Mark 13:1 reports that “As he [Jesus] came out of the temple, one of his disciples said to him, ‘Look, Teacher, what large stones and what large buildings!’” Three things are significant to note here.
First, “Jesus came out of the temple”. The ‘coming out’ (Gk. ‘ekporeuomenou’) of Jesus has much to do with what has been happening within the temple. While the rich men were lavishing their money, the needy-poor-widow-woman was striving hard to make her life going. At the same time, the scribes, those who interpret the scriptures, though key figures related to the temple, ‘devour’ the houses of the widows. The woman who put her two coins was a symbol of struggling humanity due to the exploitative structures. In this structure, the temple itself was existing as an oppressive structure. That would have made Jesus furious and prompted him to step out of the temple.
Second, the disciples who were silent witnesses within the temple now started to speak up. This reflects their slowness in understanding the real human issues and eagerness about the external aspects like the splendour of the temple.
Third, one of the representatives of the disciples is amazed of the marvellous building. He says, “what large stones” (Gk. ‘potapoi lithoi’) and “what large buildings” (Gk. ‘potapai oikodomai’). His exclamation reflects his emphasis that is entirely different from that of Jesus. In essence, a starving woman within a splendid temple, amidst of rich men, is a ‘double irony’. While the disciples were attracted to one extreme (i.e., the splendour of the temple), Jesus is able to visualize both the extremes such as the situation of the ‘needy-poor-widow-woman’ and the status of the ‘rich men’/‘splendid temple’.
Mark 13:2 says: “Then Jesus asked him, ‘Do you see these great buildings? Not one stone will be left here upon another; all will be thrown down’”. Three things are significant to note here.
First, Jesus asks a rhetorical question to the disciple: “Do you see these great buildings?” The Greek word used for seeing is ‘blepeis’, that is derived from ‘blepō’. ‘Blepō’ means ‘to have a faculty of sight’, ‘to see’, ‘to look’, ‘to beware of’, ‘to cast a look on’, etc. Jesus’ question to the disciple is a critique toward his very activity of ‘seeing’. The disciple was not able to see the life struggles of the woman inside the temple; but he is able to see the splendour of the temple. Jesus does not appreciate such a partial and peripheral sight.
Second, Jesus says: “Not one stone will be left here upon another”. Jerusalem temple was built upon ‘large stones’ (Gk. ‘potapoi lithoi’). Here Jesus utters a prophetical statement. He emphasises the fact that a temple that does not consider the matters of the poor cannot stand. While the rich men with their large sums and the scribes who ‘devour’ the houses of the widows are reckoned as esteemed personnel, the needy-poor-widow-woman stands out as a victim of an oppressive system.
Third, Jesus says: “all will be thrown down”. The “large buildings” (Gk. ‘potapai oikodomai’) of the temple will be ‘overthrown’ (Gk. ‘kataluthō’). That means, in a context in which the worshipper(s) do not understand each other the worship itself does not make sense. In a context in which the temple does not identify with the poor and oppressed the temple itself does not make sense.
Prayer: God, give me special vision to see the realities around me. Amen.
