Corona Chronicles - Crown of Thorns

Welcome back to the corona chronicles. Last time we were looking at the widows off ring. So Jesus sat down in the temple, and he was watching these rich people chuck in loads of money, making a bit of a show about it. And then this widow came up and gave just 2 pilings of of of offering and put that in, and it barely made a noise as it hit the the rest of the ash in in the pot. And Jesus amazingly says that she gave more than any of the others.

Because everyone else gave out of their wealth. It barely affected them, but this woman put in everything she had to live on, you know, at least for that sort of day. And Jesus is really teaching us there that, you know, God loves a cheerful giver. He doesn't want us to give just a convenient part of ourselves but he wants us to worship him with everything that we have. And of course, that's a reflection of what Christ came to do.

He gave us everything. Not just, you know, 10 percent or whatever. And now, you know, after hearing that lesson, they're about to leave the temple and we'll see what the disciples turn and say to Jesus in chapter 13. As Jesus was leaving the temple, 1 of his disciples said to him, Look teacher, what massive stones, what magnificent buildings. Do you see all these great buildings replied Jesus?

Not 1 stone here will be left on 1 another. Every 1 will be thrown down. As Jesus was sitting on the mount of olives, at the temple. Peter James John and Andrew asked him privately, tell us when will these things happen and what will be the sign that they are all about to be fulfilled. So we're moving into chapter 13 now, which is a notoriously tricky chap or in places, and we we'll we'll keep the safe end of it for ourselves and leave the rest to other people.

Yeah. To the to the expert, but no, there is there is definitely some points to be made here in these first these first 4 verses. And you know, although the subject now is is going to be the temple and the future of Jerusalem and the religious system, it is quite interesting that the disciples start by saying, look, teacher, what massive stones, what magnificent buildings -- Mhmm. -- given what they've just learned. So they've just been learning that actually outward shows of wealth are really not what it's all about.

It's about no matter what you have, it's about the heart and the reality of things, the reality not the show. And I don't know whether they're just trying to make conversation or But they What impresses them is these the appearance of wealth again, isn't it? And the appearance of strength, you know? Yeah. You know, you know, they're they're probably right in that it did look like a very good building, but they What's impressing them -- Mhmm.

-- is the stones and the buildings and the show. And you can imagine them also saying, you know, who could what what could ever bring something so magnificent down to the ground. Sure. And so as we often see with the disciples, and it's not explicitly, Paul it out here in 1 sense. But as we often see with the disciples that they even though they receive clear teaching, and what it means to follow Jesus, it it just takes a long, long time, doesn't it for them to actually grasp the substance of it and to put it into practice, which we which we are very like as well.

So is absolutely us as well. I mean, we I will sit under a sermon on a Sunday, and then the very next day. Or even as we're leaving the building, kids can make the mistake we've just been warned against. Mhmm. I mean, it's inevitable, isn't it?

But, yeah, we we are like the disciples here. So we need to show them grace as we need grace ourselves definitely. We do. Yeah. And then he moves on to the the the temple.

So Jesus is saying, do you see all these great buildings? Not 1 stone here will be left on another. Everyone will be thrown down. Mhmm. And that's that's really emphasized, isn't he?

He says that in 2 ways. Not 1 will be left on another. Mhmm. Every 1 will be thrown down. Right.

And you know, most of the time when you go to museums or if you go to any architectural, not architectural. What's the word? Archaeological sites. You will see at least a few stones on each other. Yes.

You know? There'll be some ruins, but this is a this is total destruction, isn't it, over of this temple. Mhmm. And and so Jesus is saying here that there is a time coming when this outward impressive show thing is going to be dust and ash. And we know in a d 70 when the Romans came Jerusalem.

That that is exactly what happened. You know, the temple was destroyed. Mhmm. And yet, this is not just about physical buildings. This is this is a this is a comment on on the religious system.

That we've looked at in the last few sessions, you know, the the flowing robes, the lengthy prayers, the devouring of how is the -- Yep. -- the opulent gifts. This is Jesus is saying, this this religious system, which you think is magnificent -- Mhmm. -- is coming down under the judgment of God. Yeah.

And only widows will be will be left -- Right. -- really. It's that sort of thing, isn't it? Absolutely. Yeah.

Well, it makes sense, isn't it? I mean, Jesus in coming to Jerusalem walked past this victory -- Mhmm. -- which had leaves. So was sort of proclaiming that it has fruit. It bears fruit.

And then when they got to it, they were rustling in the leaves, but there was no fixer. And so Jesus curses that. And and that is you know, it's it was ordained by God that they would walk past this victory because it's a picture for us of the fruitlessness of religion. Mhmm. That it has these leaves you know, there are people chucking in money.

There is They're wearing the right robes. They're praying prayers. But all of it is utterly fruitless. Mhmm. And the result of that is a curse in lots of ways.

Mhmm. You know, the fig tree shriveled. And here Jesus is saying, the temple and the religious order that it stands for will be shriveled. Mhmm. Because it's absolutely fruitless.

And as you say, the the the thing that will survive are the windows. Yeah. Because the coins won't survive. No. You know, there will be a day when all the coins are are burnt up But the hearts of those who love God will be refined by that fire, not consumed by it.

And they're the ones that that will survive. Yeah. And and this is something that Jesus has talked about many times. Think of in John's gospel, when he says to the woman at the well, you know, a time is coming when you will neither worship God on this hill or in Jerusalem. My father is after those who worship in spirit and in truth.

So a time is coming when these places and this way of drawing near and this outward stuff is just gonna go -- Yep. -- because what the father has always wanted is is those who worship like the widow in spirit and in truth. Yeah. And the destruction of the temple is going to just be a very visual sign that that that is that that is happening. And so this is this is a challenge, isn't it?

Not to not to trust in these outward chose a religion again because these things are these things are coming down. Yep. Yeah. It's amazing, isn't it? We we read past these things so often.

But Jesus Jesus is sovereign. He's God because he knows. He's never met this widow, I guess. How does he know what she has to live on? Mhmm.

I I mean, I guess you could guess, but he knows that she gives everything that she has. Jesus is here making kind of a prophecy about the future. So, you know, we we need to listen to this man because he he knows he knows what's happening in the future. So what he says to us now, he says in the light of what's going to happen. So don't be like the the pharisees be like the widow because there will be a day coming when the pharisees like the temple are brought down.

That's right. Yeah. And and all of this is quite surprising, isn't it, to a few of the disciples? So as Jesus is sitting on the mount of olives, you know Peter James and John ask tell us when will these things happen and what will be the sign that they're about to be filled. You know?

There there's something unbelievable about this. You know, when is this going to happen? Mhmm. And and they're almost they're almost, you know, you can sense the kind of unbelief in them. But how would that ever happen?

It's like, you know -- Yeah. -- with the Titanic, isn't Yeah. When that ship was built, you know, there's that famous scene in the film. This ship can't sing. Yeah.

You know? And how could that how could this possibly This beautiful building end up at the bottom of the ocean, you know, but it will and it can. Yeah. And so now they're trying to say, look Jesus, what are the signs? And the rest of the chapter is taken up with that, you know, the signs of the end of the age.

This signs of the abandonment of religion. And as I say, we're gonna leave that leave that to a future time. But No. That's for us to reflect on again, isn't it? Not to be not to be caught up with a religious system.

Because in the end, God God has and will abandon, that sort of religion. Mhmm. These men will be punished most severely, he says. So It's another call to cultivate, widow, widow like faith, isn't it? Absolutely.

Yeah.