The Gospel of Luke 21:5-19
When some were speaking about the temple, how it was adorned with beautiful stones and gifts dedicated to God, Jesus said, “As for these things that you see, the days will come when not one stone will be left upon another; all will be thrown down.” They asked him, “Teacher, when will this be, and what will be the sign that this is about to take place?” And he said, “Beware that you are not led astray; for many will come in my name and say, `I am he!’ and, `The time is near!’ Do not go after them. “When you hear of wars and insurrections, do not be terrified; for these things must take place first, but the end will not follow immediately.” Then he said to them, “Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom; there will be great earthquakes, and in various places famines and plagues; and there will be dreadful portents and great signs from heaven. “But before all this occurs, they will arrest you and persecute you; they will hand you over to synagogues and prisons, and you will be brought before kings and governors because of my name. This will give you an opportunity to testify. So, make up your minds not to prepare your defense in advance; for I will give you words and the wisdom that none of your opponents will be able to withstand or contradict. You will be betrayed even by parents and brothers, by relatives and friends; and they will put some of you to death. You will be hated by all because of my name. But not a hair of your head will perish. By your endurance you will gain your souls.”
Just a note about the temple before I proceed, so you can understand why some were marveling about it’s beauty. The Temple was huge. To get an idea of the size and scope of the Temple, just go to Jerusalem today and stand at the Western Wall. It’s massive. It rises about seventy-five feet above you. Some of the stones weigh up to one hundred tons each. What you don’t realize is that, while you’re able to count twenty-four rows of stones, there are another nineteen beneath the ground. And, where you see about a hundred feet of wall from side to side, the whole wall runs about fifteen hundred feet. But that’s not the half of it! This is just one of four retaining walls that encircled the base on which the Temple was built. The Temple itself towered another sixteen stories on top of the mount above. It was huge. And not only huge, but ornate. The Jewish historian, Josephus, said that the outer structure of the Temple was covered with gold plates such that, when the sun came up, “it radiated so fiery a flash that persons straining to look at it were compelled to avert their eyes, as from the solar rays.” There was so much white marble that, according to Josephus, “The temple appeared to strangers, when they were at a distance, like a mountain covered with snow.”
Let us Pray:
O Lord of history and hope, You who see beyond the grandeur of stones and temples, Teach us to trust not in what dazzles the eye, But in the enduring truth of Your Word. This we pray in your Name. Amen.
This Sunday’s Gospel is again a snapshot of the world today. In reading this what Luke wrote seems we are facing it today, not only in America but around the world. The level of devastation in Gaza leads one to question whether restoration is even possible. Many areas of Ukraine are examples of unrelented bombings. It is not just the temple that has fallen it is entire cities and also the true respect of humankind has been destroyed. In America, our country has become one big fallen temple, no respect for each other, failure to feed those in need, failure to recognize the underprivileged and the unseen. As we look around today, we can see that even though the temple of our lives may be crumbling, we see those who work to rebuild it. Those who work as volunteers in food backs, those that offer their services to help others are all promoting the kingdom of God and rebuilding the temple the false messiahs are trying to tear down. It appears those in charge look at themselves as messiahs. But there is only one true Messiah. All the wannabes are as Jesus warned us false messiahs: Jesus cautions against false messiahs and premature apocalyptic claims. Wars, earthquakes, and plagues will come, but “the end will not be at once”. He urges spiritual clarity over panic. That’s why Jesus warned the disciples to beware of the false messiahs who would come and proclaim that they were the promised messiah. He knew that just like the temple’s beauty hid its ugly secrets, the false messiahs with their appearances, methods and teachings would hide their true motives. False messiahs exist in our society today. In today’s world, there seems to be so many who claim to be true followers of Jesus who follow these false messiahs but are truly hypocrites. So, as this passage unfolded, Jesus and his disciples were admiring the grandeur of the Jerusalem temple. Yet Jesus abruptly shifts the tone, prophesying its destruction, a shocking claim, given the temple’s centrality to Jewish identity and worship. His words echo prophetic traditions from Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel, warning of upheaval not just in architecture but in society and spirit. This text also invites us to reflect on our own temples, what we revere, what we fear losing, and how we respond when those foundations shake. Are we led by fear or by faith? Do we see crisis as a threat or as a moment to embody hope?
Let us Pray: God of Enduring Love, The world feels unstable. Temples fall. Dreams fracture. Bodies ache. Hearts break. As You stand among the ruins, Steady, scarred, and whispering, “Do not be afraid.” You promised Your presence. You remind me that endurance is love in motion. Let me keep giving and giving again, Trusting that love is never wasted, That even the smallest act of kindness Is resurrection rehearsed. To forgive again, To believe again, Let it be because of You. Because it’s times like these we learn to live again. It’s times like these we learn to love again. Amen.
Reflections by Bob 