From: Luke 21:12-19
Discourse on the End of the World
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Commentary:
5-36. The disciples are in awe of the magnificence of the temple, and Jesus uses
the occasion to give a long discourse, known as the “eschatological discourse”
because it has to do with the last days of the world. The account given here is
very similar to those in the other Synoptic Gospels (cf. Mt 24:1-51; Mk 13:1-37).
The discourse deals with three inter-connected subjects — the destruction of Je-
rusalem (which took place some forty years later), the end of the world, and the
second coming of Christ in glory and majesty. Jesus, who also predicts here the
persecution of the Church will experience, exhorts His disciples to be patient, to
pray and be watchful.
Our Lord speaks here in the style and language of prophecy, using images taken
from the Old Testament; also, in this discourse prophecies which are going to be
fulfilled very soon are mixed in with others which have to do with the end of the
world. It is not our Lord’s intention to satisfy people’s curiosity about future events,
but to protect them from being discouraged and scandalized about what is going
to happen in the days immediately ahead. This explains why He exhorts them:
“Take heed that you are not led astray” (v. 8); “do not be tempted” (v. 9); “watch
at all times” (v. 34).
19. Jesus foretells all kinds of persecution. Persecution itself is something inevi-
table: “all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted” (2 Ti-
mothy 3:12). His disciples will have need to remember the Lord’s warning at the
Last Supper: “A servant is not greater than his master. If they persecuted Me,
they will persecute you” (John 15:20). However, these persecutions are part of
God’s providence: they happen because He lets them happen, which He does in
order to draw greater good out of them. Persecution provides Christians with an
opportunity to bear witness to Christ; without it the blood of martyrs would not
adorn the Church. Moreover, our Lord promises to give special help to those who
suffer persecution, and He tells them not to be afraid: He will give them of His
own wisdom to enable them to defend themselves; He will not permit a hair of
their heads to perish, that is, even apparent misfortune and loss will be for them
a beginning of Heaven.
From Jesus’ words we can also deduce the obligation of every Christian to be
ready to lose life rather than offend God. Only those will attain salvation who per-
severe until the end in faithfulness to the Lord. The three Synoptic Gospels lo-
cate His exhortation to perseverance in this discourse (cf. Matthew 24:13; Mark
13:13) and St. Matthew gives it elsewhere (Matthew 10:22) as does St. Peter (1
Peter 5:9) — all of which underlines the importance for every Christian of this war-
ning from our Lord.
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Source: “The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries”. Biblical text from the
Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries by members of
the Faculty of Theology, University of Navarre, Spain.
Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland, and
by Scepter Publishers in the United States.
First reading | Apocalypse 15:1-4 © |
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Psalm | Psalm 97:1-3,7-9 © |
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Gospel Acclamation | Lk21:36 |
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Or | Rv2:10 |
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Gospel | Luke 21:12-19 © |
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