Focus On The Inward, Not the Outward - Mark 13-14

Mark 13:2-4 (ESV)

And Jesus said to him, “Do you see these great buildings? There will not be left here one stone upon another that will not be thrown down.”

And as he sat on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple, Peter and James and John and Andrew asked him privately, “Tell us, when will these things be, and what will be the sign when all these things are about to be accomplished?”

The disciples had been admiring the physical structure of the Temple.   Jesus wanted them to know that the physical appeal of the Temple might draw their eyes, but it should not captivate their hearts.   To refocus their attention away from the physical, the men are drawn to the time-line of what Jesus is talking about and, once again, not the person of the event.  Jesus wants to focus them on Him and the kingdom and they are continually diverted away.   They ask when these events will be what sign they should look for.   There is nothing carnal about wanting to know the time and sequence and signature of an event of God’s orchestrating.  But these men are still not understanding that the God of the universe is in front of them.  Instead of focusing on Him, they are focused on this planet and the impact of this destruction on the planet will have on them.  God is going to usher in His kingdom and men are often focused on this kingdom.   Jesus will answer their questions.   His final point of reference for them, however, is not to focus on the earthly, but to focus their entire attention on the spiritual and to be prepared for that:

Mark 13:32-37 (ESV)

“But concerning that day or that hour, no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. Be on guard, keep awake. For you do not know when the time will come. It is like a man going on a journey, when he leaves home and puts his servants in charge, each with his work, and commands the doorkeeper to stay awake. Therefore stay awake—for you do not know when the master of the house will come, in the evening, or at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or in the morning— lest he come suddenly and find you asleep. And what I say to you I say to all: Stay awake.”

Focus on the inward, not the outward.