“The kingdom of this world has become the kingdom of our Lord, and of His Christ, and of His Christ. And He shall reign forever and ever, King of Kings, forever and ever, and Lord of Lords. Hallelujah! Hallelujah!” Most of us have had the privilege of either singing or hearing these uplifting, majestic words in Handel’s Hallelujah Chorus sung. The lyrics are extracted from lines in Revelations 11 and 19. The gospel (Luke 21:5-19) for this coming Sunday, appeals to us to remember that God is King eternal and God’s power is supreme.
Standing by the Jerusalem Temple, Jesus observed how folks were awestruck by the magnificent beauty of the temple’s exterior. The temple was seen as the place where God’s presence dwelt, where God’s people could have access to the presence of the Almighty. But people were focused not on worship but on the physical structure, constructed with great large stones that symbolized permanence. Jesus interrupted the external focus by His shocking declaration, “the days will come when there shall not be left here one stone upon another; all will be thrown down.” The magnificent temple like all the material world is temporal.
Jesus’ words elicited fear. The destruction of the temple would be a catastrophic national or end-of-time event. Someone, therefore, asked when the destruction would occur and what would be the sign. Jesus points not to calendar dates but to times of doom: cosmic disasters, upheavals, and global warfare. The disciples themselves will be personally impacted by persecution and even martyrdom for the sake of loyalty to Christ.
In facing the prediction of doom and gloom, Christ points disciples to a lived spirituality in which faith in God through Jesus becomes the all-consuming life priority. Through deep faith the disciples would live constantly remembering that God’s power as the eternal King of Kings, transcends all cosmic and world events. God, in God’s time stomps out all disasters that threaten to consume God’s people, for God’s purpose is primarily humanity’s salvation.
Living in deep faith, the disciples would be empowered to suppress fear and perceive persecution as opportunities for witnessing Christ’s saving embrace, through the Holy Spirit. The disciples, the Church, you, and me, have become the new temple that God in Christ inhabits. He inspires us also to witness God’s saving power. And disciples, new temples, persevere in faith for the cause of Christ, assured that courageous loyalty leads to the victory and joy of living eternally in God’s kingdom of peace.
Today, faced with the alluring temptations of the “stone structures” of the world, we are challenged to remember God who is eternally Lord of Lords. We remember the power and love of God in Christ and engage our souls and hearts into living the faith we confess. We remember so we can be conduits of His Holy Spirit, testifying to the love of God. We remember that He is the Solid Rock, so when the stones of our world crumble, we endure, confident that He will uplift us. We remember that His kingdom of peace, love, and justice has been and will continue to be established on earth, so when facing persecution such as criticism for believing in God, we persevere in living as God’s children. We remember God’s everlasting promise, “by endurance you will gain your souls.”
Prayer: Come dwell in us, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Your works of creation, salvation, and sanctification are trustworthy and true.
