KLEIN EMPERADO
Iglesia Filipina Independiente-Youth
Ps 98:5-6, 7-8, 9
Mal 3:19-20a
2 Thes 3:7-12
Lk 21:5-19
Many people have always imagined God’s coming to bring disasters, wars, earthquakes, famines, and destruction. Some would proclaim that God is coming back because the signs of the times mentioned in the Gospel text (Luke 21:5-19) occur occasionally, one after the other, causing so much suffering — especially among our society’s marginalized sectors.
However, few of us have truly understood God’s coming in terms of the day when God will destroy all earthly ruling powers, systems, and structures that oppress and enslave humanity as well as victimize and exploit the whole creation. For the suffering and oppressed, this is a long-awaited day when poverty, hunger, oppression, power and control, exploitation, and subordination will no longer exist.
On that day, God’s reign of love, justice, and peace will reign over all peoples and creation. However, such eschatological hope is mysterious and ideal for some, but uninteresting to many who are experiencing difficult and struggling times — those exploited, abused, and dehumanized.
As Jesus predicted, not a single stone will be spared, and not a single pillar will remain standing. All will crumble to the ground, just as our human bodies will. Jesus hints at how God’s reign is built on equity and justice for all. That means that anything that goes against God’s will or abuses and exploits God’s creation will be destroyed. When God’s Day of favor comes, those earthly hierarchical structures and powers will vanish and decay.
God’s reign is just, and it upholds and heralds the fullness of life. Instead of waiting for God’s authority and judgment to be revealed, may we find ourselves dismantling structures and powers that perpetuate the poor and marginalized, exploit and abuse women and children, and victimize the labor force and farmers through inhumane policies that contribute to their sufferings and never-ending cycle of poverty. The Jesus we follow not only predicted the temple’s destruction, but also overturned tables of those who commercialize and desecrate the temple, not just the structure, but also the people of God who were held captive by colonial powers at the time.
In our Gospel text, Jesus reminds us not only of the destruction of oppressive structures and powers that must be dismantled so that God’s reign can be established on the foundations of justice, peace, compassion, and abundant life for all peoples.
Part of the dismantling work is to speak truth to power. It is sad to note that the prophetic witness of the Church today has put the Church in a dangerous position. The fact that the state and other authorities and collaborators vilify the churches for their work of service and love for the poor and marginalized was mentioned long before by Jesus in the text of this Sunday’s Gospel. The way Jesus encouraged the disciples was unlikely, as many people today are frightened rather than encouraged by such profound words that speak morbidly of death when delivered to the hands of the foe.
On the other hand, in the New Testament text (2 Thessalonians 3:7-12), we as Christ’s living body are called to participate in the establishment of God’s reign on earth, rather than simply waiting for the eschatological hope to unfold.
Our mission as followers of Christ should be to establish God’s reign of justice, peace, and compassion on earth. And in this work, each of us has a significant role to play. As old oppressive structures and powers must be demolished, we must recognize that we are responsible for realizing and establishing God’s reign on earth – a reign of peace, equity, justice, compassion, and abundant life. We must not be mere observers, but partners with God not only in dismantling oppressive systems, but also as brave actors in recreating, rebuilding, and renewing humanity, and the entire creation.
Let us all pray.
God, we pray that our churches will continue to uphold the prophetic witness
to proclaim Your truth in the face of vilification and red tagging.
God, we pray for church workers, both lay and clergy,
as they work to demolish oppressive systems and powers
and to establish Your reign of justice and righteousness.
Be with your people, O God, as they struggle
and accompany us on our journey to defy the culture of death
and violence to uphold and herald life in its fullness for humanity and all of creation.
Siya Nawa! Hinaut pa unta! Kabay pa! 
Balik-Tanaw is a group blog of Promotion of Church People’s Response. The Lectionary Gospel reflection is an invitation for meditation, contemplation, and action. As we nurture our faith by committing ourselves to journey with the people, we also wish to nourish the perspective coming from the point of view of hope and struggle of the people. It is our constant longing that even as crisis intensifies, the faithful will continue to strengthen their commitment to love God and our neighbor by being one with the people in their dreams and aspirations. The Title of the Lectionary Reflection would be Balik –Tanaw , isang PAGNINILAY . It is about looking back (balik) or revisiting the narratives and stories from the Biblical text and seeing, reading, and reflecting on these with the current context (tanaw).
