Eternal Focus 10.28.07

Mark 13:1 Then as He went out of the temple, one of His disciples said to Him, "Teacher, see what manner of stones and what buildings are here!"

Have you ever thought about trying to impress Jesus? Here is a classic example of the disciples meaning well, making pleasant conversation with the Lord, and seeking to determine His admiration for something of this world.

Before we move to Jesus’ response, let us pause to consider what was in the disciples’ view: Here was the magnificence of Herod’s Temple. In that time, Herod’s Temple was one of the wonders of the world. It was the third temple to have been erected.

The first of the temples was built by king Solomon, as directed by David. While not nearly as large as Herod’s Temple, it was a magnificent structure with gold-gilt walls and such. It must have been breath-taking. That temple was destroyed by the Babylonians.

Following their 70 year exile in Babylon, the Hebrews returned and erected a second temple where the first temple had stood. This second temple was much more spartan and utilitatarian, even to the point some of the old-timers were discouraged by what they saw. (You can read about this in Haggai 2.)They could no longer afford a temple of opulance, and were forced to build only what they could afford.

In seeking the approval and favor of the Jews, Herod the Great determined it to be a shrewd political move to build a third temple. With the resources of the Roman empire at his command, Herod built a magnificent structure that covered most of what is still seen today as the Temple Mount. (The plateau where the Dome of the Rock currently rests.) This third temple was again a place of magnificence, where no expense was spared to make it a place where the Jewish people could congregate to consider the greatness of God. All were duly impressed by what they saw, much as we might be today in some of the magnificent edifices which have been erected over time as places to worship the Lord. While visiting The Ukraine recently, I was in just such a place…The magnificent St. Andrew’s Cathedral, a house of worship for those of eastern Orthodox religion.

The statuary and soaring interiors were indeed breath-taking. As you craned you neck back to look up to the height of the frescoed ceiling, you could feel yourself literally dizzied from the height. You could literally feel the presence and the weight of tradition. It had a gravitational pull to it – almost whirlpool-like. It is easy to see how people can be drawn in.

Everyone but Jesus, that is. Jesus was and is not impressed with the architecture or tradition of man. Mark 13:2 And Jesus answered and said to him, "Do you see these great buildings? Not one stone shall be left upon another, that shall not be thrown down." When will we understand that nothing we construct on this earth will last? It is all essentially grandiose garbage. Only what is done for the Kingdom will last. - Pastor Bill