Present Times

Jesus said, "I came to bring fire to the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled! I have a baptism with which to be baptized, and what stress I am under until it is completed! Do you think that I have come to bring peace to the earth? No, I tell you, but rather division! From now on five in one household will be divided, three against two and two against three; they will be divided:

father against son
and son against father,
mother against daughter
and daughter against mother,
mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law
and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law."

He also said to the crowds, "When you see a cloud rising in the west, you immediately say, `It is going to rain'; and so it happens. And when you see the south wind blowing, you say, `There will be scorching heat'; and it happens. You hypocrites! You know how to interpret the appearance of earth and sky, but why do you not know how to interpret the present time?" Luke 12:49-56


Almighty God, you have given your only Son to be for us a sacrifice for sin, and also an example of godly life: Give us grace to receive thankfully the fruits of his redeeming work, and to follow daily in the blessed steps of his most holy life; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

We spent much of the afternoon moving into the house we are renting so that our whole gang can be together for our daughter Phoebe's wedding. A week from today they will be saying their vows in front of family and friends. These are wondrous and anxious times. There is so much to do, so much to be excited about and so much worry with what can go wrong. Some times, we just have to trust that God will be with us, no matter the details or the problems that arise.

Jesus is feeling the heat of stress and anxiety. Big things are happening and the people are focused on petty and useless details. They don't realize the importance of the moment they are in and are distracted by small things. He is riled up enough to paint images with big words, fire and destruction, heat and storms, struggles and in-fighting, just so the people would pay attention. Some times we do forget to pay attention to God working in our lives. Sometimes we forget to trust God in everything.

Today I ask God to help me pay attention and to trust God in everything. May we all realize the times are changing and God is calling us to new places and new ministries. May we not be distracted by the small things nor rest expecting life to be the same as yesterday. And in everything and everything, may we trust God with it all.