Christ said 'this' generation in Matthew because He was referring to the generation He was talking about, the one that was going to deal with the anti-Christ.
Whats more, how did His disciples take this to mean this in one sentence and this to mean that in another? I believe you know the answer to those questions.
Yes, I know the answer to the question based on what the passages say.
Matthew is speaking of a future generation and Luke to the current one.
Since the disciples didn't see the abomination of desolation put into the Temple, but did see armies surrounding them, they knew what warning to heed, the one dealing with the destruction of Jerusalem.
In fact, God didn't even want Paul returning to Jerusalem, he was done with that city-for now.
But no abomination of desolation ever stood in the temple of 70AD and nor did all the tribes see Christ when He returned to save the city-that was going to happen in the future (Matthew 24:30)
And you know the answer to that question but refuse to see the truth.
Look up in your concordance “this generation” and you will find that every time “this generation” is used, it means the generation living presently. Then look up “that generation” and you will find that God only said “that generation” when He meant a generation at a different time.
You’re telling me that “this” means “this” in Luke but “this” means “that” in Matthew. Your answer is as intellectually dishonest as Clinton’s “it depends on what the meaning of ‘is’ is.
BTW, if you knew anything about the Roman empire, you would know that Roman soldiers carried graven images of Ceasar with them and worshipped that image.
Incidentally, I hope you didn’t take any of my posts as a personal insult because they weren’t meant to be.