I think it’s important for today to understand how this temple that folks are referring to came into being. Herod decided that the temple built after the Jewish people returned to Jerusalem post exile needed fixing. He embarked on a decades long mission to rebuild the temple, spending eight years first stockpiling all the materials he needed. While there are no financial estimates from that time, one can assume in our money today this would be millions upon millions of dollars.
The first century historian Josephus described 
Herod’s temple as a magnificent, massive structure built of white, strong stones with ornate decorations like a golden vine and a golden gate. The temple complex was enormous, built on an expanded platform with impressive cloisters and high gates, and was a project of incredible scale, involving thousands of skilled laborers and years of construction. The inner sanctuary was a more modest 40 cubits wide compared to the 100-cubit-wide front of the building, separated by a richly embroidered curtain.
But the temple wasn’t really meant to glorify God – it truly was about glorifying Herod and the power and authority he needed people to see in him as a ruler. Reverend Kendra Mohn, in her commentary writes this: Herod wanted desperately to project power, both to Rome and to those he governed, but he was part of a system that was capricious and centered elsewhere. He experienced pressure from below and from above, as well as family relationships marked by perceived threat, betrayal, and violence. The projection was necessary because of the insecurity.[1]
So when Jesus hears talk about the temple, how it was adorned with beautiful stones and gifts dedicated to God, I am sure that stuck in his crawl. You can almost hear his thoughts – you think that all that beauty, the gold, the jewels, the white stones are what matters to being a follower of mine, a child of God! How mistaken can you be?!
Jesus instead says – these stones won’t last – they are all coming down. Luke’s hearers/readers would have known that to be the case. The Temple was destroyed in 70 CE. Now if the stones of the Temple – the physical Temple – are no more, what then are the stones that matter. They didn’t need a sign – they already knew it had happened. But for Jesus’ listeners this must have felt very frightening to contemplate that the Temple – the place they found God – was to be no more, how would they know where God is and what would they do to experience God.
Jesus uses apocalyptic language in this section of our text this morning – helps to remember that the Greek word for apocalyptic means revelation or unveiling. And just like we saw in the Book of Revelation, we see now in Jesus’ words the signs that tell us the stones are falling – hear his words:
Jesus said, “Watch out that you aren’t deceived. Many will come in my name, saying, ‘I’m the one!’ and ‘It’s time!’ Don’t follow them. When you hear of wars and rebellions, don’t be alarmed. These things must happen first, but the end won’t happen immediately.”
Then Jesus said to them, “Nations and kingdoms will fight against each other. There will be great earthquakes and wide-scale food shortages and epidemics. There will also be terrifying sights and great signs in the sky. But before all this occurs, they will take you into custody and harass you because of your faith. They will hand you over to synagogues and prisons, and you will be brought before kings and governors because of my name. This will provide you with an opportunity to testify.
“Make up your minds not to prepare your defense in advance. I’ll give you words and wisdom that none of your opponents will be able to counter or contradict. You will be betrayed by your parents, brothers and sisters, relatives, and friends. They will execute some of you. Everyone will hate you because of my name. Still, not a hair on your heads will be lost. By holding fast, you will gain your lives.”
Hmmm – any of this sound familiar to our time? Jesus tells them not to build their “faith” on the stones of fear and deceit and betrayal. The physical stones of the temple don’t matter anymore – they won’t exist so don’t build your faith on those either. The stones of faith, trust, love, compassion, grace and mercy are the stones to build your testimony on.
Just as in the Book of Revelation, Jesus is telling folks that all these awful things that will come to pass are actually opportunities to testify to the goodness of God, not the power-hungry insecure reign of Herod. To testify to the words and actions of Jesus’ love commands that help all people, include all people, love all people.
And, no need to prepare your testimony in advance because those words and wisdom will be given to you by Jesus. You will know what to say because your stones are ones of faith and trust and hope and love and peace and joy and all the words we use to describe who God and Jesus and Holy Spirit are.
These are the stones that ultimately matter to Jesus followers and the ones they serve. These are the stones we carry into the community as we seek to serve others with love and kindness. These are the stones Paul refers to in his first letter to the Corinthians: “Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you? (1 Corinthians 3:16)” You are the sacred space God has created – each of you are the sacred space God has created.
If we rely solely on a physical sacred space to be our stones of faith, I think we miss the point of how much we, our bodies as God’s temple, are just as important. Those kinds of stones matter – because they don’t just exist in a Sunday box. Our stones of faith and all the other words we can use matter each time we are out in the community, in every interaction we have with others, in every act of service we provide and song we sing. They matter in every can of food we bring, child we nurture and educate, protest we attend, testimony to God’s goodness we provide. They matter in every expression of love we give to someone who feels excluded and left on the margins. Those stones matter.
So how do you see yourselves as the stones that matter? How will you be those stones each time you leave this place? How will you not let what is happening in our nation make you fearful or fall for deceit? How will you trust that you will be given the words and the wisdom you need to be Love in our corner of the world? Lots of questions to chew on.
I have again brought out the stones we saw in our first Sunday exploring the mystics. I invite to also take a stone today – to remind you that you are the stones that matter. Don’t you know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you? Amen.
[1] https://www.workingpreacher.org/commentaries/revised-common-lectionary/ordinary-33-3/commentary-on-luke-215-19-6, accessed 11/13/2025