Luke 21
Summary
Jesus begins with a quick reminder that the true value of a gift is based on what the giver has to give. Maybe something to keep in mind this season.
But then he gets into some pretty serious warnings. He predicts the destruction of the temple -- turns out it was about the future destruction of the glorious building as well as the soon to be destruction of his body (yeah, that temple). Jesus warns of coming wars and persecution and the destruction of Jerusalem (when the temple was destroyed).
He talks about the coming of the Son (second coming?) and gives a cryptic picture of a fig tree and the passing of a generation. He also warns his followers to be ready.
My take away
Some of the things Jesus talked about have happened. He was killed. The temple was destroyed. Jerusalem was overthrown, and there have been wars -- one after another for centuries.
Some bible scholars say that the fig tree represents Israel. When Israel was re-established as a nation in 1948, they believe it set the time clock for the beginning of the end. That's been 71 years -- about the time of a generation.
Personally, I've been taught so much crap by bible scholars that I pretty much think they make up stuff that sounds good and lets them hang a nice diploma on their wall and collect a decent paycheck.
Do I think end time stuff is important? Not as much as you might think.
I think being prepared for the end time is important because that can come for each one of us at any moment. I do believe that Jesus came to live with us to teach us about God and God's great love for us as much as he came to die for us. While eternal life in heaven may be the end goal, I believe there is great joy in looking forward to heaven because of your love for God rather than looking at heaven as an alternative to hell, which is a place that you fear.
I believe that living a life of loving God and loving others (all others) is a joy in itself. I believe it is a foreshadowing of the joy we will experience when we are free of these earthly bodies and better able to see life as the eternal souls that we truly are.
As I have gotten older, I enjoy the Christmas season less each passing year. Don't get me wrong -- I love exchanging gifts and getting together with family and friends. But I tire of the charade that this is about the birth of a savior. There is nothing that the lights, the greenery, the shopping, the parties, the ugly sweaters, or even the gifts have to do with the birth of Jesus. I think we should celebrate the season with love and gifts because we love one another and we love celebrating that love.
I also think we should celebrate God's love for us. It is a truly amazing thing to think that Our Creator loves us so much that he would become like us so that we can know him, know that he loves us, and know that we can love him, too. That is a celebration that needs to go far beyond a single day. It should be celebrated in the way we live every day.
Sorry if I'm a bit of a Scrooge. I often feel the part of a bah-humbug type of character.
We are still a few days away from Dec 25. However you celebrate the day, I wish you joy.
And for today, I hope that you will celebrate that God loves you, that Jesus lived so that you can know that, and that he died so that we can have eternal life with him.
More tomorrow.
John <><
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