Living in the Spirit

November 13, 2021

Scripture Reading: Mark 13:1-8

As he came out of the temple, one of his disciples said to him, ‘Look, Teacher, what large stones and what large buildings!’ Then Jesus asked him, ‘Do you see these great buildings? Not one stone will be left here upon another; all will be thrown down.’

When he was sitting on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple, Peter, James, John, and Andrew asked him privately, ‘Tell us, when will this be, and what will be the sign that all these things are about to be accomplished?’ Then Jesus began to say to them, ‘Beware that no one leads you astray. Many will come in my name and say, “I am he!” and they will lead many astray. When you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be alarmed; this must take place, but the end is still to come. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom; there will be earthquakes in various places; there will be famines. This is but the beginning of the birth pangs.

Living in what is dubbed “Tornado Alley” all my life, I have learned that all buildings are vulnerable. While I have never seen the temple wall in Jerusalem, I have seen the ruins of other great cities. Jesus cautioned his disciples against putting their faith in stones and what they represent. Instead, he called us to trust in the God who created the earth and all that is in it. The tornado that hit Moore, Oklahoma, on May 3, 1999, was classified as an F5 (greater than 200 mph) and 8/10^th of a mile wide. Driving by the devastation in its wake brought close the impact on all involved. However, seeing the view from the air was unbelievable. There was nothing left on a broad span of the neighborhood hit, except lengths of concrete driveways and parts of foundations. The Jerusalem temple was destroyed by war, which most likely occurred about the same time the book of Mark was written.

Jesus shared the big picture with his disciples. He wants us to grasp that the challenges of everyday life are impacted by the decisions we made in the past and daily. Yes, we need to feed the hungry now, clothe the naked, provide water for the thirsty, care for the sick, restore the prisoner, and welcome the stranger in real-time. However, it is just as vital that we address the ways of our world that cause systemic problems. For example, ending poverty would allow those who are hungry to buy their food. Removing the lead from water pipes makes water safe to drink and prevents severe impacts on children. Improving our immigration laws would make routine the hiring of needed seasonal workers. Working to stabilize countries in economic distress would allow people to thrive in their homeland, reducing refugees’ influx.

None of the prophets who correctly predicted the failure of nations wanted their predictions to come true, including Jesus. Just the opposite, they hoped to prevent what was evident to them. That is still true today.

Prayer: God of Justice, open our hearts and minds to see the harm we do to ourselves and others as the idols of our world distract us from following your warnings. Amen.

All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights are reserved.