“From the fig tree learn its lesson: as soon as its branch becomes tender and puts out its leaves, you know that summer is near. So also, when you see all these things, you know that he is near, at the very gates. Truly, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.

Matthew 24:32-35

This afternoon we spent a couple of hours on a tour at Mammoth Cave National Park with our grandsons and our oldest son and his wife. When you see the vast caves, the question of how did this happen come up? Within just a few feet between points of interest, the patterns in the rocks appear to have been formed differently.

Geologists can explain these kinds of things, but the rest of us also know that nature reveals much to us. We can anticipate a storm as the skies darken and the wind shifts. We take notice of the return of the Robin as a sign that Spring is not far away.

Jesus reminds us of a general truth that has great spiritual relevance. In Israel, the leaves of the fig tree indicate that summer is near just as the maple tree in my backyard. But there is more here than a lesson of nature, He reminds us that if we should be able to perceive what is happening in our world, especially as the “birth pains” become more intense and more frequent.

While many have debated the meaning of the “generation that will not pass away,” I am encouraged by the last statement above –

“Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.” Our circumstances are transient, but the promises of God are guaranteed forever.