While some people were speaking about how the temple was adorned with costly stones and votive offerings, he said, “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.”
Then they asked him, “Teacher, when will this happen? And what sign will there be when all these things are about to happen?” He 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! When you hear of wars and insurrections, do not be terrified; for such things must happen first, but it will not immediately be the end.” Then he said to them, “Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be powerful earthquakes, famines, and plagues from place to place; and awesome sights and mighty signs will come from the sky.
“Before all this 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. It will lead to your giving testimony. Remember, you are not to prepare your defense beforehand, for I myself shall give you a wisdom in speaking that all your adversaries will be powerless to resist or refute. You will even be handed over by parents, brothers, relatives, and friends, and 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 save your lives.”
Luke 21:5-19 (NABRE)
The end times are truly upon us.
Jesus encourages vigilance from His disciples. We do not know the day or the hour, but we are left with indicators of when the events long foretold by the Lord are about to happen. Awesome signs in the sky and great international disturbances will precede the Second Coming of Jesus. It will truly be a spectacular time to be alive, but are we to be anxious about it?
The short answer is no. Jesus does not mean to cause us great worry over the unknown day and hour of His arrival, which is imminent. In fact, throughout the Gospels, Jesus instructs us to not worry about anything (Matthew 6:25, 34; Luke 10:41). The same applies to our expectation of the coming of the Son of Man with great glory and the heavenly host on the last day. Later on in this passage, Jesus tells us to be confident when we see these signs, for our “salvation is at hand” (Luke 21:28). This is the kind of boldness that Jesus desires to see in our approach to Him. The Lord offers so much to us and indeed wants us to be open to newness of life. His offer of everlasting life in Heaven, where we will see God as He is and have every desire perfectly fulfilled, is awesomely and incomprehensibly beautiful. Our boldness is the only logical response to so great an offer. The best part is that it is an open invitation to all, but it must be accepted by how we live our lives.
In extreme circumstances, the path we travel to salvation will include vicious persecution. Even today, Christians are handed over to state authorities on account of their profession or kidnapped and abused by terrorists for the same reason. Even in those situations, Jesus has a special closeness with us. He experienced what it is like to be betrayed, arrested, tortured, and executed unjustly. Sometimes, members of the Lord’s flock, those He holds so dear to His Sacred Heart, are forced to choose between their lives or fidelity to God. In those moments, when the choice is made to honor God above all else, a great reward awaits us. The Lord Himself awaits us.
But even if we never experience martyrdom or are still alive when Jesus returns, the same offer to share in His joy in the Father’s house stands. Our daily choice to be close to Jesus is what matters. It is not our past or our future. It is the present and the determination we have to be faithful. In the end, quite literally, that is what matters the most.
Thank you for reading. Peace.
Eat the Scroll 