As he came out of the temple, one of his disciples said to him, ‘Look, Teacher, what large stones and what large buildings!’” vs. 1
Mark 13:1-4
The disciple wasn’t wrong–the temple buildings were impressive. Herod the Great had wanted the structure to rival the temples seen in Rome and he had spared no expense. And even though the buildings have been destroyed, the foundation stones are still visible, and they are massive. For Galilean fishermen this would have been quite a sight. Those kinds of things have impressed believers from the beginning, and the Christian church has been no exception. A tour of the cathedrals of Europe will make our jaws drop–the beauty is incredible. And we’re still doing it, we’re still building churches bigger than they need to be, and sometimes the architectural elements are stunning! And in the eyes of Christ it’s all rather pointless. Jesus said it well, “Do you see these great buildings? Not one stone will be left here upon another; all will be thrown down.” The only thing that lasts is Christ! Denominations come and go; buildings are erected at great expense, used for a few decades, and then sold or repurposed. And yet the Church will continue! Forms will change, doctrines will be turned upside down, theologians will be forgotten, and the love of God will continue to change lives and transform wounded hearts. Seen from the perspective of centuries the story of our community of faith really is impressive. Of course we’ve needed buildings for worship but our strength will always be the good news of Jesus.
Thought for the Day: The most impressive church building I’ve been in.
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