Sunday 18 November 2007
- Bible Book:
- Luke
"And he said, 'Beware that you are not led astray; for many will come in my name and say, "I am he!" and, "The time is near!" Do not go after them. When you hear of wars and insurrections, do not be terrified; for these things must take place first, but the end will not follow immediately'. Then he said to them, 'Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom; there will be great earthquakes, and in various places famines and plagues; and there will be dreadful portents and great signs from heaven'". (v.8-11)
Background
Hardly a week goes by without there being some mention of 'warsand rumours or war' in hot spots such as Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan,North Korea, Sudan. And courtesy of improvements intelecommunications and 24-hour news, we are aware of the tornadoes,typhoons, tsunamis, floods and famines experienced right across theglobe.
As Christians who are concerned about our world, what are we tomake of these events? Do they signify the onset of the end times -as mentioned in today's reading - or are they a result of globalwarming and/or the excesses of globalisation? Equally, if thelatter is the case, is Christ calling for us to take greater heedof climate change, and the need for a fairer system of wealthallocation between rich and poorer nations?
This passage comes from the final week of Jesus' life when he talksabout the signs of the end of the age. However, Jesus tells some ofhis disciples to 'watch out that you are not deceived'. His messageis that we should focus on the world around us, but ensure that wedo not become too fixated by external events in regards to hissecond coming, as this may take our eyes off the Lord.
We worship a sovereign God who reigns supreme, even in the midst ofa hurricane or a war, and his divine purposes are being worked out,despite the calamities of war or natural disasters. Ourresponsibilities are to 'watch and pray' and remain faithful to ourGod, who is 'an anchor who keeps the soul, steadfast and sure whilethe billows roll' (Hymns & Psalms 689).
To Ponder
What would we want to say to God when we hear oftsunamis and earthquakes?
What does 'watch and pray' mean to you?