Mark 13:1-8 - The Walls will come Tumbling Down

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!”

 

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.”

 

Now as He sat on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple, Peter, James, John, and Andrew asked Him privately,

 

Tell us, when will these things be? And what will be the sign when all these things will be fulfilled?

 

And Jesus, answering them, began to say: “Take heed that no one deceives you.

 

For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am He,’ and will deceive many.

 

But when you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be troubled; for such things must happen, but the end is not yet.

 

For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be earthquakes in various places, and there will be famines and troubles. These are the beginnings of sorrows.

"Not One Stone Shall Be Left Upon Another..."
photo by John Davey, used under the creative commons license
check out more photos at:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/27927484@N00/

The disciples, looking at the beauty of the Temple, never would have guessed that one day it would be all destroyed. Jesus knew, of course and wanted to warn His disciples that troubles were on their way.  How the disciples must have marveled when, in A.D. 70, Jesus' prediction about the Temple came to pass. How they must have thought that Jesus would return soon to set up His Kingdom.  But, All of these things are just the beginning of Sorrows.

Yes, Jesus is returning someday. But before that, there will be sorrows and trouble.  In our modern day you cannot help but feel a sense of doom, especially with the 24 hour news cycle. But we are not to lose hope, even if this is only the beginning of sorrows. The Saints of the past have always been detached from this world. They knew of a better Kingdom and waited for it. The world about them reeled in all it's bad news and lived in constant discomfort and worry. The Saints, however, knew better and acquired the Peace of the Holy Spirit, as buildings which were supposed to last forever, crumbled around them.

O Lord, let me not put my trust in the princes of this world who promise a measure of peace. Even if they deliver for a short time, it is inevitable that it will fail. Rather, let me trust in You. As Nation rises against nation and troubles abound, help me to acquire Your Holy Spirit, for only then will I have peace. Amen