Word to the Wise
Tuesday, November 25, 2014 - Tuesday in the 34th Week in Ordinary Time
[Rev 14:14-19 and Luke 21:5-11]While some people were speaking about how the temple was adorned with costly stones and votive offerings, Jesus said, "All that you see here - the days will come when there will not be left a stone upon another stone that will not be thrown down." [Luke]
We have an expression about words that will come back to haunt us. Jesus' words in today's gospel must have seemed like that to the aaudience that read the gospel later on. By then the Romans had destroyed the temple and much of Jerusalem [66-70AD] For many Jews it had seemed as if the world had come to an end because the very center of worship for them was no longer there. The evangelist seems to have mixed some of Jesus' teachings about his second coming into the already known catastrophe. This may be for the reaason that obviously the world had not come to an end and that similar incidents should be viewed the same way. Nations continue to rise against nations and we still have earthquaakes, famines and plagues.
We huamsn continue to build great and glorious temples for worship or at least buildings that reflect our social aspirations. These can be reduced to dust by earthquakes or terrorists! What remains is our faith which no one can take from us. The Second Coming of Christ and the end of time as we know it aare still in the future. Our task is to live faithfully until the Master returns. AMEN