deep place of refuge, the rock of Christ to which we are to cling.  For it is patience we need to put up with all the temptations that come to simply be unanchored from our purpose, to lose track of what is most important in the moment when calamity hits, or when fears of destruction and violence overtake our lives.  In times of a natural disaster or emergency we are distracted with every new piece of news or need.  When we face adversity, it is easy to think of compromise, with the loss of support or with antagonism from those whom we trusted or loved ones, we find ourselves facing a deep choice.  But it is the patience of forbearance that keeps us in that place where we can remember who we are and focus on finding where Christ wants us to go.  In our next reading, on Monday, Jesus will warn the Church of events to come in Jerusalem even in their immediate lifetimes, and so by tradition we understand they were able to flee at the signs He names.  But for now let us consider with what patience we will continue to possess our souls, even through death and persecutions.  For life is more than just physical survival only, more than immediate events and distractions, more than the sadness we endure of witnessing suffering, or the heartbreak of losing those we love because of our faith, even enduring the hatred of others for His name's sake.  The soul thrives on something deeper and something more, and its sovereignty is linked firmly to the sovereignty of God over all, even over death.  It is there we must take root and remain, there we rely on God for testimony, there we find a real mission that encompasses and eclipses everything else.  For in anchoring ourselves to Him and His truth we find ourselves, and there we find the sense in which we lose not a hair of our heads. 

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

 

 Then, 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."

 

- Luke 21:5–19 

 

Yesterday we read that Jesus said to religious leaders in the temple, "How can they say that the Christ is the Son of David?  Now David himself said in the Book of Psalms:  'The LORD said to my Lord, "Sit at My right hand, till I make Your enemies Your footstool."'  Therefore David calls Him 'Lord'; how is He then his Son?"  Then, in the hearing of all the people, He said to His disciples, "Beware of the scribes, who desire to go around in long robes, love greetings in the marketplaces, the best seats in the synagogues, and the best places at feasts, who devour widows' houses, and for a pretense make long prayers.  These will receive greater condemnation."  And He looked up and saw the rich putting their gifts into the treasury, and He saw also a certain poor widow putting in two mites.  So He said, "Truly I say to you that this poor widow has put in more than all; for all these out of their abundance have put in offerings for God, but she out of her poverty put in all the livelihood that she had."

 

  Then, 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."  We have to imagine how extraordinary the beautiful and magnificent temple was at Christ's time.  It had been refurbished and expanded under the rule of Herod the Great (the father of Herod Antipas).  Herod the Great was also known as Herod the Builder, and the temple was his most ambitious project.  In its time it was known as one of the wonders of the world, not only for its grandeur but also the architectural beauty employed to adorn it.  Jesus' prophecy, "not one stone shall be left upon another that shall not be thrown down," would manifest within a generation.  To be specific, in AD 70, when the temple was destroyed by the Romans.  It was rumored that there was gold between the stones, and although the plans for the Siege of Jerusalem specifically excluded an assault on the temple, a fire began and eventually the temple was entirely destroyed and sacked.  Only one retaining wall remained, today called the Western Wall.

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."  My study bible comments that the Scriptures describe the end times in a variety of ways, so that no precise chronology can be determined (see Daniel 7-12; Mark 13; Matthew 24; 1 Corinthians 15:51-55; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-17; 2 Thessalonians 2:1-10; the Book of Revelation; and this entire chapter of Luke).  Christ's repeated emphasis is on watchfulness and the practice of virtue, as opposed to constructing timetables of things that have not yet happened.  Here Jesus' first warning is about following false prophets, those who will claim to speak in His name.  Secondly He warns against fear, even midst rumors of wars, and other violent calamities.  But first He warns them that persecutions are coming.  The emphasis here, however, is that persecution becomes an occasion for testimony.  And here Jesus begins to give instructions under these extremely difficult circumstances.  There is a sense of complete reliance upon God, just as when He sent out the Seventy, and told them they would be as lambs among wolves (Luke 10:3).  But it is Christ who will give those under persecution "a mouth and wisdom, which all your adversaries will not be able to contradict or resist."  This is "a mouth and wisdom" such as Jesus has been displaying throughout His time in Jerusalem during this Holy Week as He disputed with the religious leaders in the temple.  And yet, the promise is for persecution, betrayal even by one's closest family members, and being hated by all for My name's sake.  What then can He means when He says that "not a hair of your head shall be lost"?  Here is the answer:  "By your patience possess your souls."  

Often today we seem to be drawn into the idea that if God truly favors us, if our faith is on the right track, we will be validated in some sense by success, by things going our way in the world.  But we have to stop and pause when we read these words of Jesus, and consider that, in fact, His promise does the very opposite.  He's saying that what is in store for His followers is persecution.  And not only is it simply persecution  because of His name and their faith in Him, it is so much more than that.  He describes it all here in vivid detail:  betrayal even by parents and brothers, relatives and friends;  some put to death; and hated by all for His name's sake.  That is not success, applause, and all the rewards in the world one can get.  Moreover, persecution -- even being delivered up to authorities and to prison -- is an opportunity for testimony.  And here is a great sense of what is important in Christ's view that should put us all at attention.  Testimony is a cherished opportunity, a place that is exalted in His view expressed here.  We are to be entirely dependent upon God (again, just like the disciples when they were sent out on their first missions).  We don't need to meditate beforehand on what we will say; it is He who will give us a mouth and wisdom with which to testify, which our adversaries will not be able to contradict or resist.  Imagine that in this world in which so many seek to be validated through worldly success our greatest opportunity is instead an occasion to testify, and that under persecution.  How do we reconcile these points of view?  I find that in thinking in a worldly sense, that of the person who will childishly demand some sort of "proof" of the wisdom of our faith, we lose all sense of what is actually of great importance to Christ, at least as is reported here in the Gospel.  We can spend lots of time debating how these seemingly anomalous attitudes evolved in Christianity, but that is a long and complex history, I fear, that isn't all-that-easily sorted out as many people think.  What we can say for certain is the unmistakable emphasis that Jesus gives here that it's not really our social status or standing in the society that matters most, when all things are considered.  Neither is it even our good standing in the eyes of our neighbors, or even relations with our closest friends and family members.  Even the worst of persecutions -- the possibility of being put to death -- do not amount to a higher importance than the blessed opportunity Jesus speaks of here:  that of offering testimony, of expressing not necessarily the dogmatic assertions of theology in their loftiest forms nor even the most learned defense afforded by higher education, but of a humility that relies instead fully on Christ and therefore on faith.  It is at this moment of a great test that Christ finds our best opportunity that He speaks of here.  And we should not forget that.  It doesn't matter whether or not we are under formal persecution, or life offers us great wealth with which to endow or help our faith and its expression in the world.  If we are blessed to live in peacetime, and not within the chaos and persecutions and wars that Christ speaks of here, we still should not forget His words.   Because it is my belief that persecutions and betrayals might come to us in all sorts of forms, and opportunities for testimony do not simply come at times of formal persecution by state authorities.  There may be times when we have to choose between friends, even relationships with relatives.  We might have to consider giving up a job or even changing a career, because times come to us even in the most personal of ways that will ask for our testimony.  We may even have to testify by "voting with our feet," so to speak, and walking away from something that seems good but which conflicts in that place where the deepest convictions of our soul rest, where it is Christ who gives us a mouth and wisdom with which to speak, one way and another.  No, it really doesn't matter whether or not we can see around us the nominal signs which Christ speaks of here, because there will always be persecutions of faith, and wars seen and unseen, even an inexplicable hatred which we may incur simply for His name's sake.  In times of seeming peace we should not be surprised if there are occasions for testimony afforded by circumstances in our lives, simply because we have faith in Christ even if only openly expressed in a place deep in our hearts.  One way and another we must keep in mind what He teaches, even if it comes in forms we don't easily recognize and that are all too personal.  Let us always recall what He says is most important, including the humility in those times when we are simply to rely upon Him, without great preparation in advance, for our response to the world.  His greatest desire is that by our patience we possess our souls.

See, I have told you beforehand

 "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 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."

- Matthew 24:15-31

Yesterday we read that Jesus went out and departed from the temple, and His disciples came up to show Him the buildings of the temple.  And Jesus said to them, "Do you not see all these things?  Assuredly, I say to you, not one stone shall be left here upon another, that shall not be thrown down."  Now as He sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, "Tell us, when will these things be?  And what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?"  And Jesus answered and said to them:  "Take heed that no one deceives you.  For many will come in My name, saying, 'I am the Christ,' and will deceive many.  And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars.  See that you are not troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.  For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom.  And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places.  All these are the beginning of sorrows.  Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My name's sake.  And then many will be offended, will betray one another, and will hate one another.  Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many.  And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold.  But he who endures to the end shall be saved.  And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come.

 "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."  My study bible notes that the prophecy of Daniel of the abomination of desolation (Daniel 9:27, 11:31, 12:11) was fulfilled in AD 70, when the Roman general Titus entered the Most Holy Place and had a statue of himself erected in the temple, before having the temple destroyed.  Christ's phrase when you see tells us that many of the disciples themselves to whom He was speaking would still be alive and themselves see these events.  My study bible adds that the words whoever reads, let him understand are commonly understood to have been inserted by Matthew into Christ's address as an encouragement to his early Christian flock who possibly had witnessed this event.  All of Christ's language speaks to a total sense of urgency to flee at that time.

"But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days!"  If we look at Jesus words given in Luke 23:27-31, we see an even more explicit address to the women of Jerusalem, and warning of the time to come.  My study bible comments on that passage in Luke that His blessing on the barren women is an acknowledgement of the overwhelming pain a mother endures seeing their children suffer (hence Christ's words of "woe" here in Matthew).  St. John Chrysostom comments:  "Mothers are held by the tie of feeling for their children, but cannot save them.  How can one escape the bonds of nature?  How can she who nurses ever overlook the one she has borne?"

"And pray that your flight may not be in winter or on the Sabbath. My study bible notes that the severity of winter weather or respect for the Sabbath would prevent many faithful from fleeing quickly in a time of desperation.  There is also a spiritual interpretation of these words given in tradition, where the Sabbath symbolizes idleness regarding virtue, and winter indicating fruitlessness regarding charity.  In this spiritual sense, the person who departs this life in such a spiritual state will suffer judgment.

"For then there will 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."  These words continue to convey the deep sense of urgency Jesus imparts to His followers regarding the Siege of Jerusalem to come in their lifetimes.  And yet, they can also teach us about times of tribulation and the fullness of time for each of us.  Once again, as in yesterday's reading (above), He emphasizes that followers must not be deceived by rumors of false christs.  At the time of His return, the event will be unmistakable to the entire world.  IF there is any question or doubt, my study bible helpfully emphasizes, that alone is evidence that Christ has not returned.  As His return will shine from the east, so Orthodox and other Christians worship whenever possible facing eastward, in symbolic hope and anticipation of His second and glorious coming.  

"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."  According to patristic commentary, the sun will not be destroyed, but rather darkened in relation to the glory of Christ.  In other words, the sun will appear to be dark by comparison when Christ returns in the fullness of His splendor. 

"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."  The sign of the Son of Man is the Cross, my study bible says, which will be revealed as the standard  for Christ's impending judgment.  At His first coming, Jesus came in humility and mortality, as His second coming, Christ will be revealed in 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."   My study bible refers us to St. Paul's words in 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18, as one of the clearest New Testament passages on the Second Coming of Christ.  It also notes that the first-century document, The Didache (which is the earliest teaching document known in the Church), lists three signs that will mark the return of Christ:  (1) "the sign spread out in the heavens" (which is Christ and His hosts); (2) "the sign of the trumpet"; and (3) "the resurrection of the dead."  For the righteous, it adds, the return of Christ (as in the words of St. Paul) is a comfort, not a threat.

So what do we make of these end times?  Jesus describes the horrible events that will unfold in Jerusalem, within the lifetimes of those who are His immediate listeners.  The Siege of Jerusalem would occur in AD 70, some forty years after these words are spoken.  Thanks to His warnings, the early Church survived this event, His followers heeding His words.  But there is an extra dimension to this prophecy that we don't often get to notice, and that is on Christ's emphasis that this is essentially a spiritual event that requires a spiritual response.  Indeed, one might point to Christ's entire ministry, couched in such "apocalyptic" times, in which people looked to the coming of a messiah for the deliverance from their political woes under the Romans, and a restoration of David's kingdom.  For Christ did not come preaching physical and nationalist deliverance.  Clearly, there were plenty of such figureheads who sought a nationalist response to the Roman occupation.  It is just possible that Christ's betrayal by Judas was even an attempt to force the issue, if we could pause to theorize along these lines for a moment.   The Siege of Jerusalem would finally come in response to such nationalist sentiment and uprising.  Clearly, however, Jesus did not come preaching a nationalist uprising, or portray Himself as a conquering king with a grand worldly empire to be restored to Israel.  He preached a different road, a different solution.  His salvation and deliverance were not political, but spiritual.  He preached a spiritual kingdom manifest among us and within us in the world, a kingdom which consisted of faith.  His kingdom was "not of this world" and yet remains in the world (John 18:36).  As the Messiah of this particular Kingdom into which we are each invited through faith, and as children by adoption, Jesus does not preach a physical deliverance from the Romans as the true faith or religious solution of Israel for salvation.  He preaches to us along entirely different lines, and instead offers us the Cross, which we also are to take up in our own lives.  What Jesus is saying here to the disciples is, in effect, that He is entirely aware of the destruction that is to come, and He is offering them a different sort of salvation, a plan for faith, even in the face of such horrors which are to come.  It is important that we know that He is entirely aware of the might of worldly powers, and yet offers a spiritual solution for deliverance and salvation.  From there we can, in turn, look at our own lives and the political events that surround us -- even chaos and pain -- and consider where our own solution lies.  Sometimes we may have the insight that there isn't really a political solution to all the problems we see in the world, and we might find that we must come to the conclusion that the real solution is, in fact, spiritual.  In a highly secularized world, and one which prizes and lauds the rewards of "progress" in a historical perspective, our temptation is to believe in a political solution for everything.  But sometimes those solutions just provide us with more problems, and are not solutions at all.  They don't provide us with salvation, but may give us plenty of "false christs" instead.  Our refuge as followers of Christ is in prayer and faith, and in following the commands of Christ, and so, enduring through all things.  This is the power that He asks us to come to, the power of the Cross, which will reveal to us the lessons we need to learn, the things we need to discard, and teaches us the ever-present need for remembering to whom we owe our first loyalty.  For if we forget His love, and if we forget His word, then we are "lost" indeed.  We have lost what really counts and the things that are most precious to us, after all.

And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold. But he who endures to the end shall be saved

 Then Jesus went out and departed from the temple, and His disciples came up to show Him the buildings of the temple.  And Jesus said to them, "Do you not see all these things?  Assuredly, I say to you, not one stone shall be left here upon another, that shall not be thrown down."

Now as He sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, "Tell us, when will these things be?  And what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?"  And Jesus answered and said to them:  "Take heed that no one deceives you.  For many will come in My name, saying, 'I am the Christ,' and will deceive many.  And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars.  See that you are not troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.  For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom.  And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places.  All these are the beginning of sorrows.  Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My name's sake.  And then many will be offended, will betray one another, and will hate one another.  Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many.  And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold.  But he who endures to the end shall be saved.  And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come." 

- Matthew 24:1-14

Yesterday we read the end of Jesus' final sermon, which is a summary of His critiques of the scribes and Pharisees.  Our reading also included Jesus' lament over Jerusalem for what was to come.  He said:  "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!  For you are like whitewashed tombs which indeed appear beautiful outwardly, but inside are full of dead men's bones and all uncleanness.  Even so you also outwardly appear righteous to men, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.  Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!  Because you build the tombs of the prophets and adorn the monuments of the righteous, and say, 'If we had lived in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets.'  Therefore you are witnesses against yourselves that you are sons of those who murdered the prophets.  Fill up, then, the measure of your fathers' guilt.  Serpents, brood of vipers!  How can you escape the condemnation of hell?  Therefore, indeed, I send you prophets, wise men, and scribes:  some of them you will kill and crucify, and some of them you will scourge in your synagogues and persecute from city to city, that on you may come all the righteous blood shed on the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah, son of Berechiah, whom you murdered between the temple and the altar.  Assuredly, I say to you, all these things will come upon this generation.  O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her!  How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing!  See!  Your house is left to you desolate; for I say to you, you shall see Me no more till you say, 'Blessed is He who comes in the name of the LORD!'"

 Then Jesus went out and departed from the temple, and His disciples came up to show Him the buildings of the temple.  And Jesus said to them, "Do you not see all these things?  Assuredly, I say to you, not one stone shall be left here upon another, that shall not be thrown down."  Jesus' prophecy of the destruction of the temple was fulfilled in AD 70.  This was on the occasion of the Siege of Jerusalem, when the temple -- despite orders to the contrary -- was destroyed by the Romans.

Now as He sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, "Tell us, when will these things be?  And what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?"   My study bible comments on the verses that follow (through verse 31) that the Scriptures describe the end times in various ways; these are so varied as to make it impossible to create a precise chronology.  (See Daniel 7-12; Mark 13; Luke 21; 1 Corinthians 15:51-55; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-17; 2 Thessalonians 2:1-10, and the Book of Revelation.)   But Christ's emphasis is rather on watchfulness, and the practice of  virtue, not on constructing timetables of what hasn't happened yet.  My study bible paraphrases Matthew's account of the end as encompassing (1) the initial sorrows (today's reading, verses 4-14), (2) the great tribulation (verses 15-28), and (3) the coming of the Son of Man (verses 29-31).  It notes, importantly for us, that the period of the great tribulation includes the entire Christian era, and not simply the final years before Christ's return.

And Jesus answered and said to them:  "Take heed that no one deceives you.  For many will come in My name, saying, 'I am the Christ,' and will deceive many."  A note stresses here that it is the warnings against deception which are given particular emphasis in Matthew's account.  In particular, the warnings against following a false Christ are given great importance, as Jesus repeats the warning in verses 11 and 23-27.

"And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars.  See that you are not troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.  For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom.  And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places.  All these are the beginning of sorrows.  Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My name's sake.  And then many will be offended, will betray one another, and will hate one another.  Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many.  And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold.  But he who endures to the end shall be saved."  My study bible says that the wars referred to here are first and foremost that which involved the Roman destruction of Jerusalem, but also most certainly include subsequent wars.  It notes that wars are not a sign of the imminent end, but rather of the opposite:  that the end is not yet (see 1 Thessalonians 5:1-3).   Let us note what follows, a series of calamities for the world and especially for people:  famines, pestilences, earthquakes, which are the beginning of sorrows.  These disasters are coupled with hatred and persecution and even murder of those who follow Christ around the world, followed by offenses, betrayals, and hatred for one another.  All of this gives rise to false prophets and their deception of many.   And as lawlessness will abound in such circumstances, the love of many will grow cold.   But the ones who are saved are those who can endure in faith, to the end through all things.

"And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come."  My study bible comments that all these calamities and all this opposition cannot stop the spread of the gospel.  Indeed, it notes, persecutions against the Church frequently increase the number of souls being converted.  It cites St. John Chrysostom, who marvels that while the Romans subdued countless Jews in a political uprising, they couldn't prevail over twelve Jews who were unarmed with anything except the gospel of Jesus Christ.

What must we take from today's reading?  Quite simply, Jesus is preparing us for what is to come.  Over the past 2,000 years since these words were said, not only has the destruction of the temple and the city come to pass (it would happen roughly forty years later), but also the wars and rumors of wars, as well as the famines and pestilences and earthquakes in various places.  Persecutions and tribulation for Christians has arisen throughout history and persists today around the world in both hatred and murder.  Moreover, among Christians themselves we have experienced at times offenses, betrayals, and hatreds -- and yes, false prophets as well, who have successfully deceived many.  Some of us today would say that we are, indeed, witnesses to an abounding lawlessness (most clearly in a spiritual sense), as well as to love between people -- even a social sense of brotherly love, the fabric of a society -- growing cold, including families falling apart (see also, concerning this respect, 10:34-39).  In the times which quite closely followed Christ's lifetime on the earth, and up to the present time today, Jesus' prophecies have all come true:  in this "time of the end" that includes all of the present Christian era, we are witness to what He has described.  And yet, we also remain witness to the fact that these are but the beginnings of sorrows; we have not yet reached the end.  We remain in a time of endurance, in which what He teaches us and those things for which He has prepared us continue to evolve and manifest themselves.  In the end, there is one word that He insists we must keep in mind, and that is to endure.   Jesus says, "He who endures to the end will be saved," and we are to take Him at His word.  All that means is that He has previewed what is to transpire during this time as we await His return, and we can quite literally see it all around us for ourselves.  What He has told us has come to pass; we witness it every day.  But there is one thing that persists through it all:  His love for us, and our return of and faith in that love.  It is in His love that we must endure through all things, even to the end.  The apostles and disciples to whom He directly speaks in today's reading would witness simply horrific and unthinkable things.  We can't imagine the beauties of this great temple in which Jesus' conversation takes place, as it was rebuilt by Herod the Great (also known as Herod the Builder), refurbished to be known as one of the great wonders of the world.  How could they comprehend it could be destroyed, and their city burned?  A lot of history has passed since then, and many empires, and yet still today we can find ourselves standing in the "shoes" (or possibly sandals) of the disciples.  We may witness shocking and horrific things, even experiencing a common love grown cold.  But Christ's love endures, as must we, just as He endured in faith to the end.  Let us remember His words to each of us, and know that our job, also, is to bear our cross as did He, and to endure undeceived.

But take heed; see, I have told you all things beforehand

 "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.

"But in those days, after that tribulation, the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars of heaven will fall, and the powers in the heavens will be shaken.  Then they will see the Son of Man coming in the clouds with great power and glory.  And then He will send His angels, and gather together His elect from the four winds, from the farthest part of the earth to the farthest part of heaven."

- Mark 13:14-27

 Yesterday we read that as Jesus went out of the temple, one of His disciples said to Him, "Teacher, see what manner of stones and what buildings are here!"  And Jesus answered and said to him, "Do you see these great buildings?  Not one stone shall be left upon another, that shall not be thrown down.  Now as He sat on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple, Peter, James, John and Andrew asked Him privately, "Tell us, when will these things be?  And what will be the sign when all these things will be fulfilled?"  And Jesus, answering them, began to say:  "Take heed that no one deceives you.  For many will come in My name, saying, 'I am He,' and will deceive many.  But when you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be troubled; for such things must happen, but the end is not yet.  For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom.  And there will be earthquakes in various places, and there will be famines and troubles.  These are the beginnings of sorrows.   But watch out for yourselves, for they will deliver you up to councils, and you will be beaten in the synagogues.  You will be brought before rulers and kings for My sake, for a testimony to them.  And the gospel must first be preached to all the nations.  But when they arrest you and deliver you up, do not worry beforehand, or premeditate what you will speak.  But whatever is given you in that hour, speak that; for it is not you who speak, but the Holy Spirit.  Now brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child; and children will rise up against parents and cause them to be put to death.  And you will be hated by all for My name's sake.  But he who endures to the end shall be saved."  

 "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."  The abomination of desolation is part of the prophecy of Daniel, as Jesus' words tell us; see Daniel 11:31, 12:11.  These words are traditionally understood to refer to an event that took place during the Siege of Jerusalem, when the Roman general Titus entered the Most Holy Place of the temple and had a statue of himself erected in the temple, before having the temple destroyed.  The majority of this prophecy we can read of warning comes to describe the siege and its horrific effects for the people of Jerusalem.  My study bible points out that Christ's phrase when you see indicates that many of the disciples would still be alive at that time.  The parenthetical phrase let the reader understand is inserted as an encouragement to the early faithful, who may have witnessed these events.  The immediate warning in the aftermath of the calamity of the destruction of Jerusalem is against paying attention to false christs. 

"But in those days, after that tribulation, the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars of heaven will fall, and the powers in the heavens will be shaken.  Then they will see the Son of Man coming in the clouds with great power and glory.  And then He will send His angels, and gather together His elect from the four winds, from the farthest part of the earth to the farthest part of heaven."  The warnings about end times for the end of the age are mingled with specific warnings about the destruction of the temple, and this is so in all accounts in the Gospels.  This specific destruction at this time initiates the age in which we live, and the entire age is the "end time" until His return, called the Second Coming.  The entire period of great tribulation, my study bible says, includes the entire Christian era, and is not limited to the final years before Christ's return.   Here again, Jesus specifies with the effect of warning against false christs.  These signs about His return will be unmistakable, so that all will know what is happening, as He will be coming in the clouds with great power and glory, and those faithful will be gathered from the farthest part of the earth to the farthest part of heaven.

The end times, as my study bible notes, do describe, in Jesus' words and warning, what was to happen at the Siege of Jerusalem, a terrible time of turmoil, tribulation, and total destruction.  We cannot underestimate the effect of the violence, and the spiritual significance of the destruction of the temple.  But it invites us to ask what is left in the wake of desolation.  It behooves us to consider the aftermath of the Crucifixion in the same light.  Where do we turn for help?  Where is our God, and what is the nature of God's presence and God's help in the world.  In John chapter 4, in Jesus' encounter with the Samaritan woman at the well, He teaches her that "God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth" (John 4:24).  Our reconciliation to our Creator takes shape through this spiritual understanding of worship and of the nature of God, so that, even in this world and through all manner of desolation or destruction or difficulties, we have a place with God and where God remains present to us and at work in our lives.  We have more than a physical presence with us, for the Kingdom which Christ ushers into the world is one that is both within us and among us.  In Revelation 3:20, there is a promise given to us:  "Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me."  We can never rule out the mystical reality present to us in our faith, that God is spirit, which permeates anything and all things, which dwells and can make His home within us.  At the Last Supper, Jesus makes a promise to the disciples:  "And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever—the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you" (John 14:16-17).   In verse 24 of the same chapter, He teaches them, "But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you."   God's presence is no longer simply in one designated place, although we know that, in the witness of the Church, God can work through all manner of material things such as holy water, the oil of chrismation, relics of the saints, clothing, and a variety of other things, just as God became human and was present to us in the Incarnation of Christ.  But again, it is in John's Gospel we are told that, "The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit" (John 3:8).  In commenting on Jesus' words about the end times and His warning about the destruction to come in Jerusalem, St. John Chrysostom comments, marveling that while the Romans subdued countless Jews in a political uprising, they could not prevail over twelve Jews who were unarmed with anything but the gospel of Jesus Christ.   Spirit can be at work where nothing else can.  There is no barrier that it cannot penetrate, including those which we erect in our own hearts.  Let us consider, when we find ourselves in the midst of some calamity of our own, that whatever destruction or desolation we find in life can be overcome, because our Lord has transcended and defeated all things -- even death -- that this world can present to us.  God's Spirit is present to us as Helper, ready to teach us all things, to lead us into truth, and to remind us of His words when we need them.  Let us place our faith where it rests, on that divine-human synergy that was present to us in the Incarnation of Christ as example and guide -- in the place where the whole history of the Church teaches us that despite human error and evil, selfishness and all manner of destructive choice, God's Spirit can dwell, even the very presence of the Trinity, with us.  Let us call on God with our prayer, let us pray for the Spirit to guide us, let us be and remain where He teaches us to be, through all things.  As He teaches, let us not be deceived by false teaching and false prophets.  It is the practice of virtue and faith on which Christ places the most emphasis.  Let us keep ourselves as truly His.  Let us always take heed, for He has told us all things beforehand.

But he who endures to the end shall be saved

 Then as He went out of the temple, one of His disciples said to Him, "Teacher, see what manner of stones and what buildings are here!"  And Jesus answered and said to him, "Do you see these great buildings?  Not one stone shall be left upon another, that shall not be thrown down."

Now as He sat on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple, Peter, James, John and Andrew asked Him privately, "Tell us, when will these things be?  And what will be the sign when all these things will be fulfilled?"  And Jesus, answering them, began to say:  "Take heed that no one deceives you.  For many will come in My name, saying, 'I am He,' and will deceive many.  But when you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be troubled; for such things must happen, but the end is not yet.  For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom.  And there will be earthquakes in various places, and there will be famines and troubles.  These are the beginnings of sorrows. 

"But watch out for yourselves, for they will deliver you up to councils, and you will be beaten in the synagogues.  You will be brought before rulers and kings for My sake, for a testimony to them.  And the gospel must first be preached to all the nations.  But when they arrest you and deliver you up, do not worry beforehand, or premeditate what you will speak.  But whatever is given you in that hour, speak that; for it is not you who speak, but the Holy Spirit.  Now brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child; and children will rise up against parents and cause them to be put to death.  And you will be hated by all for My name's sake.  But he who endures to the end shall be saved." 

- Mark 13:1-13

Yesterday we read that Jesus answered and said, while He taught in the temple, "How is it that the scribes say that the Christ is the Son of David?  For David himself said by the Holy Spirit:  'The LORD said to my Lord, "Sit at My right hand, till I make Your enemies Your footstool." '  Therefore David himself calls Him 'Lord'; how is He then his Son?"  And the common people heard Him gladly.  Then He said to them in His teaching, "Beware of the scribes, who desire to go around in long robes, love greetings in the marketplaces, the best seats in the synagogues, and the best places at feasts, who devour widows' houses, and for a pretense make long prayers.  These will receive greater condemnation."  Now Jesus sat opposite the treasury and saw how the people put money into the treasury.  And many who were rich put in much.  Then one poor widow came and threw in two mites, which make a quadrans.  So He called His disciples to Himself and said to them, "Assuredly, I say to you that this poor widow has put in more than all those who have given to the treasury; for they all put in out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty put in all that she had, her whole livelihood."

  Then as He went out of the temple, one of His disciples said to Him, "Teacher, see what manner of stones and what buildings are here!"  And Jesus answered and said to him, "Do you see these great buildings?  Not one stone shall be left upon another, that shall not be thrown down."  My study bible tells us that Christ's prophecy of the destruction of the temple was fulfilled in AD 70, when the temple was destroyed by the Romans.   In the frenzy of battle, rumors that there was gold between the stones of the temple quite literally resulted in the manifestation of Christ's prophecy.  The temple in Christ's time was known as one of the seven wonders of the world, for its architectural beauty and magnificence.  We can hear in the remarks of the disciple the awe at its glory.  After the Siege of Jerusalem, only one retaining wall remained of the vast and extraordinary building complex of the temple completed by Herod the Great, father of Antipas, who was also known as Herod the Builder.  (It is that Herod who slew the innocents of Bethlehem; see Matthew 2:16-18.)  That wall today is called the Western Wall, or formerly the Wailing Wall.

Now as He sat on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple, Peter, James, John and Andrew asked Him privately, "Tell us, when will these things be?  And what will be the sign when all these things will be fulfilled?"  And Jesus, answering them, began to say:  "Take heed that no one deceives you.  For many will come in My name, saying, 'I am He,' and will deceive many.  But when you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be troubled; for such things must happen, but the end is not yet.  For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom.  And there will be earthquakes in various places, and there will be famines and troubles.  These are the beginnings of sorrows.   My study bible notes here that Mark's account of the end times is given in a reverse parallel form (called chiastic).  This means that the topics which are mentioned in the first half of the passage are repeated and magnified in reverse order in the second half (which will be in Monday's lectionary reading).  So, the full passage in Mark begins and ends with a warning to take heed about false christs (verses 5, 23).  The second warning regards wars (verse 7), and the second-to-last warning is about tribulation (verse 19). 

"But watch out for yourselves, for they will deliver you up to councils, and you will be beaten in the synagogues.  You will be brought before rulers and kings for My sake, for a testimony to them.  And the gospel must first be preached to all the nations.  But when they arrest you and deliver you up, do not worry beforehand, or premeditate what you will speak.  But whatever is given you in that hour, speak that; for it is not you who speak, but the Holy Spirit.  Now brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child; and children will rise up against parents and cause them to be put to death.  And you will be hated by all for My name's sake.  But he who endures to the end shall be saved."    The third warning in the overall passage is given in these verses about being delivered up to councils (verse 9), and also the third-to-last -- this time a warning about being betrayed by family members (verse 12).   The center of Jesus' discourse and prophecy on end times is here, that the gospel must first be preached to all the nations.  This is what my study bible calls the heart of the apostolic ministry and mission of the Church. 

Jesus ends today's passage with these stark words:  "And you will be hated by all for My name's sake.  But he who endures to the end shall be saved."  This is not exactly a cheering and heart-lifting message, delivered just prior to the events of the Passion that are coming.  He is preparing the disciples for what is to come, giving them a true picture of what is what, what to expect.  Are they prepared for the rest of their discipleship, their mission as apostles?    But it is an overall message for the Church, and believers in each generation -- even in nominally Christian countries -- have still experienced its truth.  To be a true believer is still to experience something that does not sit well with all the ways of the world, and the material-mindedness that comes to us so easily and makes life seem as if our choices are quite simple, that there is nothing more to life but its surface appearance.  Sometimes, as Jesus says, those challenges stretch straight into the personal, even into the heart of the family.  The struggles that we face as Christians or believers in Christ is a struggle of the heart, to reconcile our need for Christ and our lives in the world, as we meet the challenges of an imperfect, fallen, and selfish world.  That makes for a life of challenges and questions and struggles.   But Jesus teaches us that in all things, the Holy Spirit is present with us, and will give us what we need.  Note that Mark discloses in detail to whom Jesus speaks here, and where He speaks.  He's on the Mount of Olives with the rest of the pilgrims to Jerusalem at the Passover, the place where His Passion will start (in the garden called Gethsemane).  He speaks privately here to Peter, James, John and Andrew -- the brothers, Peter and Andrew, James and John, who form His first-called disciples.  As Jesus sets out what will be the path forward for the Church, and into the age to come, one may wonder in our time of advertising sophistication, couched as we are in public relations and marketing for virtually everything, how it was that such deep faith took root and spread so quickly through these men.  It will take only one generation for Christianity to go throughout what was their known world, to plant the seeds that would bear fruit.  We can but wonder, and then bear our own crosses and struggles, in such contrast to the popular idea of life as meant to be comfortable and perhaps easy.  But let us note these words.  Jesus' words to us speak most of all about endurance -- and endurance to the end, through all things, through the struggles we'll be a part of in our lives.  It's real, not fake.  He gives us the truth, and He gives it to us straight, for the gospel must go everywhere -- and surpass and transcend the struggles.