Build On A Strong Foundation

 “All that you see here—the days will come when there will not be left a stone upon another stone that will not be thrown down." Luke 21:6

Jesus was speaking of the second temple on Mount Zion. This temple, rebuilt from the devastation of the first temple of Solomon, was Herod's masterpiece. It was magnificent, and as described in Luke 21:5 "adorned with costly stones". King Herod even had several architects from Rome, Greece and Egypt to plan and supervise the construction. The blocks used were so massive they had to use multiple cranes, pulleys and levers to put them in place. But in spite of its seeming permanence, it was destroyed by the Romans in the siege of Jerusalem in 70 AD, just as Jesus prophesied. Today, the Islamic shrine, the Dome of the Rock, stands defiantly in its place.

Our life, no matter how much we think of its importance, is as fragile as that temple. We build a nice life, comfortable, sanitized from the injustice and inequality around us, little realizing that all that we build, will one day come to nothing. Rust, earthquakes, storms, fire, termites, disease, sin and the ravages of sin, can easily destroy our families, our businesses, our homes, our cities, our countries, our world. But not if we purposely build on the foundation of God's Word and teaching.

As we come to the end of the liturgical year, I like to take a look at what I am building. Is there anything I am building that I can take with me to my real home?