Lk 21:20-28 Preparing for the Future

Our gospel describes graphically the destruction of Jerusalem and visualizes the Second Coming of Jesus as king with much power and glory. For the Jews, the eternal city's ruin was unthinkable. It brought a crisis of faith. The painful lesson is: nothing last forever.

3 Lessons for the Future: 3 H's

1. Hide: we can't hide from God. Beginning from the Garden of Eden until now, man has been in perpetual hiding. Having done wrong, we feel shame and guilt. We can't own our sins. But in the end, we shall stand alone before God because we have no where to run.

2. Homage: when Christ the King comes we will all bow down in worship. We shall all submit to him. If today you don't respect him, don't recognize him or reject him; the obvious truth will shine. Because he will be Judge; he will be Master of all.

3. Hope: this passage inspires us to hope. This is still a distant future. Here is a warning & a clue. He is preparing us for the future. We are invited to be good and faithful steward.

Lk 21:5-11 Reality of the End

Jesus observed people admiring the Temple's beauty. But what Jesus predicted shocked them. He told them, one day the Temple will be destroyed. In fact, all things will pass away. Thus we need to develop the habit: to begin with the end in mind.

What can we learn from the E.N.D.

E: Essential-when we think of the end, we go back to the basics, to the essentials. We will regret we haved worked too much. All that is left in the end are relationships.

N: Numbered-our days are counted. You need to make every moment matter. While we have time we should love more & love deeply.

D: Departure-as the end nears, we are like in an airport waiting for your flight. There is need to say goodbye & make a glorious closure. Its also important to end well & die well. Find peace; enjoy every moment. Enjoy the ride.