Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away

 

 "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. 

 

"Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his master made ruler over his household, to give them food in due season?  Blessed is that servant whom his master, when he comes, will find so doing.  Assuredly, I say to you that he will make him ruler over all his goods.  But if that evil servant says in his heart, 'My master is delaying his coming,'  and begins to beat his fellow servants, and to eat and drink with the drunkards, the master of that servant will come on a day when he is not looking for him and at an hour that he is not aware of,  and will cut him in two and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites.  Therefore shall be weeping gnashing of teeth."

 

- Matthew 24:32–51 

 

In yesterday's reading, Jesus continued His prophesy on end times.  He said, "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."  My study Bible explains that this generation is a reference to all believers at all times, the generation of the Church, and not simply to those live at the time of Christ.  

 

"But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only."  My study Bible cites the commentary of St. John Chrysostom here, who says 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 only from learning the day, but from even inquiring about it.  Moreover, my study Bible notes, according to Mark 13:32, and in Chrysostom's own St. Matthew text, Jesus declares that the Son also does not know the day of His own return.  According to St. Chrysostom, this is not to be understood literally, but it is a figure of speech which means that Christ -- although He revealed all the signs that will accompany His return -- will not reveal the exact day to anyone, and that believers should not be so brazen as to inquire of Him.  

 

 "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."  The second coming of Christ will entail a sudden revelation of judgment.  One will be taken to heaven, my study Bible says, and the other left for eternal condemnation.  This separation of the saints from the wicked will occur at the coming of the Son of Man, and not, as some teach, at a certain time before Christ's second coming.  

 

"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."  My study Bible comments here that Christ's purpose in this discourse is not to make people experts on end-time prophesy.  Rather it is so that they may watch and be ready, continuing in virtue and obeying Christ's commandments. 

 

"Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his master made ruler over his household, to give them food in due season?  Blessed is that servant whom his master, when he comes, will find so doing.  Assuredly, I say to you that he will make him ruler over all his goods.  But if that evil servant says in his heart, 'My master is delaying his coming,'  and begins to beat his fellow servants, and to eat and drink with the drunkards, the master of that servant will come on a day when he is not looking for him and at an hour that he is not aware of,  and will cut him in two and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites.  Therefore shall be weeping gnashing of teeth."  This parable illustrates and emphasizes Christ's warning to watch and be ready, continuing in living our faith -- practicing virtue and obeying His commandments.  As He has said earlier in this discourse:  "He who endures to the end shall be saved."

 

In yesterday's reading and commentary, we shared a note in my study Bible that cites 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18.   It noted that this passage was one of the clearest in the New Testament on the return of Christ, in the words given to us by St. Paul.  Of importance to the early Christians who were undergoing persecution was that the news of the return of Christ was meant as a comfort.  To fear His return, and the judgment that entails, is to get it all wrong, so to speak.  We need not fear a loving God, and we need not fear our call to repentance for precisely the same reason; our God is love itself (1 John 4:8).  These end times described by Christ actually teach us about the unfortunate effects of a rebellion against God, and the failure of faithfulness.  So, Jesus' constant words both of warning and encouragement in today's reading are meant to teach His followers, then and now and into the future, what we are always to be about.  We're to be alert and watchful, knowing that there are those who will wish to deceive us, either through false theologies and heresies or other means.  He wants followers who truly live their faith and are heedful of His commandments.  More importantly, those who will endure in the midst of all the possible tribulation or calamity or difficulty we might face.  For this very endurance in faith is to wage the true spiritual warfare against "principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places" (Ephesians 6:12).  Simply caring enough about spiritual truth, and living our lives in accordance with the faith He's given us, pursuing the grace we're given and the capacity for repentance as needed:  all of this is what is meant by spiritual warfare.  And therefore all of this is what counteracts the entropy Jesus describes in the world and is our proper response.  Moreover, as my study Bible emphasized about the passage from 1st Thessalonians, these words are meant as comfort.  To fear judgment is to be unaware of the loving nature of God and God's call to us.  Additionally, we must understand that St. Paul's words regarding "those who have fallen asleep" (verse 13) tell us something important about the present condition of spiritual reality.  That is, that those who have passed are all beneficiaries of our prayers.  For it is in the final judgment of Christ that all things are gathered together and reconciled, but without this event our loved ones and those whom we know who have passed are "asleep."  Let us take to heart that what this implies is that our prayers are effective beyond this world, even as we know there is a living communion of saints (which includes the angels) with whom we also worship and pray.  So let us, indeed, take heart.  For we are surrounded not only by the activity of the Holy Spirit, the Paraclete, through this time, but also the "great cloud of witnesses" with whom we may also pray, and whose prayers we may also invoke.  And should we be concerned about friends and loved ones who have passed, we take comfort in knowing that even through they sleep, they also can benefit from our prayers as we live through this time of the end and await Christ's return.  So let us take heart, for we have a great mission Christ has left us with, and His commands to follow, and the life to live that He has given us and taught us to live in faith and with grace.  For He gives us His words of warning so that we are "ready" for that time of His return, and we are faithful and wise servants.  Let us take heart, for we put our faith and trust into the One whose words will by no means pass away.

 

 

 

I am with you always, even to the end of the age

 

 Then the eleven disciples went away into Galilee, to the mountain which Jesus had appointed for them.  When they saw Him, they worshiped Him; but some doubted.  And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.  Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age."  Amen.

 

- Matthew 28:16–20 

 

The lectionary has been taking us through St. Matthew's Gospel, and recently into the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5 - 7).  But this week, it has been preparing us for the Feast of the Ascension, which is today in the Western Churches (and the Armenian Apostolic Church), while the Eastern Orthodox will celebrate a week from today.  Yesterday we read that, while the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them, saying, "What do you think about the Christ?  Whose Son is He?"  They said to Him, "The Son of David."  He said to them, "How then does David in the Spirit call Him 'Lord,' saying:  'The LORD said to my Lord, "Sit at My right hand, till I make Your enemies Your footstool"'?  If David then calls Him 'Lord,' how is He his Son?"  And no one was able to answer Him a word, nor from that day on did anyone dare question Him anymore.  In tomorrow's lectionary reading, we will resume readings in chapter 7, the final verses of the Sermon on the Mount.  

 

  Then the eleven disciples went away into Galilee, to the mountain which Jesus had appointed for them.  When they saw Him, they worshiped Him; but some doubted.  And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth."  Here Christ declares that the authority that was His by nature in His divinity is now also possessed by His glorified human nature, my study Bible comments.  It says that this human nature has now trampled the final enemy -- death (1 Corinthians 15:20-28).  

 

"Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, . . . "  This is known as the Great Commission.  It is Christ's final commandment given on earth.  My study Bible comments that it is to be lived out in the Church until Christ returns again.  To make disciples is not possible in the strength of human beings, but only in the power of God.  

 

 ". . . teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age."  Amen.  My study Bible notes that Christ Himself is present in each believer and in the Church always, both personally and in the Holy Spirit, for neither can be separated from the other.  To the end of the age doesn't imply that we'll be separated from Christ at the end of the world.  He is with us now, and forever, and unto the ages of ages.  Amen.

 

What does it mean that He will be with us to the end of the age?   The first thing we must remember is that we are in the age that Christ's Incarnation has initiation.   And this age -- the entire Christian era on these terms -- is the age of the "end times."  This is not a short period before time and the world as we know it ends, except perhaps in consideration of an eternal universe, but not on earthly terms.  The end times are the entire age that Christ has brought into the world, and will last until His return.  Thus He speaks of the end of the age which has a particular meaning in the context of the Church.  It is most important that He is with us, for without Him, what can we do?  What are we capable of without Him?  It is Christ who has initiated this age, He who is our Shepherd (our good shepherd; see John 10:1-16, especially verse 11).   Again, without Him, what can we do?  He makes it possible to be His disciples, He sends us His Holy Spirit, He prays to (or asks) the Father on our behalf, requesting such good help to be given to us (John 14:15-18).  He preaches also that where two or three are gathered together in His name, there He is also in the midst of them (Matthew 18:20).  So He shepherds us through this time in which we, as His people and His sheep, await His return, which will be the end of the age.  Therefore this Great Commission is what we do, and how we are to keep ourselves occupied and living His commandments until His return.  We note that a significant part of this commission is the responsibility of "teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you."  But how does one teach anything except by living it ourselves?  So this commission is not simply about finding disciples, but about we ourselves being the very objects others may observe and turn to by living His love and His commandments for us ourselves, as He teaches in the Sermon on the Mount (see Matthew 5:13-16, especially verse 16).  As we've observed in recent readings and commentary, Jesus warns us most scathingly against hypocrisy in the example He makes of the Pharisees (Matthew 23), so we know that teaching His commandments means living them, doing them, truly living our faith.  For this, too, He is with us always, together with the Father and the Holy Spirit.  For we are not alone in Christ.

 

 

 

Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect

 

 "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 our recent readings, Jesus has been teaching His disciples about the "end times" and the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple to come (beginning in Saturday's reading).  Yesterday, He continued to prophesy about the times to 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.  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."  My study Bible explain that this generation refers to all believers at all times; that is, the generation of the Church, and not simply to those alive at the time of Christ.  

 

"But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only."  My study Bible cites St. John Chrysostom's commentary, 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 only from learning the day, but even seeking to ask about it.  According to Mark 13:32, my study Bible continues, and in the St. Matthew text of St. Chrysostom, Jesus declares that even the Son does not know the day of His own return.  St. John Chrysostom says that this should not be understood literally.  Instead, it's a figure of speech to indicate that Christ, although He has revealed all the signs which will accompany His return, will not reveal the precise day to anyone, and that believers should not be so brazen as to inquire of Him.  

 

"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."  My study Bible points out that the second coming of Christ will bring a sudden revelation of judgment.  One will be taken to heaven, it says, and the other left for eternal condemnation.  This separation of the saints from the wicked will happen at the coming of the Son of Man, and not (as some teach today) at a certain time before His second coming.  

 

"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."  My study Bible comments that Christ's purpose in giving this discourse isn't to make people experts on end-time prophesy.  Rather, it's so they may watch and be ready, continuing in virtue and obeying Christ's commandments.  This warning is illustrated in the parable Jesus tells here of the returning master of the house.  

 

 It's interesting that Jesus tells this short parable of the master of the house and what his behavior would have been had he known what hour the thief would come.  In it He likens His second coming to a thief breaking into the house.  St. Paul picks up on this image and restates it in his Letter to the Thessalonians:  "But concerning the times and the seasons, brethren, you have no need that I should write to you. For you yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night. For when they say, 'Peace and safety!' then sudden destruction comes upon them, as labor pains upon a pregnant woman. And they shall not escape" (1 Thessalonians 5:1-3).  St. Peter does the same:  "But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up" (2 Peter 3:10).  In the Revelation we find the same imagery:  "Remember therefore how you have received and heard; hold fast and repent. Therefore if you will not watch, I will come upon you as a thief, and you will not know what hour I will come upon you" (Revelation 3:3); "Behold, I am coming as a thief. Blessed is he who watches, and keeps his garments, lest he walk naked and they see his shame" (Revelation 16:15).  Why would this blessed, extraordinary event of Christ's return in all of His glory be so described for us in this negative term of a thief in the night?  It is clearly meant as a warning, to stir us to remember at all times what we are to be about.  It doubly enforces the notion that the purpose of these revelations and prophesy of things to come is not so we make timetables and seek to calculate when this will happen.  This "thief in the night" image is meant to teach us the surprising nature of Christ's return, and how human beings become complacent with daily life and the cares of this world, rather than focusing on being prepared at all times should this event take place.  Elsewhere Jesus emphasizes the surprising nature of His return:  "But take heed to yourselves, lest your hearts be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness, and cares of this life, and that Day come on you unexpectedly. For it will come as a snare on all those who dwell on the face of the whole earth. Watch therefore, and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man" (Luke 21:34-36).  Once again, the whole point of this language is so that we understand that while we live in this world our job is to be prepared for His return, watchful and focusing on the things that we need to do to follow His commands, practicing the virtue He teaches, enduring in our faith.  We aren't told that there is more to do than this; it is enough that we always keep Christ's return in our hearts and minds and live accordingly.  For this is the work of faith (see John 6:27-29).  We remain watchful for the opportunities God places before us, the ways we need to serve, to practice our faith, to endure in the participation in His life by the grace He's given us, to strengthen our faith and grow in its grace for us.  There are all kinds of ways for us to be distracted, and perhaps that is true now more than ever for all kinds of reasons.  And yet, we're warned to keep watch over ourselves, and to continue in readiness for His return.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

For I say to you, that unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven

 

 "Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets.  I did not come to destroy but to fulfill.  For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled.  Whoever therefore breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.  For I say to you, that unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven."

 

- Matthew 5:17–20 

 

In yesterday's reading from the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus taught that believers are like Salt and Light.  He said,  "Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake.  Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you. You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall  it be seasoned?  It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men.  You are the light of the world.  A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden.  Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house.  Let your light so shine before men,  that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven."

 

 "Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets.  I did not come to destroy but to fulfill."  My study Bible tells us that Christ fulfills the Law in Himself, in His words, and in His actions in the following ways:  He performs God's will in all its fullness (Matthew 3:15).  He transgresses none of the precepts of the Law (John 8:46; 14:30).  He declares the perfect fulfillment of the Law, which He is about to deliver to those who listen.  He grants righteousness, which is the goal of the Law, to us (Romans 3:31; 8:3-4; 10:4).  He fulfills the Prophets by both being and carrying out what they foretold.  

 

"For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled."   Assuredly is a translation of Αμὴν/Amen from the Greek.  It means "truly," or "confirmed," or "so be it," according to my study Bible.  Here, Christ uses it as a solemn affirmation, which is a form of oath.  His use of this word at the beginning of certain proclamations -- as opposed to at the end -- is unique and authoritative, my study Bible says.  Jesus declares His words affirmed before they are even spoken.  A jot (ἰῶτα/iota in the Greek) is the smallest letter in the Greek alphabet, while a tittle is the smallest stroke in certain Hebrew letters.  So, therefore, the whole of the Law is affirmed as the foundation of Christ's new teaching.  My study Bible says that all is fulfilled refers to the Passion and Resurrection of Christ.

 

 "Whoever therefore breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven."  My study Bible explains that righteousness according to the Law is a unified whole.  It says that the observance of all the least commandments is to observe the whole Law, while the violation of the least commandment is considered to be a violation of the whole Law.

 

"For I say to you, that unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven."  Righteousness that leads to salvation must exceed that of the Pharisees, my study Bible explains, because their righteousness was outward and works-based.  The righteousness of salvation is the communion of the heart, soul, mind, and body in Jesus Christ.  This righteousness starts with God, but is accepted by human beings in faith.  We live that faith as Christ lives in us and we in Him (Galatians 2:20).  This is an ongoing communion, my study Bible says, in an ongoing, dynamic, and growing life with Christ.

 

 What is this communion with God that exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees?  According to my study Bible, Christ is asking here for something more; He's saying that He is the true fulfillment of the Law and the Prophets, and He repeatedly reiterates the power and authority of the Law, that all of it will be fulfilled.  But in this understanding of who He is, we find Him inviting us into communion with Him, so that we also may fulfill this understanding of righteousness.  Once again, we must revisit the notion of repentance in the Christian sense.  The Greek word for repentance means change of mind.  In common parlance to repent means to address a particular sin, to turn away from it.  But in the true sense of this word in the Gospels and in the tradition of the Church, there is a sense in which repentance is a consistent ongoing process, and it means that we change in relation to our turning to God, to Christ.  In communion then, the objective in this understanding of righteousness is not necessarily that we are looking back on a particular sin and rejecting it, but rather that we seek the kind of fulfillment Christ speaks about here.  We are growing toward something, and this is the ongoing "repentance" process of communion with Christ.  We grow to be more like Him, the One of true righteousness, through a depth of relationship with Him, the proper communion we seek.  This is the key to entering the kingdom of heaven, and its real root is love.  Jesus will teach that the two greatest commandments, summing up all the Law and the Prophets, are as follows:  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" (Matthew 22:37-40).  In the tradition of orthodox theology, the word that describes our love for God might sound strange to us, who live in a secular culture in which words have changed meaning over time.  But this Greek word ερως/eros is also used to define a deep love and desire for God, and in this sense of loving God "with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind," describes a devotion and passion for God that the commandment indicates.  In this sense, we desire a union with God in the totality of who we are.  When Christ speaks, therefore, of fulfilling the Law and Prophets, we should consider what it means to seek a life pursuing this kind of union with Christ, and the αγαπη/agape (often translated as "charity") love of neighbor that this will lead us toward.  When Jesus speaks of righteousness, it is with a sense of teaching to us this deep-rooted start in love, for God is love -- and from God's seeking us in love, and our responding with love to God, we find the righteousness about which Christ teaches here, that which exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees. 

 

 

 

Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect

 

 "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. Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his master made ruler over his household, to give them food in due season?  Blessed is that servant whom his master, when he comes, will find so doing.  Assuredly, I say to you that he will make him ruler over all his goods.  But if that evil servant says in his heart, 'My master is delaying his coming, and begins to beat his fellow servants, and to eat and drink with the drunkards, the master of that servant will come on a day when he is not looking for him and at an hour that he is not aware of, and will cut him in two and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites.  There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth."

 

- Matthew 24:32-51 

 

In chapter 24 of St. Matthew's Gospel, Jesus has been teaching the disciples about "end times" (beginning on Thursday).   In yesterday's reading, He taught them, "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."  My study Bible comments that this generation refers to all believers at all times, the generation of the Church, and not merely those alive at the time of Christ. 

"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."  According to St. John Chrysostom, my study Bible says, Christ speaks 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 from even asking about it.  My study Bible also cites Mark 13:32, and Chrysostom's Matthew text, in which Jesus Himself says that the Son does not know the day of His own return.  Again, according to St. Chrysostom, this isn't to be understood literally, but is rather a figure of speech.  It indicates that Christ, although He has spoken of all the signs that will accompany His return, will not reveal the exact day to anyone -- and that believers should not be so bold as to ask of Him.

"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."  Here is where Jesus indicates the judgment that will be revealed at His second coming.  One will be taken to heaven and the other left, my study Bible writes, for eternal condemnation.  It notes that this separation of the saints from the wicked will occur at the coming of the Son of Man, and not, as some teach, at a certain time before Christ's return.  

"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. Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his master made ruler over his household, to give them food in due season?  Blessed is that servant whom his master, when he comes, will find so doing.  Assuredly, I say to you that he will make him ruler over all his goods.  But if that evil servant says in his heart, 'My master is delaying his coming, and begins to beat his fellow servants, and to eat and drink with the drunkards, the master of that servant will come on a day when he is not looking for him and at an hour that he is not aware of, and will cut him in two and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites.  There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth."  My study Bible concludes here that Christ's purpose in making this discourse (the whole of chapter 24) is not to make people end-time prophesy experts.  Clearly His words are given to us so that we may be ready, continuing in virtue and obeying the commandments of Christ.  The final parable, of the returning master, illustrates this warning to all of us. 

 

We don't know what Christ's judgment will entail, nor can we second guess even how it will happen, who will be chosen and who will not, and all the other myriad questions we might have about what it will look like, how it will happen, and how judgment even works.  These things are beyond us and are strictly the purview of God.  Indeed, we're told that we shouldn't even speculate on when this might happen.   The best clue we have is simply the parable of the fig tree.  But, as is so with all of the things Christ has prophesied in this chapter on end times, reflections and glimmers of the things He predicts here come to us throughout history, as their truth continues to manifest itself.  So, therefore, we might conclude that we are at all times to prepare and be ready -- and this seems to be the main thrust of all of His conclusions and warnings to us.  It might not sound warm and fuzzy and comforting, but it seems true that when we forget about judgment, when our consciousness of God's awareness of all that we do slips away from us, then we are in the greatest danger of error and lack of discernment ourselves.  It is at such times we're more likely to be carried away by a passion, a mob mentality, or the exigencies of violence and upheaval in either a personal or larger scale of life.  Indeed, this is the very point of Christ's repeated warnings to us to be vigilant, awake, and aware of who we are and what we're meant to be about, how we live our lives as those who follow His commands, as those who would be His servants.  The final parable makes this completely clear to us:  "But if that evil servant says in his heart, 'My master is delaying his coming, and begins to beat his fellow servants, and to eat and drink with the drunkards, the master of that servant will come on a day when he is not looking for him and at an hour that he is not aware of, and will cut him in two and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites.  There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth."   To fail to keep His warnings uppermost in our minds is to forget about how we relate to one another, to engage in unrighteous violence and abuse, and to become forgetful, even lawless, in our passions and self-indulgence.  This turn of phrase, that the master is coming at an hour that he is not aware of, seems to be a reflection of a solemn promise given here:  Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.  It seems to be a kind of affirmation that we surely will be unprepared, as our own forgetfulness is so common, and that the only solution for us is what He tells us:  that we are always to be ready.  We cannot simply depend upon an assumption that we'll see all those signs of the fig tree, or explicitly understand them.  Even the ways that Christ presents end times cannot be construed to have a definite chronology.  Our only resource is obedience to His words and commands, to live a prayerful life, and work the work of God.  We can't do this without ongoing active faith, keeping our prayer lives vital, and participating in His communion.  Moreover, this active and ongoing effort is not ever going to be a static experience, but one that grows and changes and transforms, illuminating errors in our own thoughts and behaviors, and growing in correction and repentance and learning.  It is never meant to stop.  Therefore let us keep vigilant, and do as He asks, reminding ourselves that the Master is returning at an hour we do not expect.  Let us pay attention to what we are to be about!

Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect

 

 "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 our recent readings, Jesus is in Jerusalem, and it is Holy Week, the final week of Christ's earthly life.  After disputing in the temple with the religious authorities, Jesus has stepped outside of the temple, where He has been discussing the "end times" after a question from His disciples.  In yesterday's reading, Jesus taught them:  "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."  My study Bible comments here that this generation is a reference to all believers at all times.  That is, the generation of the Church, and not only those alive at the time of Christ.  

 

 "But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only."  My study Bible here cites the commentary of St. John Chrysostom.  It quotes St. Chrysostom who says that Christ speaks 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 only from learning the day, but even from inquiring about it.    My study Bible goes on to comment that, according to Mark 13:32, and also in St. Chrysostom's Matthew text, Jesus declares that the Son also does not know the day of His own return.  St. Chrysostom, it notes, teaches that this is not to be understood literally.  Rather it is a figure of speech which means that Christ -- even though He has revealed all the signs that will accompany His return, will not reveal the precise day to anyone -- and that believers should not be so brazen as to inquire of Him. 

"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."  My study Bible comments that the second coming of Christ will entail a sudden revelation of judgment.  It says that one will be taken to heaven and the other left for eternal condemnation.  This particular separation of the saints from the wicked will happen at the coming of the Son of Man, and not at a certain time before He returns.  See also Matthew 25:31-46.

"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."  My study Bible tells us that the Lord's purpose in this "end times" discourse is not to make people experts on end-time prophecy.  Instead, we are prepared so that we watch and be ready, continuing in virtue and in obeying the commandments of Christ.  This warning is illustrated by the parable of the returning master (verses 45-51, tomorrow's lectionary reading). 

When Jesus speaks of His return to us, He speaks of it this way:  "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."  It's odd to think of Christ giving an image of Himself to us as a thief.  Elsewhere, Jesus, in the day of His return, is also spoken of as a thief.  Luke 12:39 repeats the identical words we read here in St. Matthew's Gospel:  "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."  St. Paul writes, "For you yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night. . . . But you, brethren, are not in darkness, so that this Day should overtake you as a thief" (1 Thessalonians 5:2-4).  St. Peter writes that "the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night" in 2 Peter 3:10.  In the Revelation, the Lord warns twice, using the same figurative language:  "Therefore if you will not watch, I will come upon you as a thief, and you will not know what hour I will come upon you"; and "Behold, I am coming as a thief. Blessed is he who watches, and keeps his garments, lest he walk naked and they see his shame" (Revelation 3:3, 16:15).  All of these warnings, describing Jesus' return as "like a thief in the night," teach us about preparedness for this Day, this moment of His Second Coming.  Why like a thief?  A thief's action is unexpected, snatching something away that we might consider precious -- and Jesus' point is that we must be prepared.  We must be ready.  A thief in the night comes while we're sleeping, and sleep is a metaphor for a lack of awareness and focus, a missing alertness to what needs to be done.  This must be our focus in this time.  Our whole lives are times of preparation and readiness for the return of our Lord, and that is the focus He wishes for us to have.  We're to be aware of opportunities to serve.  This is why He emphasizes His return as something that comes upon us as a thief in the night.  We're not to be busy making timetables, but rather to be busy following His wishes, doing His commands, living as He has asked us to live.  We should spend our lives cultivating preparedness for this moment.  For indeed, none of us can know when our time will come at the end of our earthly lives, under any circumstances.  For this is for the most part outside of our control.  We can take good care of our health, we can make sure we have all the advantages, but life throws us all surprises, and we are not in control of the whole of our lives -- for at the end even of our peaceful or prosperous or joyful lives, we still must be prepared for that Day, whether it comes in this earthly life or not.  What acts of compassion do we lack?  Is there a repentance we need to make?  Where is Christ calling us while we still have time in our lives to act?  The image of Christ coming as a thief is a useful one, for it teaches us that Christ's great emphasis is to be prepared for that time, which will come "at an hour you do not expect."

Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away

 

 Then He spoke to them a parable:  "Look at the fig tree, and all the trees.  When they are already budding, you see and know for yourselves that summer is now near.  So you also, when you see these things happening, know that the kingdom of God is near.  Assuredly, I say to you, this generation will by no means pass away till all things take place.  Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away.

"But take heed to yourselves, lest your hearts be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness, and cares of this life, and that Day come on you unexpectedly.  For it will come as a snare on all those who dwell on the face of the whole earth.  Watch therefore, and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man." 

 

- Luke 21:29–36 

 

On Saturday, we read that Jesus taught:  "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 by captive into all nations.  And Jerusalem will be trampled by Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.  And there will be signs in the sun, in the moon, and in the stars; and on the earth distress of nations, with perplexity, the sea and the waves roaring; men's hearts filing 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." 

 

 Then He spoke to them a parable:  "Look at the fig tree, and all the trees.  When they are already budding, you see and know for yourselves that summer is now near.  So you also, when you see these things happening, know that the kingdom of God is near.  Assuredly, I say to you, this generation will by no means pass away till all things take place.  Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away."  My study Bible comments that this generation refers to all believers at all times, the generation of the Church -- and not only to those alive at the time of Christ.  

 

"But take heed to yourselves, lest your hearts be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness, and cares of this life, and that Day come on you unexpectedly.  For it will come as a snare on all those who dwell on the face of the whole earth.  Watch therefore, and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man."  Here in Luke's Gospel, the emphasis is on preparedness for this time.  We're not given any information that would lead us to make a timetable or predict exactly when this will occur.  Let us note that Jesus emphasizes the surprising nature of this prophesy, that the Day of His return will come as a snare on all those who dwell upon the face of the whole earth.  The emphasis is on preparedness, with the admonition to watch and to pray always, keeping in mind His words and this teaching, that we may be counted worthy to stand before the Son of Man in judgment.

Jesus says, "But take heed to yourselves, lest your hearts be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness, and cares of this life, and that Day come on you unexpectedly."  These words echo an element in the parable of the Sower.  When Jesus explains to the disciples the meaning of the parable, He says the following interpretation regarding the seeds that fell among thorns:  "Now the ones that fell among thorns are those who, when they have heard, go out and are choked with cares, riches, and pleasures of life, and bring no fruit to maturity" (Luke 8:4).  This is especially emphasized here as those things that lead to heedlessness of the reality of Christ's promise to return, and the judgment of that Day.  It speaks of how easily we are distracted from the spiritual reality of our lives, our own easy capacity for forgetfulness in the midst of life.  We won't be given obvious reminders; we have already been given Christ, the prophets, the saints, the Scriptures, and all the ongoing work of the Church.  But these warnings found twice in the Gospels emphasize how easily our attention is led astray, how simple it is for us to be diverted from this reality and His teachings through the cares, riches, and pleasures of life.  These pursuits and distractions, in Jesus' word, weigh our hearts down, seeming to imply that we don't have the energy to "look up" or that their effect is to deprive us of the capacity to think beyond a purely earthly life.  These words also suggest to us the importance of time, and that we consider the preciousness of the time of our lives.  Repeatedly Christ's parables will suggest this to us, such as in the parable of the Lost Son.  When the prodigal realizes the horrible state in which he finds himself, Jesus says that "he came to himself" (Luke 15:17).  In other words, his straying from the home of his father has taken him away from who he truly is, his true place -- such is the power of the distractions we have in life, when our hearts are weighed down with the cares, riches, and pleasures of life.  There is a pernicious suggestion that returns over and over again in modern life, that the only way to "find ourselves" is by getting lost in what some might enviously think are the privileges of others, where the grass seems to be greener.  In a classical political and social context, the phrase "bread and circuses" might also apply here.  That is, the things afforded by wealth (even great wealth), including all the cares and pleasures that come with riches, or a life of pure indulgence in whatever takes our fancies, or seems to promise to take away pain rather than dealing with it more effectively.  Today we have many ways to be "drunken," we have many sources for "carousing," and an infinite number of cares that seem to plague life in pursuit of such.  Let us understand our own nature and take it seriously that Christ has said that "the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak" (Mark 14:38).  For our lives, as He has said, are more than this, we're meant for what is better and higher for us -- and while we might be distracted with amusements, or the pursuit of what we think is good, this is not the whole of life.  We are meant for meaning, and the wholeness of life includes our spiritual nature, not separate from our earthly bodies but a part of us.  Our well-being depends upon it.  Let us understand why it is necessary that we watch and pray, and we remember God in the ways that we can.  Jesus says, "But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you" (Matthew 6:33).  So much depends upon where our attention is, how we use our time, and what comes first.  Finally, let us consider the weight of these words:  "Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away."  What He promises and teaches here is that His words will supersede all things.  Whatever we put our faith into, and time, and effort, in His word we will find even a new heaven and a new earth.  Let us stand and remember what He teaches.

 

 

But take heed to yourselves, lest your hearts be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness, and cares of this life, and that Day come on you unexpectedly

 

 Then He spoke to them a parable:  "Look at the fig tree, and all the trees.  When they are already budding, you will see and know for yourselves that summer is now near.  So you also, when you see these things happening, know that the kingdom of God is near.  Assuredly, I say to you, this generation will by no means pass away till all things take place.  Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away.  

"But take heed to yourselves, lest your hearts be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness, and cares of this life, and that Day come on you unexpectedly.  For it will come as a snare on all those who dwell on the face of the whole earth.  Watch therefore, and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man.  And in the daytime He was teaching in the temple, but at night He went out and stayed on the mountain called Olivet.  Then early in the morning all the people came to Him in the temple to hear Him.

 

- Luke 21:29-38 

 

Yesterday we read Jesus' continuation of His prophecy on end times and the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple:  "But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then know that its desolation is near.  Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains, let those who are in the midst of her depart, and let not those who are in the country enter her.  For these are the days of vengeance, that all things which are written may be fulfilled.  But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days!  For there will be great distress in the land and wrath upon this people.  And they will fall by the edge of the sword, and be led away captive into all nations.  And Jerusalem will be trampled by Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.  And there will be signs in the sun, in the moon, and in the stars; and on the earth distress of nations, with perplexity, the sea and the waves roaring; men's hearts failing them from fear and the expectation of those things which are coming on the earth, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken.  Then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.  Now when these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption draws near." 

 

Then He spoke to them a parable:  "Look at the fig tree, and all the trees.  When they are already budding, you will see and know for yourselves that summer is now near.  So you also, when you see these things happening, know that the kingdom of God is near.  Assuredly, I say to you, this generation will by no means pass away till all things take place.  Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away."  Jesus gives the image of a fig tree, and all the trees, as a metaphor for how we are to look at our world.  When we see things beginning to bud, we know that summer -- meaning the time of fruit -- is near.  So when we observe these things about our world, we are to know that the kingdom of God is near.  The words this generation make it clear that those among His disciples would see the terrible destruction of Jerusalem and of the temple in their lifetimes, and the things He describes as end times would begin soon after His Ascension, including, conflict and persecution.  That heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away is a solemn assertion of His promise.  St. Cyprian of Carthage, in the 3rd century, noting the wars, natural disasters, and increasing adversity already evident in his time, wrote, "Since the things that were foretold are happening, whatever he promises will also follow. The Lord himself promises, 'When you shall see these things come to pass, know that the kingdom of God is at hand.' The kingdom of God, beloved brothers and sisters, has drawn near. The reward of life, the joy of eternal salvation, the perpetual happiness and the possession of paradise once lost are now coming as the world passes away."

 

 "But take heed to yourselves, lest your hearts be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness, and cares of this life, and that Day come on you unexpectedly.  For it will come as a snare on all those who dwell on the face of the whole earth.  Watch therefore, and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man.  And in the daytime He was teaching in the temple, but at night He went out and stayed on the mountain called Olivet.  Then early in the morning all the people came to Him in the temple to hear Him."  Finally, we're given a warning.  It's quite similar to the parable of the Sower, in that He teaches us we can be so distracted by the things of the world that we're unprepared for His return, that Day.  In the parable of the Sower (Luke 8:4-15), Jesus taught that some seed (meaning the word of God) "fell among thorns, and the thorns sprang up with it and choked it."  He later explained to the disciples that "the ones that fell among thorns are those who, when they have heard, go out and are choked with cares, riches, and pleasures of life, and bring no fruit to maturity."  This is what He warns us of when He speaks about the surprise of that Day coming as a snare.  Our own forgetfulness in pleasures, evasion of life, and immersion by the cares of this life can keep us from remembering His word and keeping it, and producing the spiritual fruits He asks of us.

It's so interesting to consider Jesus' repeated metaphors about gardening or agriculture, the natural world of growth and produce.  They produce so many images for us to consider about how we live our lives.  In today's reading, He speaks of the fig tree as an image through which we might view the world.  If we look at the natural world and how things grow, that they first produce flowers, and then later the fruits of summer, we may contemplate Christ's words about the buds on the fig tree.  That is, the tiny beginnings of flowers, indicating the hints about the things He describes about the end times:  persecutions, strife, adversity, conflict, plagues, and natural disasters of many kinds.  These are the "buds" that should remind us of what comes with the full fruits, and then in particular, at the harvest.  The harvest to come we may easily see as the final judgment that will accompany His return, "the Day" as He phrases it.  In Jesus' teaching here, it is those "buds" that are meant to remind us of the harvest, of what is coming, so that we are prepared for it for ourselves.  How do we do that preparation?  What is it that the buds are meant to remind us to be about?  What work is it that we're supposed to be doing, instead of being occupied with carousing, drunkenness, and cares of this life?  Jesus indicates here that being one of His followers is not something we decide one day and then forget about while we get on with life.  He suggests that it is, in fact, the cares of life, and our ways of avoiding them in one form or another, that can stand in the way of living the life He asks us to.  We can become forgetful of what it is that He asks us to be doing instead, how we are to live our lives.  If each "bud" of the things He describes should remind us of what we are to be about, what might be the best way to bring back true mindfulness that He asks of us?  As we observed in yesterday's reading and commentary, St. Paul seems to address such issues in his Letter to the Thessalonians.   He refers to the Day that comes like a snare; or as Jesus has described His return elsewhere, like a thief in the night.  He speaks of remembrance and watchfulness, telling them, "You are all sons of light and sons of the day. We are not of the night nor of darkness. Therefore let us not sleep, as others do, but let us watch and be sober. For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk are drunk at night.  But let us who are of the day be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet the hope of salvation."   In what is perhaps the best advice for what we can do to practice mindfulness, he writes, "Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you" (see 1 Thessalonians 5).  There are so many ways to forget who we are as followers of Christ, to lose ourselves in the world, in drunkenness or other forms of intoxication, or being overwhelmed with the cares of life, or simply avoiding life in a figurative sleep of forgetfulness.  But we're meant to be awake to the reality of the truth that informs and inspires, alert to the reality of the world Jesus opens to our eyes, and also to the ways in which we can follow and practice His teachings.  Let us remember St. Paul's advice for coming to remembrance, and know that the kingdom of God is near.

 

I am with you always, even to the end of the age

 

 Then the eleven disciples went away into Galilee, to the mountain which Jesus had appointed for them.  When they saw Him, they worshiped Him; but some doubted.  And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.  Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age."  Amen.

 

- Matthew 28:16-20 

 

 Yesterday we read that while the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them, saying, "What do you think about the Christ?  Whose Son is He?"  They said to Him, "The Son of David."  He said to them, "How then does David in the Spirit call Him 'Lord,' saying:  'The LORD said to my Lord,  "Sit at My right hand,  till I make Your enemies Your footstool"'?If David then calls Him 'Lord,' how is He his Son?"  And no one was able to answer Him a word, nor from that day on did anyone dare question Him anymore.  

 

  Then the eleven disciples went away into Galilee, to the mountain which Jesus had appointed for them.  When they saw Him, they worshiped Him; but some doubted.  And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth."   In the West, today is Ascension Day, which comes forty days after Easter (or Pascha), after the Resurrection, and today's reading describes the occasion for the Feast of our Lord's Ascension.  (For the East, this Feast will be celebrated one week from today.)  This reading is found at the end of the Gospel of Matthew.  Let us note that by this time there have been many Resurrection appearances of Jesus to the disciples on various occasions and in various places.  We also note that the text tells us that when they saw Him, they worshiped Him.  When they knew Him in the flesh as Jesus, they did not worship, but now they understand His divinity and authority.  But even so, there were still some who doubted.  My study Bible comments that when Jesus says, "All authority has been given to Me," He is declaring that the authority that was His by nature in His divinity is now also possessed by His glorified human nature.  That is, His Ascension and Resurrection also included His humanity.  This human nature has now trampled the final enemy -- death (1 Corinthians 15:2-28). 

 

"Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit . . ."   This is the Great Commission, and it is our Lord's final commandment given on earth.  My study Bible comments that this commandment, the Great Commission, is to be lived out in the Church until Christ returns again.  To make disciples cannot be done in the strength of human beings, but only in the power of God.  It says that the power of the Resurrection is not only for Jesus Himself, but it is given to all believers for Christian life and mission.

 

" . . . teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age."  Amen.  My study Bible notes that Christ Himself is present in each believer and in the Church always, both personally and in the Holy Spirit, for neither can be separated from the other.  To the end of the age does not imply that we will be separated from Christ at the end of the world.  Christ is with us -- now, and forever, and unto the ages of ages.

As Easter/Pascha is the greatest occasion of the Church year, it is tempting to think that the story of Jesus Christ ends with Resurrection.  But that is not really the end of the story.  There is more:  Christ makes many post-Resurrection appearances to His disciples before His Ascension.  (See Mark 16:9-11; John 20:11-18; Matthew 28:9-10; Luke 24:34; Luke 24:13-32; Luke 24:36-43; John 20:19-25; John 20:26-29; John 21:1-25; Mark 16:15-18; 1 Corinthians 15:6; 1 Corinthians 15:7; Acts 1:3-8; Luke 24:44-49; Acts 1:9-12; Mark 16:19-20; Luke 24:50-53.)  He also apparently appeared to St. Paul (1 Corinthians 15:8; Acts 9:1-6, 18:9-10, 23:11).  But perhaps the most awe-inspiring meaning we find in Jesus' Ascension is the sense in which it is not only Christ's divinity that ascends into heaven, but also the humanity of Jesus does as well.  What this implies for us, as human beings, is the capability that we have to participate in the life of Christ.  We don't know, really, the limits of what it means to be a human being, nor the limitations on our own participation in Christ's life and energies and grace.  Are you going through a rough circumstance?  Let us remember Christ's Resurrection and Ascension, that even His human nature is capable of ascension into heavenly places -- and so, knowing that, let us consider how the power and grace of God might come to work in our own lives for our own "resurrection" from bad circumstances, our own "ascension" above the things that trouble our lives.  What Christ's Ascension really implies is the potentials we have for transformation, for rising above our limitations, for being changed by the grace of God, for triumphing over the things that plague us, including our own tendencies toward feelings of depression or desperation or defeatism, for example.  Christ Himself ascends, is "lifted up," is reborn from death, and takes us with Him to the Father.  Soon, we will also celebrate Pentecost, the coming of the Holy Spirit for each of us.  We have so much for which to be grateful, so much is contained in the mission of Jesus Christ.  Let us not waste the opportunities and graces we're given; let us always turn to Him in prayer, in all circumstances (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18).  For He is with us always.  In His mission to us, He has given us mission, a good mission which may sustain us throughout our lives.

Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect

 

 "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 our recent readings, Jesus has been telling His disciples about the end times.  In yesterday's reading, He taught them, "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 all 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."  My study Bible says that this generation refers to all believers at all times; that is, to the generation of the Church, and not merely to those alive at the time of Christ.  

 

 "But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only."  According to St. John Chrysostom, cited by my study Bible here, 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 only from learning the day, but from even inquiring about it.  According to Mark 13:32, it adds, as well as in the Matthew text of St. Chrysostom, Jesus declares that the Son also does not know the day of His own return.  St. Chrysostom teaches that this is not to be understood literally, but rather is a figure of speech which means that Christ, although He revealed all the signs that will accompany His return, will not reveal the exact day to anyone -- and that believers should not be so brazen as to inquire of Him.

"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."  Accompanying Christ's return will be a sudden revelation of judgment; these two events are inseparable one from the other.  One will be taken to heaven and the other left for eternal condemnation, my study Bible says.  This separation of the saints from the wicked will occur at the coming of the Son of Man, and not at a time before His second coming.  

"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."  My study Bible says that the Lord's purpose in this discourse is not to make people experts on end-time prophecy.  Instead, it is so that they may watch and be ready, which is to continue in virtue and obeying Christ's commandments.  This warning is also illustrated in the parable of the returning master (which will be in the reading to follow; verses 44-51).

 In Jesus' talk of end times, He emphasizes surprise.  First He remarks that absolutely no one but the Father knows the day or the hour, the time of Christ's return.  But then He tells us that life will go on with people unsuspecting about what is to happen.  Certainly it seems that only those who understand His teachings will have any sense of this impending time; we're to watch for the greening of the shoots of the tree, so to speak.  That is, the signs of which He's spoken, which portend His return.  Most of the things He discusses are with us always, such as famines and pestilences, or warfare and earthquakes.  It may be that the time just feels more pressing.  Moreover, Jesus' teachings on end times are combined with the destruction that was to come in Jerusalem, as He clearly predicts the destruction of the temple that came with the Siege of Jerusalem in AD 70.  So our sense of Christ's return is combined with the extremely violent upheaval of the past, a destruction that marked the end of a great era and the beginning of a new which we might call modern history.  But when He returns, certainly -- as we remarked in yesterday's reading and commentary -- that will mark a new era indeed, which time itself seems to change and the world will shift in its realities, and this will be accompanied by Judgment.  That marks a complete shift in the realities of the world, where two women are illustration here as those who work side by side when one is taken and the other remains.  The same is true of the illustration of two men working in a field, where one is taken and the other is left.  What we consider normal relations will be entirely disrupted, a judgment will come that changes all things we understand.  In this we can seemingly take assurance, and so we are told to "watch therefore, for you do not know what hour your Lord is coming."  And this remains His byword to us, to "watch."  We must keep alert and watchful, to obey His commandments, to follow as His disciples, to continue in the ways He has taught us even as we wait for Him to come.  It is in this way that we remain ready and vigilant, and those who watch will be the only ones who have possibly a sense that His return is coming, that judgment comes soon.  So in all things, we are prepared through one thing:  a focus on discipleship, on the cultivation of virtue, the following of His commands and teachings, and to understand that it is how we walk through this world that is most important.  Faith is important, but it is faith that is truly lived that He is looking for, faith in which we are told to "work out your own salvation with fear and trembling" (Philippians 2:12); that is, with all care and sincerity, taking choices seriously for the value they are worth in the eyes of Christ.  Keep in mind that this is in the midst of a world of which we're told that "the whole creation groans and labors with birth pangs together until now" (Romans 8:22), and so what we are expecting is to be born into the fullness of the return of Christ, and this is the great and important emphasis here.   And it is important that we understand the return of Christ in this context; that the meanings within our lives are made all the more powerful and poignant through His teaching about His return, for we expect an even greater fullness of life.  This is why we are to watch and anticipate, because it is all linked to the life in abundance that Christ promises, and to miss what He offers in His teachings is to miss this promise of the fullness in His return.  But Christ warns us to be ready, to live our lives as He is taught, for the fullness of that life that awaits transfiguration is prepared and rooted there, in living faith.  In living His faith and commandments, in participating in His life, He teaches us how to live His love, and this is the ground of being.