Mark 13:1-8 (NRSV)
Read Mark 13:1-8 on biblegateway.com
Verse 3When he was sitting on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple, Peter, James, John, and Andrew asked him privately,
Verse 4"Tell us, when will this be, and what will be the sign that all these things are about to be accomplished?"
Verse 5Then Jesus began to say to them, "Beware that no one leads you astray.
Verse 6Many will come in my name and say, 'I am he!' and they will lead many astray.
Verse 7When you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be alarmed; this must take place, but the end is still to come.
Verse 8For 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 birthpangs.
Devotion
Mark 13:1 tells us that Jesus' disciples were greatly impressed by the sights on the temple mount in Jerusalem and they wanted Jesus to share the excitement they felt when they saw the large buildings there.
But as the story continues, we see that Jesus called his awe-struck disciples back to reality by pointing out that even the greatest buildings do not last. There would soon come the time when all those impressive buildings would be leveled (an event which took place in 70 A.D.) How terribly we were reminded of that same reality on September 11, 2001, as two of our nation's largest buildings were reduced to rubble in a few hours.
The truth is, only God and the sovereignty of God endure. May we always be more impressed by what God does than we are by what human beings have been enabled to do.
Prayer
Great and wondrous are your ways, O God. Help us never to lose our awe and admiration for your great works. We thank and praise you for all your goodness and majesty. Amen.