Saturday, March 18, 2023

 

Saturday, March 18, 2023


Psalms 41; 44:1-9

Genesis 50:7-26

Luke 17:20-37


Observance: Cyril of Jerusalem, bishop and teacher (d. 386)


Jesus said to them, “Where the corpse is, there the vultures will gather.”


Some decades ago we had a public awareness campaign encouraging us that if we were to see something, then we were to say something. It was like living during COVID, except instead of being afraid of people who picked their nose in public, we were afraid of men who wore turbans. Back then, as now, we all thought we were being very wise and sensible if we took the decision to use part of our brain power to keep this topic in our minds.


But now we have COVID fatigue (and we had terrorism fatigue back then, too). Being sensible about these things might actually not be so sensible; it wears us down, distracts us from issues directly in our control, and ends up warping our view of reality.


Christ would have us be free from the worry of the end times. Not to be free from the fact that it will, one day, come: but to be free from the worry of having to watch out for it. It will be very obvious when it happens. Just as lightning is obvious when it strikes, so will be the return of our Lord. Look for the vultures; there is the carcass. Whatever natural disaster or global conflict pops up on the news tonight, remember that it has happened before, and will happen again. Christ’s return, by contrast, will be like nothing else.


In the meantime, we are to focus on what we can influence. The first is the call to repentance: to turn from sin to holiness, to disown anything rotten and evil, and follow Jesus. The second is to follow His two great commandments. If we love God, then there is nothing to be afraid of. And by loving God, His love flows back in to us, and we are then truly able to love one another. Is there anything else worth thinking about?



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