Considering that which has proceeded Ch 13, it is astonishing that one of the disciples should say to the Lord ‘Look, Teacher, what wonderful stones and what wonderful buildings!’
It is almost as if this disciple was absent minded and had no awareness of the magnitude of the conflicts that had arisen within the temple as Jesus had turned the tables over and as he had turned the tables also on every question designed to challenge his authority.
The main event hadn’t been the structure of the temple but the conflict between the heir and the imposters to the throne room.
But thanks be to God, Jesus, isn’t a temple made with stone. And the disciples knew him as their fellow man, despite the gulf in character.
How did the disciple implore Jesus to see the temple and appreciate its architecture?
And did this disciple implore so as to enquire concerning it?
Peter had responded to seeing the fig tree being withered up with ‘Rabbi, look’, and Jesus had answered them by exhorting them to ‘Have faith in God’, that faith in a God who will answer true prayer is key to understanding the whole purpose for why God had permitted the temple to be made.
A man after Gods own heart: A man after the sure mercies, the covenant promises unto Abraham and Noah. Faith in the covenant promises enables the heart to be established in love, rooted and grounded in God – doubt is rooted to sin and its separation.
Peters question was very understandable, it was a response to Jesus’s spoken word unto the fig tree, and it held a wonder that what his Rabbi had spoken had had an immediate impact upon the future of that fig tree & Jesus doesn’t disappoint Peters wonder at the power of his Word, but extends the teaching unto all of his disciples: Jesus is the vine & he is a none partial Rabbi.
Yet, this imploring to Look, is it not backward looking, Jesus has left the building, the wonder has moved onwards.
And here we have a beautiful chemistry & a great lesson for are humanity in respect to Church relationships and dynamics. Jesus is the wonder, and as such he never fails to direct us and revive within us the desire for sparks of abundant life.
Jesus didn’t reprove this imploring. Oh no, he turned it into a deeper teaching concerning himself and the mystery still to come. Do we get frustrated with questions and perceptions of backward looking, as teachers what can we learn from Jesus: Consistent ability to create wonder, asking Jesus a question always produces a forward looking wonder.
How did Jesus engage with this disciple, who had a genuine appreciation for the wonder of the Temple Mount, perhaps coming from a small fishing village near the Sea of Galilee.
Jesus, opened wide the lens to its fullest capacity through which this man was contemplating, ‘Do you see these great building’? There will not be left here one stone upon another that will not be thrown down.
Jesus saw the temple, and Jesus was fully aware of every bit of man power that had gone into the Temple Mount foundations and caused the kingdom itself to be divided due to the lack of wisdom a young ruler had shown in ignoring the counsel of his Fathers counselors.
2 Chronicles Ch 10 v16: Look now to your own house, David. We have no inheritance in the son of Jesse.
Jesus also knew that Rehoboam had humbled himself and prevented a complete destruction.
Jesus knew that Faith in his Fathers Word, that having a heart after Gods own, had always taken circumspect over the labour and buildings of mens hands. ‘Come see a man’, is a cry within the heart of God himself.
The current priesthood, couldn’t say whether Johns ministry was of God or not. So they had little chance of correctly understanding what God had always been after.
The disjoint in the foundations of the temple was the disunity between generations, between Fathers and Sons. Unabated youth without guidance will produce heavy burdens upon all in a society, and Fathers provoking their children destroys the wonder and mystery of the ages, of the ancient of days.
What are we building! Are we building an Empire State? ‘Do you see all the great cities of this world – wood, hay and stubble.
Big tech, meta verse and tocks ticking, are likes and dislikes are social media presence. Is it building that which will stand for all eternity, enduring after all this age.
Jesus had seen all the cities of the whole world in a moment of time, perhaps the order of a oriental Olympics. And he placed the foundations of eternal life as his one safe place: Man shall not live by bread alone, you shall not put the Lord thy God to the test – It Is Written.
The Word of God, is of inestimable more worth than Silver, Bronze or Gold.
Perhaps the greatest thing you can do today is tell someone that Gods loves you, and plant the seed of faith that moves the concrete of depression away. Or a cup of water, that brings life that their was indeed a garden of paradise.
It is interesting, that scripture records; Peter and James and John and Andrew asking him privately. In some measure this should take are minds back to the only other instance that these four disciples are grouped together, immediately after Jesus’s baptism, upon his return to Galilee, these two pairs of brothers where instructed to ‘Follow me, and I will make you become fishers of men’.
They were opposite the temple, and the inspiration of scripture wants to solidify the great gospel truth: God is a fisher of men, not an oppressive yoke of religious servitude. God loves to lift people out of the waters of judgement to hear the Fathers voice: My Beloved Son! He was baptized with all the people, cast into the same net.
Their question was not immature, it was a mature and masculine question to their Rabbi. He had not fostered within their relationship an authoritarian ministry that suppressed their masculinity.
Jesus’s answer is so consistent with the whole narrative here, he leads with Himself being what we need to have are eyes fixed on, not external but the indwelling Word of God. ‘See that no one leads you astray’. This dominates as the imperative before any of the details concerning things to come and the prophetic end of the age etc.
See that no one leads you astray from the teachings within the scriptures, whole denominations may embrace the deception of thinking they are being guided by me – but the word of God clearly reveals that the image of God is masculine and feminine and that the design of the anatomy was with the divine purpose of fruitfulness – scripture teaches visibly what are body parts are. Do not be lead astray.
Do not be alarmed when you hear of wars and rumors of wars, for nation will rise against nation. Oh thank God for a teacher who makes what you are more important than anything else. Am I influenced to hate?
As war in Ukraine continues we should pray that hearts are not hardened but that they find God. The real war is not to place your trust in the wonderful buildings of Kiev or St Petersburg, but in the teachings of Jesus Christ, the Saviour and living head of his body
And the gospel must first be proclaimed to all nations.
Primary! Wonderful consistency, ‘Repent and believe’ and they left there fishing nets.
He must be first – the living word of God must be first, its imperative. Are you building anything else, saving gold for when the stock market crashes?
The good news that turns the tables on the agendas of nations and kingdoms with a pure word of covenant promise: Repent and believe, and the mountain will be cast into the sea.
It must be preached first to all nations, all nations must have opportunity to hear my voice: Neither do I condemn you, sin no more.
Brothers! Father and children! They were brothers and we know that James & John had left Zebedee to follow Jesus. Truth is truth and no amount of wonderful buildings can evade the truth of God in Christ: Society cannot build itself without the WORD of GOD through whom all things were created. God made the original Man and women through whom every brother and son have subsequently come.
Capital Hill mob, a threat to democracy? Perhaps less so than the billions pounds worth of ‘destruction’ during the previous inauguration. But are not both sides of the aisle polarizing through the juggernaut of the press.
Yet, the tragedy of those days is highlight when some children felt it their duty to inform on parents who may have attended the event without any malice towards their fellow man. The tragedy being not knowing that the bonds of paternity and maternity should run much deeper than a political divide.
‘And you will be hated by all for my name’s sake’ – put the Word of God before Gold, Silver & the Pink pound and you will be called a hater.
Their is an end. Their is an end to bowing down at sporting events to a movement born that has made its founders rich. Their is an end to the stock market. Their is an end to bosses who exploit their employees. Their is an end to building back better. This world and all its entertainment and industry and quasi spiritual thirst and quest has an end.
Thank God. Jesus has told us that their is an end, and at the end the promise of Salvation. Now that is a promise from the Son of God that is worth training for an endurance event. Salvation the redemption of your soul, unto true wonder with God and the lion and the lamb.
And then they will see the Son of Man coming in the clouds with great power and glory.
And he will send out the angels and gather his elect from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of heaven.
The end will come, and it will have the Son of Man coming in spirit and in truth, and all who placed their trust in him, will be gathered up, by the angels.
Marvelous, no need to fear being left behind, God will send angels to bring home those who seek for a City above, whose builder and maker is God Himself.
…By faith he dwelt in the promised land as a stranger in a foreign country. He lived in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise. For he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God.
Stay awake… as you do not know when that hour will come.
Stay awake, keep your spirit alive. Stay responsive to the moving and speaking’s and principles of the word of God.
Ensure that you have life, spiritually waiting for the fulfillment of all the promises.
Look, Teacher: ’Blessed are you when you see that I am the Christ the Son of the living God’, ’I will build my Church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it’.
Built upon the teaching of the Cross, Tis Finished the Messiah dies.
Notes:
One of my Uncles died a little over a week ago. He was hospitalized and his quality of life had rapidly diminished, with dementia having progressed over recent years.
Some years ago he had sent my mother a link to a memorial service from NYC. It was very interesting that he had watched it, having not been a real part of the Church in his adult years.
However, he had an open heart and it was good to witness him responding through worship to the Lord in his later years, having visited Southern Ireland with us
We had a very good time with him singing around his hospital bed many hymns from his childhood, its amazing how the mind can remember certain things.
eternalrays 