Lectio Commentary: 33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C
This is the penultimate Sunday of the liturgical year. It is not surprising, therefore, that it focuses on the end-times. Arguably, the gospel reading consists of three interrelated sections. The first, talks about the forthcoming destruction of Jerusalem and its temple. The second, talks about the end-times which will inaugurate the second coming of Jesus at the end of history. The third is about the long period between the first two and how Christians should conduct themselves when facing adversity and persecution.
Not only was the temple in Jerusalem the focal point of the Jewish religion it was enormous in size, and noted for its beauty. It was twice the size of the Acropolis in Athens. And could easily accommodate over 200,000 people at once. It was adorned with white marble and gold, and its façade was said to gleam in the sunlight, making it visible from miles away. Many people thought it was more beautiful and impressive than the seven wonders of the ancient world. It must have come as quite a shock when Jesus prophesied that it would be completely destroyed. His prediction came to fulfillment in 70 AD when the temple was reduced to rubble by a Roman army. It would probably be true to say that Jesus saw this traumatic event as a type or pattern, for the turmoil which will precede the run-in to doomsday when Jesus will return to judge the living and the dead.
We live in the period when all the things that Jesus mentioned will recur in different ways during the centuries that elapse between his two advents. He spoke about the latter in apocalyptic imagery such as wars, persecution, cosmic signs, and the coming of the Son of Man “in a cloud with power and great glory” (Luke 21:27).
We always have had wars and rumours of wars. It has been estimated that 130–142 million deaths occurred as a result of war and conflicts during the 20th century.
Earthquakes too, have been a constant feature down the years. For instance, the great Chilean earthquake of 1960 left two million people homeless.
Throughout its history different regions of the world have experienced famines. For example, in Europe there was the Great Famine of 1315-17, during which between 10% and 25% of the population died.
There have also been great outbreaks of pestilence throughout history such as the black death which resulted in the death of an estimated 75 to 200 million people.
From the earliest years Christians have been persecuted, notably during the reign of the Roman Emperor Nero. At a conference in Rome in 2014, Pope Francis said that he was ‘greatly pained to note that Christians around the world are suffering the greatest discrimination. The persecution of Christians today is even greater than in the first centuries of the Church, and there are more Christian martyrs today than in that era.’ Just as the events that occurred between the ascension of Jesus and the Jewish war, were intimations of the destruction of the temple in 70 AD, so too the disasters that have punctuated the pages of human history since then presage the great and final tribulation which is yet to come.
Many of Luke’s readers would have experienced persecution from the Jewish and Roman authorities. So, the evangelist urges them to remain faithful in witnessing to Christ. The word for witness in Greek, martys literally means “witness.” It is the word from which martyr is derived. When they are called to give evidence in court, believers were urged to rely on the Holy Spirit to give them prophetic words to say. The advice that Luke offered is relevant today at a time when Christian belief is often held up to ridicule. We need the courage to bear verbal and active witness to Christ, and his values. In the Legion of Mary Handbook, Frank Duff described the hardships of evangelistic work: “Sour looks, the sting of insult and rebuff, ridicule and adverse criticism... the anguish which the contemplation of irreligion and depravity brings to the sensitive soul... there is little glamour about these things, but if sweetly borne... they will come very near to that love, greater than which no man has, that he lay down his life for his friend.” This passage echoes Luke’s belief that heroic virtue—not necessarily martyrdom—is the mark of a true Christian witness. Lastly, Luke recommends that Christians persevere and endure to the end of their natural lives in courageously witnessing to the Gospel.
