Buildings
Haggai 2:1-9 — John 2:18-22

How Long?
Some builders drove into their local timber yard. One of the men walked into the office and said, “We need some four-by-twos.”

The store-man asked, “You mean two-by-fours, don’t you?” The man said, “I’d better go and check,” and went back to the truck. He returned and said, “Yeah, I meant two-by-fours.”

“Alright. How long do you need them?” asked the store-man. The man paused for a minute and said, “I’d better go and check,” and went back to the truck.

After a while, the customer returned to the office and said, “A long time. We’re going to build a house.”

Builders
We all know a joke or two about builders — better than that one I hope. And I’m sure many of us have a builder story to tell, but where would we be without them? For one thing, we’d now be meeting in a cave, or a tent, or even in the open air — not pleasant at this time of year.

Haggai
We’ve heard two building stories in our readings this evening. The first was from a somewhat obscure book of the Bible, the tiny book of the prophet Haggai, all 38 verses of it. Our reading told the story of a meeting of the Fabric Committee of the Jerusalem PCC (as it were).

But what a committee this was. It had three members: Zerubbabel, Joshua and Haggai. We’re in the time of King Darius, he of Daniel and the lions’ den. Darius ended up a good guy in the Daniel story, with good reason. He seems to have been enlightened enough to send Jewish people from Babylon to look after affairs in Jerusalem.

Zerubbabel was in charge of this group of people, appointed as the governor of Judea. Joshua was the high priest, part of the priestly line. And they were met by Haggai the prophet. As I said, what a Fabric Committee!

Let’s have a quick look back at what Haggai first said. He said, you’re back from exile, you’re rebuilding your houses, but haven’t you forgotten something? And he encouraged them to start rebuilding the Temple. But it soon became apparent that this new Temple was a bit disappointing.

King Solomon’s Temple
This isn’t surprising when you go back to the description of Solomon’s original Temple and its furnishings, which you’ll find in the First book of Kings, chapters 6 and 7. They’re worth a read. The first Temple wasn’t huge, probably about the size of this church, but the way it was built and lined with cedar and furnished with gold sounds exquisite.

The New Temple
This new Temple had been envisioned by Ezekiel and it was supposed to be a replacement. But it seems to have been a bit of a pathetic one. Which makes it all the more interesting that Haggai goes on to say, “The latter splendour of this house shall be greater than the former, says the Lord of hosts” (Haggai 2:9). I don’t think he meant that it would be smartened up in the years to come.

So does it mean that the buildings don’t really matter after all? I don’t think so. Because why then was it so important to get the people building in the first place?

Look at what our Jerusalem Fabric Committee went through. They were told to be strong and to work hard. They were told that the Lord would be with them. They were reminded of the covenant they had made with him. They were told that his spirit would be among them. They were told not to fear. And they were given an amazing promise, which should still be heard echoing round the walls of Jerusalem today: “in this place I will give prosperity, says the Lord of hosts” (Haggai 2:9).

Buildings matter
Of course the buildings matter. Actually, this is a dilemma we still face today, isn’t it? On the one hand, I’m glad there have been people with the vision to build our great cathedrals, and churches like St Mary’s –- I’m glad it was built, I think this is a gem of a building and I’m glad we have dedicated people like our Fabric Committee looking after it.

But on the other hand, we could be a bit envious of the church communities that don’t have buildings. They just borrow a school hall, or meet in people’s homes.

Is it easier to concentrate on the Kingdom of God if you don’t have to put your energy into repairing roofs and dealing with dry rot? Maybe: it proves that you don’t have to have beautiful buildings to be a worshipping community. But of course someone has to worry about those material things, and there’s something about the integrity of recognizing that we’re living in a material world, and we’re material people — I suppose that’s why it’s called the Fabric Committee.

John
Before we get too bogged down in buildings, what about our second building story, in our reading from John’s Gospel? I love this. Jesus has just demonstrated a great outburst of anger, making a whip, driving people and animals out and overturning the tables of the money-changers. Outrageous behaviour!

So of course he’s asked to prove his authority for doing those things. You can almost see the glint in Jesus’s eye when he says, ” Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up” (John 2:19).

Now we know, and we know that his disciples knew (eventually) that Jesus was speaking about his body, but his critics fell for it. “This temple has been under construction for forty-six years” (John 2:20). By now we’re on the third temple, which was built by Herod. By all accounts it was grander and stronger than the previous ones, but, as we know, not immune from destruction.

It just seems that Jesus is having a laugh at those who get completely hung up on the buildings issue. For buildings you could read “anything to do with the physical nuts and bolts of our church life”.

Message of our two readings
The message of our two Bible readings is surely: yes, bricks and mortar are important; yes, the integrity of our approach to these things says something about our attitude to God, indeed it is part of our worship. But, no, these things should never give us cause for fretting or disharmony; and, no, they’re not everything.

More remarkable
Jesus’s hearers scoffed when they misunderstood what he meant about rebuilding the Temple in three days. But how much more remarkable is what he actually did mean: that he could allow the temple of his body to be torn down — could allow himself to be killed — and rebuild it again in three days. He would rise from the dead to prove that he’d conquered not just the decay and destruction of buildings, but the decay and destruction of sin and death.

The material aspects of our faith and worship are there and plain to see, and we shouldn’t neglect them any more than we neglect to clean our teeth or mend our fences that blow down in the wind. But we have something so much greater, so much more precious, to guard and to share.

Good news
We have the good news of Jesus Christ. It’s stronger than the thickest stone; it’s worth more than all the silver and gold; it’s more beautiful than the stained glass in our most magnificent Cathedrals; it will endure beyond the last name on the vicars’ board.

The latter splendour of this house shall be greater than the former, says the Lord of hosts; and in this place I will give prosperity, says the Lord of hosts (Haggai 2:9).