Tuesday of the Thirty-fourth Week in Ordinary Time
The future is not known to us human beings. And we don’t like that very much. To make it more rather than less predictable, we build structures in our lives—like jobs, schedules, habits, savings accounts, and so forth. These structures give us a sense of security and peace about what the future will be like.
In the story from Luke today, the disciples are looking upon a big structure—the Temple adorned as it was with beautiful stones and gifts to God. This structure surely gave the people of Jesus’ day confidence about the future—that God would be near and that God would know by their gifts that the people worshipped God and were faithful.
Jesus interrupts their gaze upon that reassuring structure by announcing that the day will come when the whole thing will be reduced to rubble. That formidable and, undoubtedly, reassuring structure would become nothing but a big pile of stones. And it just goes from bad to worse as Jesus continues, saying that the day is coming when there will be wars and insurrections. Nations will rise against nations. They’ll be earthquakes and famines and plagues. What a future to anticipate!
As for a word of reassurance, Jesus says: “do not be terrified.”
What an odd word. Do not be terrified? Of the destruction of the temple? The place where God dwelled? Of wars and famines and earthquakes and plagues? How is that possible?
When/if the structures we have built in our lives to make them more rather than less predictable, secure, and peaceful come apart in one way or another, terror is sure to follow. At least for an instant and likely even longer. But, Jesus seems to be saying, that terror cannot have the last word. It cannot, in the end, be our future.
Whatever happens to the structures that we build—whether they endure or are reduced to rubble—God remains. It falls to us to testify to that truth through our daily witness to God’s mercy, love, and grace.
- Sue Trollinger