Cold winter before spring
Luke 21:20-28. November 24, 2022 - Thursday, Memorial of Saint Andrew Dũng-Lạc, Priest, and Companions, Martyrs
Luke speaks about Jerusalem being surrounded by the Roman army, the signs in the sun, moon and stars, and the roaring of the sea. According to the Jewish historian Josephus, there were indeed strange signs that preceded the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple. He tells us about a star that looked like a sword standing over the city, a comet that lasted a year, and strange voices inside the temple saying: ‘Let us get out of here’. All such signs evoke fear, not hope, so why then does Luke tell us to stand erect and raise our heads? It looks like a disaster is at hand rather than redemption.
In my country, just before spring winter gets at its worst. The temperature goes down, heavy snow falls from the sky, and the cold wind blows from the north as if winter would like to tell everyone ‘I’m not leaving’. In the Bible, there is an idea that God’s final act of redemption will be preceded by the onslaught of evil. We read about wars, natural disasters, and cosmic upheavals, and we are told that it signifies the end of evil and the eternal victory of God. How could that be?
Think about the crucifixion of Jesus. It looked like the end of Jesus’ story and the final triumph of evil. But then, Easter happened and changed everything. In the book of Revelation, the last book of our Bible, evil seems to be victorious as well. Christians are being killed because of their faithfulness to Christ and three evil spirits gather all the kings of the earth for the final battle against the Church. We are outnumbered and all seem to point to the end of Christianity. But then, God interferes; the evil gets wiped away and the new heaven and new earth appear.
The commentators draw our attention to the fact that the word “redemption” that Luke uses here, “refers to deliverance not from sin but from tribulation, brought about by the defeat of all forces hostile to God”. Jesus’ death on the cross has redeemed us from sin, but his coming in a cloud with power and great glory will redeem us from all sorts of evil and will establish the everlasting kingdom of love, justice, and peace.