Readings:
- Malachi 3:19-20a
Psalm 98:5-6, 7-8, 9 Response: “The Lord comes to rule the earth with justice.” - 2 Thessalonians 3:7-12
- Luke 21:5-19
Reflections on the Gospel Reading
Each year the gospel passages for the second last Sunday in ordinary time and the first Sunday in Advent are taken from the so-called eschatological discourse of Jesus. Each of the gospel writers gathers sayings of Jesus, probably from various times in his ministry, into a lengthy discourse about the last days. The arrangement of the various sayings of Jesus gives us a valuable insight into the theological perspective of each of the gospel writers.
It is not surprising that many people find these passages very difficult to understand. Even Joseph A. Fitzmyer admits that “this discourse is very complicated and one of the most difficult parts of the gospel tradition to interpret.” (Fitzmyer 1985, 1323) For example, given each gospel writer’s arrangement of the material, it is not always clear whether Jesus is referring to the destruction of Jerusalem, which occurred in the year 70, or to the end of the world or to both. Also, Luke’s version of Jesus’ eschatological speech does not present the various events in strict chronological order. Luke’s Jesus goes back and forth from future to present and back to future again. Finally, this Sunday’s reading includes only the first half of the eschatological discourse. Those seeking to understand today’s reading would do well to read the entire discourse in Luke 21.5-36:
In today’s reading:
- Vs. 5-11 Future: the destruction of the Temple and the City
- Vs. 12-19 Present: a time of witness
Following today’s reading.
- Vs. 20-24 Future: the destruction of the Temple and the City
- Vs. 25-36 Future: the coming end-times
(See Cousar et al. 1994, 601.)
Still, the so-called eschatological discourse (Matthew 24-25; Mark 13; Luke 21.5-36) “occupies a critical place in the Gospel narratives, and in Luke stands alongside the Sermon on the Plain (Luke 6:20-49) as a major block of Jesus’ teaching.” (Cousar et al. 1994, 601) As such, it deserves our careful attention.
In this Sunday’s Gospel Luke presents Jesus as a prophet. (See Johnson 1991, 325.) “In essence, a prophet is a spokesperson for God, one who is holy or separate, and one who acts aggressively against sin.” (Pilch 1997, 164) The test of a prophet, at least in the popular mind, was his or her ability to predict the future. In Luke’s Gospel, Jesus’ prediction of the destruction of Jerusalem and its Temple lends credence to his prophecies about the end of “this age” – the period between the resurrection of Jesus and the coming of the mysterious “Son of Man.” For Luke, Jesus’ instructions to his followers about how to act prior to the destruction of Jerusalem are a model for his followers in subsequent times, including our own.
The Question
Luke arranges Jesus’ predictions and instructions in response to two questions: “When will this [the destruction of the Temple] happen? And what sign will there be when all these things are about to happen?” In today’s gospel passage Jesus talks about three categories of events – false prophets, portents, and persecution. All these will precede the destruction of Jerusalem but will not be indicators that it will come immediately. Jesus advises his followers about each of these situations.
False Prophets
Jesus’ first prediction is: “Many will come in my name, saying ‘I am he,’ and ‘The time [Greek: kairos] has come.’” Whether Jesus actually uttered these words or early Christian prophets said them speaking in his name, it seems that there was at least one prophet, Jesus, son of Ananias, who began predicting the destruction of the temple about eight years before it happened. (See Fitzmyer 1985, 1254.)
Jesus’ instruction corresponding to his first prediction is: “See that you are not deceived.” and “Do not follow them.” This certainly resonates in our own time! A whole industry has grown up around predictions of the imminent end of the world. The Left Behind series has sold more copies than The DaVinci Code. Televangelists find hidden clues to the Second Coming in the rise of the European Union or the conflict in Israel/Palestine. Sun Yung Moon even claimed to be the Messiah. In today’s Gospel we can hear Jesus calling to us down through the ages: “Don’t be fooled into following them!”
Terrifying Portents
Jesus’ second prediction relates to wars and uprisings that will occur before the destruction of the City. His advice: “Do not be terrified.” The same goes for earthquakes, famines, plagues, awesome sights, and mighty signs in the sky. None of these will be signs immediately preceding the destruction of Jerusalem. “Such things must happen first, but it will not immediately be the end.”
Although there certainly were wars and uprisings between the death of Jesus about the year 30 and the destruction of Jerusalem in the year 70, much of this is standard apocalyptic language, the sometimes bizarre figurative images used to talk about future events. However, the Jewish historian Josephus, writing after the fall of Jerusalem to the Roman army, speaks about portents of its destruction – a star that looked like a sword hanging over the city, lights seen in the sanctuary of the Temple, and a cow giving birth to a lamb. (See Fitzmyer 1985, 1335.)
Many exponents of “Christian prophecy” allude to current wars (e.g Iraq), earthquakes in various parts of the world, famines (e.g. Ethiopia), and plagues (e.g. HIV/AIDS) as indications that the end of the world is near. Jesus continues to tell us: “Do not be terrified.” Terror leads to paralysis. If these events are viewed primarily as symbolic of the end of the world, concern for our immediate doom or salvation can divert our attention from the pressing needs of the very people who suffer from these disasters.
Persecutions
Jesus’ third prediction is that before the city and Temple are destroyed his followers will undergo persecution by religious and civil leaders, family members, and friends. This prophecy could almost serve as a table of contents for the events narrated in Luke’s second volume, The Acts of the Apostles. All these kinds of persecutions are mentioned in Acts, but none of them is presented as a sign that the destruction of Jerusalem is near at hand. In fact, Luke never mentions the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple in his Acts of the Apostles.
Although perhaps less of a problem than in the first centuries, Christians continue to be persecuted today in India, Indonesia, Iraq, Israel, Nigeria, Palestine, etc. The words of Jesus continue to resonate with persecuted Christians: “They will put some of you to death. You will be hated by all because of my name, but not a hair on your head will be destroyed. By your perseverance you will secure your lives.” Persecuted followers of Jesus are to continue to give testimony secure in the knowledge that “God will eventually bring good out of evil [and] that the right will triumph in the end.” (Fuller 1984, 528)
The Sign
The three signs mentioned so far are all negative. False prophets, wars and disasters, and persecution must come before the destruction of the Temple, but they are not signs that immediately precede it. What event was the sign of the imminent destruction of Jerusalem, and, by analogy, what will signal the end of the world?
The answer to the first question comes in the verse that immediately follows this Sunday’s gospel reading. “When you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then know that its desolation has come near.” (Luke 21.20) At that point the outcome would be obvious. The followers of Jesus were not to expect some kind of miraculous deliverance from the power of Rome. They were to flee.
Historically, it seems that many, if not most, of the followers of Jesus, acting on the advice of a Christian prophet, escaped from Jerusalem before the Roman army sealed off the city. Luke may well have seen this as a fulfillment of Jesus’ word. Followers of the Pharisees also escaped, but other parties such as the Sadducees, Zealots, and Essenes disappeared from the pages of history.
Similarly, the sign of the end of the ages will be obvious. It will be preceded by wars and other cataclysmic events, but the sign of the end will be when people “will see ‘the Son of Man coming on a cloud’ [a quote from Daniel 7.13-14] with power and great glory.” (Luke 21.26) This answers the temporal question. Earlier in Luke’s Gospel Jesus answers the question about WHERE the last things would take place with the enigmatic response: “Where the corpse is, there the vultures will gather.” (Luke 17.37) It will be plain for all to see, not some sort of bizarre puzzle.
This time Jesus does not recommend flight as he did in response to the imminent destruction of Jerusalem. Instead, he says: “Now when these things begin to take place, stand up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.” (Luke 21.27-28)
Concluding Observations
People tend to hear things through the filter of their own presuppositions and preoccupations. It seems that many of those who heard Jesus speak thought in apocalyptic categories and hoped for a miraculous reversal of the oppression they suffered under the Romans, large landowners, and religious officials. What is striking about Matthew, Mark, and Luke is that each in his own way tones down the apocalyptic interpretation of Jesus’ preaching.
Chapter 21 of Luke’s Gospel is a message of hope to people who suffer because they have followed the way of Jesus. Through Luke Jesus is saying that those who are faithful to him in spite of persecution and even death will be vindicated in the end.
Luke is clear that, instead of wasting time trying to predict the exact time of the end of the world, we should always be ready for the end. (Luke 12.35-38) We should concentrate our attention on being about the business of the Kingdom of God, today, tomorrow, and the day after tomorrow: bearing witness to Jesus in the midst of persecution (Luke 21.13), forgiving one another (Luke 11.4), and caring for the needs of our sisters and brothers. (Luke 12.41-47)
In preparing these reflections, in addition to the biblical texts, I consulted the following works:
Cousar et al. 1994 – Charles B. Cousar, Beverly R. Gaventa, J. Clinton McCann, Jr., James D. Newsome, Texts for Preaching: A Lectionary Commentary Based on the NRSV, Year C. (Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox Press, 1994), pp. 596, 601-602.
Fitzmyer 1985 – Joseph A. Fitzmyer, The Gospel According to Luke X-XXIV : Introduction, Translation, and Notes. Anchor Bible Volume 28A. (Garden City, NY: Doubleday & Company, Inc., 1985), pp. 1323-1341.
Fuller 1984 – Reginald H. Fuller, Preaching the Lectionary. The Word of God for the Church Today (Collegeville [MN]: Liturgical Press, 1984), pp. 526-528.
Funk, Hoover & Jesus Seminar 1993 – Robert W. Funk, Roy W. Hoover, and the Jesus Seminar, The Five Gospels: The Search for the Authentic Words of Jesus (New York: Macmillan Publishing Company, 1993), pp. 381-383.
Johnson 1991 – Luke Timothy Johnson, The Gospel of Luke , Sacra Pagina Series Volume 3, A Michael Glazier Book (Collegeville [MN]: Liturgical Press, 1991), pp. 319-326.
LaVerdiere 1990 – Eugene, LaVerdiere, S.S.S., Luke. New Testament Message, Volume 5. A Michael Glazier Book (Collegeville [MN]: Liturgical Press, 1990), pp. 244-246.
Malina & Rohrbaugh 2003 – Bruce J. Malina and Richard L. Rohrbaugh, Social-Science Commentary on the Synoptic Gospels, Second Edition (Minneapolis, MN: Fortress Press, 2003), pp. 311-314.
NRSV 1994 – New Revised Standard Version – Bruce M. Metzger and Roland E. Murphy, Editors, The New Oxford Annotated Bible containing the Old and New Testaments. New Revised Standard Version. (New York: Oxford University Press, 1994)
Pilch 1997 – John J. Pilch, The Cultural World of Jesus, Sunday by Sunday, Cycle C. A Liturgical Press Book (Collegeville [MN]: Liturgical Press, 1997), pp. 164-166.