As Jesus was leaving the Temple that day, one of his disciples said, “Teacher, look at these magnificent buildings! Look at the impressive stones in the walls.” Jesus replied, “Yes, look at these great buildings. But they will be completely demolished. Not one stone will be left on top of another!” Later, Jesus sat on the Mount of Olives across the valley from the Temple. Peter, James, John, and Andrew came to him privately and asked him, “Tell us, when will all this happen? What sign will show us that these things are about to be fulfilled?”
Mark 13:1-4

Dear God, this must have been such a weird week for them. A weird time, really. I can only imagine what their conversations were like among themselves. I would love to have heard what the four of them said to each other before they approached Jesus. I would imagine that they had to be wondering if it was about to happen that very week. They were trying to reconcile everything Jesus was telling them and turn it into a clear narrative.

It’s kind of like a movie trailer. That’s about how clear Jesus was being with them. I recently saw “A Star is Born,” and it really moved me. It was the trailer that first sold me on it. I went back and looked at it closely recently, trying to figure out what it was about it that attracted me and looking at how it compared to the actual movie. Basically, a good trailer will give you hints at what’s to come without giving you too much information. I believe that too much information about the future is not good forbid because it will alter how we live out our present. My dad told me one time that the point in prophecy is not so that we will know the future, but so when the future happens and the prophecy is fulfilled we will know that you are in control.

Father, help me to discern between the things I need to understand about the world and the things I can let go. Help me to not be fearful, but to always know that you are in control. Finally, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.

In Jesus’ name I pray,

Amen