The Coming of the Son of Man

Luke 21:25-28, 34-36

“There will be signs in the sun, the moon, and the stars, and on earth nations will be in dismay, perplexed by the roaring of the sea and the waves. People will die of fright in anticipation of what is coming upon the world, for the powers of the heavens^* will be shake. And then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. But when these signs begin to happen, stand erect and raise your heads because your redemption is at hand.”

“Beware that your hearts do not become drowsy from carousing and drunkenness and the anxieties of daily life, and that day catch you by surprise like a trap. For that day will assault everyone who lives on the face of the earth. Be vigilant at all times and pray that you have the strength to escape the tribulations that are imminent and to stand before the Son of Man”

Discussion Questions:

1. What are you seeking from God and hoping to receive in this new season of Advent?
2. In the day-to-day of life, how do you recognize and guard your heart against spiritual drowsiness?
3. How has God strengthened your heart in times of crisis?”
4. What are some experiences you might interpret as “signs” of Jesus coming into your life?

Biblical Context

Luke 21:25-28, 34-36
Margaret Nutting Ralph PHD

Our Gospel on the first Sunday of Advent is the middle of a conversation. Therefore, in order to understand what Jesus is saying, we have to put today’s passage in the context in which it appears in Luke’s Gospel.

“Some people” have commented on “how the temple was adorned with costly stones and votive offerings” (Luke 21:5). Jesus tells them, ‘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” (Luke 21:6). Jesus is warning the people of coming persecution. (In fact, the Romans did persecute Christians and destroy the temple in AD 70, some fifteen years before Luke’s Gospel took its present form, around AD 85.

On hearing of the coming persecution, the people ask, “Teacher, when will this happen? And what sign will there be when all these things are about to happen?” (Luke 21:7). While today’s Gospel reading is part of Jesus’ response to this question, it is not his first response. Before saying what we read in the Lectionary reading, Jesus gives further detail about their coming persecution: “… 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” (Luke 21:12).

In today’s Lectionary passage, however, Jesus is describing not only the coming persecution but a final, culminating event, the coming of the Son of Man. It is much easier to understand what Jesus is saying if we know a little about what is called apocalyptic writing and apocalyptic imagery.

Apocalyptic writing is a kind of writing that was very popular in Israel for a period of four hundred years, from 200 BC to AD 200. It was always addressed to people facing persecution, and it always offered them hope. Here the hope Jesus offers is the coming of the “Son of Man” who will save the people. Jesus says, “And then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. But when these signs begin to happen, stand erect and raise your heads because your redemption is at hand.”

Apocalyptic writing often uses apocalyptic images, that is, cosmic persecution will be. Jesus uses this kind of imagery when he says, ‘There will be signs in the sun, the moon, and the stars, and on earth nations will be in dismay, perplexed by the roaring of the sea and the waves.

When Jesus describes the “Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory,” he is quoting another apocalyptic passage from the Book of Daniel. In that book Daniel has a vision in which God sends someone to save the people from persecution:

“As the visions during the night continued, I saw

One like a son of man coming,

on the clouds of heaven;

When he reached the Ancient One

and was presented before him,

He received dominion, glory, and kingship;

nations and peoples of every language serve him.

His dominion is an everlasting dominion

that shall not be taken away,

his kingship shall not be destroyed.” (Dan 7:13-14)

In its initial setting the author of the Book of Daniel was assuring his fellow Jews, who were suffering persecution under Antiochus Epiphanes (167 BC-164 BC), that God would send a “son of man” to save them. The phrase son of man became a messianic title, the only messianic title that Jesus uses in reference to himself in the Synoptic Gospels (Mark, Matthew, and Luke). Here Jesus is promising his followers that he himself will come to save them from persecution. When Jesus comes the people’s redemption will be at hand.

After assuring the people that he will save them, Jesus cautions the people to be constantly vigilant for the coming of the Son of Man: “Be vigilant at all times and pray that you have the strength to escape the tribulations that are imminent and to stand before the Son of Man.”

The Lectionary omits the verses that seem to say that Jesus’ second coming will also be imminent: “Amen, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things have taken place” (Luke 21:32). By the time Luke is writing, the second coming is already overdue. Since no one knows when exactly it will occur, the message for Luke’s audience, and for us, is that we must always be ready.  This message, always relevant, is particularly relevant during Advent when we not only recall Jesus’ first coming, but also prepare for his daily coming into our lives.

Joyful and Vigilant

Reflection
Pope Francis

When these signs begin to happen, stand erect and raise your heads because your redemption is at hand.

Right during those moments when everything seems to be coming to an end, the Lord comes to save us. We await him with joy, even in the midst of tribulations, during life’s crises and the dramatic events of history. We await him.

But how do we raise our heads and not become absorbed with difficulties, suffering and defeat? Jesus points the way with a strong reminder: “Beware that your hearts do not become drowsy . . . Be vigilant at all times and pray” (Lk 21:34, 36). . . .

We need to be vigilant so that our daily life does not become routine, and, as Jesus says, so we are not burdened by life’s anxieties (cf. v. 34). So today is a good moment to ask ourselves: what weighs on my heart? What weighs on my spirit? . . . What are the mediocrities that paralyze me, the vices that crush me to the ground and prevent me from raising my head? And regarding the burdens that weigh on the shoulders of our brothers and sisters, am I aware of them or indifferent to them? . . .

And let us add an essential ingredient: the secret to being vigilant is prayer. In fact, Jesus says: “Be vigilant at all times and pray” (Lk 21:36). Prayer is what keeps the lamp of the heart lit. This is especially true when we feel that our enthusiasm has cooled down. Prayer re-lights it, because it brings us back to God, to the center of things. Prayer reawakens the soul from sleep and focuses it on what matters, on the purpose of existence. Even during our busiest days, we must not neglect prayer. The prayer of the heart can be helpful for us, repeating often brief invocations. For example, during Advent, we could make a habit of saying, “Come, Lord Jesus.”

Pope Francis, Angelus

Jorge Mario Bergoglio, SJ, was the archbishop of Buenos Aires from 1998 until his election as pope in 2013. Pope Francis has proclaimed a Gospel of joy and peace, of care for the poor and for the earth, “our common home.”

Selections from Breaking Open the Lectionary: Lectionary Readings in Their Biblical Context for RCIA, Faith Sharing Groups, and Lectors—Cycle C, by Margaret Nutting Ralph, Copyright © 2006 by Margaret Nutting Ralph. Paulist Press, Inc., New York/Mahwah, NJ. Reprinted by permission of Paulist Press, Inc. www.paulistpress.com