In this block of teaching Jesus addresses something that, as he says, will take place within that ‘generation’ (21:32). A generation was understood to be about 40 years. As it happened, Jesus was exactly right in his prediction. Just within 40 years after Jesus spoke these words, in 70AD, his prediction would come true. Again and again Jesus warned his people against their nationalistic agenda. He tried to teach them that the Kingdom of God was not to be a political and military endeavour. He knew it was going to end badly if they went their own way and indeed it did. The rebellion leading up to 70AD was a disaster. There was as much fighting internally between Jewish factions as there was with the Romans and, in the end, the Jews desecrated their own temple. The Jewish Historian, Josephus, was so horrified at the evil that his people perpetrated upon one another during the war that he was convinced the destruction of the city and the temple was divine judgement. It seems that Jesus is suggesting as much as he draws on the same symbolic language used by Old Testament prophets to describe God’s acts of judgement and international upheaval (coming on clouds, shaking of heavenly bodies etc). Jesus knew that most of his people would reject him and he knew how dire the consequences of this would be. Dismissing Jesus and going our own way is a choice that will lead us to disaster. We simply must do what Jesus says. However costly it may seem to obey Jesus, it will work out for the best in the end.
What has Jesus been asking of you lately?
Read Luke 21:1-38
