This essay first appeared in our weekly Scripture reflection newsletter on November 15, 2025.
Mal 3:19-20a; 2 Thess 3:7-12; Lk 21:5-19
You can find the readings for the 33rd Sunday of Ordinary Time here.
What is Jesus talking about in this Sunday’s Gospel, when he warns his disciples against “wars and insurrections,” “earthquakes, famines and plagues,” as well as persecutions to come? Why is this included in Luke’s Gospel? Who was it addressed to? And what are we to make of it today?
Jesus’s words about the coming fall of the Temple in Jerusalem and his explanation of what to anticipate before that fall, are part of what are called his “eschatological discourses.” The word comes from the Greek word eschaton, meaning “last.” So here Jesus is acting quite consciously as a prophet, warning his disciples about the impending end times.
Given that Luke’s Gospel was written around 85 A.D., the destruction of the Temple by the Romans had already occurred. Consequently, in many biblical commentaries you will see discussions of how much material might have been added by Luke (that is, for his community who already knew of the Temple’s destruction) and how much is original to Jesus. You could argue that, on the one hand, Jesus had perfect foreknowledge and knew in detail exactly what would happen (Why not? He’s the Son of God, after all.) Or you could argue that Luke, knowing what had already happened, created the material to make Jesus appear to have known better than he did. I favor a middle ground: That is, Jesus made these predictions, and Luke may have edited them to better reflect what his community already knew.
It’s a reminder, as if we needed any after all the false prophecies, some as recent as this year, that the timing of the end of the world is unknown.
Nonetheless, we should remember that Jesus was able to predict many things, thanks not only to divine foreknowledge but also his human qualities—being a shrewd judge of character. He may have been able to predict Peter’s triple denial of him during the Passion, for example, simply because he knew him so well.
So here, Jesus gives an accurate prediction of the travails that will beset not only Jerusalem but also the disciples in the future years.
Now a more difficult question: What does this have to do with us? To begin with, it’s important to, again, remember the context of this reading: It is a prediction of the end times of the Temple. Only after the passage we read today comes the prediction of the coming of the Son of Man.
For me, one of the most helpful aspects of this reading is the following: “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!” It’s a reminder, as if we needed any after all the false prophecies, some as recent as this year, that the timing of the end of the world is unknown. Elsewhere Jesus says something extraordinary about the eschaton: “But about that day and hour no one knows, neither the angels of heaven, nor the Son but only the Father” (Mt 24:36). Jesus is saying even he doesn’t know.
The same goes for our own personal end times. All the more reason to live faithfully, every moment of the day.
So no one on earth who says, “The end of the world is near” really knows. Yet there are some things we can count on. As Jesus warns his listeners, there will always be tribulations to face: earthquakes, famines and plagues. And his disciples should expect persecution. Last week I participated in a zoom call with Catholic educators who work with LGBTQ people. When I talked about how “pushback” is not simply ancillary to the work, but part of the ministry, about 70 heads started to nod. Why shouldn’t we expect this? Jesus tells us as much.
But, most of all, these eschatological passages, which predominate as we reach the end of the liturgical year, remind us 21st-century mortals to be prepared for the end of our lives. Just last week a friend stopped by our Jesuit community, in high spirits, and the next day was rushed to the hospital after suffering a terrible, debilitating heart attack. We were all heartbroken, especially those who are his close friends, and we reflected on the fragility of human life. “About that day and hour no one knows,” as Jesus said.
The end times for the Temple came in 70 A.D. The end times for the world will come at a moment we cannot predict. The same goes for our own personal end times. All the more reason to live faithfully, every moment of the day.
