Good Morning Friends,
We live in a hurry up and wait world. And the first Christians who expected Jesus to be coming back soon and very soon must have been frustrated by this lack of closure. So, for us today as we imagine what we would do if the world as we know it now was to end tomorrow, in a week, or in a month. And the limited time would prompt us to reconsider our behavior and probably be a little less hypocritical. But even in the thinking about it, given that life is so short as it is, it really makes me wonder why we all are not already living a life in the urgency of Christ’s return. What Would You Do Differently If The World Were Ending Tomorrow?
Scripture: But by the same word the present heavens and earth have been reserved for fire, being kept until the day of judgment and destruction of the godless. But do not ignore this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like one day. The Lord is not slow about his promise, as some think of slowness, but is patient with you, not wanting any to perish, but all to come to repentance. But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a loud noise, and the elements will be dissolved with fire, and the earth and everything that is done on it will be disclosed. Since all these things are to be dissolved in this way, what sort of persons ought you to be in leading lives of holiness and godliness, waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be set ablaze and dissolved, and the elements will melt with fire? But, in accordance with his promise, we wait for new heavens and a new earth, where righteousness is at home. Therefore, beloved, while you are waiting for these things, strive to be found by him at peace, without spot or blemish; and regard the patience of our Lord as salvation. So also our beloved brother Paul wrote to you according to the wisdom given him, You therefore, beloved, since you are forewarned, beware that you are not carried away with the error of the lawless and lose your own stability. But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.
2 Peter 3:7-15a, 17-18 (NRSV)
Then they sent to him some Pharisees and some Herodians to trap him in what he said. And they came and said to him, “Teacher, we know that you are sincere, and show deference to no one; for you do not regard people with partiality, but teach the way of God in accordance with truth. Is it lawful to pay taxes to the emperor, or not? Should we pay them, or should we not?” But knowing their hypocrisy, he said to them, “Why are you putting me to the test? Bring me a denarius and let me see it.” And they brought one. Then he said to them, “Whose head is this, and whose title?” They answered, “The emperor’s.” Jesus said to them, “Give to the emperor the things that are the emperor’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” And they were utterly amazed at him.
Mark 12:13-17 (NRSV)
Message: A cursory reading of today’s Gospel story will give the impression that this was about money as the be all and end all, however Jesus turns the tables making the lesson far deeper than we imagine. Jesus has us face up to the fact that we want to portray our best to others so that people think highly of us. We shower, brush our teeth and hair and put on clean clothes to make ourselves presentable…. We even calculate what we are going to say and do to impress others with activities of pleasure seeking and personal gratification. Image is everything. And the image on the coinage of the realm…well… you get the point about power and its source. Unfortunately, our actions in doing the things we need to do every day betrays our divided interests. Like all the characters in today’s text we are portraying an image that will not last unless we portray to the world around us the image of Christ. Friends, if we bear the real mark of Christ we will give of our time, energy, livelihood and heart to the work of the Kingdom. We will obey Christ’s command to love in a way to glorify God. If the focus of our hearts is on worldly concerns, I think we miss the true gift of the time. Maybe we just need to let Jesus reign more in our hearts and lives and not be so concerned about making our mark. Friends choose the Mark of Christ…the mark of a circumcised heart…love. It is the only thing to do.
And So, I am pretty sure that my concept of time and that of God’s would not align perfectly. God’s timing is perfect and mine less so. For the Lord, one day is like a thousand years and a thousand years is like a day. The thing is that the Lord is not slow to fulfill promises, as some count slowness, but patient toward us, not wishing that any should perish but that all should reach repentance. So, if the time was short, I would repent and get my affairs in order, but primarily I would prepare my soul for Jesus. When I think about the early church, they must have been the most Holy and Godly people on earth, believing as they did. Today we are plagued with thinking we live forever. So, it would be good for us all to be living holy and godly lives, for in so doing we would make the world a little better and those who are not saved would see our behavior and potentially want to be saved, thus hurrying the Lord to come.
Pray we ask God for forgiveness for having squandered so much time. Pray we are sealed with the image of Christ. Pray we forgive others. Pray we not waste our days of opportunity.
Pray we not submit to reckless abandonment of anything that means something and will be important for even our short future. Pray we be honest about what and who we love. Pray we be who we are in all its reality. Pray we share what we have learned. Pray we bear the image of God. Pray we give ourselves over to God. Pray we give back to God what belongs to God. Pray we realize that everything belongs to God Pray we not waste time with trivial matters. Pray we thank the people who have helped to make us who we are. Pray we believe that God will never quit. Pray we trust in a reality that we should never give up. Pray in our life and death we be a witness to the glory of God.
Blessings,
Daily Devotionals 