5×5×5 Bible Plan
Read: Luke 21
Meditation: Luke 21:5-6
“As some spoke of the temple, how it was adorned with beautiful stones and donations, Jesus said, “These things which you see—the days will come in which not one stone shall be left upon another that shall not be thrown down.”
Shift Your Focus… Just a quick reminder to help you keep a good perspective on life: What you see is temporary.
I didn’t say it is unimportant. That may or may not be the case. But, for sure, it is temporary. It will all, even the really expensive stuff, sooner or later, return to the dust from which it came.
The disciples were pretty infatuated with the beauty and magnificence of Herod’s Temple, and rightly so, from a human perspective. It was a wonder to behold. But Jesus gave them a dose of reality by reminding them that every square inch of it would soon return to the dust from which it had been created.
Jesus didn’t say that the temple was unimportant. In fact, he had driven out the moneychangers who were corrupting that very place. He was upset that they had turned what should have been a house of prayer into a den of thieves. Jesus wasn’t down on this marvelous place of worship. He just knew that in the larger scheme of things, it was only temporary.
So also are all the things that give you comfort and security: Your home, car, clothes, jewelry, and all the other stuff that you spend your hard earned money on just to one day put in a garage sale. Not necessarily unimportant, mind you—just temporary.
Spiritually wise people will fight to keep that perspective regarding the stuff of life. They will remember, as Jesus said, that not only earth, but even the heavens as we know them will one day pass away. The only things that will remain are the things that he has proclaimed. (Luke 21:33)
That’s why Jesus warned us not to get too caught up in the things of life: “But take heed to yourselves, lest your hearts be weighed down with carousing” …the pursuit of happiness … “drunkenness” …the pursuit of pleasure …and cares of this life” … the pursuit of comfort. (Luke 21:34)
The temporary stuff of this life will prove to be “a snare” (verse 35) if we don’t ruthlessly maintain an eternal perspective: “Watch therefore, and pray…” (verse 36).
Just remember that as you go about your day. Your stuff is temporary; only what is of faith is eternal.
“Let your prayer for temporal blessings be strictly limited to things absolutely necessary.” ~Bernard, Archbishop of Vienne