Clear Vision

Luke 21: 5-19 (November 14, 2010)

1) The Text

5When some were speaking about the temple, how it was adorned with beautiful stones and gifts dedicated to God, he said, 6“As for these things that you see, the days will come when not one stone will be left upon another; all will be thrown down.” 7They asked him, “Teacher, when will this be, and what will be the sign that this is about to take place?” 8And he said, “Beware that you are not led astray; for many will come in my name and say, ‘I am he!’ and, ‘The time is near!’ Do not go after them. 9“When you hear of wars and insurrections, do not be terrified; for these things must take place first, but the end will not follow immediately.” 10Then he said to them, “Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom; 11there will be great earthquakes, and in various places famines and plagues; and there will be dreadful portents and great signs from heaven. 12“But before all this occurs, they will arrest you and persecute you; they will hand you over to synagogues and prisons, and you will be brought before kings and governors because of my name. 13This will give you an opportunity to testify. 14So make up your minds not to prepare your defense in advance; 15for I will give you words and a wisdom that none of your opponents will be able to withstand or contradict. 16You will be betrayed even by parents and brothers, by relatives and friends; and they will put some of you to death. 17You will be hated by all because of my name. 18But not a hair of your head will perish. 19By your endurance you will gain your souls.

2) The Context

The reading is from the last story about Jesus teaching in the Temple. The Jerusalem temple was the project of Herod the Great, who in 20/19 BCE began a reconstruction that essentially doubled its size and otherwise reflected his own aggrandizing character. Pilgrims pouring into the city from the rustic environs of Palestine and the wider diaspora couldn't not help but be impressed, even overwhelmed, by its sheer size and magnificence. But Jesus foretells of its destruction (“thrown down”, v. 6) – an event then some 40 years in the future.

In Jesus’ time, people were concerned about when the world would end, and what signs would indicate “this is about to take place” (v. 7). Jesus begins to answer, in terms drawn from prophetic books (Micah, Jeremiah, Hosea, Joel, vv. 8-11) and brought together in contemporary books (e.g. 2 Esdras). He adds “the end will not follow immediately” (v. 9), and then diverts to issues that matter now: the treatment his followers will receive, and how they should react to it (vv. 12-19). (“The time”, v. 8, is the time chosen by God for the end of the era.)

3) Interpretation

This passage speaks of deep and difficult realities in words we don't often use today. Most of us live in a "non-apocalyptic" mind set. Though we may have in the back of our minds the notion that the world might come to an end, we don't live as if this is the case. This passage allows either a discussion of these elusive "end times" or something that is much closer to the meaning of the passage-- that is the problem of interpretation or discernment in a confusing world. Jesus will speak about a coming persecution and destruction of the Temple, to be sure, but the broader context of his words is how to interpret various things in our world. How do we interpret the world in which we live? Here Jesus interprets two different things: (1) the meaning of a structure; and (2) the meaning of coming events.

In Chapter 20, Jesus has just emerged from a series of confrontations with religious leaders. He has acquitted himself well as a Biblical interpreter; he has also probably fueled the leaders' determination to "get him." Jesus sees himself in a larger historical context--as one of the prophets who must perish in Jerusalem. This consciousness gives him a freedom in interpreting things around him. He easily can put an alternative "twist" on things because his mind and conceptualization of the world isn't beholden to the interpretations of the religious leaders. He seems to speak with a freedom borne from achieving clarity of message and clarity of mission.

When we achieve these kinds of clarities in life, life flows much better for us, too. When you know what you stand for and what your message is in this life, you not only cherish your life and live it more fully, but you discover a new utility in life that you never knew you had. So, in this passage, Jesus gives two different "takes" on two common experiences or questions in life.

The first has to do with interpreting the beautiful building around him. The restored temple was the pride and joy of the community. It probably looked as if it was built to stand until the end of the world. But the external beauty and magnificence of the temple seems not to affect his view of what will happen. He knows that life, events, structures are evanescent or fleeting. Is the key to Jesus' ability to "read" the future of the temple found in an un-shareable divinity which he has--or to a spiritual/political perception he possesses that is also available to us? It brings up the question of whether there are people in our own midst, or whether we ourselves, have this interpretive capacity--the ability to "see" how things will unfold.

Finally, the most significant thing about Jesus' words in these verses is the division between people that it assumes. There will be divisions between nations as wars break out and divisions within families and groups that should share a common interest. Although Jesus’ words have a strong sense of warning, He also offers words of hope and advice on how to deal with all the strange events and personal trials. His advice is simply to stand firm - to endure. There may be suffering and even death - but endurance will be the greatest defense. It is an endurance born of trust - that in the midst of the turmoil, Jesus is in it with us and will give the words and strength we need to face what comes. The challenge Jesus puts before us is clear vision.

Although we can't fully separate the interpretive from the apocalyptic message of the passage, take a lesson from Jesus and wade into the interpretive arena-- look at the structures around you (the temple) and the events of our world--and try to make sense of them. That is the encouragement of this passage.

4) Thought Exercise

Can we see beyond the crises of life and nation?

Can our faith help us understand the challenges of these uncertain times?