Daily Reading & Meditation Friday (November 14): One will be taken and the other left Scripture: Luke 17:26-37 26 As it was in the days of Noah, so will it be in the days of the Son of man. 27 They ate, they drank, they married, they were given in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all. 28 Likewise as it was in the days of Lot -- they ate, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they built, 29 but on the day when Lot went out from Sodom fire and sulphur rained from heaven and destroyed them all -- 30 so will it be on the day when the Son of man is revealed. 31 On that day, let him who is on the housetop, with his goods in the house, not come down to take them away; and likewise let him who is in the field not turn back. 32 Remember Lots wife. 33 Whoever seeks to gain his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life will preserve it. 34 I tell you, in that night there will be two in one bed; one will be taken and the other left. 35 There will be two women grinding together; one will be taken and the other left. 37 And they said to him, Where, Lord? He said to them, Where the body is, there the eagles will be gathered together. Meditation: What can nature teach us about the return of the Lord Jesus on the day of final judgment at the end of the world? Jesus quoted a familiar proverb to his audience: Where the body is, there the eagles (or vultures) will be gathered together. Eagles, like vultures, are attracted to carrion - the carcass of dying or dead animals. The Book of Job describes the eagle spying out its prey from afar (Job 39:29). The eagles swoop to catch their prey when the conditions are right, especially if the prey is exposed and vulnerable to a surprise attack. Severely weakened or dying prey have no chance of warding off forces that can destroy and kill. Sign of the gathering eagles and vultures Whats the point of this analogy? Its inevitable that some life-threatening or life-changing event or cause will take place when the necessary conditions are fulfilled. The return of the Lord Jesus is certain, but the time is unknown. The Day of the Lords judgment and final verdict will come swiftly and unexpectedly. Jesus warns his listeners to not be caught off guard when that day arrives. It will surely come in Gods good time! Those we accept Jesus Christ as Lord will enter his everlasting kingdom What does Jesus mean when he says that one person will be taken and another left? God judges each person individually on how they have responded to his mercy and his gracious invitation to accept or reject his kingship - to either live as citizens or as enemies of his kingdom. We cannot pass off personal responsibility and accountability for how we have lived our lives to someone else, such as a close friend, spouse, or family member. No one can discharge his or her duty by proxy or by association with someone else. The good news is that God gives grace and help to all who seek him with faith and trust in his mercy. The Lord Jesus freely gives us his Holy Spirit so that we may have the wisdom, help, and strength we need to turn away from sin and to embrace Gods way of love, righteousness, and holiness. The Lords warning of judgment is a cause for dismay for those who have not heeded his warning and are now unprepared, but it brings joyful hope to those who eagerly anticipate the Lords return in glory. The choice we make now - for or against Christ - will determine our future destination on the day judgment Gods judgment and final verdict is good news for those who are ready to meet him. Their reward is God himself, the source and author of all that is good - truth, beauty, love, and everlasting life. The people in Noahs time ignored the Lords warning of impending judgment. They missed the boat, literally! Whose boat are you taking - the worlds boat to short-lived success and happiness or Gods boat to an eternal kingdom and bliss with him? Those whose hope is firmly anchored in heaven will not be disappointed when Gods judgment and verdict comes. They rejoice even now that they will see the Lord in his glory! Is your hope firmly placed in God and his kingdom? Lord Jesus Christ, I place all my hope in you because you have redeemed the world by your death on the cross and by your victory over the grave. Help me to never lose sight of the goal of heaven that I may live each day in joyful anticipation of your return in glory. Psalm 19:1-4 1 The heavens are telling the glory of God; and the firmament proclaims his handiwork. 2 Day to day pours forth speech, and night to night declares knowledge. 3 There is no speech, nor are there words; their voice is not heard; 4 yet their voice goes out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world. Daily Quote from the early church fathers: Those working in the field are sowing the Word of God, by Ambrose of Milan, 339-397 A.D. He that will be on the housetop, do not let him go down. He that will be in the field, do not let him turn back. How may I understand what is the field unless Jesus himself teaches me? He says, No one putting his hand to the plough and looking back is fit for the kingdom of God (Luke 9:62). The lazy person sits in the farmhouse, but the industrious person plants in the field. The weak are at the fireplace, but the strong are at the plough. The smell of a field is good, because the smell of Jacob is the smell of a full field (Genesis 27:27). A field is full of flowers. It is full of different fruits. Plough your field if you want to be sent to the kingdom of God. Let your field flower, fruitful with good rewards. Let there be a fruitful vine on the sides of your house and young olive plants around your table (Psalm 127:3). Already aware of its fertility, let your soul, sown with the Word of God and tilled by spiritual farming, say to Christ, Come, my brother, let us go out into the field (Song of Solomon 7:11). Let him reply, I have come into my garden, my sister, my bride. I have gathered my vintage of myrrh (Song of Solomon 5:1). What is better than the vintage of faith, by which the fruit of the resurrection is stored and the spring of eternal rejoicing is watered? (excerpt from EXPOSITION OF THE GOSPEL OF LUKE 8.43.27) Just, A. A. (Ed.). (2005). Luke (p. 273). Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press. (excerpt from LETTER 63.109–11) Go to | Daily Reading & Meditation Index | Meditations may be freely reprinted for non-commercial use. Cite copyright & source: dailyscripture.net author Don Schwager © 2014 Servants of the Word
Posted on: Fri, 14 Nov 2014 00:48:04 +0000
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