23rd Sunday After Pentecost, Morning Worship, November 16, 2025
Sermon: And the Walls Keep Tumbling Down
Accompanying Scripture: Luke 21 : 5-19
And the Walls Keep Tumbling Down
It was a hot August early morning in Erie, Pennsylvania, 1968. It wasn’t
quite dawn, but I was finally asleep after tossing and turning in the
sweltering heat and humidity that is common around the Great Lakes.
Suddenly, a bomb exploded. I slowly woke up, and my shoulders slumped.
It had finally happened. After years of fighting off Communist Russia,
known then as the USSR, they had finally landed. I lay in bed, slowly
waking up. The tension we had lived with since the end of World War II
was over. We were at war.
Then there was another explosion, and I realized it was thunder. No
bombs had been dropped. The Russians hadn’t landed. Shortly after that,
the rain arrived, along with welcome cooler temperatures.
When have you experienced that kind of letting go? Given up. Dropped
the ball and walked away?
How did you feel about it? Like a loser? A disappointment? Or was it a
relief to let go?
The Temple in Jerusalem was of great importance to King Herod. He was
known for his many construction projects. But the Temple was his crown
jewel. Not only did it glorify his reign, but it was an attempt to win the
loyalty of the Jews.
It was the size of 12 soccer fields, including the stands.
i
Huge stones were
stacked on top of each other. If you’ve ever walked into a large church or
cathedral, perhaps you felt the enormity of God. I imagine the Temple
felt the same way for the Jews. Furthermore, the Temple was where God
dwelt in the Holy of Holies.
The Temple was the heart of Judaism. Then Jesus comes along and
bursts the disciples’ bubble. “Enjoy it while you can. It’s coming down.”
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Roughly 30 years later, in the year 70 of the Common Era, the Romans
utterly destroyed the temple. According to the historian Josephus, over 1
million died during the siege of Jerusalem, and another 97,000 captives
were sent to work in mines, while others became “entertainment” for
gladiatorial events.
“Nation will rise against nation; kingdom against kingdom.”
For 2000 years, we’ve seen this over and over again. Hate, greed, and
hubris attack the world, sometimes in the name of God. We remember
the crusades and the Inquisition. We have even defined the phrase “Just
War.”
Jesus also talks about famines and plagues. We’ve seen enough of those
in the past 2,000 years. We’re still sharing stories of COVID-19 and the
shutdown in 2020.
And earthquakes. How about tsunamis, volcanoes, hurricanes, and other
weather phenomena? Jesus sums up horrific occurrences in a few
sentences. We experience or stand alongside those in the midst of it.
When will it end? Jesus seems to be late arriving. Some are ready for the
kingdom to come.
It isn’t enough that we have two major wars occurring in the world,
developing nations have lost funding, the weather has changed in an
alarming way, and we now have politics divided like I’ve not seen in my
lifetime.
Have I named enough bad news? I suggest you can offer more. I know
that many of you could not only add to my list but also expand on those
items I’ve enumerated so far.
In her book, “A People’s History of Christianity,” Diana Butler Bass shares
the story of Christians during the Plague of Galen from 165-180. Here’s
what she says about the Christians:
Because they did not fear death, Christians stayed behind in plague-
ravaged cities while others fled. Their acts of mercy extended to all
the suffering regardless of class, tribe, or religion and created the
conditions in which others accepted their faith.ii
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Governments and empires have and will continue to build houses of cards.
Their walls will continue to come tumbling down. But amidst the pain and
suffering, we are called as disciples of Jesus to use our unique gifts and
talents to make a difference. Our world is not God forsaken. God is
present and accounted for.
The words of Howard Thurman help me stay focused: Don’t ask what the
world needs. Ask what makes you come alive, and go do it. Because what
the world needs is people who have come alive.”
The Eastern Oklahoma Presbytery provided grants to churches to help
mitigate hunger resulting from the suspension of SNAP benefits.
The congregation I serve in Owasso has set a goal of collecting 500 jars of
peanut butter and 500 boxes of cereal for our local food pantry due to
changes at the USDA. Based on average worship, each member will give
an average of 17 jars of peanut and 17 boxes of cereal each.
Kairos Prison Ministries continues to follow the example of Matthew 25
by visiting prisoners and helping them understand the depth of God’s
love for them.
A homeless man near our church was given a $20.00 gift card to the local
grocery store. He gave it to me, saying, “Someone else needs this more
than I do.”
I wish we had time for me to pass the microphone around for you to share
your stories. Because I know they’re out there. I encourage you to share
them with me or each other after worship. These are mustard seeds that
will grow with deep roots and strong branches.
Friends, God is at work. God sees what we’re doing. God sees our hurt
and the suffering of humanity. While the world around us worships the
idols of power and money, we are stepping up to love our neighbors
wherever and whenever we can.
When it feels like it’s not enough, perhaps Matthew 25 can be of help.
34 Then the king will say to those at his right hand, ‘Come, you who are
blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the
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foundation of the world, 35 for I was hungry and you gave me food, I
was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and
you welcomed me, 36 I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick
and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.’iii
The Good News is this: God isn’t going anywhere. God is always present,
and we are the image of God in the world. We resist because the issues in
the world appear so large and so overwhelming that they try to block our
view of God and God’s activity.
Know and believe that Christ loves you and lives in you now. Look beyond
the bad news, the bully pulpits, to see God at work in the world and in
Christ’s disciples.
Then, let the stones fall.
All glory and honor be to God.
Amen.
i Howard F. Vos Nelson’s New Illustrated Bible Manners and Customs (Nashville: Thomas Nelson
Publishers 1999) Page 406
ii Diana Butler Bass, A People’s History of Christianity:The Other Side of the Story (Harper One, 2010)
page 60
iii Matthew 25:34-36 NRSVue