It's in our Hands

Scripture:  Luke 17:26-37

26 As it was in the days of Noah, so will it be in the days of the Son of man.  27 They ate, they drank, they married, they were given in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed  them all. 28 Likewise as it was in the days of Lot -- they ate, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they built, 29 but on the day when Lot went out from Sodom fire and sulphur rained from heaven and destroyed them all -- 30 so will it be on the day when the Son of man is revealed. 31 On that day, let him who is on the housetop, with his goods in the house, not come down to take them away; and likewise let him who is in the field not turn back. 32 Remember Lot's wife. 33 Whoever seeks to gain his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life will preserve it. 34 I tell you, in that night there will be two in one bed; one will be taken and the other left. 35 There will be two women grinding together; one will be taken and the other left." 37 And they said to him, "Where, Lord?" He said to them, "Where the body is, there the eagles will be gathered together."

Reflection: When Jesus talked about the day of Judgement, He advised His disciples to detach themselves to things that are not important. Those who are preoccupied with selfish pursuits and pleasure will regret it. For "whoever seeks to gain his life will lose it".  Jesus said that on the day of Judgement "let him who is on the housetop with goods in the house, not come down to take them away." He is teaching us to detach ourselves to fleeting things which are not important. Lot's wife while fleeing from Sodom could not detach from her worldly possessions and that caused her to look back. And you know what happened to her. We should ask ourselves: "are there persons or possessions that are more important in our lives and are keeping us from focusing on God and His will?" 

We are responsible for playing our part in our own salvation. God will judge each of us according to how we responded to His love, ultimately we cannot point to others as responsible for the consequences of our actions. That is what Jesus meant when on the day of Judgement, "one will be taken and the other left". No one can get a free ride to heaven on the merits of someone else, we all have a responsibility to live out our faith according to God's will. God has done His part in our salvation, now it's up to us to do ours. The good news is God is willing and able to give us the grace we need to help us do our part. 

The day of the Lord is coming and it is inevitable. It can be scary for those who are not prepared, and it can be anticipated with joyful hope for those who live according to God's will. Are we going to be be left behind or not? The choice is ours. 

Stewards of God's Creation

Scripture: Matthew 21:33-43
33 "Hear another parable. There was a householder who planted a vineyard, and set a hedge around it, and dug a wine press in it, and built a tower, and let it out to tenants, and went into another country. 34 When the season of fruit drew near, he sent his servants to the tenants, to get his fruit; 35 and the tenants took his servants and beat one, killed another, and stoned another. 36 Again he sent other servants, more than the first; and they did the same to them. 37 Afterward he sent his son to them, saying, `They will respect my son.' 38 But when the tenants saw the son, they said to themselves, `This is the heir; come, let us kill him and have his inheritance.' 39 And they took him and cast him out of the vineyard, and killed him. 40 When therefore the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenants?" 41 They said to him, "He will put those wretches to a miserable death, and let out the vineyard to other tenants who will give him the fruits in their seasons." 42 Jesus said to them, "Have you never read in the scriptures: `The very stone which the builders rejected has become the head of the corner; this was the Lord's doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes'? 43 Therefore I tell you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a nation producing the fruits of it."

Reflection:  God gave us a world that has everything we need. And He gave us the wisdom and talent to harness all the resources of His creation for the betterment of our lives. This shows great trust on the part of God to make us stewards of His vineyard--- caretakers of His creation. But God sees that we abuse the trust and freedom He has given us. This resulted in much destruction, suffering, and injustice. To make things right, God sent Jesus His Son. The Son's mission is not to condemn, but to make us realize the things we have done wrong, and show us the Way to fix our mistakes. In the hardness of our hearts, we rejected the Son and continue in our evil ways.

Thank God, He does not lose His trust in us. He continues to be patient, and calls us to follow Jesus. But there will be a time for God's Justice when on the day of Judgement He will likewise reject those who rejected Him. That time is coming.

Now is still the season for God's mercy. Let us not waste this great opportunity and blessing. While there is still time, let us hear the Son and embrace His ways. Let us be good stewards of life and creation which God has lovingly given to us. When the time of Judgement comes, we hope to hear God say: "Come to me my beloved children, you have become a faithful image of my Son."