“Trials and tribulations”

By Rev. Michael Stonhouse

Meditation – Monday, December 9, 2024

Luke 21: 20-28 Forward, p. 41) CEV p. 1091

The impending destruction of Jerusalem: It is hard to know for sure when it is to occur, and how, and countless ‘acres’ of ink have been spilled over the years in favour of one theory or another. On the one hand, there are people who allege that it refers only to the fall of Jerusalem to the Romans in AD 70, after a long and terrible siege. Certainly, Jesus’ descriptions here fit it’s unfortunate fate at that time: over a million people died outright, some 97,000 were carried away into exile, and the city was reduced to ruins. Well might have Jesus’ cautions about expectant and nursing mothers have come to pass. (Interestingly, some scholars, those of a more sceptical frame of mind, allege that the authors of the gospel accounts ‘wrote’ these predictions ‘back’ into the account after that fact, but if that had been the case, you would have expected the details to be more closely aligned. And then, there are the events prophesied in verses 25-28: as far as I know they have not yet taken place, so I’m not sure how these scholars handle this.). On the other hand, there are scholars who postulate that these first events did indeed take place back in AD but then that they will be repeated later in time, along with the cosmic happenings predicted in verses 25-28.

To me, given that we probably cannot be overly dogmatic or certain about these events, I think that there are a couple of things that we can still hold on to. Firstly, that Jesus knows what is to happen, and is, in fact, the Lord of history. All of it is known to Him and is under His control. And secondly, we will survive. We are to stand up straight and be brave, even the midst of such unsettling, unnerving events. All is not lost and we will survive to see a much more glorious and wonderful future where Jesus reigns. Thanks be to God.

Forward notes: “Now when these things begin to take place, stand up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near” (verse 28).

“There’s a parable about a rabbi asking his students how they can tell a new day has dawned upon the earth. One crafty student offered: ‘When there is enough light to see the difference between an apple tree and a pear tree.’ It was a good answer but not the right answer. Another student said, ‘When you can look down the road and tell whether or not the animal up ahead is a fox or a dog.’

“Again, this was a good answer but not the right answer. The rabbi looked at his students and said: ‘It’s a new day when there is enough light that allows you to see the face of another human being, and looking upon that face, you see your brother or sister. Until that happens…it is still night.’ We sit with the prophets and poets, with sages and soothsayers, waiting expectantly for glimmers of a new dawn. But for a new dawn to break, we must be willing to seek and show the One whose coming we look for, long for, and ultimately live for. For a new dawn to break, we must learn to heal like Jesus and lean into compassion, hope, courage, and boldness. A new dawn is breaking.”

Moving Forward: “Is your heart ready for the light of a new day?”