"Teacher, when will this happen?"

In our Gospel for the penultimate Sunday of the liturgical year, the Sunday before our commemoration of the end-of-the-world as we know it, Jesus reminds us of the third law of thermodynamics: entropy. In particular, he speaks about the destruction of the Second Temple in Jerusalem, an event that occurred in 70 AD.

To many of those to whom these words are addressed- by the inspired author of Luke after the Temple's destruction by the Roman army led by Titus- this event undoubtedly seemed like the end of the world. This is relevant for us today because, by extension, Jesus points to the passing away of all things.

Jesus also predicts the opposition his followers will face in living and proclaiming the Gospel. The reason Christ's disciples face fierce opposition in every age is that his message does not seem like such good news to the rich and powerful. In our day, especially in the United States, this opposition includes attempts to co-opt "Christianity," seeking to put it in the service of the worldly power. Such efforts merely amount to one more manifestation of anti-Christ.

The prospect of the current order passing away, either collapsing under the weight of its inherent contradictions and injustice or by other means, frightens those invested in maintaining and perpetuating the status quo. In the face of all this, Jesus urges his followers not to be afraid. On the contrary, the realization of the reign of God is something to which Christians not only eagerly look forward but seek every day to help bring about. We call this "looking forward" hope. Hope lies beyond optimism.