When Things Fall Apart
Pentecost 23C (Lectionary 33)
November 13, 2022
Christ, Preston, MN
Luke 21.5-19
I can relate to the sense of awe and wonder that Jesus’ followers express upon seeing the temple in Jerusalem. It’s likely they’d not seen anything like it before. My wife and adult daughters had a similar experience when we had the opportunity to tour Western Europe this summer after a two-year delay due to the pandemic. We saw many such incredible churches, especially the Sagrada Familia (Holy Family) in Barcelona Spain. Sagrada Familia has been under construction for the last 100 years and is not even finished yet. The spires rise far above the skyline and there are intricate stone carvings – truly awe inspiring. So, I understand the Jerusalem temple, actually the third temple, because the previous iterations were also destroyed. According to the historian Josephus, There were huge, 40 ft. blocks of white stone painstakingly dressed and so much gold it blinded people when the sun shone upon it.
But we also saw Notre Dame in Paris, nearly destroyed by fire but in the process of being rebuilt. Then in Rome we visited the ruins of the Forum and the Colosseum, all reminders of the temporary nature of existence. It’s also important to note that all of the once powerful empires eventually fell: Assyrian, Babylonian, Persian, and even the Roman empire. For the Judeans of Gospel writer Luke’s time, which is about 50-60 years after Jesus’ death and resurrection, and 10-20 years after the temple was destroyed as Jesus predicted in 70 CE, it was devastating.
The temple was not only a place of worship, but it was also considered the dwelling place of God. The totality of Jewish identity was tied to both Jerusalem and the temple, especially in its restored condition, something that took years to accomplish. To get an idea of what this must have been like, imagine what it would do to the American psyche if a foreign power managed to occupy our country and then in an act of retaliation, destroy Washington DC, including the Capitol Building, White House, and other iconic buildings. Jesus’ followers, and the community to whom Luke later writes, try to make sense of these events.
Life is falling apart for the Jewish people, but even more so for Jesus’ followers as many of them face imprisonment, torture, shunning from family and friends and other horrific trials. Many of Jesus’ followers had expected Jesus to return already, and were wondering at his delay, a theme we’ll see again on the First Sunday of Advent. For both groups, those who lived immediately following Jesus’ death and resurrection and prior to the temple’s destruction and those living in the aftermath, Jesus’ prediction and assurance provides comfort.
Like the temple, there are things in our life we think will last and are devastated when they fall apart. A marriage we think is rock solid disintegrates and even though it is amicable it still leaves us changed. A severe illness or cancer changes us forever, and even the best medical care only gets us so far. We lose a job we love and count on, and all the savings that will carry us through can’t change the hurt and even shame we experience. The death of a loved one, especially unexpectedly, leaves a hole in our lives that will never be filled.
The good news in today’s Gospel is that God is with us whenever things fall apart and gives us whatever we need in the midst of that. God doesn’t take it away but goes through it with us. We are strengthened and encouraged when we know we aren’t alone, another reason why God gives us community. Yet, unlike the temple, our lives are put back together, not the same but transformed by God’s love. This is especially true as we recover from the disruption of the pandemic: God is with us no matter what. My siblings in Christ, whatever is happening in your life, God knows every hair on your head and cherishes them. God gives you everything you need. Thanks be to God. Amen.
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