Thursday after the Twenty-Fifth Sunday after Trinity Sunday
Posted on November 16, 2023 by under
Scripture: St. Matthew 24:29-35 (NKJV)
24:29 “Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. 30 Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. 31 And He will send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.
32 “Now learn this parable from the fig tree: When its branch has already become tender and puts forth leaves, you know that summer is near. 33 So you also, when you see all these things, know that it is near—at the doors! 34 Assuredly, I say to you, this generation will by no means pass away till all these things take place. 35 Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away.”
Devotion
Over the next three days our readings will connect the Gospel for Trinity 25 (Matt. 24:15-28) to the Gospel for Trinity 26 (Matt. 25:31-46). Here Jesus describes the events that will occur on the Last Day. Brief eclipses and meteor showers happen already from time to time as reminders that the end is near, but at Christ’s Second Coming, the sun, moon, and stars will completely fail.
But Jesus says that “this generation” and “My words” will not pass away. Jesus is speaking about His Church and those who believe in Him. In our baptism we were “regenerated,” born of water and the Word. Until the end of the age, there will always be at least some who are baptized and hear the Word of God. There will always be faithful pastors who preach God’s Word in its truth and purity. They may not be a short drive away, but God will always provide faithful preachers and faithful hearers. Even in the midst of so much apostasy and the attacks of false teachers, we trust in Christ’s promise that He will preserve His Church until He comes again in glory.
Collect: Almighty God, we beseech Thee, show Thy mercy unto Thy humble servants, that we who put no trust in our own merits may not be dealt with after the severity of Thy judgment, but according to Thy mercy; through Jesus Christ, Thy Son, our Lord, Who liveth and reigneth with Thee and the Holy Ghost, ever One God, world without end. Amen.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
