As Jesus left the temple, one of his disciples said to him, “Teacher, look! What awesome stones and buildings!” Jesus responded, “Do you see these enormous buildings? Not even one stone will be left upon another. All will be demolished.” Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives across from the temple. Peter, James, John, and Andrew asked him privately, “Tell us, when will these things happen? What sign will show that all these things are about to come to an end?”
Mark 13:1-4 Common English Bible
This is a 2000-year-old conversation. What should we learn today? The Bible does tell us that “all Scripture is inspired by God and useful for teaching, for showing mistakes, for correcting, and for training character” 2 Timothy 3:16 CEB. I see three lessons that are meaningful for me.
Pride: I am sure that as the disciples looked upon their temple, they felt a great deal of pride. And where did that lead? I was born into the Adventist church and felt blessed. My Adventist experience was in small Adventist churches and schools. It was typical small-town, rural Adventism of the middle of the last century. Pride? Yes. I was taught that we were the only church that had the “truth.” We were the “remnant” mentioned in the Bible. The only true church. People from other beliefs or religions were worshiping the “beast.”
Lesson: Jesus said, “I have other sheep that don’t belong to this sheep pen. I must lead them too. They will listen to my voice, and there will be one flock, with one shepherd. John 10:16 CEB. I must never forget that every human being ever born on this planet is a child of God. Whatever nation, whatever culture, whatever religion. It has no effect on God’s love for that child.
Self-Satisfaction: The Sears Tower in Chicago was the tallest building in the world from 1973 to 1998. Today, there is no “Sears Tower.” It’s the Willis Tower. What happened to Sears? It was a giant. Their catalogs were everywhere and included just about everything you could want. Their stores, auto centers, and tools with lifetime warranties were prized. They were too big to fail, but they did. They were satisfied with what had worked in the past and failed to change. Is it possible to be too satisfied with one’s religion?
Yes! My childhood church tended to focus on externals. They misunderstood the Scripture that told us that our “ornaments” came from the heart, not from the externals. My church tended to look down on churches or others with different beliefs. My church was skeptical of science. We misunderstood the true meaning of Sabbath and, to some, it became a chore not a gift.
Has our church changed? Do we need more change? Our church pioneers changed. They had met with unimaginable disappointment and were driven to understand what went wrong. They studied, they argued, they learned, they changed. They even published a paper called “The Present Truth.”
Lesson: Follow the example of our pioneers, who did not fear, but rather sought, change. Out of that came a strong Adventist church – a dynamic, diverse, accepting, progressive church. Never quit learning. Continually grow in truth. Welcome science, as we continue to explore the wonders of God’s creation. Be a lifelong learner.
The Jesus Lens: This scene represents the beginning of a new age. The temple, the centuries old Jewish religion, the old. And Jesus, the new. God, in person. The old and the new, together in this scene. Philip asked “Lord, show us the Father; that will be enough for us.” Jesus replied, “Don’t you know me, Philip, even after I have been with you all this time? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father” John 14:9 CEB. Jesus demonstrated peace. He told Peter to put away his sword. Jesus demonstrated love for all people. The woman at the well. The good Samaritan, a model of Christlike behavior.
Lesson: Stories from the Old Testament sometimes make God appear as a destroyer. Put on the Jesus Lens. God is a peaceful God. If I read Old Testament stories of God as a punisher, I put on my Jesus lens. The Jesus lens tells me that if I see a picture of God as a punisher or destroyer I have to ask myself, “what am I missing?” The Jesus lens tells me that God is the Creator, not a punisher or destroyer.
So, I want to say “out loud” how much my church and Adventist education have meant to me from my childhood to my “old” age. I want to say “out loud” how glad I am that this church believes in “present” truth for this century. And I pray that our world church will continue to welcome change, to continue to be relevant in this century. I hope someday that our church will take a lesson from Jesus who spoke of the ten commandments as two meaningful commands: love God and love your neighbor as yourself.
Norman Powell is a retired educator and professor of education at La Sierra University. He is the husband of Roxie, father of Brenda, and grandfather to Tyler, Cortney, and Gabriel.