15 Nov - They Become Dust

Hebrews 10:11-14, (15-18), 19-25; Mark 13:1-8

Jesus’ disciple points out how big the stones are and Jesus says: it will all be dust.

We create and we destroy. The temple is created by humankind and it became an idol and Jesus said: it will become dust. And we see evidence of this not just with the fall of the temple but with the fall of other beautiful buildings: the Parthenon, the Coliseum. What will be left from our journey in civilization? I don’t know.

When Jesus says it will all be dust, the disciples say “well, when? When is this going to happen? What are the signs going to be?” It might sound like he answers the question of what the signs are going to be – that there’s going to be war and earthquakes and famine, but that’s not what he’s saying. He’s saying there’s going to be wars and earthquakes and famine, but that those are just the trials that we have to live through and that we have to be hopeful through, because they are the things with which the earth, Mother Nature and humankind are about. But Jesus doesn’t know when the end-time is going to be. Even he says: only the Father know. So there are no signs.

Jesus says to be careful, to not be led astray, to be careful of distractions. Many have been led astray by religious zealots – Jim Jones for example, and others. But they’re not the only ones who lead us astray. There are financial gurus and self-help people and politicians that distract us and all say that “we have the answer. We have the answer to happiness. We have the answer to wholeness.” Jesus says: discern.

And Jesus says to be hopeful. To hopeful through all of these trials; there are things that we have to live through – that’s just the way it is. This chapter precedes the Passion and he exemplifies what he says by living through the trial, the scourging, the walk to the cross, the crucifixion, all so he could get to the resurrection so he could save us.

Be discerning. Be hopeful.

There’s a collect in the Anglican Book of Common Prayer (I couldn’t find it in ours), that I think speaks to this:

Eternal God, who committest to us the swift and solemn trust of life; since we do not know what a day may bring forth, but only that the hour for serving thee is always present, may we awake to the instant claims of thy holy will, not waiting for tomorrow, but yielding today.

Peace,

The Rev. M.E. Eccles, LPC