Jesus promises redemption and resurrection. However, He warns of trials and tribulations. He asks us to remain steadfast in faith.
GOSPEL PASSAGE: Luke 21:5-19
When some were speaking about the temple, how it was adorned with beautiful stones and gifts dedicated to God, Jesus said, “As for these things you see, the days will come when not one stone will be left upon another; all will be thrown down.”
They asked him, “Teacher, when will this be, and what will be the sign that this should take place?”
And Jesus said, “Beware that you are not lead astray; for many will come in my name and say, ‘I am he!’ and, ‘The time is near!’ Do not go after them.
When you hear of wars and insurrections, do not be terrified; for these things must take place first, but the end will not follow immediately.”
Then Jesus said to them, “Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom; there will be great earthquakes, and in various places famines and plagues; and there will be dreadful portents and signs from heaven.
But before all this occurs, they will arrest you and persecute you; they will hand you over to the synagogues and prisons, and you will be brought before kings and governors because of my name.
This will give you an opportunity to testify. So make up your minds not to prepare your defence in advance; for I will give you words and wisdom that none of your opponents will be able to withstand or contradict.
You will be betrayed even by parents, by brothers and sisters, and by 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 of your head will perish. By your endurance you will gain your souls.”
REFLECTIONS
In last week’s Gospel, Jesus talked about the Temple as a holy place. He applied the Temple as a metaphor for our bodies where we meet the Holy of Holies. The innermost essence of our being is the spirit. (1) Today, Jesus reveals something very important about holding on to our faith in spirit.
But how is this metaphor of the spirit derived from the contemplation of the Temple of Jerusalem? Let us observe the Temple building with Jesus:
The first Temple of Jerusalem (1000 B.C. to 585 B.C.) was built by King Solomon on Mount Moriah, a sacred site purchased by his father, King David, and later expanded to a large plateau. Surrounded by a massive wall, it consisted of three areas: the porch, the Holy Place and the Holy of Holies. The innermost sanctuary, the Holy of Holies, which housed the Ark of the Covenant on stone tablets, was guarded by golden cherubim. The Holy of Holies was considered the dwelling place of the Divine Presence and was visited only once in a year on Yom Kippur by the high priest. It was separated by a wall from the rest of the buildings. Five altars surrounded the main altar. They were located inside and outside the main building. The Temple building was surrounded by extensive courtyards that housed administrative offices and ritual baths (2).
The Second Temple period lasted approximately 600 years, after the Babylonian exile, from 516 B.C. to 70 A.D., the destruction of the Temple in 70 A.D. by the Romans. The Temple was re-built and expanded at the site of the First Temple by King Herod. The building itself stood sixteen stories tall. The Ark was lost during the Babylonian Exile. Only the original foundation was left upon which the High Priest sprinkled blood on the Day of Atonement. The Holy of Holies was separated from the rest of the space by a curtain. It was surrounded by gold-covered walls which were part of the Holy place. The courtyards around it became the spiritual and religious center of Judaism. This was the Temple that Jesus visited in his lifetime. (3)
Since the Roman invasion and destruction of the Temple in 70 A.D., only remnants of the outer walls of the Temple Mount still exist. The site is dominated by the Dome of the Rock and the Al-Aqsa Mosque which are Islamic shrines built in 691 and 692 AD. Devout Jews visit the Western Wall, also called the Wailing Wall. Orthodox Jews believe that the Temple will be rebuilt with the coming of the Messiah, when the full Temple of Jerusalem will be descending from heaven. In the meanwhile, the spiritual community is considered the “Temple,” making a physical rebuilding unnecessary. The Jewish people consider holding the Torah commandments in their hearts and minds and contribute to hastening the coming of the Messiah by their actions contributing to repairing the broken world, a concept called “Tikkun Olam” (4).
No wonder that Jesus and his disciples marveled at the beauty of the design and the construction. Jesus likened the Temple to our bodies, as a physical marvel and the holding place of our mind and spirit. He used the image of the Temple he saw to explain a truth that applies to us until the End of Times.
When he predicted his death and resurrection, Jesus used the image of the Temple, that can be destroyed and built up in three days. In Today’s Gospel, Jesus used the same image of the Temple, to explain something about the significance of his resurrection leading up to the End of Times and his second coming.
Jesus predicted that the Temple will be destroyed, so much that “not a stone will be left standing on another” (Luke 21:6). And, like the first parable, in which he referred to His death and resurrection, offering a triumph over death, he used the second parable to draw attention to something hopeful.
There will be several signs, said Jesus, that will signal the closeness of the end of times: The rise of false prophets, wars and famines, diseases, massive earthquakes, and persecutions. Jesus meant not only natural disasters, but turmoil, experienced in the form of fear, betrayal, unrest, uncertainty, and conflict. Inner emotional states that will mirror the physical signs.
When all these thigs take place, says Jesus, “People will become faint out of fear and expectation of the things that are coming over the world.” (Luke 21:25) These are the physical and emotional signs that will accompany distress. But it will be different for those who believe in the promise of Jesus. For them, the time of their redemption will draw near.
Jesus says that when we evidence external or internal turmoil, we should “stand up and raise our heads, because your salvation will be near.” (Luke 21:28) It is by endurance that we will “gain” our souls. That is, by remaining firmly grounded in the bond with the Holy of the Holies, the obstacles will be broken down: walls will fall, curtains will be torn, and God’s presence will fill our hearts and guard us in his love and light.
How many of us have experienced trials and tribulations, famines, wars, and conflicts. Looking back, we have survived them thanks to faith. Grace guided our steps, and hope propelled our movements. How many tribulations are we still to overcome?
When such things happen, said Jesus, “…do not worry about your defense” in advance; for I will give you words of wisdom that none of your opponents will be able to withstand or contradict” (Luke 21:14-15). Jesus assures us that if we remain committed to the truth, ultimately, we will see the truth triumph.
Viktor Frankl once remarked that “oftentimes it is the ruins that makes us see the stars.” (5) Even if we suffer in body and mind, our spirit can be steadfast because it is an incorruptible, immaterial, and unscathed dynamics, the essence of our being, that links us with God. “The spiritual person can be disturbed but not destroyed,” Said Frankl, adding that “Behind the mask of the disease, the spiritual person is intact.” (5)
The Scriptures remind us that “God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and love and of a sound mind” (2Timothy 1:7).
Therefore, if we remain steadfast, we will gain life. This is the healing promise of Jesus today.
Sources:
- Frankl, V. E. (1975). Anthropologische Grundlagen der Psychotherapie (Anthroplogical Foundations of Psychotherapy). Vienna, Austrai: Hans Huber.
- Telushkin, J. (1991). Jewish Literacy. New York, NY: William Morrow and Co.
- Britannica (2025). Temple of Jerusalem. Judaism. Retrieved from: https://www.britannica.com/topic/Temple-of-Jerusalem Accessed: November 16, 2025.
- My Jewish Learning (2025). Tikkun Olam: Repairing the World. Retrieved from: www.myjewishlearning.com. Accessed: November 16, 2025.
- Frankl, V. E. (1988). Der leidende Mensch. The Suffering Human Being. 2nd ed. Bern: Hans Huber.