By Father Paul Nord, O.S.B.
Sunday Scripture
First Reading: Malachi 3:19-20a; Response: Psalm 98:5-9; Second Reading: 2 Thessalonians 3:7-12; Gospel: Luke 21:5-19
The prophet Malachi wrote after the rebuilding of the Jerusalem Temple around 515 B.C. Malachi repeatedly calls the people to be faithful to the Lord God. This Malachi passage begins: “Lo, the day is coming!” This refers to “the Day of the Lord,” when “the proud and all evildoers” will face God’s judgment. Fire is the image used for God’s judgment — “blazing like an oven.” The evildoers are compared to “stubble.” This could also be translated as “straw” or “chaff.” This is highly flammable material left over after the harvest. The coming fire will consume these evildoers — “leaving them neither root nor branch.” This message comes from “the LORD of hosts.” In Hebrew, this is “YHWH Sabaoth.” This divine title emphasizes that God is all-powerful. He will defeat all evil.
“But for you who fear my name…” This contrasts with the previously condemned evildoers. By contrast, “there will arise the sun of justice with its healing rays” for those who do God’s will. They receive God’s blessing, not judgment.
The Responsorial, Psalm 98, is a “praise psalm.” The first stanza invites the people to “sing praise to the LORD” and to “sing joyfully before the King, the LORD.” This music is made with harp, trumpets, the horn — and the human voice in song.
Verse 4 of Psalm 98 says: “Shout with joy to the LORD, all the earth.” The counterpart to “the earth” is “the sea.” So, today’s second stanza (verse 7) says: “Let the sea and what fills it resound.” All of humanity is called to praise the Lord: “(Let resound) the world and those who dwell in it.”
Next is another pairing: the rivers and the mountains: “let the rivers clap their hands, the mountains shout with them for joy.” Both rivers and mountains are depicted as joyfully praising the Lord. The psalm is inviting all creation to praise the Lord God.
The final stanza announces that the Lord is coming in judgment — “he comes to rule the earth.” But the Lord God is a just judge: “he will rule the world with justice… (and) equity.”
Next, Saint Paul challenges the Thessalonians to “imitate us.” Paul tells them, “We wanted to present ourselves as a model for you.” Paul had previously stayed with the Thessalonians for a long time, proclaiming Christ’s Gospel among them. Paul says that during his stay, “we did not act in a disorderly way among you, nor did we eat food received free from anyone.” Paul reminds them that he and his companions worked for their own food “so as not to burden any of you.”
Paul calls on the Thessalonians to do the same — “when we were with you, we instructed you that if anyone was unwilling to work, neither should that one eat.” Paul observes that when people do not work, they often begin “conducting themselves … in a disorderly way.” If we are not busy working, we are tempted to instead interfere in “the business of others.” Paul says: “Such people we instruct and urge in the Lord Jesus Christ to work quietly and to eat their own food.”
Next, from Luke’s Gospel, Jesus predicts the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem: “All that you see here — the days will come when there will not be left a stone upon another stone that will not be thrown down.” Indeed, in A.D. 70 — about 40 years after Jesus’ resurrection — Jerusalem and its Temple were destroyed by the Roman Army. This destruction was prompted by a revolt begun in A.D. 66 by those Jews called “zealots.”
Jesus’ prediction is provoked by people “speaking about how the temple was adorned with costly stones and votive offerings.” Starting around 20 B.C., Herod the Great greatly expanded and beautified the Temple in Jerusalem. It became renowned throughout the Roman Empire for its magnificence. Herod ordered the construction of a massive platform for the Temple and its neighboring courts. Still standing today is the Western Wall, which was built to support Herod’s Temple complex. Part of this wall is visible today. This section has become a very important place of Jewish prayer — simply called “the Western Wall.”
In response to Jesus’ prediction, they ask him: “Teacher, when will this (destruction) happen? And what sign will there be when all these things are about to happen?” Jesus tells them to expect various signs: wars, insurrections, earthquakes, famines, and plagues. All these must precede the final coming of the Messiah. In verses 24-27 (after this Gospel passage), Jesus describes the coming of the Messiah — “the Son of Man.”
Jesus commands his followers that when they face these calamities, “See that you not be deceived, for many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am he,’ and ‘The time has come.’ Do not follow them!” Jesus is warning them not to be deceived by false Messiahs. Further, he tells them: “do not be terrified; for such things must happen first.”
Jesus tells his followers: “Before all this happens, however, they will seize and persecute you, they will hand you over to the synagogues and to prisons.” This reference to “synagogues” suggests that those Jews who accept Jesus as Messiah — his disciples — will be persecuted and excommunicated by those Jewish synagogue members who reject Jesus as Messiah. Even close family members will betray them.
But this persecution will give Jesus’ disciples an opportunity to give testimony to Christ — “before kings and governors.” Jesus reassures his disciples that when they are persecuted, “I myself shall give you a wisdom in speaking that all your adversaries will be powerless to resist or refute.”
Finally, Jesus foretells two things that may appear to contradict each other. First, he says: “they will put some of you to death.” Second, Jesus says: “not a hair on your head will be destroyed. By your perseverance you will secure your lives.” But this second prediction apparently refers to eternal life. Through perseverance, Jesus’ disciples will receive eternal life, even if they are killed for their witness to Christ.