CHAPTER XXI

With the Master on Olivet

     “Some spake of the Temple, how it was adorned with goodly stones
     and offerings.”—­Luke xxi. 5.

“One of His disciples saith unto Him, Master, behold, what manner of stones and what manner of buildings!  And Jesus said unto him, Seest thou these great buildings?  There shall not be left here one stone upon another, which shall not be thrown down.”

“As He sat on the Mount of Olives over against the Temple, Peter and James and John and Andrew asked Him privately, Tell us, when shall these things be? and, What shall be the sign when these things are all about to be accomplished?”—­Mark xiii. 1-4.

The Temple was the most sacred of all places, even before the Lord of the Temple entered it.  His presence became its chiefest glory.  In the hour when the waiting Simeon at last could there say “he had seen the Lord’s Christ,” it had a new consecration, and a beauty which its richness of materials and adornments had never given.  In the hour when He there said to His mother, “Wist ye not that I must be in My Father’s House?” or, “I must be about My Father’s business,” it was more consecrated still.  Twice He had cleansed it from the profanation of unholy worshipers.  Within it He had spoken as no man had ever done.  It had been a theatre of His divine power.

That was a sad and solemn hour in the last week of His life when, as Matthew says, “Jesus went out and departed from the Temple.”  That was His farewell to it.  With sadness He thought not only that He would never return to it for a blessed ministry of word and healing, but that the place itself would be destroyed.  As He led His disciples from it, their minds were also upon the Holy House:  but their thoughts were not His thoughts.  They had long been familiar with its magnificence, from the day when each of them, at twelve years of age, for the first time had gazed upon it in wonder and admiration.  We do not know why, as they were turning away from it and walked toward Olivet, “some spake of the Temple, how it was adorned with goodly stones and offerings,” nor why “one of His disciples saith unto Him, Master, behold what manner of stones, and what manner of buildings!” But so they did.  Doubtless they were surprised and disappointed that the Lord did not respond with like spirit to their enthusiastic exclamations.  Were not such richness and beauty worthy of even His admiration?  Why His momentary silence?  Why His sadness of expression, as He looked toward the Temple, beholding it as they bid Him do, but manifestly with different purpose and feeling from what they intended?  His appearance seemed most inconsistent with the glorious view.  His response was startling,—­“Seest thou these great buildings?  There shall not be left here one stone upon another, which shall not be thrown down.”