Luke 21:5-19
It Leads to Something
James Sledge November 14, 2010
On a fairly regular basis I hear people comment on the beauty of our sanctuary. They may be first time worshipers or someone who has business at the church during the week or someone looking for a place to hold a wedding, but routinely people remark to me about how impressed they are with its Gothic style architecture. And occasionally, members of box-style mega-churches want to know if they can have their wedding here in a “real sanctuary.”
The first time I saw the church property some ten years ago, the sanctuary grabbed me, both the inside and outside of the building. But I suspect that our sanctuary would have looked quite unimpressive alongside the Temple in Jerusalem. The Temple in today’s gospel replaced King Solomon’s which was destroyed by the Babylonians some 600 years before the time of Jesus. It was a huge, grand structure described as one of the wonders of the ancient world and was constructed by Herod the Great about 20 years before Jesus’ birth.
This marvelous piece of architecture is known today only by ancient descriptions of it. It was destroyed by the Romans in 70 CE, the only thing left a part of the retaining wall around the raised area on which the Temple itself stood. We know this as “the Wailing Wall.”
Even this Wailing Wall is impressive. So I can only imagine what it must to have been like for a Jew from the distant countryside, who had never been to Jerusalem, to visit for the first time during some festival and see that huge, towering Temple. No doubt it left many awed in the same way some feel awed when they visit St. Peter’s in Rome.
And so it is hardly surprising that those with Jesus couldn’t help oohing and ahhing about how wonderful it was, about what an incredible religious experience it was. Which must have made what Jesus said all the more stunning. “Not one stone will be left upon another; all will be thrown down.”
Imagine how people today would react if some sort of horrific event completely destroyed St. Peter’s. Or on a secular level, imagine that something destroyed the White House, the Capital, the Washington Monument and just about everything else on the National Mall in Washington, DC. What would people think? What would they say?
Certainly some folks would be talking about the end times. And that is precisely what comes to mind for those disciples who hear Jesus say the Temple will be torn down. And so they want to know when this is going to happen. “Teacher, when will this be, and what will be the sign that this is about to take place?”
But Jesus does not answer their question. In fact Jesus always tries to deflect his followers from worrying about end times. He assures them that when it happens no one will be able to miss it. But in the meantime, his followers are not to waste time speculating on when that day will be.
How we act, how we live is not supposed to be influenced by whether or not we think the end is near. Our lives are supposed to show the world the hope of God’s coming kingdom. And Jesus tells his followers that when they face troubles, persecutions, and even death, these are not signs of the End, but opportunities. “This will give you an opportunity to testify.”
Actually, that’s not exactly what Jesus says. Bible translators like to clean up idiomatic phrases from the Greek or Hebrew, and I suppose that’s what they did here. But what Jesus actually says about all this trouble is, “It will lead you into testimony.” I kind of like the sound of that. Their suffering is not just something to be endured. It leads to something.
Our nation and many of its churches are going through some tough times of late. The bad economy has left many without jobs, and it has left many churches, not to mention many organizations that try to do good in the world, hurting for money. In the midst of all this, there is a temptation to view our troubles as ultimate troubles. Still, I’m amazed at the number of Christians who think that the global economic crisis is a sign of the end times. Christians, of all people, should know better.
We should also remember what Jesus said about Christians facing great difficulties. “They are opportunities; they lead to something.” At least they do for those who are willing to let the Spirit guide them.
When things are going badly, when money is short, when it’s hard to find much to be excited and hopeful about, the natural tendency is to hunker down, to hold on until things get better. But I wonder if that doesn’t miss the sort of opportunity Jesus mentions. Hunkering down probably doesn’t lead to much of anything.
But seeing hard times as an opportunity could lead to something. For individuals struggling to get by with less money, it could lead to a reassessing of what is important, of what really matters. It could lead to lives that are not so driven by success and things.
And something similar could happen in many congregations. Budget shortfalls could be an opportunity. They could lead to a new clarity about who we are and what God is calling us to do. They could lead to a new identity that better showed Christ to the world. They could, if we are willing to let the Spirit guide us.
For this congregation, today is the day when we ordain and install new elders and deacons to lead us in our worship and ministry in the world. As they take office they will make promises to God and to us that they will follow Jesus as they lead us. I made exactly the same promises when I became pastor. I was very serious about those promises and I suspect that they will be today as well. But just as Jesus warns his followers that they must rely on the wisdom that he will give them, so we also must rely on the Spirit, on the wisdom that comes to us.
But I know from experience, from watching elders and deacons at work, and from my own work, that we will be tempted to rely on our own wisdom. God does give us gifts and talents, and we are to use them. But if we do not rely on the wisdom Jesus sends us, we may well figure out creative ways to hang on and even to be “successful” but without the Spirit guiding us, it won’t lead to much. But when we allow God to work through us, Jesus insists it will lead us to the new life God desires for us.
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