The Signs of the End

The Sunday Gospel [Nov. 14, 2010]

Lk 21:5-19
The Signs of the End

5While some people were speaking about how the temple was adorned with costly stones and votive offerings, [Jesus] said, 6“All that you see here—the days will come when there will not be left a stone upon another stone that will not be thrown down.”

7Then they asked him, “Teacher, when will this happen? And what sign will there be when all these things are about to happen?” 8He answered, “See that you not be deceived, for many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am he,’ and ‘The time has come.’ Do not follow them! 9When you hear of wars and insurrections, do not be terrified; for such things must happen first, but it will not immediately be the end.” 10Then he said to them, “Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. 11There will be powerful earthquakes, famines, and plagues from place to place; and awesome sights and mighty signs will come from the sky.”

12“Before the end happens, however, they will seize and persecute you, they will hand you over to the synagogues and to prisons, and they will have you led before kings and governors because of my name. 13It will lead to your giving testimony. 14Remember, you are not to prepare your defense beforehand, 15for I myself shall give you a wisdom in speaking that all your adversaries will be powerless to resist or refute. 16You will even be handed over by parents, brothers, relatives, and friends, and they will put some of you to death. 17You will be hated by all because of my name, 18but not a hair on your head will be destroyed. 19By your perseverance you will secure your lives.”

Jesus: Our Way of Hope towards the Future

We cannot help but look forward to the next Sunday! It will be the last Sunday of the Church’s liturgical calendar! Aptly, the Church has set it as the solemnity of Jesus Christ, King of the universe. With this celebration we are reminded: that Jesus is, indeed, the Alpha (beginning) and the Omega (end).

Today’s liturgy then reminds us that one of the great tensions of our earth’s journey is having to live through various “tenses” (the past, the present, the future). In fact in our Gospel, Jesus reminds the Jews who were overly taken by the adornments of the Jerusalem Temple: “All that you see here—the days will come when there will not be left a stone upon another stone…” The reality of earthly life is that it is never permanent... but that it is a motion into the future… and the future of the earth is an ending. Similar to what we can find in Mt 24:1-51 and in Mk 13:1-37, Jesus’ words interconnect two future endings: the more immediate destruction of Jerusalem that was set to happen in 70 AD when Rome decided to purge the Jews, and the distant end of the world which will herald the Second Coming of Jesus.

Jesus’ way is not to feed on our human curiosity about the future or to terrorize us about the symptoms of a world that will be coming to an end. His way is to assure us that God is in control. And what matters is for us to face everything with the right dispositions. No matter what views we may have about the future and the end of the world, Jesus gives us his wonderful admonitions.

The beginning of the Gospel narrative features pious Jews who came supposedly to worship God at the Temple, but they ended up being absorbed with the imposing beauty and richness of the Temple. Jesus, therefore, had to awaken their consciousness about the temporariness of the whole experience as he said: “All that you see here—the days will come when there will not be left a stone upon another…” Even among godly people, it is so easy to be taken by the legitimate goods of this life—concerns about work, family, friends, apostolates, and church affairs. Yes, our love for some ministries and church traditions may also constitute unhealthy attachments! Above all, we should remember: all things are passing, and only God is eternal. The essence of living our faith should be the continuous “surrender” of all to God.

When there is a concern about the uncertainty of the future and when present life-realities are harsh and threatening, the time is ripe for false prophets, for religious racketeers, for peddlers of false hopes. There can be a lot of hype about miracles and amazing signs. Many try to cope through religious delusions. The Christian option is always that of keeping the balance. As believers, we should hang on to faith and hope and prayer, and God’s promise. However, it is foolish to become so obsessed with Bible prophecies and with faith bordering fanaticism and naivety to the point of neglecting the practical aspects of living. In the Second Reading (2 Thes 3:7-12), the apostle Paul exhorts the early Christians “to work quietly and to eat their own food” even as they await in hope the return of the Lord Jesus Christ.