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Thursday, March 30, 2017

His love and His Word endure Forever {Luke 21}



By Mari Sandoval

We start off today’s reading as Luke describes Jesus at the Temple in Jerusalem, while He observes something that no one else had noticed: “Looking up, He saw the rich people putting their gifts into the treasury. And He saw a poor widow putting in two [a]small copper coins.He said, “Truly I say to you, this poor widow has put in [proportionally] more than all of themfor they all put in gifts from their abundance; but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on.” While some were talking about the magnificence of the Temple and probably the wisdom and skills of the people who built it, Jesus was more concerned about the contrast in the intentions of the hearts of the poor widow V.S. the rich people. Such a small contribution from the poor widow had a greater meaning to Jesus!

Do you ever feel your contribution to your Church is not enough or less than what others offer? Well isn’t it awesome that Jesus looks at what a man is, and not at what a man has, and this should let our hearts be filled with contentment, because nothing is overlooked by Him! "All things are naked and opened to the eyes of Him with whom we have to do." (Heb. 4:13.) He measures littleness and greatness by a very different measure from the measure of man. This is also true in our day to day: there are events in our own daily life, to which we give no importance, BUT are often very relevant and serious matters in His sight! 




As we continue in vs. 5-6 we find some people praising the beautiful Temple they were in. To which Jesus said: “As for all these things which you see, the time will come when there will not be one stone left on another that will not be [c]torn down.” Imagine their surprise as He spoke these words foretelling the destruction of the Temple which was object of  idolatrous veneration from Pharisees and scribes! His words were spoken in order to teach us the mighty truth that the true glory of a place of worship does not consist in outward ornaments. "The Lord sees not as man sees." (1 Sam. 16:7.) Man looks at the outward appearance of a building. The Lord looks for spiritual worship, and the presence of the Holy Spirit. In the temple at Jerusalem these things were definitely lacking, and therefore Jesus Christ could take no pleasure in it!! . (“The refurbishing of the temple was begun by Herod the Great in 20 b.c. and was completed in a.d. 64 by Herod Agrippa . In a.d. 70, just six years after the temple was completed, it was destroyed by the Roman general Titus and his army, who thoroughly devastated Jerusalem”. –Bible Gateway-)

The temple in which the Lord Jesus delights most, is a broken and contrite heart, renewed by the Holy Spirit.

Jesus continued telling his disciples about other major events to come; the persecution, the scattering of the Jews and the long period of time before His second advent. 17 and you will be continually hated by everyone because of [your association with] My name. 18 But not a hair of your head will perish. 19 By your [patient] endurance [empowered by the Holy Spirit] you will gain your souls.” (Amp)

The world may deprive a believer of property, friends, country, home, liberty, health, and life. But one thing the world cannot do to any believer: it cannot deprive him of his interest in Christ's love. It cannot break the union between Christ and his soul. "I am persuaded," says Paul, "that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature shall be able to separate me from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord." (Rom. 8:38-39.)

Regarding the fulfillment of the prophecies and His second advent, our Lord said to His disciples: "Heaven and earth shall pass away--but my words shall not pass away." (vs.33) Because He has said it, He will do it! (1 Peter 1:24-25)

Finally our Lord Jesus concludes with the following advice: "Watch out! Don't let me find you living in careless ease and drunkenness, and filled with the worries of this life. Don't let that day catch you unaware, as in a trap."


“The exhortation before us should teach us furthermore the great importance of an unworldly spirit. The "cares of this life" are placed side by side with surfeiting and drunkenness. Excess in eating and drinking is not the only excess which injures the soul. There is an excessive anxiety about the innocent things of this life, which is just as ruinous to our spiritual prosperity, and just as poisonous to the inner man. Never, never let us forget that we may make spiritual shipwreck on lawful things, as really and truly as on open vices. Happy is he who has learned to hold the things of this world with a loose hand, and to believe that seeking first the kingdom of God, "all other things shall be added to him!" (Matt. 6:33.) We are to "pray always." We are to keep up a constant habit of real, business-like prayer. We are to speak with God daily, and hold daily communion with Him about our souls. We are to pray specially for grace to lay aside every weight, and to cast away everything which may interfere with readiness to meet our Lord. Above all, we are to watch our habits of devotion with a godly jealousy, and to beware of hurrying over or shortening our prayers.” –Ryle-