Luke 21:5-19
According to the Gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke, in Jerusalem in the days immediately preceding his Passion, our Lord spoke about terrible things to come. This is often referred to as his Eschatological Discourse. We always hear some part of it read at Mass at this time of year. The language our Lord used here was that of Jewish prophecy, and of inter-testamental Jewish apocalyptic. So sometimes it’s not easy to be sure, in any particular place, whether he’s being poetic or literal. Sometimes too it’s hard be know whether he’s speaking of what will happen in the imminent future to Jerusalem and its Temple, or of what will happen at the end of time to the whole cosmos, or of what will happen to the Catholic Church during the course of its history. In today’s Gospel from St. Luke, it’s clear that the focus is on the Temple and Jerusalem: though also in view is the whole of history to come, and the end of the world, when Christ will return in glory.
What Jesus predicted in today’s reading all took place. All his words here have been fulfilled. First of all, immediately following his death and resurrection, a strong persecution of the Church was launched: first of all by the Jewish religious authorities, then shortly afterwards by the Roman secular authorities. All (or possibly almost all) the Apostles landed up as martyrs. Nevertheless, in spite of that - and to an extent because of it - the Faith spread to the ends of the earth. And from that day to this there has been persecution of the Church: sometimes more, sometimes less; sometimes almost everywhere; sometimes only very localised. There is certainly plenty of persecution of Christians in our world today. And it always remains the case that every Christian must be ready to lay down his life rather than deny Christ. All of us should always be ready to give up our life for c, and for the honour of his Name. That’s just sensible, because nothing in life is as valuable to us as our faith in Jesus. Also, all things in this life pass away. But life in Jesus will last forever.
But there’s more. Shortly after the martyrdoms of SS. Peter and Paul in Rome, Jewish zealots rose up in revolt against the Romans. The Jewish historian Josephus played a direct part in all that, and describes it for us in great detail. The ensuing war was truly horrible. In its course some 1,000,000 Jews were killed. The revolt ended in the year 70, when the Roman generals Vespasian, then Titus, finally took Jerusalem. Once theirs, they set about destroying the City with a thoroughness far surpassing that of Nebuchadnezzar: just as our Lord had predicted. The population was cleared out entirely. The whole City was reduced to ashes, and its Temple razed to the ground. You can still see in the Roman Forum the Triumpal Arch Titus put up to celebrate his victory over the Jews.
Meanwhile, since that time, nation has ever continued to rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. Many have been the earthquakes and famines and pestilences; and still the end has not yet come. Very oddly, lots of people nowadays hold this as a reproach against Jesus. They imagine he came to make our world a nice place, free from trouble, above for themselves. It would seem that if that were his aim, he failed. But Jesus did not fail. On the contrary: he won the victory for us forever! But that was not to give us an easy life! It was to overcome our sins, and to bring us to God, and to a share in his own divine and eternal Sonship. Sometimes also you hear people say, “I can’t believe in God, because bad things happen.” But our Lord said they would, in the strongest possible terms! Read today’s Gospel! He spoke the truth!
We do nevertheless need to reflect on some apparently odd things about the words of Jesus today. First, when he says: do not be terrified. How so, even though dreadful things are about to happen? Because, he would say, none of them can impede the coming of my Kingdom. Also: I have you firmly in my care. I will not let you fall. Face what you have to face in my peace, in my love, in the assurance of my presence. Then: if you must suffer and die – and you must - this will only contribute to your union with me, and to my glory, and it will all result in a very great reward in eternity.
Another apparently odd saying of Jesus: None of your adversaries will be able to withstand you. Here also I think he speaks simply the truth. Christian theology, or Christian apologetics cannot be argued down: they are perfectly coherent, and they proclaim what is the case. These days the big issues before us are abortion, assisted suicide, transgenderism, homosexual marriage, fault-free divorce and the rest. Those who advocate for these things have no good arguments. In any reasoned debate they must stand condemned.
Finally Jesus says: Not a hair of your head will perish. Here again he certainly does not mean that no harm will befall you, any more than that no harm would befall himself. On the contrary, he means: all the gifts of God you have ever received in your life will follow you into heaven. So will all the good deeds you have ever done, and any act of love or sacrifice or worship. As for your physical bodies: in heaven you will receive them back too. Only, like your soul, they will be purified, beautified, made perfect, without any flaw whatever: fitting instruments through which to participate endlessly in the endless joy of heaven, and with all the Angels and Saints to give endless glory to God.
What about signs of the impending end? If you look around these days, there seem to be plenty of those about. Is wickedness, faithlessness, godlessness mounting up as never before? Do we not see our leaders guided by folly, vice or madness, as they lead their peoples over a cliff? Is our whole world not groaning in anguish, as it awaits the end? If so, then all the more let us now cleave to Jesus; listen to his words; seek from him the forgiveness of our sins; follow him in holiness of life, and so take up our inheritance of eternal joy.