In Luke 21:5-19, we encounter Jesus at the Jerusalem temple in the last week of his life. For Jesus and his followers, the Jerusalem temple was more than just a beautiful and magnificent monument. The Lutheran Study Bible says that it stood as “a testimony to the holiness of God and a reminder of the presence of God in a chaotic world.”

Of all the things that Jesus said in those final days of his life as he debated the temple authorities, Jesus statement in today’s gospel must have sounded ridiculous even to those around him: “As for these things that you see, the days will come when not one stone will be left upon another; all will be thrown down”(v. 6). How could it be that a such a magnificent building that stood as a reminder of the presence of God in a chaotic world would one day be destroyed and left in shambles?

Yet, we know that temples fall around us every day. For us the temples that fall are not always made of stones. Sometimes they are made of steel and concrete; or bricks and wood. Other times they are made of flesh and blood and tears – our marriages, our health, our work, our dreams. Temples take all kinds of forms in our day – anything that we long to be a source of stability and security in our life. And time and time again, we see these temples crumble. When we find that this has happened, what do we do? How will we live?

In every age, to answer those questions, we start by looking to see what word Jesus has for us who long to know how we are called to live in the midst of our shattered temples.
Jesus words are so clear and so filled with promise. Do not go astray. Do not be afraid. I will give you words. And in case none of that sinks in, he leaves his followers with one last promise, “Not a hair of your head will perish” (v. 18).

In all of his words, Jesus reminds us again and again that even when temples fall around us, we can be assured of God’s presence, because God does not live in temples made of stone, God lives in this world that God so loves.

This Advent we prepare again to celebrate the birth of Christ into our world. Christ’s birth is God’s enduring message for us that in Jesus, God’s presence took on human flesh and blood and moved into our neighborhoods to be a constant presence for us in every age. We may seek God in buildings, or witness God at work through institutions, but in Christ, God is alive for us in the lives of all who surround us. God lives in our neighbors who need our help. God lives in our neighbors who reach out to provide comfort and care. God lives in us and through us. Nothing that happens to our temples will ever change this!