Salvation or Judgement?
Luke 21:29-33. November 25, 2022 - Friday, 34th Week
In the Gospel of Matthew, John the Baptist and Jesus began their ministry with the same message: “repent for the kingdom of God is near”. John understood the coming of God’s reign as judgement. “The axe is already at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.” (Luke 3:9). But with Jesus, the reign of God came as salvation from all sorts of sickness, from demon-possession, from sin, from poverty, and death.
One could say that when the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, it was like springtime. The buds of the trees burst open, and the green leaves began to appear. Winter is over, and summer is around the corner. But this analogy can go even further. According to the Chinese lunar calendar, Jesus died in spring, and the Pentecost took place in summer. The pouring of the Holy Spirit was the fruit of Jesus’ death on the cross. As the Spirit brought about the birth of the Messiah, the Spirit also brought about the birth of the Church. As the Spirit was behind Jesus’ mission, the Spirit is also at the heart of the Church’s mission of salvation to the whole world.
The parallel between summer and the kingdom of God should make us aware that as there are signs indicating the coming of different seasons, so there are also signs indicating the coming of God’s reign. For Luke, such signs were those events that led to the destruction of Jerusalem. On the one hand, that event was a judgement for those who refused to accept Jesus’ message of peace; on the other hand, it was a vindication for Christ’s believers who refused to participate in any violence against the Romans. And it only took forty years for Jesus’ words to be fulfilled which in the Bible is considered one generation: Jesus died in the year 30 AD, and Jerusalem was destroyed in the year70 AD.
It is worth pondering the implication that comes from the tragedy of Jerusalem, the city whose name indicates “peace” but whose leadership opted for war. God’s reign comes either as salvation or as judgement. It comes as salvation for those who hear Christ’s call to repentance and faith. It comes as judgement for those who refuse to repent but persist in sin. Which path will we choose?