And when he saw the crowd, he felt compassion for them, because they were harassed and dejected like sheep without a shepherd. (Matthew, 9:36). This is how Jesus saw the popular masses in his time. The description is valid for all times, including ours. Let's see: the Jewish people were subjected, like many others, to an empire whose taxes were an onerous burden. Currently, to a greater or lesser degree, many countries are economically subject to imperialist powers. Likewise, the crowd that Jesus contemplated was also a victim of the oppression of the ruling classes of his people, mainly the Sanhedrite aristocracy that benefited from the Temple and the taxes that it imposed on the population. All peoples and all times must have suffered from some kind of ruling class or caste. Ours also has its economic oligarchies that feed on the misery of the peoples of the world. And, finally, there were in the time of Jesus, the diseases, perhaps not so different from ours, although they were called by another name: leprosy, demonic possession... later plagues, cholera... later typhus... currently pandemics of mutant viruses. In short, that today the crowd, the popular masses on a world scale, present an appearance as pitiable as those that Jesus pitied.

And there is another similarity that is interesting to highlight. The sad situation of the humblest social strata of the population at all times was and continues to be the fertile ground in which eschatological, apocalyptic hopes are born and proliferate, that is, the intuition or presentiment of being faced with the imminence of a change radical, liberating, putting an end to injustice and oppression, usually accompanied by a victory over enemies who were profiting from the hitherto dominant system. In the case of the Jewish people, there had been hope for several centuries of the coming of a Messiah who would come to put an end to the subjugation that this people suffered successively from the empires of Antiquity: Babylonian, Persian, Hellenistic, Roman... The The New Testament book of Revelation itself expresses a similar hope on the part of early Christianity. In this case it would be the second coming of Christ, (which would later be assigned the name of "Parousia") who would present himself as the victor and judge of the oppressors of the world. Over time, the tyrants of each era began to be called antichrists, and their imminent fall and annihilation at the hands of the triumphant Christ who was to come was predicted.

There was great expectation, in this regard, around the year 1000. But the year 1000 passed, and 2000, and 2012, which according to an alleged Mayan prophecy would have to be the culmination of human history or something similar, and the The world goes on, with many problems, but it continues, and what's more, the apocalyptic messiah to put an end to all these calamities still hasn't appeared. The current pandemic that humanity is suffering from, the ecological degradation that endangers the very existence of humanity and the great social convulsions that are taking place in the form of massive emigration, violence and political instability... have enough apocalyptic overtones to excite the imagination of the prophesyers of parousias.

And in all this history, what is our role? We mean those of us who consider ourselves followers of Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus summoned his contemporaries, to whom he said: "Follow me ", and some of them felt compelled to follow him. Jesus of Nazareth is not just a more or less important historical figure; he is someone who is still alive today, as evidenced by the fact that even today there are people who feel challenged by his teaching and willing to follow him. Well then, what exactly does following Jesus consist of? He does not summon us to announce his Parousia, which for the rest not even he himself knew when it would take place, as we read in Matthew, 24:36 . He summons us to deal with that crowd that is vexed and dejected like sheep without a shepherd. Give them something to eat. (Luke, 9:13). He wants us to replace him in this task: As the Father sent me, so I send you. (John, 20:21). He transferred his messianic mission to us, we are his vicars, since a vicar is the person who exercises the functions of another. He acts and manifests himself in the world through the vicars or followers of him. In this sense we have nothing to do with his Parousia. Parousia sounds like revenge, judgment, punishment... and Jesus does not summon us for that; we are not his Parousia but his Epiphany. Epiphany means “Manifestation”. The followers of Jesus of Nazareth must manifest his forgiveness, his service to those in need, the Father's love for all humanity.

Yes, he announced the Kingdom of God and said it was near. Identifying the Kingdom of God or Kingdom of Heaven with that final victory that was called Parousia, led to the confusion of the apocalyptics of all ages to think that it was that culmination of world history is near. The four horsemen of the Apocalypse: plague, war, famine and death, never really stopped riding and still do. And each era had its antichrists, some very famous, and even in ours we know of some, and more will come. But it is not the end of the story. And the Kingdom of God, which Jesus said was near, is something else: The Kingdom of God is within you. (Luke, 17:21). It is in every time and place where there are disciples or followers of Jesus who make him present with his life at the service of others. The "eschatological time" of each person is the duration of life that God gave him. The attitude that Jesus wants to promote in his followers, when he puts us before the image of a vexed and dejected dough, is to be the leaven that ferments that dough. This slow fermentation is the march of the Kingdom of God.

And it is a march of people of peace. This must be especially underlined when we see that injustice is often confronted with violence. This was already happening in Antiquity and it has been happening unceasingly throughout history up to the present day. At the time of Jesus there was a Zealot movement of the Jews who then violently and futilely confronted the Romans. Not long before, an armed rebellion of slaves had taken place in Italy itself, which ended up failing as well. And then, throughout the centuries, similar violent reactions against unfair situations abounded. The anti-feudal movements inspired by the desire for Reform ended up generating great massacres and did not give birth to a fairer and more humane world. The same can be said of the revolutions that have been occurring since the late eighteenth century. They try to face unfair situations but they do it in a violent way that ends up bringing calamities to the peoples. The human impulses that generate oppression among people, and those that generate violence to face oppression, are born from the same natural instinct of the human being: both impulses are an expression of the true evil of humanity: its selfish nature.

The teaching of Master Jesus of Nazareth exhorts his followers to act differently from negative natural impulses:
You know that the princes of nations rule them, and those who are great exercise power over them. But among you it should not be so; but whoever wants to become great among you, be your servant; And whoever wants to be first among you, be your servant. (Matthew, 20:25-27). Put the sword in the scabbard; who kills with iron, dies with iron. (Matthew, 26:52). But I tell you: do not resist with evil; but whoever strikes you on the right cheek, turn the other also. (Matthew, 5:39). But I say to those who listen: love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. (Luke, 6:27-28).

Following that teaching is the true Armageddon of each one: defeating the apocalyptic beast, the antichrist that we all carry inside. The solution to the world's problems inevitably passes through this personal transformation. Cultivate empathy to feel moved, as Jesus was, before the vexed and dejected crowd.