The first sign I found actually came before Jesus started listing the signs to look for. The chapter begins with Jesus walking away from the temple. His disciples “came up to him to call his attention to its buildings.” The temple was magnificent. Herod had enhanced its appearance significantly.  

 

But in spite of it’s splendor Jesus had only days earlier driven out the money changers and others doing business there associated with providing sacrifices for worshipers. Jesus accused them of making the temple into a den of robbers. It was the temple’s leadership that was conspiring to get rid of Jesus. Jesus had accused that leadership of their evil deeds by pronouncing seven woes over them, while at the same time sharing how much He had longed to gather them and the people of Jerusalem as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but they were unwilling. 

 

The disciples had witnessed all this but were still focused on surface things like the beauty of the temple rather than on the tragic conditions Jesus was concerned about. The beautification of the temple was done by a ruthless, self glorifying king, not by a devout follower of Jesus. 

 

Our cathedrals, vast mega church campuses, and all the trappings that are attached to them should never be our focus. The fact that we are most known for such is a sign of how far we’ve strayed from our founding roots. This should be to us a tragic sign of the times.