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. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

For these are the days of vengeance, that all things which are written may be fulfilled

 

 "But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then know that its desolation is near.  Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains, let those who are in the midst of her depart, and let not those who are in the country enter her.  For these are the days of vengeance, that all things which are written may be fulfilled.  But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days!  For there will be great distress in the land and wrath upon this people.   And they will fall by the edge of the sword, and be led away captive into all nations.  And Jerusalem will be trampled by Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.

"And there will be signs in the sun, in the moon, and in the stars; and on the earth distress of nations, with perplexity, the sea and the waves roaring; men's hearts failing them from fear and the expectation of those things which are coming on the earth, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken.  Then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.  Now when these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption draws near."

 

- Luke 21:20–28 

 

On Saturday we read that, as some spoke of the temple, how it was adorned with beautiful stones and donations, He said, "These things which you see -- the days will come in which not one stone shall be left upon another that shall not be thrown down."  So they asked Him, saying, "Teacher, but when will these things be?  And what sign will there be when these things are about to take place?"  And He said:  "Take heed that you not be deceived.  For many will come in My name, saying, 'I am He,' and, 'The time has drawn near.'  Therefore do not go after them.  But when you hear of wars and commotions, do not be terrified; for these things must come to pass first, but the end will not come immediately."  Then He said to them, "Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom.  And there will be great earthquakes in various places, and famines and pestilences; and there will be fearful sights and great signs from heaven.  But before all these things, they will lay their hands on you and persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues and prisons.  You will be brought before kings and rulers for My name's sake.  But it will turn out for you as an occasion for testimony.  Therefore settle it in your hearts not to meditate beforehand on what you will answer; for I will give you a mouth and wisdom which all your adversaries will not be able to contradict or resist.  You will be betrayed even by parents and brothers, relatives and friends; and they will put some of you to death.  And you will be hated by all for My name's sake.  But not a hair of your head shall be lost.  By your patience possess your souls."

 

  "But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then know that its desolation is near.  Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains, let those who are in the midst of her depart, and let not those who are in the country enter her.  For these are the days of vengeance, that all things which are written may be fulfilled.  But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days!  For there will be great distress in the land and wrath upon this people.  And they will fall by the edge of the sword, and be led away captive into all nations.  And Jerusalem will be trampled by Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled."   Although His entire discourse on "end times" (here in Luke and elsewhere in other Gospels) mixes both the events to come in a generation in Jerusalem and the fullness of worldly time, here in these verses the focus is clearly on the Siege of Jerusalem, which would occur in AD 70.  Jesus quite vividly and truthfully describes the terror and destruction that is to come.  My study bible comments that Christ's phrase when you see is an indication that many of the disciples would still be alive at that time.  Woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies is a reference to the difficulties of fleeing quickly in a time of desperation.  

"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."  These verses refer to the fullness of time and the "end" of worldly time.  Possibly we are to understand them as the playing out of the great spiritual conflict which exists unseen, and which is resolved in the power and authority of Christ.  But one thing is quite clear, and that is that when Christ returns it will be something unmistakable and not hidden to anyone.  Christ will be revealed with power and great glory:  these are the same words used by Matthew in Matthew 24:30.  My study bible comments that while at His first coming, Christ came in humility and mortality, at His second coming He will be revealed in "power and great glory."

 

 How do we think of Christ's second coming?  How do we think about the end of time, the fullness of the times of the world?  These things are great mysteries and they are meant to be and to remain great mysteries.  There is nowhere in the telling of these prophecies that Christ invites speculation about when they will happen.  Rather, He is giving us a warning not to be fooled and not to be afraid when we see calamitous things happening.  Christ's specific warnings about Jerusalem were clear to His followers, and for this reason, the early Church there was able to recognize the signs He foretold about the destruction of Jerusalem.  Neither would it be such a terrible shock and surprise to them when the temple was destroyed, an act which was likely to be unthinkable to the Jews of His time.  In fact, even the Romans had not wanted the temple to be destroyed, but in the heat and chaos of war there is no prediction of what will happen.  In its fullness, the Siege of Jerusalem must have simply been a horrendous thing to live through and to witness, just as Jesus describes it here.  It happened near the time of Passover, the city was full of pilgrims when a war of attrition began.  Just as Jesus says, an army encamped all around the city and it was "surrounded by armies" who prevented pilgrims from leaving, and allowed no provisions in, so people were slowly starved.  This is not something alien to wars then and now, and we should understand the full horror of what Jerusalem endured, even as fighting broke out among varied Jewish factions under the pressure of the siege.   We should think about Jesus' words of pity for the women who were pregnant and nursing babies, and consider that time and the things people went through.  Jesus calls this time "the days of vengeance, that all things which are written may be fulfilled."  We might well wonder what He is talking about.  He has given many warnings in parables about the rejection of Himself and His ministry, such as the one found in this reading about the Wicked Vinedressers.   In chapter 11, Jesus has said, "Therefore the wisdom of God also said, 'I will send them prophets and apostles, and some of them they will kill and persecute,' that the blood of all the prophets which was shed from the foundation of the world may be required of this generation, from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah who perished between the altar and the temple. Yes, I say to you, it shall be required of this generation" (Luke 11:49-51).   What these words imply are not a condemnation upon the whole of the nation, nor are they in any way positive statements about the horrors of war (quite the opposite; see, for example, John 9:1-3).  But they do convey to us the reality of the power of God in the world, and the consequences of our rejection of the grace that is given to us.  These are not prophecies of foreboding and warning in some general sense.  They are statements about the consequences of knowingly rejecting something given by God:  a call, a revelation, a gift of God's love.  Jesus' statement in chapter 11 mentions the blood of all of the prophets "shed from the foundation of the world," a cumulative rejection which will have its effect in this generation.  What the prophets, Christ, and those who truly bear the Kingdom into the world have in common is that they are sent by God.  What we must take away from this is the understanding that whether or not we recognize some effect in the world that results from the rejection of God's call which has in some way been given as a gift of love, there really shouldn't be any doubt God's power is at work in the world, and that rejection of a gift of grace has its effect one way and another.   Whether we want to recognize that or not, whether we are conscious of this reality or not, there is little doubt that the power of this Kingdom is something real -- even a spiritual reality that might remain completely unknown to those who reject it for themselves.   At the end of the parable of the Wicked Vinedressers, Jesus speaks of the stone that was rejected:  that those who stumble upon it have a chance to think again and reconsider.    Without faith, none of this makes sense.  And certainly, the Gospels go out of their way to establish that not every hardship or difficulty results from sin -- far from it!  There is injustice aplenty that is no fault of the victims.   But let us not forget in times of hardship and difficulty -- as well as times of peace and plenty -- that the power of the Kingdom is something true and good and beautiful.  It works through the small and the weak (2 Corinthians 12:9), it lifts up the lowly, scatters the proud, pulls down even the mighty from their thrones (Luke 1:51-52), and its rejection has its effects, understood or not.  Let us consider at all times our participation through faith in this Kingdom, and count our blessings, recognizing our great gift and not taking it for granted.

 

You have heard that it was said, "An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth"

 "You have heard that it was said, 'An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.'  But I tell you not to resist an evil person.  But whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also.  If anyone wants to sue you and take away your tunic, let him have your cloak also.  And whoever compels you to go one mile, go with him two.  Give to him who asks you, and from him who wants to borrow from you do not turn away.

"You have heard that it was said, 'You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.'  But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.  For if you love those who love you, what reward have you?  Do not even the tax collectors do the same?  And if you greet your brethren only, what do you do more than others?  Do not even the tax collectors do so?  Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect."

- Matthew 5:38-48

We are currently reading through the Sermon on the Mount, beginning with chapter 5 of Matthew's Gospel.  In yesterday's reading, Jesus taught:  "You have heard that it was said to those of old, 'You shall not commit adultery.'  But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.  If your right eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell.  And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell.  Furthermore it has been said, 'Whoever divorces his wife, let him give her a certificate of divorce.'  But I say to you that whoever divorces his wife for any reason except sexual immorality causes her to commit adultery; and whoever marries a woman who is divorced commits adultery.  Again you have heard that it was said to those of old, 'You shall not swear falsely, but shall perform your oaths to the Lord.'  But I say to you, do not swear at all:  neither by heaven, for it is God's throne; nor by the earth, for it is His footstool; nor by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King.  Nor shall you swear by your head, because you cannot make one hair white or black.  But let your 'Yes' be 'Yes,' and your 'No,' 'No.'  For whatever is more than these is from the evil one."

"You have heard that it was said, 'An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.'  But I tell you not to resist an evil person.  But whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also.  If anyone wants to sue you and take away your tunic, let him have your cloak also.  And whoever compels you to go one mile, go with him two.  Give to him who asks you, and from him who wants to borrow from you do not turn away."  Jesus quotes from Exodus 21:24, Leviticus 24:20, Deuteronomy 19:21.  But in contrast to these demands for equal retribution as justice, Jesus warns not to resist violence with more violence.  My study bible says that evil can only be overcome by good, which keeps us free from compromises with the devil and can bring our enemy under the yoke of God's love.  Here Jesus calls for an assertive, proactive, and consistent turning to the good, to expressions of God's love. 

"You have heard that it was said, 'You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.'  But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.  For if you love those who love you, what reward have you?  Do not even the tax collectors do the same?  And if you greet your brethren only, what do you do more than others?  Do not even the tax collectors do so?"   To be free from hate, sadness, and anger, my study bible says, means that we will be able to receive the greatest virtue:  perfect love.  The love of enemies, it tells us, isn't merely an emotion, but also includes decision and action.

"Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect."  This is the summary statement of all that has preceded it in the Sermon on the Mount.  We may grow in the perfection of the Father (see Ephesians 4:13), which is shown by imitating God's love and mercy (Luke 6:36).

What does it mean to be perfect?  Or rather, what does it mean that Jesus teaches us that "you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect"?  I think it's important that we first note the future tense of "you shall."  This is a statement about growth in the likeness of the One in whose image we are created.  Jesus teaches us about love, the essence of what God is and what characterizes God.  (See 1 John 4:7-21 for an exposition on the love of God, and how that love is also to characterize our relationships among those who love God).  Our discipleship, therefore, is a kind of striving toward something, a full likeness of our Creator, one in which we grow in the kind of love that we learn from God.  St. Paul will speak of the gifts of the Spirit (Who is also God), which are manifold, in 1 Corinthians 12.  What is important to note is that each complements the others, making up community through those who are growing in God-likeness, and each is for the community.  More importantly, St. Paul speaks to us of the fruits of the Spirit, which emphasize character, the inner life of a person, which Jesus has so far emphasized in our recent readings from the Sermon on the Mount:  love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control (Galatians 22:23). "Against such there is no law," He adds, making a kind of connection with Jesus' themes here about the fulfillment of the Law and the Prophets.  Each of these qualities are manifestations of the love of God, for in God, Who is love, will be those things that make for good, true, and perfect life.  True righteousness comes from participation in this love and sharing it with others.  When Jesus teaches us that we "shall be perfect," even as our heavenly Father is perfect, He teaches us what manner of children we shall be, what it is to grow in the pattern of the One whom we call Our Father.  This is the faith He offers us, the life He offers us, the discipleship He offers us.  There is a great emphasis in these recent passages on the internal fulfillment of obedience to the external rule.  It's easy to read today's passage and think that it somehow bypasses justice, or perhaps tells Jesus' listeners that they are simply to be victims of the violent.  But this doesn't coordinate well with His other teachings, nor with the depth of love.  Sending them out on their first apostolic mission, He will tell His disciples to be "as shrewd as serpents and simple as doves" (10:16).  He makes us aware that God's justice will account for every word (12:36).  He does not shrink from telling the truth to His detractors, who clearly do not seek the perfection of God the Father ("You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do" - see John 8:44).   He rebukes those whom He loves (Hebrews 12:6, Proverbs 3:11-12), in several instances to His disciples.   But Jesus is clearly giving us direction and even dimension to our lives when He teaches us to be like our Father, and to grow in that likeness, even unto perfection as the command and goal.  He clearly teaches us to rely on God's love, and to refrain from vengeance (which also belongs to God; see Romans 12:9).  In that love is to be found all that is good and just and righteous, the true and the beautiful, what human beings need for good lives filled with the abundance of life He promises.  He gives us the way, by allowing us to participate in His life and His Resurrection, and the Cross as well.  And lest we forget, this is a Sermon all about life in the kingdom of heaven, even as we live in this world, and it began with the blessings of that Kingdom.  How do you find the answers in His love -- and the goal of God's perfection -- for your life and struggles today?