November 16, 2019
For full passage click: Luke 21:5-9 … “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.” vs. 6
When Jesus visited the temple during his lifetime, most of the restoration work begun by Herod the Great would have been completed. His builders had completely remodeled and redone the temple built by the returning exiles from Babylon. Modeled after Roman buildings, it was a work of art and a source of pride for the Jewish people. Jesus’ disciples were impressed–even modern visitors marvel at the carefully hewn massive stones that make up the foundation of the temple mount. Those Galilean fishermen likely stood with their mouths agape, and then Jesus tells them all would be thrown down. It’s hard to overestimate what the loss of the temple meant in those days of tribulation and turmoil. Luke writes at a time when the destruction had likely already taken place and the words he used to describe what happened give us a glimpse of a nation torn apart by rebellion and war. The point is not that Jesus predicted the disaster so much as the effect it had on his disciples. The unthinkable happened! And sometimes it happens to us, too. Those things that we had considered as solid and unchangeable fall apart, and we’re left to put together the pieces–if we can. Our blessing is that God does not dwell in a temple built by human hands. Our God transcends the calamities and disasters of life and gives the courage to endure.
Thought for the Day: What unthinkable things have happened in my life?
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