English: An ikon of Aghia and some votive obje...
An ikon of Aghia and some votive objects – these have a specific name: tamata. Photographed in the chapel dedicated to her (see below) above the , Iraklio, Kriti in 2001 May. A life of Aghia Paraskevi. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Luke 21:5-19

While some people were speaking about
how the temple was adorned with costly stones and votive offerings,
Jesus said, “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.”

Then they asked him,
“Teacher, when will this happen?
And what sign will there be when all these things are about to happen?”
He answered,
“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!
When you hear of wars and insurrections,
do not be terrified; for such things must happen first,
but it will not immediately be the end.”
Then he said to them,
“Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom.
There will be powerful earthquakes, famines, and plagues
from place to place;
and awesome sights and mighty signs will come from the sky.

“Before all this happens, however,
they will seize and persecute you,
they will hand you over to the synagogues and to prisons,
and they will have you led before kings and governors
because of my name.
It will lead to your giving testimony.
Remember, you are not to prepare your defense beforehand,
for I myself shall give you a wisdom in speaking
that all your adversaries will be powerless to resist or refute.
You will even be handed over by parents, brothers, relatives, and friends,
and they will put some of you to death.
You will be hated by all because of my name,
but not a hair on your head will be destroyed.
By your perseverance you will secure your lives.”

Commentary:

Some people spend a lot of time looking for signs about the end times. Others seem to be convinced that whenever something bad happens, like a World War or horrific catastrophe, the end of the world is near. This kind of fanaticism is nothing new. It’s been around for centuries. Even many of the early disciples thought the world would end in their lifetimes.

But today Jesus tells us that this is folly. In fact, even Jesus doesn’t seem to know when the world will end. In Matthew 24-36 he tells us that only the Father knows.

“But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son,f but only the Father.”

So I’m not going to waste my time worrying about the end of the world. In fact, I’m going to live my life to the fullest, as long as I can. And I’ll only let go of those things that I truly believe Jesus wants me to let go of. Until then, I’ll keep on being me. Imperfect and at times weak. But at the same time, having reason to believe that there’s more than this. A lot more!

—MC

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