Mark 13
1 As he came out of the temple, one of his disciples said to him, ‘Look, Teacher, what large stones and what large buildings!’ 2 Then Jesus asked him, ‘Do you see these great buildings? Not one stone will be left here upon another; all will be thrown down.’
3 When he was sitting on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple, Peter, James, John, and Andrew asked him privately, 4 ‘Tell us, when will this be, and what will be the sign that all these things are about to be accomplished?’ 5 Then Jesus began to say to them, ‘Beware that no one leads you astray. 6 Many will come in my name and say, “I am he!” and they will lead many astray. 7 When you hear of wars and rumours of wars, do not be alarmed; this must take place, but the end is still to come. 8 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.
"Your body is the Temple of the Holy Spirit within you!"
St. Mark keeps us in Jerusalem, walking with Jesus and His disciples in this city that He loved. Jesus considered Jerusalem to be the Symbol of God's presence, where God was worshipped and honored by the nations, nations who lived there for more than one thousand years before it was conquered and occupied by King David (2 Samuel 5:6-10).
Jerusalem is where King Melchizedek, in whose town Justice and Peace embrace (Psalm 85:10) and where he was recognized as a priest of the most high, shared bread and wine with Abraham and blessed him (Genesis 14:18-20). Jerusalem is the city where the Temple was built, where God's Presence is permanent, and where all the tribes of Israel met, worshipped and formed one unified nation.
Reading between the Gospel narrations, even though Jesus didn't spend any overnight in Jerusalem during his open ministry, He loved the city and wanted to see its inhabitants receive the Messiah. He speaks to Jerusalem much more than He does about Jerusalem, i.e. Luke 13:34-35 and Luke 19:41-44.
Jerusalem is the city where Jewish pilgrims were ordered to go up to three times a year. It was built as one unit, fortified by spectacular walls, and where sacrifices were offered to the Lord (Psalm 122).
Jerusalem is where Jesus is going to reconcile the whole creation with God by His Crucifixion and Resurrection.
Jerusalem, where Justice is proclaimed at its gates in Psalm 122:5, and prayers for prosperity and peace are lifted up, is a city so dear to the heart of Jesus. Even more important is the Temple and its Holy of Holies with the Ark of the Covenant that contains the Ten Commandments, the manna and Aaron's stick. No person is allowed to enter except the High Priest. Once a year on the Day of Atonement he burns incense and sprinkles sacrificial animal blood that will compensate for his own sins and those of the people. He represents the people and renews the promise of Israel's faithfulness to God's covenant.
According to historical resources, Herod the Great remade the Temple using monumental stones. The whole work took forty-six years and exceeded Herod's reign of 37-4 B.C. The achievement was grandiose. The disciples and their co-citizens were proud of the building, and especially of the stones that measured up to five meters in length and two to three meters in height. The disciples spoke of their pride in the buildings to Jesus, who would rather them value what is inside the Temple much more than what they see outside.
That was the moment to prophesy about the destruction of the existing building that the disciples were proud of. Jesus spoke about His physical body as the new Temple which was going to be destroyed and restored within three days (John 2:19). Jesus' body will become for St. Paul the cornerstone on which the Church is built and where all baptized faithful, through communion to this same bread, become one body (1 Corinthians 10:17). It is considered by St. Paul to be the new Temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 6:19-20).
Are we aware today of this fundamental and essential Christian belief? Do we respect what we are according to this Gospel's teaching? Are we proclaiming an external faith or a real commitment, putting into practice what forms our deep, internal being? Do we consider ourselves members of the same Body "belonging to the One who bought us with a price?!"
The Holy Spirit within us feeds three basic energetic decision makers in our life - our Conscience, our Heart and our Mind. If these three are instruments of the same Holy Spirit, then we are the Body of Christ today. Blessed and happy are those who, through the quality of their lives, offer a witness to others as being the Temple of the Holy Spirit.
Father Kamal - November 14, 2021