Look who has their blog done early today? What can I say? I was excited to jump back into Jesus' words in Luke after the multiple mind-blowings I had yesterday.
Let's go!
Read Luke 21 (read it here)
The first four verses of Luke 21 have already spoke to me today. As of yesterday, I was let go at my job after submitting my resignation letter that was supposed to be effective on the 12th. Jenny and I will be on half-income for the next week or so. For some ungodly reason, one of the first things that humans tend to cut out of their budgets are charitable contributions (like giving to a church) and I am no exception.
The story of the widow giving the equivalent of two pennies was what struck me. If her offering, which isn't worth much monetarily, is worth more to God than what wealthy people give then I am definitely going to be more willing to give something not just skimp and not give anything.
This is a great teaching point to those without a steady income (like students). Giving isn't all about making sure that your church can provide good services. God doesn't need your money to do great things anyway, I hope you know. Giving here is a ritual, its a form of worship to show our dedication to the practice of humility. Jesus has clearly focused the majority of his teaching to the subject of humility in Luke. And if someone like this widow who has already been humbled by life's circumstances can STILL give why can't you (or I)?
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The current year is around 32AD and what Jesus foretells to happen to the temple would eventually occur in 70AD with the Roman siege of Jerusalem. To hear this, the disciples must have thought that this would signify the end of the world. The house of God being destroyed would seem like God being expelled from the world by humanity, in the disciples' opinion.
Jesus discredits this opinion. God is not limited to physical building, no matter how grandiose it is. When the temple is destroyed this doesn't mean that the Messiah will return (Jesus obviously didn't return in 70AD, we're still waiting). Don't believe anyone's story or hype about the end of the world. There will not be another Messiah. That's why figures like David Koresh and Charles Manson were so influential but, in the end, were incredibly evil.
Jesus says that the end is near when wars, insurrections, earthquakes, famines, plagues and persecution are all taking place. Wow. If you think about it, those things ARE happening now. Wars are common. The Arab Spring is nothing but a string of insurrections and revolutions (if you've never heard of the Arab Spring, check it out here). Even the east coast of the US experienced an earthquake last year, not to mention the earthquakes that caused the Japanese and Indonesian tsunamis. Famine is commonplace in most of Africa, not to mention numerous other countries throughout the globe. People are freaking out about possible untreatable flu strands like the bird flu, West Nile virus, etc. Persecution of Christ-followers is commonplace in Asia and the Middle East (check out this cool interactive map here).
But Christ-followers are not supposed to panic. (v. 9) If and when you are persecuted, Jesus will give you the "right words and such wisdom that none of your opponents will be able to reply or refute you!" (v. 15) Backstabbing, both literal and figurative will be rampant. Christ-followers will be hated, however, "by standing firm [in your faith], you will win your souls" (v. 19) and not sell them to Satan, as the cliche goes.
Jesus not only predicts the destruction of the temple but the dispersion of the Jewish people. Many will be killed or sent away as captives throughout the world. The predicted expulsion of the Jews from the holy land would be part of what is known as the diaspora (the scattering or dispersing of people from their homeland). The diaspora officially was reversed with the creation of the Jewish state of Israel in 1947. So for more than 1900+ years the Israelites were dispersed throughout the world without a homeland!
(Note: I have to make a confession here. Not all Israelites are Jewish, but all Jews are Israelites, if that makes sense. Israelite denotes being tied to the country or people of Israel. Jews denotes being tied to the Jewish faith. I tend to use them interchangeably, but that is not entirely correct.)
The way that Christ-followers will know that Jesus has come again is because he will be apparent when he comes on a cloud with power and great glory. (v. 27) When all these calamities begin to happen literally look up for Jesus is coming soon! (v. 28)
You may be asking yourself, "What does Jesus mean by saying that heaven and earth will disappear?" (v. 33) By the word disappear Jesus means that both heaven and earth will not always exist as we now know them. When Jesus returns the earth will be destroyed and Christ-followers will live with God but heaven's new home will be in the place where the earth used to exist. (Check out what the Bible actually says at Revelation 21:1-7).
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Did you catch what Jesus was saying in verses 34-36? He says don't be dulled by carousing and drunkenness. In other words, don't be lazy and inattentive. When one is drunk that definitely means that a person is not conscious of everything around them as they are when they're sober. But in verse 36 Jesus implies lazy people and drunks as weak. Only the strong will stand before Jesus at the end of all things.
After this people came to the temple every day to hear Jesus preach. I would too!
Questions
1.) How much do you give (monetarily speaking)? If you do give, why? If you don't give, why? Do you not give because you don't think you have enough to make any difference? Why, according to Jesus, is that incorrect logic?
2.) After getting all the warning signs from Jesus (wars, insurrections, earthquakes, famines, plagues, persecution), do you believe that the world is drawing close to a close or not? Why or why not? If you do think so, then what does that inspire you to do?
3.) Do you expect to grow in your faith only when you're older and seemingly more mature? Why should we not wait give our complete focus and attention to what God has for us to do?
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