Thanks Jesus
This is the reflection that will be sent out to the people of St. Timothy this Thursday. This is not an easy text of scripture with which to grapple and I would like to hear your insights. Let's dialogue!
Gospel: Luke 21:5-19
5When some were speaking about the temple, how it was adorned with beautiful stones and gifts dedicated to God, [Jesus] said, 6“As for these things that you see, the days will come when not one stone will be left upon another; all will be thrown down.”
7They asked him, “Teacher, when will this be, and what will be the sign that this is about to take place?” 8And he said, “Beware that you are not led astray; for many will come in my name and say, ‘I am he!’ and, ‘The time is near!’ Do not go after them.
9“When you hear of wars and insurrections, do not be terrified; for these things must take place first, but the end will not follow immediately.” 10Then he said to them, “Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom; 11there will be great earthquakes, and in various places famines and plagues; and there will be dreadful portents and great signs from heaven.
12“But before all this occurs, they will arrest you and persecute you; they will hand you over to synagogues and prisons, and you will be brought before kings and governors because of my name. 13This will give you an opportunity to testify. 14So make up your minds not to prepare your defense in advance; 15for I will give you words and a wisdom that none of your opponents will be able to withstand or contradict. 16You will be betrayed even by parents and brothers, by relatives and friends; and they will put some of you to death. 17You will be hated by all because of my name. 18But not a hair of your head will perish. 19By your endurance you will gain your souls.”
Are you a fan of the sci-fi genre? Ray and I are. We especially enjoy disaster movies or ones with pandemics. But those are merely fiction.
When Jesus speaks of a reality to come, it’s scary. But then, there’s something I think is even worse—being arrested and persecuted for being a Christian. I love the way Jesus frames this, “This will give you an opportunity to testify” (v. 13). Thanks Jesus.
But as we’ve talked about before, being a Christian doesn’t mean we get to escape all kinds of problems. It means that in the middle of the really hard things of life—your home being burned down and losing everything, dealing with political unrest, hurricanes, floods, family problems—you name it. No matter what life may throw at us, Jesus is with us, holding us close through all that we might experience. “’17You will be hated by all because of my name. 18But not a hair of your head will perish. 19By your endurance you will gain your souls.’” That sounds encouraging, but what about faithful people in the past who died for their faith?
Sometimes all I know is that God is faithful and God and is with us in the middle of what feels like the garbage heap of our lives. God keeps us close to himself.
Let us pray:
O God, you have called your servants to ventures of which we cannot see the ending, by paths as yet untrodden, through perils unknown. Give us faith to go out with good courage, not knowing where we go, but only that your hand is leading us and your love supporting us; through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen (ELW, p. 304).
Picture
Gospel: Luke 21:5-19
5When some were speaking about the temple, how it was adorned with beautiful stones and gifts dedicated to God, [Jesus] said, 6“As for these things that you see, the days will come when not one stone will be left upon another; all will be thrown down.”
7They asked him, “Teacher, when will this be, and what will be the sign that this is about to take place?” 8And he said, “Beware that you are not led astray; for many will come in my name and say, ‘I am he!’ and, ‘The time is near!’ Do not go after them.
9“When you hear of wars and insurrections, do not be terrified; for these things must take place first, but the end will not follow immediately.” 10Then he said to them, “Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom; 11there will be great earthquakes, and in various places famines and plagues; and there will be dreadful portents and great signs from heaven.
12“But before all this occurs, they will arrest you and persecute you; they will hand you over to synagogues and prisons, and you will be brought before kings and governors because of my name. 13This will give you an opportunity to testify. 14So make up your minds not to prepare your defense in advance; 15for I will give you words and a wisdom that none of your opponents will be able to withstand or contradict. 16You will be betrayed even by parents and brothers, by relatives and friends; and they will put some of you to death. 17You will be hated by all because of my name. 18But not a hair of your head will perish. 19By your endurance you will gain your souls.”
Are you a fan of the sci-fi genre? Ray and I are. We especially enjoy disaster movies or ones with pandemics. But those are merely fiction.
When Jesus speaks of a reality to come, it’s scary. But then, there’s something I think is even worse—being arrested and persecuted for being a Christian. I love the way Jesus frames this, “This will give you an opportunity to testify” (v. 13). Thanks Jesus.
But as we’ve talked about before, being a Christian doesn’t mean we get to escape all kinds of problems. It means that in the middle of the really hard things of life—your home being burned down and losing everything, dealing with political unrest, hurricanes, floods, family problems—you name it. No matter what life may throw at us, Jesus is with us, holding us close through all that we might experience. “’17You will be hated by all because of my name. 18But not a hair of your head will perish. 19By your endurance you will gain your souls.’” That sounds encouraging, but what about faithful people in the past who died for their faith?
Sometimes all I know is that God is faithful and God and is with us in the middle of what feels like the garbage heap of our lives. God keeps us close to himself.
Let us pray:
O God, you have called your servants to ventures of which we cannot see the ending, by paths as yet untrodden, through perils unknown. Give us faith to go out with good courage, not knowing where we go, but only that your hand is leading us and your love supporting us; through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen (ELW, p. 304).
Picture
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