The Word Made Fresh
1He watched the rich putting their offerings into the treasury, 2and saw a poor widow put in two small copper coins. 3He said, “I say that this poor widow has put in more than all of them combined, 4because they contributed out of the plenty they had while she who is poor has put in everything she had.”
5Some were talking about how lovely the temple was with beautiful stones and with gifts that were dedicated to God. Jesus said, 6“All these things you see now will one day be thrown down and not one stone will be left on another.”
7They asked him, “Teacher, when will this take place? And what will signify that it’s about to happen?”
8Jesus answered, “Be sure you are not led astray. Many will appear in my name and say, ‘I am he!’ and ‘the time is near!’ But don’t follow them. 9When you hear about wars and revolts don’t be afraid. They are things that must take place first, but the end will not come right away.” 10Then he told them, “Nations and kingdoms will war against each other, 11and there will be powerful earthquakes and in various places famines and plagues. And there will also be terrible omens and powerful signs from heaven. 12But before this all happens you will be arrested and they will accuse you and hand you over to synagogues and prisons, and bring you before kings and governors because of my name. 13This will be your opportunity to testify. 14But don’t prepare your defense in advance. 15I’ll give you the words and the wisdom that none of your enemies will be able to use against you or contradict you. 16You will be betrayed by your own family – parents, brothers, other relatives and friends, and they will execute some of you. 17Everyone will despise you because of me. 18But not a single hair on your head will be lost; 19if you endure you will save your souls.
20“When you see armies surrounding Jerusalem you will know that its destruction is about to happen. 21The people of Judea will have to flee to the mountains, and those who live in the city must evacuate it, nor must anyone in the open country enter it 22because these will be the days of revenge to fulfill all that has been written. 23Too bad for those who are pregnant in those days, or who are nursing infants! There will be terrible distress on the earth, and there will be anger against these people. 24They will fall before the sword and be carried away as captives among the nations, and Jerusalem will be trampled by Gentiles until their time has run its course.
25“There will be signs in the sun, moon, and stars, and distress on the earth among those nations who are confused by the roaring sea and its waves. 26People will pass out in fear and dread of what is happening to the world, and even the powers of the heavens will be shaken. 27Then they will witness the Son of Man riding on a cloud with great power and glory. 28When these things begin to happen, stand up and look above, because your redemption is drawing near.”
29Then he told them this parable: “Look at the fig tree; look at all the trees. 30As soon as they begin to bear leaves you can see that summer is near. 31So when these things begin happening you will know that the kingdom of God is near. 32I’ll tell you the truth; this generation will not all die until everything has taken place. 33Heaven and earth will cease to be, but not my words.
34 “So, guard your hearts from being weighed down with corruption and drunkenness and the worries of this present life, or that day will catch you off guard 35and you will fall into a trap. These things will happen to everyone who lives on the surface of the earth. 36Stay alert! Pray that you will have the strength to escape all these things and stand before the Son of Man.”
37Every day Jesus taught in the temple. Every night he would go out to spend the night at the place called the Mt. of Olives. 38And all the people would rise early in the morning to hear him in the temple.
Commentary
1-4: In contrast to the scribes, Jesus looks upon a poor widow as a model of all that is good and noble.
5-6: When the disciples, perfect examples of “country come to town,” are wide-eyed over the temple building and its adornments, Jesus tells them it will all come down one day; then tells them the signs of the end. A similar treatise is to be found in Matthew 24 and Mark 13.
7-11: Jesus prophesies false messiahs, wars and rebellions, earthquakes, famines, and plagues — in other words, life will go on as usual.
12-19: However, in the nearer future the disciples can expect to be under suspicion of sedition and persecuted even by close friends and family. Jesus encourages them to keep the faith. They have no need to formulate a defense; he will give them the words to speak when the time comes. This is very like the promise made of the abiding presence of the Holy Spirit in John’s gospel.
20-24: Luke is the only one of the three synoptic gospels in which Jesus specifically refers to the destruction of Jerusalem, although “its desolation has come near” echoes the others’ predictions of the “desolating sacrilege” (Matthew 24:15, Mark 13:14).
25-28: Jesus describes indescribable things: signs in the sun, moon and stars; roaring of the seas causing distress among the nations; the shaking of the “powers of the heavens,” indicating a conflict which goes beyond the physical creation. At the height of all this “they” (who are “they?”) will see Jesus return in the clouds. We cannot understand what imagery such a statement might have summoned in the minds of his hearers, the disciples, but we recall that God appeared to the Hebrew people in the wilderness in a cloud. The bare bones of what Jesus is telling them are clear enough to us modern folks: a day will come when this old world begins to act very strangely, and Jesus will return.
29-33: It is even more curious that in the preceding verses Jesus never mentions his own death even though he clearly refers to his return! All of it is as certain and as near as the approaching springtime, he says — that’s the gist of the parable of the fig tree sprouting its leaves. By the time summer comes they will have witnessed the calamities he has described, but rather than being discouraged, they should accept the suffering as a sign that the kingdom of heaven has come near. In spite of the obscure references contained in this chapter, we recognize that this is one of the great paradoxes of our faith; God’s presence with us is never more assured than when we are in the throes of tribulations that make us think God has abandoned us.
34-36: The section ends with an exhortation to the disciples to keep the faith, to “be not dismayed whate’er betide.”
37-38: This is a transition sentence; the section on the signs of the times has ended and the hard facts of the last days before the crucifixion are now to be laid out for us.
Takeaway
It is a frightening thing to contemplate all the calamities predicted here. Keep the faith. Pain and suffering are part of life, but the promise of the peace of eternal life sustains us through it all. Faith is an active approach to the circumstances of life.