Matthew 24:1-14
The Destruction of the Temple and Signs of the End Times
24 Jesus left the temple and was walking away when his disciples came up to him to call his attention to its buildings. 2 “Do you see all these things?” he asked. “Truly I tell you, not one stone here will be left on another; every one will be thrown down.”
3 As Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately. “Tell us,” they said, “when will this happen, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?”
4 Jesus answered: “Watch out that no one deceives you. 5 For many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am the Messiah,’ and will deceive many. 6 You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. 7 Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. 8 All these are the beginning of birth pains.
9 “Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me. 10 At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, 11 and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. 12 Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, 13 but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved. 14 And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.
A while back, I took my sons on a road trip to my hometown in Iowa. First, we loaded up on treats, and then I gave them a tour of the town. The older I get, the better I am at pointing out buildings that have replaced other buildings, and buildings that have vanished altogether. As a kid, I assumed many of those places would be around forever, but they were replaced or demolished.
In Matthew 24, as Jesus is leaving the temple, his disciples come to point out its buildings to him. They thought the way I did as a child. They were blown away by the temple's majesty and permanence, and they assumed it would last forever. That's when Jesus tells them that in the not-so-distant future, not one stone will be left on another.
Jesus isn't dismissing what we build, and he isn't being flippant. He is pointing out that what we build pales in comparison to what God is building in us and through us. God's kingdom can certainly use a building for a purpose, but it is bigger than any building.
As we grow in years, we all find things we hold onto that we may be invited to let go of, so that God can show us something greater. What places, routines, and relationships might that be for you? What might God show you if you let go?
– Pr. Jason
God, help me keep my eyes fixed on you and not on things. Amen.
