Quick Summary:

As the church year draws to a close, the Sunday readings pick up on themes about endings and beginnings, and today’s gospel reading is a case in point. Sandwiched between his confrontations with Temple authorities in chapter 12 and the events leading to his arrest and passion in chapter 14, chapter 13 contains pointed prophecies, admonitions, and warnings for Jesus’ followers that the world as they know it, is about to come apart at the seams.

Standing in the shadow of the Temple with their mouths agape—like country bumpkins in the big city for the first time—the disciples can’t help but express their amazement at what they see. LOOK TEACHER, ISN’T THIS AWESOME! LOOK AT THE SIZE OF THESE STONES! THESE MAGNIFICENT BUILDINGS! But Jesus, who throughout the gospel has been hammering away at a foundation wildly out of plumb with God’s reign, cuts through their awe-struck reverie, and says: IT’S ALL COMING DOWN.

With all the uncertainty in the wake of Super Storm Sandy, all the anxiety that attended the election, and all the hyperbole we’ve been hearing about the impending FISCAL CLIFF, this seems a fitting text for us to contemplate this morning!

But I, for one, am hopeful. And there are two reasons why this morning...