Vultures & Eagles

Signs of the times.

This passage is full of urgency. Jesus’ words echo Daniel’s prophecy of the abomination of desolation, which his disciples would have understood as a desecration of the Temple, the holy place at the center of Israel’s worship. His instructions are not contemplative here. They are direct, even harsh. Their nature has fueled escalated eschatological interpretations for centuries: Run. Don’t look back. Don’t go home for a coat. Flee to the mountains.

We may not face the exact crisis Jesus was preparing his disciples for (the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple), but the warning remains clear: when evil takes center stage, do not toy with it. Do not linger, do not flirt with deception, do not delay in your faithfulness.

Jesus also makes another striking point: his coming will not be secretive or hidden, but unmistakable, as obvious as lightning flashing across the sky. That’s why he warns so strongly against false messiahs. The disciples’ task is not to follow the next loud voice or impressive wonder-worker, but to remain faithful and ready for Christ alone. So we need to remember the nature and character of the man from Nazareth in such times.

This passage finishes with a stark image: Wherever the corpse is, there the vultures will gather. It’s a reminder that corruption and death draw scavengers. Some people look to capitalize on destruction, be it profitable or power-gathering. At the same time, perhaps Jesus is noting that his return will not be hidden or uncertain. Just as vultures circling leave no doubt about what lies below, so the coming of the Son of Man will leave no question. Our task is not to speculate about the vultures but to stay faithful to the living Christ so that we are found among the living, not the dead.

(An interesting side note is that the Greek word translated to vultures here also means eagles. The eagle was Rome’s imperial symbol. When placed in the context of what happened to Jerusalem after its destruction, and the possibility that Jesus is implying a double-meaning, it’s a striking image.)

Matthew 24:15-28

“When you see the disgusting and destructive thing that Daniel talked about standing in the holy place (the reader should understand this), then those in Judea must escape to the mountains. Those on the roof shouldn’t come down to grab things from their houses. Those in the field shouldn’t come back to grab their clothes. How terrible it will be at that time for women who are pregnant and for women who are nursing their children. Pray that it doesn’t happen in winter or on the Sabbath day. There will be great suffering such as the world has never before seen and will never again see. If that time weren’t shortened, nobody would be rescued. But for the sake of the ones whom God chose, that time will be cut short.

“Then if somebody says to you, ‘Look, here’s the Christ,’ or ‘He’s over here,’ don’t believe it. False christs and false prophets will appear, and they will offer great signs and wonders in order to deceive, if possible, even those whom God has chosen. Look, I’ve told you ahead of time. So if they say to you, ‘Look, he’s in the desert,’ don’t go out. And if they say, ‘Look, he’s in the rooms deep inside the house,’ don’t believe it. Just as the lightning flashes from the east to the west, so it will be with the coming of the Human One. The vultures gather wherever there’s a dead body.

Psalm 91:5-13

Don’t be afraid of terrors at night, arrows that fly in daylight, or sickness that prowls in the dark, destruction that ravages at noontime. Even if one thousand people fall dead next to you, ten thousand right beside you—it won’t happen to you. Just look with your eyes, and you will see the wicked punished.

Because you’ve made the Lord my refuge, the Most High, your place of residence—no evil will happen to you; no disease will come close to your tent. Because he will order his messengers to help you, to protect you wherever you go. They will carry you with their own hands so you don’t bruise your foot on a stone. You’ll march on top of lions and vipers; you’ll trample young lions and serpents underfoot.

Prayer

Holy Father of all creation,
I see your loving justice in Jesus of Nazareth.
By your Spirit,
Make me more like him.

Amen.