Luke 21:12-19
Chapter 21
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Before all these things happen, people will lay their hands on you and persecute you; you will be handed over to synagogues and prisons, and for my sake, you will be brought before kings and governors.
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This will be your opportunity to bear witness.
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So keep this in mind: don’t worry in advance about what to say,
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because I will provide you with words and wisdom that none of your opponents will be able to withstand or contradict.
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You will be betrayed even by parents, brothers, relatives, and friends, and some of you will be put to death.
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But even though, because of my name, you will be hated by everyone.
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But not a hair of your head will perish.
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By your patient endurance, you will save your souls.
Commentaries
On the Destruction of the Temple.
The prediction of the Temple’s destruction raises a question: “When will this happen, and what is the sign that it is about to occur?” Jesus’ response forms the core of Luke’s ‘eschatological discourse,’ which blends at least three specific motifs: 1. The destruction of the Temple and Jerusalem. 2. The coming of the Son of Man. 3. The end of the world. Luke emphasizes that the destruction of Jerusalem is not necessarily a sign of the end times. The key point is that the disciples be prepared, first, not to trust false alarms from charlatans or false messiahs, and second, to endure violence and persecution from enemies of the Gospel and to seize these moments as a powerful opportunity to bear witness.