Focus

As you quiet yourself for this brief time, be willing to be open to God in whatever way that may take place.

Read

Matthew 24:36-44 New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)

“But about that day and hour no one knows, neither the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. For as the days of Noah were, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day Noah entered the ark, and they knew nothing until the flood came and swept them all away, so too will be the coming of the Son of Man. Then two will be in the field; one will be taken and one will be left. Two women will be grinding meal together; one will be taken and one will be left. Keep awake therefore, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming. But understand this: if the owner of the house had known in what part of the night the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and would not have let his house be broken into. Therefore, you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an unexpected hour.”

Reflect

In the scripture this morning I am thinking on verse 38: “For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day Noah entered the ark, and they knew nothing until the flood came and swept them all away, so too will be the coming of the Son of Man.”

No one paid attention, no one was on their guard, no one was being attentive in the days of Noah. I feel as though, the church finds itself in the same boat (get it?). I am big on statistics about culture, religion, money, and other subjects related to the job I do. There is a large amount of information that is readily available to anyone who wants to do the slightest bit of research about the health of the church and the moral/spiritual health of our culture and it is rather bleak. I’m not sure if anyone is paying attention. I look at the stats of depression, loneliness, divorces, breakdown of education, drug use, breakdown of neighborhood involvement, crime statistics and so on.

What breaks my heart is that the church offers the solution to every one of these ills. Throughout history, the Church by the proclamation of the Gospel, the administration of the sacraments, and the discipling of people the Church has redeemed people and cultures. The Church has been the ark in which safety and healing was found.
Maybe broken people don’t know they are broken. Maybe they know they are broken but they are looking to the government for a fix. Maybe people are hurting, and they are looking for healing, but they don’t know about the church. Why? How can people not know about the church?

Maybe they don’t know about the church because the church has been preoccupied with other things than seeing people who are hurting. Maybe the church has worried so much about politics, or styles of worship, or maybe even talking about evangelism, but not actually doing the mission of God. Maybe it’s the church that knows nothing–or rather forgot her power and authority in the name of Jesus Christ.

Pray

Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on us. Lord Jesus Christ, give us eyes to see the work, lips to proclaim the Gospel, and hands to serve. Amen

Go with God!