Evangelical Lutheran Diocese of North America

Wednesday after the Twenty-Second Sunday after Trinity Sunday

Posted on October 21, 2015 by Pastor Dulas under Devotions
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Scripture: St. Luke 17:20-37 (NKJV)

20 Now when He was asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, He answered them and said, “The kingdom of God does not come with observation; 21 nor will they say, ‘See here!’ or ‘See there!’ For indeed, the kingdom of God is within you.” 22 Then He said to the disciples, “The days will come when you will desire to see one of the days of the Son of Man, and you will not see it. 23 And they will say to you, ‘Look here!’ or ‘Look there!’ Do not go after them or follow them. 24 For as the lightning that flashes out of one part under heaven shines to the other part under heaven, so also the Son of Man will be in His day. 25 But first He must suffer many things and be rejected by this generation. 26 And as it was in the days of Noah, so it will be also in the days of the Son of Man: 27 They ate, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all. 28 Likewise as it was also in the days of Lot: They ate, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they built; 29 but on the day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven and destroyed them all. 30 Even so will it be in the day when the Son of Man is revealed. 31 In that day, he who is on the housetop, and his goods are in the house, let him not come down to take them away. And likewise the one who is in the field, let him not turn back. 32 Remember Lot’s wife. 33 Whoever seeks to save his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life will preserve it. 34 I tell you, in that night there will be two men in one bed: the one will be taken and the other will be left. 35 Two women will be grinding together: the one will be taken and the other left. 36 Two men will be in the field: the one will be taken and the other left.” 37 And they answered and said to Him, “Where, Lord?” So He said to them, “Wherever the body is, there the eagles will be gathered together.”

Devotion

“Do not go after them or follow them.”

Our Lord warns us: “The days will come when you will desire to see one of the days of the Son of Man, and you will not see it.” We live in such days. We see it all over the news. Millions of refugees, an economy that hangs by a thread, baby parts being harvested in our own country, and evidence of a great forsaking of faith in Christ Jesus, the only Faith by which we may be saved. Who among us does not pray, “Even so, come quickly, Lord Jesus!” We long to see one of the days of the Son of Man!

And we don’t. The world just grows a little darker each day. So it can be tempting when someone comes along and tells Christians “The Son of Man is here,” to want to believe him, to go see what he is talking about.

Our Lord warns us not to do that. It is a trap. It is bait, intended by charlatans to mislead the faithful. Our Lord will return at the right time. Until then, resist the temptations of sensationalism. Remain repentant. Remain believing ones. Continue to receive the forgiveness of sins, confident that everlasting life is yours through faith in Christ Jesus.

We pray: Lord Jesus, come quickly. And until You do, grant me grace to serve You steadily and faithfully. I ask this in Your precious and saving Name. Amen.

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