“Be Ready”


BIBLE READING: Matthew 25
DISCUSSION                                                                              
Matthew 25:13 
If Jesus had told us exactly when He was coming, who would not be ready?  How many would try to lead sinful lives just before His coming and then change their lifestyles just before He returned?  This can be seen in so many ways in our daily lives.  If you are driving down the road and you meet a car whose driver is flashing his lights, you know there is a police officer up ahead waiting to catch us speeding.  We drive along and then see the officer just off the road ahead.  After we pass him, we’ll probably speed up again.
Since we don't know when Jesus is coming, we must always be prepared.  In Jesus' words, "keep watching and praying that [we] may not enter into temptation" (26:41).  Does this mean that we are to sit idly by, waiting and watching the heavens for the Lord's return?  There have been many over the years who have tried to predict when Jesus will return.  They all failed.  Jesus says in Matthew 24:36, "But of that day and hour knoweth no one, not even the angels of heaven, neither the Son, but the Father only."  This straightforwardly says no one knows the date of Christ's return except the Father.  If Jesus didn't know and the inspired writers of the Bible didn't know, then those who try to look for "clues" in the Scriptures are wasting their time.
Jesus knew that some would try to foretell His second coming.  To avoid this, He presented the Parable of the Talents.  The parable clarifies a misconception about the Lord's return.  Some early Christians apparently believed the Lord would return shortly after He ascended into heaven.  They gave up working and tending to matters of life to spend their time in continual prayer, study, and meditation.  The parable of the talents shows this to be inappropriate.


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Colors of Christmas: Green

  Discussion:                                    Evergreen plants, like holly and mistletoe have been used for thousands of years to decorate and brighten up buildings during the long dark winter. They also reminded people that spring would come and winter wouldn't last forever! The Romans would exchange evergreen branches during January as a sign of good luck. The ancient Egyptians used to bring palm branches into their houses during the mid-winter festivals. In many parts of Europe during the Middle Ages, “paradise plays” were performed, often on Christmas Eve. They told Bible stories to people who couldn't read. “The Paradise Tree” in the Garden of Eden in the play was normally a pine tree with red apples tied to it. Today, think about the newness of life we have because we are in Christ. The old man could represent the dark winter and the barren trees. Then think of the bright Christmas trees that are so easily seen! … Help brighten someone’s life this week! Inform
Read more

“Blow-out in Boston”

BIBLE READING: Luke 14 DISCUSSION                                                                                       Boston Globe's account in June 1990 of a most unusual wedding banquet… Accompanied by her fiancé, a woman went to the Hyatt Hotel in downtown Boston and ordered the meal. The two of them poured over the menu, made selections of china and silver, and pointed to pictures of the flower arrangements they liked. They both had expensive taste, and the bill came to $13,000. After leaving a check for half that amount as down payment, the couple went home to flip through books of wedding announcements. The day the announcements were supposed to hit the mailbox, the groom got cold feet. "I'm just not sure," he said. "It's a big commitment. Let's think about this a little longer." When his angry fiancé returned to the Hyatt to cancel the banquet, the manager could not have been more understanding. However, concerning the refund, she h
Read more

“Is there Joy in your Heart?”

  DISCUSSION:                              There are so many things going on in this world today that it is easy to let worry have more room in our heart than happiness. In the medical world, we are constantly being reminded of the preventive medicine we need. Unlike 60 years ago when health only entered our minds when we got sick, today we are told continually of so much that can happen to our health if we don’t have this test run, take this pill, or get this shot to prevent some type of virus infecting us. If you allow it, you can give this too much attention. Of course, it is important to have good health. As we get older it really seems to get a lot more of our attention. Don’t let worry about your health take your eyes off the cross. The words of God given wisdom from Solomon in Proverbs 4, we see that a physically healthy heart is important, but to keep focused on good things to keep our spiritual heart clean and healthy. There is no medical test in place to make sure we are
Read more