Hebrews 10: 11-25; Mark 13: 1-8
Entering a
big city, when you’ve been out in the countryside can make the mind play
tricks, the buildings seem bigger; the traffic noisier; the crowds pushier…
I well remember
the first time I travelled to America – how big it all seemed.
Travelling from
the airport into Seattle I was speechless looking out of the window; everything
seemed huge: the roads were wider, and they we tiered – so there were two more
highways above; the buildings scraped the sky, reaching ever higher.
As we moved
through the city and into the suburbs, to where my friends lived, I discovered
their small apartment, was not quite as pokey as I had been led to believe.
It’s all a
matter of scale; for in a couple of days none of it really seemed that big
after all; my mind had adjusted, and I was able to regain perspective.
Now that I
have been back and forth fairly frequently, I am not so overwhelmed as I was
twenty years ago.
As humans we
adapt; we move from one thing to another, and what is strange, or big, or overpowering
becomes the new normal.
The
disciples had been travelling with Jesus for around three years; but they were
still, really, country folk at heart. Coming to Jerusalem, the big city, was a
novelty; and the Temple was a magnificent building – they were rightly awed by
it.
Jesus,
appears to be less impressed, and issues this terrible prophecy: it will all
fall; the temple will be toppled.
Of course,
immediately they began to clamour for more information – how? Why? When? How
will we know? What warnings will there be?
Jesus continues
to speak in riddles; and it seems he is laying the foundation for the end of
things: wars and rumours of wars; fire and earthquakes…
Jesus knows
they are leaving the Temple for the last time before he is arrested but this is
not the end.
The
destruction, the fall of the Temple, the violence and persecution are not sure signs of what is to come.
This is not
the end.
These things may occur and they may indeed be happening but this is
not the end.
Here we are
2000 years later; still living faithful lives; still waiting.
All things
are changing, the Temple is not the focal point anymore.
Now we focus not on a
building, but on an event: the resurrection.
We know that faith is not about
the buildings, but about the people.
We of
course, also have the wisdom of hindsight: we know the fall of the temple in around 70AD did not signify the end
of the age and the return of Jesus.
We also have
the complacency of 2000 years; there have been wars, and conflicts; famines and
earthquakes; fires and flood, and still the world goes on; still humanity continues.
We may find
ourselves saying, sure Jesus will return, but it won’t be in our lifetime.
The passage
of time has numbed us to the reality of Jesus’ promise.
But we are
now living in challenging days; the church is facing a new crisis; one it has
not before dealt with.
Faith may
seem hollow because it has been institutionalised;
Yet there is
still hope in this passage.
Faith is not
restricted to what the institution of the church is able to do; for Jesus
predicts that these institutions, even the biggest ones built, with the
greatest stones and minds and fervour shall not last.
Our Hope instead
is in the arrival of Jesus and his kingdom.
How can we hear
Jesus’ words that Temples will fall but the end is not yet? There is always new
life and such upheaval has always been the way of it as one generation moves
into another.
In these
days of uncertainty; when our presbytery is tasked with once again looking at
ministerial numbers. It is good to ask hard questions.
Is it right
to use vast resources within the church to keep the stones in place?
Does the
‘listing’ of buildings that preserve their and our heritage have an uncanny way
of preserving the problems that institutionalise us as well.
What are Jesus
words to us?
“Do not be
alarmed”
The writer
to the Hebrews was writing to people who were unsettled; he was writing in a
time of change.
Today’s
passage is clear: our confidence is not in the building, but in Jesus; and
through Jesus we have hope.
Through Jesus
we are able to hold on fast to the
promises of faith. Because of that, the author writes: “Let us provoke one
another to love and good deeds… to meet together… to encourage one another…”
The world
can be a big scary place
And we can
feel small and isolated in it
But, we are
not alone
We are never
alone
We have a
living God, who seeks good for us
And through
God’s prompting we can work together for whatever our future is.
Over the
next few weeks, a small group from our church, will be meeting with small
groups from some of our neighbouring churches to consider the future plan:
What do we
need to continue to be the church here in the
Leader Valley?
How can we
bring the gospel message of Love to all the people who live here?
Their task
is challenging; and we are living through challenging days.
Jesus said, “When
you hear of wars and rumours of wars, do not be alarmed”
Jesus called
us to love each other; to love God – Jesus also promised he would return.
When? We do not
know
How long do
we wait?
We do not
know…
But this we
do know: God is love, and in God’s love we can overcome all things.
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| Demolition of outbuildings at Earlston Manse |
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