When It All Comes Down

Rev Dr Mark Porizky

11/12/06

Mark 13:1-8

And as he came out of the temple, one of his disciples said to him, "Look, Teacher, what wonderful stones and what wonderful buildings!"

And Jesus said to him, "Do you see these great buildings? There will not be left here one stone upon another, that will not be thrown down." And as he sat on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple, Peter and James and John and Andrew asked him privately, "Tell us, when will this be, and what will be the sign when these things are all to be accomplished?"

And Jesus began to say to them, "Take heed that no one leads you astray. Many will come in my name, saying, `I am he!' and they will lead many astray. And when you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be alarmed; this must take place, but the end is not yet. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom; there will be earthquakes in various places, there will be famines; this is but the beginning of the birth-pangs.

      Despite my recent trip to Moab , Utah , to mountain bike in Arches National Park , my favorite bike ride remains the New York City 5-Bourough Ride on the first Sunday in May.  And, two and a half years ago, in May of 2004, Gregg Wagman and I drove into New York City the day before the ride to prepare for the 54 mile ride we would be embarking upon with 35,000 other riders. 

      Now what do two men released from children and spouses do on a Saturday night in New York City ?    Well, we two went to go look at a hole in the ground.

      Like many other tourists, we went to the site where the Twin Towers existed before 9/11.  A virtual museum surrounds the empty space. 

      I wanted to go because I had been in the World Trade Center only five months before they fell, eating dinner at the restaurant called “Top of the Word” with family friends who had come to New York from Los Angeles .  I remember leaning my nose up to the window of the restaurant and looking down…and getting dizzy thinking about it.

      While at seminary with Barb, she and I took numerous trips into New York City .  And among the other things we went to the Metropolitan Museum of Art and a couple of Broadway Shows, even a Yankees game, but we never went downtown to the World Trade Center .

      That made us unusual tourists.    Before 9/11 you couldn’t go to New York without seeing them. I am not just talking about their importance as a tourist site. You couldn't go the New York without seeing them towering over the skyline.

      But seeing them from afar did them no justice.  They were even more impressive close up. At a distance the buildings looked rather slender. It wasn't until you got right on top of them that you could see their true size. Each floor was more than an acre in area. Both buildings had 110 floors. They were made of 200,000 tons of steel and 425,000 cubic yards of concrete. They even had their own zip code!

      I remember watching those big buildings fall. We all remember the horrific events of Sept 11th.  But the Twin Towers were more than just two huge and tall buildings. They were a symbol of American economic and technological might. It was that very symbolism which made them a target. And so when they fell it more than just the destruction of a steel and concrete structure. 

      Jesus' Disciples must have had much the same feeling as they stood next to the temple in Jerusalem . They probably felt about the temple much the same way many people felt about the Twin Towers .  Herod's temple covered 35 acres and was made of marble and cedar, much of it overlaid in gold. At Jesus' time the temple had been under construction for 50 years and it would take another 33 years to complete. It was by far the most impressive sight most Jewish people would ever see, especially Jesus’ disciples, simple fisherman from Galilee .

      But the temple was more than a magnificent edifice to the Jewish people.  It was also the house of God. In the center of the Temple was the Holy of Holies. Once a year the high priest entered there. In that place the glory of God was believed to dwell. 

      Impressive building and religious icon. No wonder Jesus' disciples remarked at the impressive stone work. "Look teacher at these large stones and these huge buildings. I guess they will stand forever."  

      Jesus' response to them must have been shocking. "Not one stone will be left on another." How could that be? They were so huge, who would go to the trouble of toppling every one. What natural force could possibly move one, much less all of them? And what spiritual force could touch the very house of God!

      It seemed impossible but about 40 years after Jesus’ words it came to pass. After a brief uprising the Romans sacked Jerusalem and burned the temple. Of course stones don't burn, but large portions of the temple were wood and the large portions overlaid with gold melted. Some say that as the temple burned the gold melted and ran between the stones. The Romans methodically took what was left of the temple apart to get at the gold. So truly, as Jesus said, not one stone was left upon another.

      Can you imagine how devastating this was for the Jewish people? The very house of God demolished. This great temple made of huge stones, totally destroyed. It was more than a building that was destroyed. It was their world which tumbled down.

      Jesus' prophesy, that not one stone would be left on another, was still ringing in the disciple's ears when they arrived at the Mount of Olives. From the Mount of Olives Jesus and the disciples had a picturesque view of Jerusalem and the temple. Against this backdrop the disciples came to Jesus privately seeking some understanding. Perhaps they wanted some comfort in the aftermath of these disturbing words. Maybe if they knew when it would happen that would help them prepare. So they asked, "Tell us, when will this be, and what will be the sign when these things are all to be accomplished?" (Mark 13:4)

      But Jesus' words are hardly words of comfort. First he tells them that many will be led astray. In times of chaos and disaster one hopes to keep a cool head but Jesus says that many will not. Then he says there will be wars and disasters and famines. But none of these things are a sign of the end.  

      So far Jesus' words offer no comfort. Then he says, "this is but the beginning of the birth-pangs." (vs. 8) Something is being born! There is hope. Towers and temples will fall, wars will rage, the earth will quake, people will starve, and even the faithful will be led astray, but there is hope!

      I can't hear Jesus words about the temple and wars without thinking of our present circumstances. Perhaps the fall of the World Trade Center was not as devastating psychologically or spiritually as the destruction of the temple. But it certainly comes closer than anything I've ever seen. And since that day wars and rumors of wars have taken a place of prominence in all our lives. We all know someone who is over there or who is separated from family through other kinds of service.

      And Jesus' disciples ask themselves and their Lord, "When will it all come falling down?" We're not just talking about buildings and nations. We're really talking about the things in our lives. What do we do when marriages fail, when dreams die, when jobs are lost, when loved ones disappoint us when health fails? What do we do when it all comes falling down?

      And Jesus tells us that these things will happen. It will all come falling down sooner or later. No one lives a life without pain and grief. Things will happen that causes our worlds to fall apart and come tumbling down.

      Jesus tells us that when it does come falling down that is not the end. In fact it is the beginning! It is painful but it is the pain of birth. Something better is coming that will make all the pain of this age pale in comparison.

      When it all comes falling down, then hope. Have hope in the goodness of God. Put your faith in the power of the Almighty. Put your confidence in the truth that God will make a new beginning.

      Some of you might have seen Oliver Stone’s movie entitled World Trade Center.  For a director known for conspiracy theories, this movie tells another story, a story of hope when it all comes down.

      Port Authority Police Department officers Will Jimeno and John McLoughlin were the last two people rescued from the World Trade Center following the September 11th terrorist attack.  

      For Will Jimeno, however, that tragic day represents a defining moment in his Christian faith. Along with McLoughlin and three other officers, Jimeno entered Tower 1 on a mission to rescue as many civilians as possible. But almost as soon as they got inside, the building collapsed. McLoughlin and Jimeno were pinned under large blocks of concrete rubble and twisted steel. The other three officers were killed instantly.

      For the next 10 hours, Jimeno and his partner fought through pain and thirst inside a cramped concrete tomb swirling with dust and smoke. At times, ruptured gas lines would send fireballs hurtling into the collapsed ruins, threatening to burn the two men to death. In another terrifying moment, heat from the fireballs "cooked off" the ammunition inside the firearm of a fallen officer, sending 15 bullets ricocheting around the chamber.

      At that point, Jimeno's hope began to falter. "We had been crushed, burnt, and shot at by then," he said. "I was exhausted. I had done everything as a police officer that I could do, and everything as a human being. I was at that point where I just knew I was going to die."

      Yet when things began to seem unbearable, Jimeno saw a figure coming toward him through the rubble. "He wore a glowing white robe and a rope belt," he said. "I couldn't see his face, but I knew it was Jesus." Jimeno saw an endless sea of waving grass over the figure's left shoulder and a lake over the right. He says, "I remember asking Jesus, 'If I get to heaven, can I have some water?'"

      According to Jimeno, the vision filled him with a new volley of hope. "I had this resurgence of optimism, this resurgence of the will to fight," he said. Turning toward McLoughlin, he yelled, "We're going to get out of this hellhole!" And they did. Several hours later, U.S. Marines and NYPD rescue workers lifted him out of his temporary prison, and Jimeno thanked God.

      The events of that day have given him a new perspective on the brevity of life. He noted that, even if a person lives to be 90-years-old, that's only a little over 32,000 days. "It's not that many," Jimeno said. "You have to do good and do right with the small period you have in between."

      Friends, where do we put our trust?  That is the message of this apocalyptic Scripture.  It’s not the length of our days that matter, or even the monuments we establish to our name.  They will come down.  What matters is where we have placed our hope.  Is it in something temporary, or something eternal?

      Have hope, says Jesus.  I will be with you always.  In our worlds where any minute something could come crashing down, this is the best news possible.

      Will you pray with me now?

St. Andrew Presbyterian Church, Groton , CT

Web Site: SAPC-CT.HOME.ATT.NET

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