Nothing will remain… but something new will rise – July 9
As Jesus came out of the temple and was going away, his disciples came to point out to him the buildings of the temple. Then he asked them, ‘You see all these, do you not? Truly I tell you, not one stone will be left here upon another; all will be thrown down.’ – Matthew 24:1-2
Today’s Readings: AM Psalm 18:1-20; PM Psalm 18:21-50; Deut. 3:18-28; Rom. 9:19-33; Matt. 24:1-14
In our Gospel today, Jesus is standing outside of Jerusalem on the Mount of Olives just east of the Old City on a ridge that looks over the land. From that point, he can see all of Jerusalem, and he turns to his disciples and asks them to look at the mighty Jerusalem with the towering Jewish Temple in the Old City and he warns them that nothing that they see will remain.
I was standing there almost three months ago today with a group from Saint Stephen’s and we were reflecting on this very passage. Little did we know that when we got on the plane, we would return to a world that would be drastically different than the world we left behind. We have often focused solely on this passage as a reference to Jesus’ body or the 2nd Temple. He is crucified just after this and by 70 A.D., the Temple is destroyed.
But Jesus could also be pointing us to the lack of permanence in all of human life. Everything we know is susceptible to loss. Our churches will look drastically different as we work through this virus. Many businesses will change and some will not return. It’s odd, but I think the greatest threat to progress will be our long-lasting nostalgia that has us clamoring for the good old days.
One of the most important lectures that still deeply impacts me was listening to Dr. Walter Brueggemann claim that nostalgia leads to violence. When we misremember the past and hold on to it, we deny the possibility that God is doing something new. The Israelites were lost without the 2nd Temple but with it came the emergence of Rabbinical Judaism. For us Christians, we see the temple of God being raised in Jesus Christ, the Resurrection, the dwelling of the Holy Spirit when we gather together, when we love each other, when we live out our faith. This means something new is taking place. In our lives and our culture, it’s possible that we will learn a better way of being. Maybe you are walking more in your neighborhood, or talking to friends, growing in your own self-reflection and who you are called to be, or realizing that your parents are actually enjoyable to talk to as adults.
God is always doing something new in our midst. We just have to be open to see that work. May we learn not to fear what will be lost so that we can appreciate what will be gained. Nothing will remain, but something new will rise.
- John+
Questions for Self-Reflection
In the last three months what things that you love, have you lost? What new things have you learned or gained?
Daily Challenge
Honoring the Maria Kondo approach, take one thing you need to get rid of in your life. Imagine that thing, give thanks for the joy it brought you, and throw it away! It doesn’t have to be a physical thing.