Skip to main content

Jesus’ Teaching on Uncertainty

Temple Remains

 As for these things that you see, 
the days will come when not one stone
 will be left upon another; 
all will be thrown down.”
They asked him, 
“Teacher, when will this be,
 and what will be the sign
 that this is about to take place?”

There’s a story about a fourth-grade class that winning an attendance award. As a class they could vote between a homework pass for the day or bringing a stuffed animal to school.

Amazingly, they chose to bring a stuffed animal.

As one student explained, there’s no such thing as a homework pass because you might skip it today, but you still gotta learn it.

There’s a truth here: homework is inevitable, but school is unpredictable.

Homework guidelines are clear, but lunchroom rankings and playground bullying persist.

In the gospel, Jesus overhears a discussion about the beauty of the temple and the many offerings given there.

Instead of joining the conversation, Jesus shifts the focus to disasters ;  “As for these things that you see, the days will come when not one stone will be left upon another; all will be thrown down.”, conflict, and persecution.

By the time this gospel was written, many of these troubling events had already happened.

The gospel’s purpose is not to predict the future, but to help people interpret the significance of these events—both for those who witnessed them and for future generations

There’s an unsettling truth in life: there’s no such thing as avoiding events that are both inevitable and unpredictable

So, how do Christians respond to these challenges, and where do we find refuge?

Jesus assures us God will provide the necessary words and wisdom while we endure the inevitable and unpredictable.  

Our God, the One who is unchanging and powerful, is present when we’re facing inevitable and unpredictable circumstances.

This promise offers comfort and guidance, reminding us that even in uncertain times, we are not alone.

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Grantchester's Warning

"But know this: if the owner of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming, the owner would not have let his house be broken into. You also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.” (from Luke 12:32-40 ) I regularly watch Grantchester; a murder mystery set in 1950s England. The main characters are a local detective and an Anglican priest who, as a team, solve mysteries set in the town. Two aspects of Grantchester impress me. First, the simplicity of the 1950’s police communications done by a landline phone and not cell phone. Second, the simplicity of daily life with little television and fewer possessions allowing the characters to focus on their vocation of detective and priest. This simplicity is more than a nostalgic return to the “good old days”. Instead, it’s a Shaker type of simplicity where austerity allows freedom from distractions to focus on worship and community. Today’s distraction-filled world has seemingly countless activ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Walking with God

Praise the Lord, my soul; all my inmost being, praise his holy name. (from Ps.103:1-8 ) Thomas Merton, American Trappist monk, writer and theologian, once asked himself a question he immediately answered:   How does an apple ripen? The apple, by simply being in the sun, fulfills its purpose of ripening, The apple doesn't try to ripen faster, it simply allows the sun to do its work.   There is nothing it can do to ripen itself. It can’t do workouts, tighten its muscles and then suddenly be a red, ripened, juicy apple in the morning. The apple just hangs on the branch in the sun, naturally ripening, where it receives its daily nourishment. This is the basic plan for how Christians ripen in their relationship to God. The difference is that Christians don’t naturally ripen in their relationship to God, we have to place themselves where we can be nourished. The beginning place of nourishment I find most helpful is the Guide to Prayer For All Who Walk With God. The daily walk in the...
Post a Comment
Read more

Jesus, Deliverance, and Demons

"Then people came out to see what had happened, and when they came to Jesus, they found the man from whom the demons had gone sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed and in his right mind." (from Luke 8:26-39 ) Astrid is a streaming program I often watch. The plot is a basic cops and robbers action until the criminal is caught. The uniqueness of the program is Astrid, who is on the Autism spectrum, is brilliant at solving puzzles including connecting clues to solve the crime. Watching this program has given me a more profound insight to people living with this condition and their acceptance in society. My first-hand experience with children on the Spectrum was driving a Special Needs school bus for 6 years. With this experience, I can imagine the life the possessed man was experiencing, especially living among the tombs, bound with chains and shackles, having to live in the wilds. It was no wonder he cried for mercy. Jesus, with his power and mercy, cast the demons out and even...
Post a Comment
Read more