Stay Focused and Carry On

Deadlines are a source of stress. Not too many people like them.

 

However, deadlines serve a useful purpose. As they approach, we tend to get things done. Deadlines give us a sense of urgency.

 

Today’s reading is Matthew 24:29-35.

 

Jesus gave his church, that is, us, a job and a deadline. We are to proclaim the Gospel, care for people and worship our Lord until he comes again. Jesus hints when that might be, but the exact time is not given to us.

 

The deadline has many names: The Day of the Lord and Judgment Day, among others.

 

Judgment Day sounds so final and even scary, yet it will be a day of great joy for Christians. It is the start of eternity in a perfect place with perfect people orchestrated by a perfect God!

 

We humans are a curious lot and want to know when Judgment Day is. Some, unfortunately perhaps, spend too much time thinking about it instead of working on their assignment.

 

Jesus gives us hints. Judgment Day will come while there is war and rumors of war,  famines and earthquakes in various places and many false prophets will appear. Christians will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death.

 

Let’s see … there has been war or rumors of war for over 2000 years some place in this world. Famines are virtually an annual occurrence somewhere and just last month there was another significant earthquake in the world. There have been numerous false prophets in my lifetime and Christians are being martyred almost daily in several parts of the world.

 

Judgment Day must be coming soon.

 

Well, yeah, … but Jesus also tells us, on Judgment Day, “the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky.”  That is, we will know Judgment Day is here because we will see Jesus. That is not much to go by if you are trying to make a prediction.

 

Apparently, trying to predict Judgment Day, our deadline, is a fool’s game. Perhaps the hints are simply reminders that Judgment Day is coming.

 

Perhaps we should rather feel a sense of urgency to get our job done.

 

So, stay focused and carry on!

Rising Above the Fog of This Sinful World

What business is it of mine to judge those outside the church? Are you not to judge those inside? God will judge those outside. “Expel the wicked man from among you.”

 

St. Paul spoke the above verse to the Corinthians, as documented in today’s reading, 1 Corinthians 5:1-12.

 

It is rare for me to talk to a Christian who does not bemoan the moral deterioration of our world during the recent past. Christians are upset over the legalization of abortion. They are mad that our courts have defined an alternative definition of marriage. Many are irate that some of our civic leaders ignore our constitution and act unilaterally, while perhaps being more irate at many other civic leaders who refuse to speak out against such behavior. The list goes on.

 

Christians have a lot of reasons to be irate.

 

Paul’s words give us reason to pause and reflect. Our job is not to judge the world. That will happen on Judgment Day.

 

Our job is not to change the world. Satan is sometimes called the Prince of the World, and the world will follow Satan, its prince.

 

Our job is to share the Gospel with unbelievers. Armed with the Good News of Jesus Christ, we are to rescue people from Satan’s domain, not change Satan’s domain.

 

Paul gives us another responsibility. It is our job to ensure that the Earthly Kingdom of God, that is the Church here on Earth, is pure. The Church is holy; it is to stand out as being morally different than the rest of the world.

 

The Church is filled with sinners, so it is impossible for the church to be pure. That is not a license, however, to give up. Rather, Paul is telling the Church to obey and enforce God's Laws. Paul is not telling us we will not, or should not, sin. He really is telling us that it is a sin not to attempt to follow God’s Laws.

 

The Church is holy and is set apart. Christians must work for its purity.

 

The Church must be seen as rising above the fog of the sinful world.