Jesus’s question reveals the great difficulty we all have in trying to grasp the truth of God in Christ. The truth is so much more than we can imagine. The Jews, in trying to grasp the idea of God’s Messiah, reduced the Messiah to concepts they could readily understand; he would be a King fighting battles for the people of Israel. Jesus is helping us open our minds, and hearts, to accept by faith, that the Messiah is God. Not ‘like’ God; not a lesser version of God; but very God of very God. This is the one who will be rejected and die on the cross.
Jesus uses the Pharisee’s ways of measuring their worth by the validations of others and the illustration of the widow’s mite to demonstrate that God’s ways are so much different than the ways of mankind.
Stunning natural events such as meteors or earthquakes were thought of as sings of great change in first century Israel. The Jews were asking Jesus for signs when the Temple in Jerusalem would be destroyed. Jesus’ answer helped prepare his followers for God’s judgment of Israel for rejecting Jesus and choosing violence over peace. Israel had perverted her role as God’s people and the Temple was her greatest symbol. The time of the Temple’s destruction would be accompanied by war and violence during which the followers of Jesus would be singled out and blamed for Israel’s fall. All of this was fulfilled in the fall of Jerusalem in 70 AD and the following years.
As tragic as the times were, Jesus made them redemptive as he encouraged his followers to take every opportunity to witness to their faith in the Living God. We see this counsel fulfilled in the life of Paul as well as hundreds of other first century Christians. The call to be faithful to our witness for Christ, even in the face of adversity, is still God’s call on our lives.
What word or phrase in these verses
attracts your attention?
Reflect on that word or phrase.
What insights come to you?
How does this passage touch your life today?
7-Feb-12 Luke 21:20-38
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