Ready for the Lord
The author of Wisdom accuses non-Jews of being blind. They see the beauty of creation, but they fail to recognize the creator behind them, so much so, that they begin to adore created things.
Jesus reprimands those who fail to see the signs of his coming in judgment. His coming is not an exceptional event, for Jesus blames the people for their careless lack of vigilance in daily life. He keeps coming, and this is why people have to be ready always.
Reading: Wisdom 13:1-9
All of our enemies come by their stupidity honestly; it’s built into their nature. The subject of God just doesn’t come up; when confronted by all the good things in the world, these ignorant people can’t wrap their mind around Him-Who-Is, nor would they recognize the architect of the world if they bumped into him in the parking lot. The best they can do when it comes to gods are fire, wind, tornado, hurricane, even the celestial candelabra.
Granted, there’s some dark beauty or deep divinity in all these, but how much better it would be to find in them the real Lord God; he’s the author of all created things.
Admiring the power and performance of created things is one thing, but it should point to the one who made them, the one who’s more power- ful than they. From the magnitude and beauty of created things one can reasonably expect to see the Creator himself.
But perhaps they aren’t as dense as we think; even as they err, they’re looking for God and want to find him. Wandering around creation they make inquiries, but for them seeing is believing, and there are so many curious things to see.
Ultimately, though, ignorance is no excuse. Even the ignorant are able to learn and apply that knowledge to the world; hence, finding the Lord of Creation should have been a comparatively easy task. How unhappy they must be, putting their hopes in things that have no life! Too quickly they put the Made-in-Heaven sticker onto all sorts of bric-a-brac: gold and silver jewelry, animal sculpture, a random stone turned into a piece of art by an ancient hand.
Gospel: Luke 17:26-37
“The time of the Son of Man will be just like the time of Noah—everyone carrying on as usual, having a good time right up to the day Noah boarded the ship. They suspected nothing until the flood hit and swept everything away.
“It was the same in the time of Lot—the people carrying on, having a good time, business as usual right up to the day Lot walked out of Sodom and a firestorm swept down and burned everything to a crisp. That’s how it will be—sudden, total—when the Son of Man is revealed.
“When the Day arrives and you’re out working in the yard, don’t run into the house to get anything. And if you’re out in the field, don’t go back and get your coat. Remember what happened to Lot’s wife! If you grasp and cling to life on your terms, you’ll lose it, but if you let that life go, you’ll get life on God’s terms.
“On that Day, two men will be in the same boat fishing—one taken, the other left. Two women will be working in the same kitchen—one taken, the other left.”
Trying to take all this in, the disciples said, “Master, where?”
He told them, “Watch for the circling of the vultures. They’ll spot the corpse first. The action will begin around my dead body.”
Prayer
Our saving God,
we are your people on the march
who try to carry out the task
of giving shape to your kingdom of love and peace.
When we are discouraged and afraid or careless,
keep us going forward in hope,
make us vigilant in prayer,
that we may see the signs of your Son’s coming.
Let Jesus walk with us already now
on the road he has shown us,
that he may lead us to you,
our living God, for ever and ever. Amen.
