Tell us, when will these things be? And what will be the sign when all these things will be fulfilled?

Then as He went out of the temple, one of His disciples said to Him, "Teacher, see what manner of stones and what buildings are here!" And Jesus answered and said to him, "Do you see these great buildings? Not one stone shall be left upon another, that shall not be thrown down."

Now as He sat on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple, Peter, James, John, and Andrew asked Him privately, "Tell us, when will these things be? And what will be the sign when all these things will be fulfilled?" And Jesus, answering them, began to say, "Take heed that no one deceives you. For many will come in My name, saying, 'I am He,' and will deceive many. But when you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be troubled; for such things must happen, but the end is not yet. For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be earthquakes in various places, and there will be famines and troubles. These are the beginnings of sorrows.

"But watch out for yourselves, for they will deliver you up to councils, and you will be beaten in the synagogues. You will be brought before rulers and kings for My sake for a testimony to them. And the gospel must first be preached to all the nations. But when they arrest you and deliver you up, do not worry beforehand, or premeditate what you will speak. But whatever is given you in that hour, speak that; for it is not you who speak, but the Holy Spirit. Now brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child; and children will rise up against parents and cause them to be put to death. And you will be hated by all for My name's sake. But he who endures to the end shall be saved."

- Mark 13:1-13

Throughout the past week, we have been reading about Jesus' time in Jerusalem, after His Triumphal Entry. In the temple, Jesus has been teaching and He has also been answering the questions from the leadership. At various times, those representing different factions have posed questions designed as tests or traps. Yesterday, we read of Jesus' turning the tables by posing a question of His own that the scribes (experts in the Mosaic Law) can't answer. He then goes on to criticize their hypocrisy, their love of show and place, and their private greed. Eventually, Jesus points out a poor widow, in contrast to the wealthy in the temple. He said, "Assuredly, I say to you that this poor widow has put in more than all those who have given to the treasury; for they all put in out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty put in all that she had, her whole livelihood."

Then as He went out of the temple, one of His disciples said to Him, "Teacher, see what manner of stones and what buildings are here!" And Jesus answered and said to him, "Do you see these great buildings? Not one stone shall be left upon another, that shall not be thrown down." The splendor of the temple and its great architectural beauty must have been quite something for the disciple to admire! It covered about a sixth of the area of Jerusalem. It had been rebuilt by Herod the Great, who came to be known for his extraordinary building projects. My study bible notes that it included porticoes, courtyards and colonnades. Its stones were huge: some were about 10x40x20 feet each. So for Jesus to say that not one stone would be left upon another, was quite an amazing pronouncement. It would become true in A.D. 70, when the Roman general Titus recaptured Jerusalem and leveled everything on the temple mount. It was believed that there was gold between the stones, so quite literally "not one stone" was left unturned. Only a retaining wall remained, which is known today as the Wailing Wall. Around A.D. 135, Emperor Trajan allowed Jews to come to the site once a year to mourn, hence its name. It still stands, and is still a place for prayer and mourning.

Now as He sat on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple, Peter, James, John, and Andrew asked Him privately, "Tell us, when will these things be? And what will be the sign when all these things will be fulfilled?" Two sets of brothers pose this question to Jesus. As apostles, these brothers will play great roles in the establishment of the Church after Jesus is crucified. The troubling pronouncement clearly makes a profound impact upon them, so much so that they must take Him aside privately for an explanation. Their leadership will take the Church into this period, and beyond. In Jesus' answer, we will find the destruction of the temple combined with an understanding about the end of the age. Both are inseparable, one from another, in spiritual terms, and especially in the mind of the apostles and the perspective of the Scriptures and Jewish spiritual heritage.

And Jesus, answering them, began to say, "Take heed that no one deceives you. For many will come in My name, saying, 'I am He,' and will deceive many. But when you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be troubled; for such things must happen, but the end is not yet. For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be earthquakes in various places, and there will be famines and troubles. These are the beginnings of sorrows." My study bible is very careful to point out Jesus' first answer: "Take heed that no one deceives you." This warning note sets the tone for His response. My study bible notes, "Do not fail because of deceit by imposters, speculation about dates, political upheavals, natural catastrophes, or persecutions." Clearly, Jesus counsels patience, endurance and watchfulness. We must be prepared for endurance, to witness many things. He does not counsel that they will be simple or easy to endure! On the contrary, the word He uses here for "sorrows" can also mean the pain of childbirth, severe agony. But as in the pain of childbirth, this description of the times of the end is a beginning.

"But watch out for yourselves, for they will deliver you up to councils, and you will be beaten in the synagogues. You will be brought before rulers and kings for My sake for a testimony to them. And the gospel must first be preached to all the nations. But when they arrest you and deliver you up, do not worry beforehand, or premeditate what you will speak. But whatever is given you in that hour, speak that; for it is not you who speak, but the Holy Spirit. Now brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child; and children will rise up against parents and cause them to be put to death. And you will be hated by all for My name's sake. But he who endures to the end shall be saved." The scenario that Jesus describes here is one that these apostles and so many others of the early Church will indeed endure. My study bible notes that many of these experiences are included in the Book of Acts and Paul's Epistles. Of the four brothers Jesus is speaking to, only John (Evangelist and author of three Epistles, and the Revelation) will not die a martyr's death. My study bible notes that "discipleship produces martyrs and confessors (those injured or maimed for confessing Christ before men). Jesus tells His disciples plainly what will happen to them. . . . The promise that the Holy Spirit will speak through us is not intended to discourage preparation for Christian teaching. It refers primarily to crises."

We note the toughness of this teaching: Jesus is not preparing them for a happy ending and a glorious kingdom that will manifest immediately in the fullness of luxury and splendor! Far from it. His disciples will be tested, and they must "endure to the end." Jesus' teachings about family breakdown and betrayal reminds us of Paul's words in Hebrews 4:12. "For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.." We will be tested by all things, and if we understand Jesus' words here properly, then we must also see them at work in our own lives. What does it mean to endure to the end? My study bible points out that "it is not ours to say when the race is over" . . . Jesus "teaches the endurance of the faithful through God's strength and grace." Does your faith call you to make difficult choices? Let us consider Jesus' words, and how active they still are in our lives today -- as St. Paul says, it is a "living word," active and powerful, at work within us and among us. As Jesus has pointed out, it asks of us vigilance, that we are always watchful and discerning, and we must do so to the end of our lives. Therefore our faith is strong if we understand that we may face all kinds of choices and difficulties -- and that we are counseled to endurance, not necessarily a "perfect life." Faith is a living and active love in the heart. It might lead us through all things, but our joy is in remembering the love that is always with us.