Last Days or God’s Days
This week’s readings seem to speak about the last days of the world. All of us are eager to know when the end of the world will come. The famous Doomsday preachers used these biblical texts to create fear in people. They wanted to make them feel that it is in their lifetime that the world is coming to an end. Did the prophet Malachi and Jesus really predict a catastrophic end to the world?
Prophet Malachi predicts: “The day is coming now, burning like a furnace” (Mal 2:19). Here, the prophet gave hope to Israel’s despairing people while they were still in Babylonian exile. They were promised peace, justice, and prosperity in order to persuade them to return to their own land. But, after returning to Israel, they found life difficult and experienced poverty, injustice, robbery, and disunity. This is the time when the prophet Malachi came into the picture with his encouraging words: “The day will come where all sorts of evil will be burned like stubble” (Mal 2:19).
Jesus preaches: “The time will come… everything will be destroyed… nations will fight against nations… great famine, earthquakes and plagues here and there” (Lk 21: 10-11). It is not that Jesus is predicting something drastic to happen, but He is teaching His disciples about the cost and gains of discipleship. The true disciples will never escape suffering and there is no limit to their struggles. But the one thing they should remember is that their Lord, who has passed through all these struggles, is with them and comforts them: “do not be afraid… your endurance will win your lives” (Lk 21: 19).
Prophet Malachi and Jesus spoke about the end of the world of sin, of suffering, of injustice, of hatred, and of all evil. The promised day has already dawned with the “hour” of Jesus – in His death and resurrection. Its full manifestation will come at the end of human history. The struggles we go through until that time will bring forth life and not death.
–Father Ranjan D’Sa OCD