Mark 13:14-30 (NIV)

How do you describe the indescribable?

Today’s passage tries to do just that. Jesus is talking with his disciples about the destruction of the temple and they’ve just asked him how they can know when that’s going to take place.

With hindsight we can see that this actually did take place 40 years after Jesus’ words. The Roman army laid siege to Jerusalem and people starved, they turned on each other and began doing heinous things to survive. Jesus is clear that he wants them out and not to try to stay to defend Jerusalem.

And as he reminds them of the fig tree, the previous chapter falls into place. Jesus' critique of the Temple includes a warning. This is the road that they are headed down if they do not turn back. It’s going to get them destroyed. And 40 years later they saw what when human societies and institutions set themselves up against the gospel and its standards, producing arrogant and dehumanizing structures, deep injustices and radical oppression. Jesus wasn’t pleased with it then and he isn’t pleased with it now.

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