A little insight about the Second Coming

Here is something that may assuage an uneasiness or even a basis for misunderstanding in the scriptures.

It is obvious that the Apostles, both during the life of Jesus, and after the death and resurrection of Jesus, particularly Paul, spoke a great deal about the end of the world, and clearly yearned for the end of all things when Jesus would return. Why would that be, many wonder? Without understanding why, many modern people are somewhat obsessive about the Second Coming, and, as a result, are tempted into theological error in "over eager" anticipation.

Like many things I have blogged with you about before, one must remind one's self of the context of the times when the Apostles and first disciples lived. So here is the primary reason that the Apostles were so eager for and fascinated regarding the Second Coming.

In psychology there is a phenomenon called "compensation." It means that if emotionally or intellectually you cannot obtain something that you want very much, you transfer that longing to something else. Sometimes you are aware that you are doing it, and sometimes you are not.

We learn by reading the Bible that the Jewish people were desperately eager for their Messiah, the Savior, to come. But when Jesus arrived, many people were shocked and quite disappointed. They had hoped for a "warrior savior," a zealot, who would free them from the Roman Empire and fix all the problems with humanity in the world. Jesus seemed the opposite to this, and many disciples fell away from him when they thought he was not zealous or militant enough about worldly problems, such as the oppression and occupation by Rome.

Even those who understood the message that Jesus Christ brought, how he was indeed the Messiah, but one who was bringing the Kingdom of God to all humanity, rather than leading an uprising and fixing all worldly problems, still longed for that to happen. Thus they compensated and transferred that longing for all worldly problems to be fixed from happening "now," when the Messiah did indeed arrive, to "later," when the Messiah, Jesus Christ, returns. Rather than allow themselves to be disappointed in any way with Jesus Christ, the true believers, the Apostles and the disciples who stayed with Jesus, dedicated themselves to bringing the Good News, the Gospel, to all people, and eagerly anticipated the Second Coming as being the real time, instead of the hoped for time, when all the problems of the world are fixed by Jesus.

This is why the Apostles are almost giddy at times with hope that the Second Coming would occur soon. Rather than being disappointed that Jesus was not the "militant fixer Messiah" that many had imagined that he would be, they realized that Jesus was bringing the New Covenant, and they glorified in that, but they also consoled themselves that Jesus would fix all the problems of the world (such as the occupation by the Roman Empire) during the Second Coming!

This little insight is by no means a diminishing of the theology and the reality of the Second Coming, and the glory that will be brought by Christ (after the great suffering of the world at the end). I am giving you some cultural and reality based insight about why the Apostles, so recently in the presence of Jesus Christ himself, fervently hoped for the world to end and the Second Coming to occur soon, despite Jesus cautioning them that even he did not know when that would occur. There really is an element of human nature (the saints are all human, of course) and also the cultural context (as always) in understanding those times and what people, even the Apostles, yearned for, even as they had been blessed with being alive with the Messiah present. They transferred, both consciously and unconsciously, much of their hopes that the Messiah would whip the world into shape and fix all the problems "right then and now" onto what Jesus taught them would happen at the Second Coming, when not only would the world be "fixed," but it would indeed pass away into a new one that is perfected under God.

I hope that you have found this helpful!

I'm rebuked for bad manners/not being "saved"

This is primarily a Bible reading and commentary blog entry, but I decided to give everyone a thrill and use a "National Enquirer" type of title for this blog posting! I mean, who wants to read another of my "Bible reading" or "Bible commentary" titles when they can read one about my being sad or uncomfortable or afflicted instead? ;-)


Being homeless I have been taken in by a Christian man where I earn my keep being his housekeeper. Tonight he rebuked me for some bad manners of mine from yesterday (cussing) and while he was on the subject mentioned that I'm not saved, don't know what God wants, and belong to a pagan cult (he means the Catholic Church).

Well, he said his piece and I said mine and I hope he feels better, since I sure do not.

However, I'm good at making lemonade out of lemons, and wine out of vinegar (much harder than the lemonade trick) so this lesson or, rather, this quiz for my readers popped into mind. (I'm logged on using my battery power on the laptop to save electricity, it sure costs a lot around here...)

I have a question for any Christian reading this blog. Why did Jesus say the following using the words he used and not the alternative I suggest below?

What he said:

"Let not your heart be troubled. You believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father's house there are many mansions. Were it not so, I should have told you, because I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I am coming again, and I will take you to myself; that where I am, there you also may be. And where I go you know, and the way you know." Thomas said to him, "Lord, we do not know where thou art going, and how can we know the way?" (Matthew 14:1-5)

Now, before I point out the specific question I have, I need to put this in context. This statement by Jesus is the beginning of a long passage where he is comforting the Apostles at the Last Supper. Jesus knows he is going to be betrayed and in fact the whole episode of Jesus announcing that someone will betray him and the betrayer thereupon leaving (Judas Iscariot) the Last Supper has just taken place (Matthew 13:21-30). For those of you who do not have the scripture in front of you, even though Jesus identified Judas as the betrayer and Judas did leave the table, the Apostles did not make the connection that Judas was the betrayer and leaving the table in order to do so: "But none of those understood why he said this to him. For some thought that because Judas held the purse, Jesus had said to him, "Buy the things we need for the feast"or that he should give something to the poor (Matthew 13:28-29).

OK, here is my question to you. And yes, I know the answer. Do you?

Why didn't Jesus say either or both of the following:

1. "I go to prepare a place for you, except for the betrayer Judas Iscariot."

2. "I go to prepare a place for you, except for the betrayer Judas Iscariot, and I also go to prepare a place for the disciples not present here at this Supper, and also for every person who believes in me in the future."


Since the Apostles understood that Jesus was speaking to them (that's why I included up above that Thomas' being the first to reply makes that clear), but they did not know that Judas had left not on routine business but to betray Jesus... why would Jesus during some of the last words he ever spoke to them make clear that Judas was not having a place prepared for him in heaven? Why would Jesus have allowed the Apostles to assume that Jesus, who never lied or was disingenuous, meant all Twelve, including Judas? And to be perfectly clear, why is Jesus only referring to preparing a place for the Twelve, but not the other seventy disciples, not at the Last Supper, or, better yet, state that he, as the Son of God, is preparing a place for all those who believe in him in the future? Why does Jesus use wording indicating only all of the Twelve?

Nathanael, true and without guile

I'm very excited at the new vigor that I sense among Catholics, both cradle Catholics and those who have recently "crossed the Tiber" to rediscover Jesus and the early Church, through both Bible reading and reading the works of the Early Church Fathers. Not only are people more fully discovering Jesus Christ, they are also more fully knowing their own selves.

Nowadays so many people work on changing their images, or adopting other personalities or traits, thinking that they need to constantly "re-invent" themselves. Sometimes when I encounter a person I knew I feel I should ask them, "And, who are you now?" instead of "How are you?!" I'd like to remind people that they are their own unique selves, and there's a great dialogue in St. John that illustrates this.

John 1:47-49. Jesus saw Nathanael coming to him, and said of him, "Behold, a true Israelite in whom there is no guile! Nathanael said to him, "Whence knowest thou me?" Jesus answered and said to him, "Before Philip called thee, when thou wast under the fig tree, I saw thee." Nathanael answered him and said, "Rabbi, thou art the Son of God, thou art King of Israel."

Now, while many study the calling of Nathanael as a lesson in the all knowing nature of Jesus (his far sight) and in Nathanael's faith (his recognition of Jesus as the Son of God, King of Israel) there is also another insight that can be gleaned, that is almost too simple to see. Notice what Jesus did not say. He did not say, "I saw you studying the Torah and you sure are smart, so be an Apostle," "I saw you shouting everyone else down in a debate so I knew you'd have the right stuff to be an Apostle," "I saw you give a lot of alms so you have the charity to be an Apostle," or "I saw you are a great conversationalist, and so you'll have the gift of gab to be an Apostle!"

Jesus saw Nathanael simply sitting under a tree. Jesus of course was also able to see into Nathanael's heart. Jesus was able to see that Nathanael was "true" and with "no guile," in other words, comfortable in his own skin, his own authentic self, and not striking a pose in order to be someone that he is not. So when you read this part of the Gospel of St. John, remember that real quality is not in constant re-inventing and being a poseur, but in being one's own true self, without guile. Nathanael did not even know he was at an interview to be an Apostle!