Matthew 24:13Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

In this chaos, inexperienced sailors, who have never even seen the ocean, are commanded to take the helm, engage in naval warfare, and with only a small vessel, capture enemies and thwart against a vast armada attacking with great force.

The apostles were despised by the Gentiles for being Jews and faced violence from their fellow Jews for opposing their customs, struggling without sanctuary. They encountered treacherous landscapes everywhere they went—in cities, villages, and homes—with opponents rising against them from every level of society. There was a whirlwind of turmoil that is beyond verbal expression. The Roman authorities loathed the Jewish people due to the numerous challenges they presented. Yet, none of this hindered their proclamation of the Gospel: even when the city fell to flames and countless woes plagued its residents, the apostles emerged from that destruction to introduce new laws and hold sway over the Romans. What extraordinary wonders! Although the Romans captured countless Jews, they could not overpower the twelve apostles, who took a stand against them unarmed. How can such a miracle be articulated? Two elements must coincide: they needed to possess confidence and the love of their disciples, while also ensuring that their teaching was appealing and the context free from disorder and wrath. Yet, the reality was quite the opposite. The apostles were seen as unreliable, with many misled away from those who seemed trustworthy; they were not only unloved but even despised, leading people away from cherished customs, homeland, and laws. Their teachings were met with reluctance, while preferred comforts remained enticing.

Both the apostles and their followers faced severe risks and potential death, all within a turbulent time filled with conflict and outrage. Any one of these factors could have led to chaos. Should we not then declare, “Whoever shall utter the might of the Lord, shall declare all his praises” (Psalms 105:2)? The tribes of Israel turned a deaf ear to Moses amid their burdens of brick-making; what then compelled those undergoing daily persecution and death to abandon their peaceful lives in favor of one fraught with peril and bloodshed, especially from those who preached such a message while being viewed as outsiders? Consider not just tribes and cities but the immense challenge of introducing an unwelcome messenger into a household, where residents harbor animosity. If this messenger sought to redirect loved ones away from their deepest attachments, would he not face violence even before speaking? In a household rife with conflict, he might face severe backlash just entering. And should he be reviled and demand restraint from those indulging in pleasure while standing against stronger opponents, would his downfall not seem inevitable? Yet, Christ accomplished in the entire world what could not be achieved even in a single home, guiding His followers through storms, furnaces, cliffs, and tumultuous seas marked by conflict.

For a clearer understanding of these events—famine, plagues, earthquakes, and other miseries—one might refer to Josephus for a detailed account. It is for this reason that Christ proclaimed, “Be not dismayed, for all these things must come to pass,” and “He that endureth to the end shall be saved,” as well as, “This gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world.”

What a deception clouds our vision, enemy, that only this endurance, which accompanies the journey of righteousness, seems heavy and unbearable, while that imposed by those who indulge in passions appears easy and insignificant, even though it is far burdensome and wretched than what those who confront their desires bear in resisting the enemy! And we are blinded to this truth... We toil, persevere, and wear ourselves out for the enemy, leading to our own ruin.

The knowledge of Christ permeated all, whether through a single messenger or through a nation bearing the gospel to another—continually, even unto a Christian ruler. Do you wish to confirm that everyone was aware of Christ by then? Consider the numerous wars waged by heretics over the struggle for the truest doctrine. As long as there is a calling, there is no room for choice; and where there is the possibility of choice, the calling is not without its challenges. In matters of vocation, choice serves as an impediment, just as vocation can obstruct the ability to choose.

Many had not yet witnessed the advent of the Messiah’s kingdom, as anticipated, and failed to recognize the signs signaling the end of the current order, which, according to Jewish thought, would be entirely transformed with the Messiah’s arrival. Hence, they collectively asked Him what signs would indicate the coming of His kingdom and the end of the age.

As He prepared for His impending departure, He sought to remind His disciples of His teachings from the beginning of His ministry (Matthew 10:17-22) while also encouraging them amidst the trials to come, assuring them of divine assistance.

"Be vigilant; for before all these things, men will lay hands on you and deliver you to synagogues and prisons. You will be persecuted, brought before rulers and kings for My name's sake. But this will be your opportunity to bear witness. Therefore, settle it in your hearts not to meditate beforehand on what you will answer, for the Holy Spirit will speak through you. I will provide you a mouth and wisdom that none of your adversaries will be able to withstand or refute. In those days, many will be led astray, betraying one another and hating one another. Numerous false prophets will arise and lead many into error. Because lawlessness will increase, the love of many will grow cold. You will be betrayed even by parents, siblings, friends, and they will put some of you to death. You will be hated by all for My name’s sake, but those who endure to the end will be saved" (Matt. 24:9-14).

This gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come. Persecution directed at the heralds of Christ's message will create divisions among believers and non-believers, fracturing even the closest familial bonds, weakening collective love, and increasing temptations from false prophets. These hardships would give rise to a new world—a Christian world—to emerge from the ruins of the ancient order. The Lord’s words closely connected to the fall of Jerusalem were indeed fulfilled with precision. In the time leading up to Jerusalem's destruction, four Roman emperors met violent ends; civil strife and external conflicts ravaged the landscape, while morality decayed amidst rampant vice.

During this tumultuous period, Judea experienced severe famine (Acts 11:28), which Josephus records as claiming many lives in Jerusalem. Under Emperor Claudius, famine afflicted Rome, Greece, and Palestine multiple times. Tacitus also documented widespread pestilence during this era. Earthquakes devastated cities such as Laodicea, Hierapolis, and Colossae, along with others including Smyrna, Miletus, Chios, and Samos. Josephus noted that the land was overrun with deceivers and sorcerers who led people into the wilderness to showcase supposed miracles, presenting themselves as figures of divine authority. Among such frauds were Dositheus the Samaritan, who proclaimed himself Christ, and Simon the Magician, also of Samaria, who claimed to be the son of God, along with others like Febla, Menander, and various Egyptian pretenders.

The Jews, rejecting Christ, were so eagerly anticipating a conquering Messiah that they were quick to embrace every charlatan. Josephus recounts foreboding signs preceding Jerusalem's siege: a star resembling a sword lingered above the city for a year; during the Feast of Unleavened Bread, bright illumination surrounded the altar at night; the temple gates, which required considerable effort to secure, swung open by themselves at night; during Pentecost, priests entering the temple were astonished to hear voices declaring, "Let us depart from here!"

Before Jerusalem's fall, substantial persecution against Christians had commenced. After the ascension of the Divine Master, His disciples faced opposition as they proclaimed the Gospel, encountering hostility from Jews and Gentiles, rulers, and authorities. The apostles were subjected to imprisonment (Acts 4:3; Acts 5:18; Acts 12:4), brought to trial (Acts 4:7; Acts 5:27), beaten (Acts 5:40), and in some cases, martyred (Acts 7:58; 12:2). Nevertheless, the message of the Lord spread extensively (Acts 13:49), and prior to Jerusalem's destruction, the holy Apostle Paul conveyed that the proclamation of the Gospel had reached the ends of the earth (Rom. 10:18) and all of creation under heaven (Col. 1:23).

The Gospel permeated the known world at that time, but many false prophets arose, prompting warnings from the holy apostles to the faithful (1 John 4:1; Jude 1:4). These signs, which foretold Jerusalem’s ruin, will reappear before the end of the age, as the Lord foretold, intertwining distant and imminent events. When the lawless one comes, he will be revealed with the power of Satan, accompanied by false signs and wonders, and every unrighteous deception directed at those who are perishing (2 Thess. 2:8-10). In those days, the successors of the apostles, the shepherds and teachers of Christ's Church, along with all devoted followers, will face intense persecution for their testimony of Jesus and the Word of God (Rev. 20:4).