Category: Uncategorized

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Gospel: Luke 17: 26-37

Jesus said to his disciples:
“As it was in the days of Noah,
so it will be in the days of the Son of Man;
they were eating and drinking,
marrying and giving in marriage up to the day
that Noah entered the ark,
and the flood came and destroyed them all.
Similarly, as it was in the days of Lot:
they were eating, drinking, buying,
selling, planting, building;
on the day when Lot left Sodom,
fire and brimstone rained from the sky to destroy them all.
So it will be on the day the Son of Man is revealed.
On that day, someone who is on the housetop
and whose belongings are in the house
must not go down to get them,
and likewise one in the field
must not return to what was left behind.
Remember the wife of Lot.
Whoever seeks to preserve his life will lose it,
but whoever loses it will save it.
I tell you, on that night there will be two people in one bed;
one will be taken, the other left.
And there will be two women grinding meal together;
one will be taken, the other left.” 
They said to him in reply, “Where, Lord?”
He said to them, “Where the body is,
there also the vultures will gather.”

The Gospel of the Lord.

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Jesus doesn’t parse words. Certainly, in today’s Gospel, he goes straight to the point.

“I tell you, on that night there will be two people in one bed; one will be taken, the other left.”

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There are many things in life that can be shared – a movie, a car ride home, a bottle of wine, or a bed.

But one thing that cannot be shared – or borrowed – is our relationship with God. We each have our own. You have yours and I have mine.

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Today Jesus reminds us that each person will be judged individually by what that relationship has been like. 

While we cannot read hearts the way God does – nor can we determine how much grace each person has received – there are a few basic questions we can ask ourselves.

Do I love my neighbor? Do I care for the poor? Do I pray? Do I seek the Lord?

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There are some things in life that cannot be borrowed. A person’s relationship with God is one of them.

So, how will I nurture mine today?

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Image credits: (1) Light and Manna (2) Light, Hope, and Truth, Faith: Believing and Pleasing God (3) Pin on Church, Pinterest, Marvin J. Ashton

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Gospel: Luke 19: 45-48

Jesus entered the temple area and proceeded to drive out
those who were selling things, saying to them,
“It is written,
My house shall be a house of prayer,
but you have made it a den of thieves.”
And every day he was teaching in the temple area.
The chief priests, the scribes, and the leaders of the people, meanwhile,
were seeking to put him to death,
but they could find no way to accomplish their purpose
because all the people were hanging on his words.

The Gospel of the Lord.

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Jesus “drove out” the money changers from the temple.

This verb “to drive out” – ekballo – is the same verb used to describe the exorcism, or driving out, of demons. 

Thus, the money changers were like unclean spirits, who needed to be “driven out” of the temple. 

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Notice the symbolism here: both good and evil were at work in the temple.

There were devout Jews entering to pray. Meanwhile, there were money changers seeking to make a profit off of other people’s faith.

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Unfortunately, that’s true everywhere in the world – good and evil intermingle in governments, workplaces, homes, and houses of worship.

As one Russian novelist put it, “If only it were so easy. But the dividing line between good and evil cuts through every human heart. And who wants to destroy a piece of his own heart?”

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As we begin preparing for Advent – the coming of the Lord into our world – perhaps we should consider those areas in our own lives where we need Jesus to drive something out of us. 

Whether it’s a particular habit, a temptation, or a sin of any kind, may the Lord cast out whatever weakens our faith in Him.

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(1) Quote Fancy (2) Christ Driving the Money Changers Out of the Temple, El Greco (3) Groundwork Bible Study

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Gospel: Luke 19: 41-44

As Jesus drew near Jerusalem,
he saw the city and wept over it, saying,
“If this day you only knew what makes for peace–
but now it is hidden from your eyes.
For the days are coming upon you
when your enemies will raise a palisade against you;
they will encircle you and hem you in on all sides.
They will smash you to the ground and your children within you,
and they will not leave one stone upon another within you
because you did not recognize the time of your visitation.”

The Gospel of the Lord.

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For the last three years, Jesus has exercised his public ministry. 

He’s forgiven sins, healed the sick, and even raised Lazarus from the dead. At one point, the crowds following him were so large they nearly trampled him to death.

But now his ministry is coming crashing to an end. He’s about to enter Jerusalem, the place where he’ll be crucified like a criminal.

From the very beginning, however, Jesus warned his disciples that this day was coming.

Now he’s just a week away.

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Consider what that means.

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For at least one thousand days, Jesus carried this knowledge that his public ministry would lead to his death. 

And yet, he doesn’t turn away from it. He embraces it. He perseveres to the end.

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Perhaps this is why he says to us, “Come to me all you who are heavy burdened, and I will give you rest.”

Jesus knows what it feels like to carry a heavy burden. He shows us how to persevere in times of trial through prayer and unrelenting confidence in his Father.

With Jesus by our side, we, too, can persevere through whatever life throws at us.

So, what burdens am I carrying that I might want to share with him?

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Let us pray.

Father, we lift up all who find themselves heavy burdened this day. May they persevere like Jesus, who lives and reigns forever and ever. Amen.

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Image credits: (1) Dreams Quote (2) Dominus Flevit, FourSquare (3) In Due Time Blog