“And while some were speaking of the temple, how it was adorned with noble stones and offerings, he said, ‘As for these things that you see, the days will come when there will not be left here one stone upon another that will not be thrown down.’” (Luke 21:5-6)
As Jesus spent time in the Temple in the days before He was to be crucified, He took the opportunity to teach His disciples and those gathered around Him some lessons about the priorities of the Kingdom of God. The people admired the great splendor of the Temple at Jerusalem. They felt that it was a great edifice that would stand for generations partly because of its magnificence but also because of the fact that the Lord God dwelt there. Certainly He would never allow it to be destroyed. But they had forgotten their history. The Temple had been sacked and desecrated generations before because of the sins of ancient Israel and Judah. The people as a whole had neglected the poorest and downtrodden as the widows and orphans. They had engaged in blatant idolatry despite the fact that they claimed to be godly and righteous.
So now Jesus was predicting the destruction of the Temple once again. The Lord was about punish the chosen people because they still showed disrespect for the poor, were religious hypocrites, and because as a whole they would reject Him as their Lord and Savior. Jesus warned His disciples of the signs that would precede the destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans so that they would be prepared and so avoid the punishment that would fall on the Jews.
The Words of Jesus reveal to us that this world is temporary. In contrast, our society seems to major in exalting what is temporary such as great and beautiful buildings and churches, and beautiful art and treasures. Jesus warns that we should never get attached to things. We should focus our attention and efforts on the Kingdom of God. Because we know Christ can return at any time, we should be concerned about all those who will face God’s wrath. We should continue to preach the gospel of the salvation found in Jesus alone with works of charity and compassion. We must always attend to the needs of the poor and the downtrodden. Our purpose is always to glorify God by serving as His instruments of love and reconciliation.