Time

 

Reflections on Luke 21:5-36 (read it!)

Time, what is it? What do we do with time? How do we use time? Is time really worth anything?

Just last week we changed clocks to Standard Time, whatever that is. I hate this time change. I screw my clocks all up... especially the one on the mantle of the fireplace that chimes the hour. It always gets screwed up when I have to go back an hour. The passage above makes me think of time. Not my time.... but God's time.

Somehow, I don't think time is important to God.  God's time is the only time that has any importance. But it seems to me, in the passage above, time is not important. But yet again, in Jesus, time has value. God came into our time and was born, lived, suffered and died and then...

Jesus brought to me and you and this world a sense of urgency and an eternal order of things. We are called to be patient. We live in God's time, not our time. There is an hour of opportunity that is given to each and all of God's Children. An opportunity to look around and testify.

Jesus talks about the Temple in this passage. The Temple of his day was beautiful. People thought that surely, this house of God was the gate to heaven. But, I don't think Jesus thought of this earthly temple in the same way we do. In so many words, Jesus tells us that this earthly temple will dissolve. Jesus points us to another Temple. An everlasting Temple that comes down from God out of heaven.  Perhaps this Temple is like a messiah, to worship, to sing praises to, pray and give glory to.

But look out! Beware... there will be false messiahs. Not coming down from heaven. Messiahs that I tend to be fooled by, that I think may offer salvation to me, here and now, in this place and time.

I need to understand that I have One Messiah. I, as a Child of God, have One allegiance. I need to take heed and watch out for the false messiahs that I see and not be blinded by my present time and situation. Messiahs like political saviors, technological saviors, scientific saviors, monetary saviors, and on and on. These are all temporary. The One Messiah is eternal... God is, I AM, now and forever.

So what about this time I spend in the here and now, upon this earth? Jesus calls his disciples to take a stand. Now is the time.  We live in a world that is painful and full of suffering and death. We live in a world of destruction and decay. A world in need of renewal, forgiveness, peace and strength.

This is a world that calls us out to take a stand. We can't fall to the terrors of this world and fear the evil contained here.  While here in this place we are called to stand in faith, not cower in fear. As disciples we must not just watch the evil herein, but must stand up! We must take all the action we are capable of delivering. We must use all the gifts God has given us and stand up and do something.

This makes me think of something that my Mom once told me... "God gave you a mouth. Use it!"

Likewise when Luther was told to recant his writings, on the grace of God, he took a stand. "God helping me, I can do no other." He stood by what he saw as God's Word in that place and time. But so much more importantly, I think of Jesus.

Even Jesus didn't step free from the suffering of this world. Jesus had a cross. Jesus suffered, died and stood in place of you and me and the sinful world in which we live, giving his very life and becoming our sin. Jesus took a stand to save us all from sin, death and the devil.

In this stand Jesus took, I see visions of God's time, an ending and a new beginning, for all God's Children. I look upward to the heavens and see a cross of death and pain and blood and suffering, outlined against the clear blue sky of joy, hope, love and salvation that spans onward into eternity.

I see the signs of the end, the suffering, destruction, sin, hate, evil and death, are the signs of God's New Beginning.  I see Jesus, resurrection and my resurrection, and your resurrection and the resurrection of all who believe. Jesus is coming!

So what about this time thing? Repent, watch and pray. Tell the Gospel wherever you can and to all you can.  God's Word... the Word made flesh in Jesus, will never pass away. 

And in God's time... we will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud raising all of his people to be with him.... yes... in time... today... tomorrow... and forever. 

Rejoice in this time and may God direct our hearts in love towards him and love towards one another to do what is right.

Thanks be to God!