As Advent approaches, the Lectionary readings take on a more apocalyptic tone, with warnings about turbulent times ahead, religious persecution, and finally, the end of history in preparation for the transformation of the world. Since the Gospel passage was written after the destruction of the temple, it was written with hindsight. Luke knew that the warning was for real. Like the other evangelists, however, he places these warnings just before the passion narrative begins. So the story of persecution and suffering starts with Jesus himself. His 'followers' are just that -- people who follow in his footsteps.
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| Titian's Scourging of Christ |
Modern times are no less turbulent than the days of the Roman Empire. There are plenty of 'wars and insurrections', 'nation still rises against nation', every year there are 'great earthquakes, and 'in various places
famines and plagues'. In the United States and Europe followers of Christ are more likely to be held in contempt than persecuted, but in the world at large violence against Christians is possibly more frequent than ever. So what of the spectacular end that these trials were supposed to be a prelude to? Can't we now say that these are neither 'dreadful portents' nor 'great signs', but simply recurrent, brutal, features of life on earth?
In this same passage, though, Jesus says 'Beware that you are not led astray' by people who say 'The time is near!' 'Do not go after them', he tells us, because 'the end will not follow immediately.' 'I am about to create new heavens and a new earth', God declares through the prophet Isaiah in the Old Testament lesson, but God's time is not our time. The task of disciples is to say, in the face of everything, 'Surely God is my salvation; I will trust, and will not be afraid, for the LORD
GOD is my strength and my might; he has become my salvation', and to fix their gaze on the Christ of the Cross who has been there first.
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