Matthew 24:1-2

Jesus has just completed his cleansing of the temple and his debates with the religious leaders. All of these events took place inside the temple. 

Now Jesus leaves the temple and his disciples echo the nationalistic sentiment of the day. “Look how beautiful and amazing our Temple is!”

QUESTION:

Did the author of Matthew know the Temple had been destroyed (meaning the Gospel was written after 70), or is Jesus predicting the destruction?

UP IN SMOKE!

This is a cautionary tale for every generation. It is the human tendency to create something beautiful and then think that the created object is what matters most.

Yes, we are called to create beautiful things. Our creativity is a reflection of the creator of all things and is our part in co-creating a good, just, and beautiful world.

However, the creation is not the end goal.

One of Leonardo DaVinci’s Seven Principles is sfumato. It is an Italian word that means “up in smoke.” At the surface level it was simply a painting technique. At the philosophical level it was a life principle (read more here).

DaVinci believed that we should do everything we do like it was the most important thing we could be doing at that moment. Then, at the same time, hold everything we do with open hands, knowing that it will eventually go POOF! up in smoke. Life is full of ambiguity and uncertainty, and that’s OK.

Could this be what Jesus is trying to communicate to us?

Yes, the temple is beautiful. But, eventually POOF! it will go up in smoke.

All that matters is the Kingdom of God, which is the way of love, justice, and mercy in the world.

Matthew 24:3-14

Matthew 24:15-31

Matthew 24:32-51

KEEP AWAKE!

That’s the bottom line of Jesus’ message. The first message is: WAKE UP!! Life is so much more than you think it is. REPENT, change the way you perceive reality. BELIEVE, trust that God is present. Trust that God is with you in ALL things, even the destruction of your precious temple.

Then, STAY AWAKE! Seek to be in tune with who God is and what God is doing in and through this vast and complex universe. Engage in practices that entune you to God’s movement: prayer, meditation, scripture reflection, fasting, community, service, etc.

Matthew’s Unique Take on The End of the Age

Notice the comparison chart below (see complete Gospels comparison here). Matthew is the only Gospel that expounds on Jesus’ teaching about the end of the age with three parables.

Matthew 25:1-13

Matthew 25:14-30

Matthew 25:31-46

I added a throne to this image based on Daniel’s vision of the Son of Man (Daniel 7:1-14). These images give a visual commentary on the passage. It is important to note that this is a judgment of all nations. The boundaries between Jew and Gentile are erased. All that matters is how the nations treat the “least of these.”

[slideshare id=46362716&doc=sheepandgoatsermonslides-150327084200-conversion-gate01]

Here’s a great Bible Project Video on the Son of Man.