When you hear the sounds of wars and reports of wars, do not be troubled, because all that must happen, but the end is not yet.
Christ does not hide that the world will see wars and upheavals. Yet He commands His disciples not to be troubled. This does not mean insensitivity toward human pain, but steadfastness of faith in God’s providence. Wars show the consequences of human sin and the fallen condition of the world, but they are not in themselves the immediate sign of the end. The words “The end is not yet” protect believers from panic and from mistaken calculations. Christ’s disciple must see the world’s convulsions, yet not lose peace, because the Lord is the One who rules over history.