December 10, 2012

Luke 21:20-28

 "When you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then know that its desolation has come near.  Then those in Judea must flee to the mountains, and those inside the city must leave it, and those out in the country must not enter it;  for these are days of vengeance, as a fulfillment of all that is written.  Woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing infants in those days! For there will be great distress on the earth and wrath against this people; they will fall by the edge of the sword and be taken away as captives among all nations; and Jerusalem will be trampled on by the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.

 

 "There will be signs in the sun, the moon, and the stars, and on the earth distress among nations confused by the roaring of the sea and the waves.  People will faint from fear and foreboding of what is coming upon the world, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken.  Then they will see 'the Son of Man coming in a cloud' with power and great glory.  Now when these things begin to take place, stand up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near."

           

       While the message of the Advent season calls us to prepare for our celebration of the birth of Christ, it also reminds us of Christ's promise to come again and fully establish his kingdom.  To those in Jesus' day, this "second coming" would have been termed "the Day of the Lord," and was often thought of as the day of God's judgment.  When Jesus began talking about that day, his disciples asked: "When will this be?  What signs will there be?"  Our passage for today is a portion of Jesus' answer to his disciples' question. Unfortunately, Jesus' answer offers few details and no time line. Rather, as this section of Luke's gospel continues, Jesus instructs his disciples not to worry about the specifics, but to be alert and ready so that when he does return, they will experience his presence in all its glory.  Advent calls us to adopt that same posture of alertness and readiness.  How to we adopt that posture?  Tomorrow's devotional will provide us with some sound advice from the Apostle Paul, but for now, it is enough that we watch and wait.

 

            Prayer:

            Holy God, we thank you for coming to us in Jesus Christ and for the glimpse of your glorious kingdom we have received through him.  As we await his return and the full revelation of your kingdom, help us not to be so focused upon the future that we miss the myriad of ways you come to us during the normal course of our daily lives.  Amen.