Matthew 24: I've Got a Secret

I have read Matthew 24 many times, but there was something that I never noticed until today.  The chapter starts with Jesus and His disciples walking through the Temple courts.  The disciples are impressed by the big structures that they see in the Temple complex.  This is not surprising.  Even Gentiles considered Herod's Temple to be something of an architectural marvel.  In the Ancient World, buildings of this size were very rare.  It is very unlikely that Jesus or the disciples would have seen any buildings approaching the scope of the Temple in their lifetime.

Jesus, though, is not as impressed as His followers.  He reminds the disciples that even these huge, massive buildings are going to be destroyed.  Based on the conflict that Jesus has had with the religious leaders in the proceeding chapters, it is clear that Jesus means that these buildings will be destroyed as a result of judgment by God.

Here is what I never noticed.  The text says that the disciples ask Jesus when this is going to happen.  That I saw.  What never struck me was that they don't ask this question until later, until they are in private.  Why?  Why the delay?

A few answers strike me.  At His trial that is only a few days away, Jesus is going to be accused of saying that He would destroy the Temple and rebuild it.  While the disciples have little understanding of what is shortly to come, perhaps they do understand that Jesus' words' about the Temple are irksome to the religious leaders and a public discussion of their question would be impolitic.  Or, perhaps there is another reason.  Perhaps the disciples like secrets.  Perhaps they want to have the inside scoop and inside information.  Perhaps they like the idea of having some important news that nobody else has.  Perhaps they think that secrets give them power.

If a love of inside information is what motivates the disciples in this passage, little has changed.  Today, Jesus still has disciples who love secrets.  He still has disciples who feel that knowing the time of the end gives them a power and rank and importance that others don't have. (See a certain Christian radio mogul for an example that is both famous and infamous).  What strikes me as I read Matthew 24 is that Jesus says there isn't all that much that is secret here.  He tells His disciples not to be deceived.  He says false teachers are going to tell you that Jesus is here or Jesus is there.  Don't believe them.  Why?  Verse 27: "For as lightning that comes from the east is visible even in the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man" (NIV, 1984).  Jesus says don't believe those who say Jesus is here or there because there will be nothing secretive about my coming.  You don't miss a lightning flash in the sky.  You won't miss me.

There are still pastors and teachers who like the power of a secret.  They like to tell us they have got the End figured out when we don't.  Jesus says there isn't much to figure out though.  Rather than spending our time on secrets, we should spend our time on being ready for His return (verses 45-51).