“When will these things be, and what will be the sign when these things are about to take place” Lk. 21:7
and: -
“By your endurance you will gain your lives.” V. 19
I well remember that there were many strange happenings associated with the dawn of the new millennium as people began once again to debate the end of the world. One has to have sympathy with this notion today. It has been said, ‘all you had to do is hold a newspaper in one hand and the Gospel of Luke in the other.’
“Nation will rise against nation and kingdom against kingdom”. Check.
“There will be great earthquakes”. Check.
“In various places famines and pestilence”. Check, check.
“Terrors and great signs from heaven.” Does a gaping hole in the ozone layer count? Check.
“They will …persecute you”. Well, not here and now, but what of certain dictatorships? Check.
Today’s readings all speak of the ‘Day of the Lord’. The prophet Malachi warns of the coming of this day, the day when the wicked will be completely destroyed, so that no trace is left of them. They will be consumed by fire, whereas for the just those who trust God, the heat of the day will be a healing warmth. This passage is a word of comfort for a persecuted people , that even though the wicked might seem to be in the ascendancy – on the Day of the Lord – there will be justice and salvation! The Question is when?
Paul writes to a community that in company with all 1st Century Christendom were anxious to know the answer to this. How soon would it be before Jesus would return in power and glory was at the heart of their faith? So much so that some of them had stopped bothering about the ordinary tasks and responsibilities of life. After all what is the point of working if the end is nigh? And, they thought the destruction of the Temple in AD70 was a sure sign that this day was approaching. But, of course it has not!
So what does Luke actually intend to say by these texts? He is actually writing to disenchant these popular ideas. In this passage Jesus says that anyone who claims to know when the end is, or anyone who cites wars, plagues and natural disasters as evidence that the end is near, is an impostor!
In fact what links the message of Malachi, Paul and Our Lord is not to look to the future but to the present, to our life here and now. It is for this reason that Jesus paints such a black picture. It is easier to interpret times of betrayal, persecution and mass martyrdom as a sign of the end, and let’s not forget the history of the second and third century Church, or indeed the days of the reformation and counter-reformation: times when such martyrdom was an everyday event.
What in fact Jesus says is that all time is a gift of God, an opportunity to bear witness and a reason for hope. This is the faith we share, the faith that in the past has enabled Christians to face suffering, persecution, disease and even death, the faith that in our time will enable us to overcome disaster and doubt – Faith in eternal life!
Many of us have seen the growth of science fiction alongside space exploration. Many of us have watched, as many of the far-fetched effects of ‘The Thunderbirds world’ in which we grew up, that have now become a reality. Yet we can still be tempted to try and live in the future. There is still the real danger of trying to escape what we call the monotony of life, the reality of violence and oppression by looking to tomorrow.
So then when we are tempted to claim this question as an aspect of faith what do we do?
“When will these things be, and what will be the sign when these things are about to take place.”
Our Collect today asks for: _
“the constant gladness of being devoted to God for full and lastinghappiness.”
Yes, the Faith that we gather today to celebrate, strengthen and share, is the faith that says that today is the Day of the Lord, so will tomorrow be, as was yesterday! The faith that calls us to make the presence of Jesus real to others not by talking of the future but by our relationship with them today and always remembering Jesus’ promise: -
“By your endurance you will gain your lives.”