"The God Pause Daily Devotional" from The Luther Seminary in Saint Paul, Minnesota, United States for Friday, August 05, 2016 with Scripture Luke 12:32-40

"The God Pause Daily Devotional" from The Luther Seminary in Saint Paul, Minnesota, United States for Friday, August 05, 2016 with Scripture Luke 12:32-40

Luke 12:32 Have no fear, little flock, for your Father has resolved to give you the Kingdom! 33 Sell what you own and do tzedakah — make for yourselves purses that don’t wear out, riches in heaven that never fail, where no burglar comes near, where no moth destroys. 34 For where your wealth is, there your heart will be also.

35 “Be dressed for action and have your lamps lit, 36 like people waiting for their master’s return after a wedding feast; so that when he comes and knocks, they will open the door for him without delay. 37 Happy the slaves whom the master finds alert when he comes! Yes! I tell you he will put on his work clothes, seat them at the table, and come serve them himself! 38 Whether it is late at night or early in the morning, if this is how he finds them, those slaves are happy.

39 “But notice this: no house-owner would let his house be broken into if he knew when the thief was coming. 40 You too, be ready! For the Son of Man will come when you are not expecting him.”[Complete Jewish Bible]

-------
Jesus' call in the gospel reading to treasure what really and eternally matters is followed by what sounds like a very urgent call to "be ready." When I was growing up, that preparedness was usually understood as referring to being ready for Jesus' return--what we called "the second coming," "the end of the world" or "the final judgment." Jesus more than once talked of his coming again and called on his followers to live each day with the expectation that it could very well be the day of his return or the final day of our earthly life. When understood in this way, Jesus' words are both encouragement and warning. To this we can say, "Come, Lord Jesus! Come!"
Yet we do more than wait for Jesus' return. He calls on us to be ready for his coming to us right now--in ways that we might not expect and with promises and opportunities for being blessed and for being a blessing.
Living and Loving God, free us from any deafness, blindness and complacency that prevent us from being ready and open to new blessings and opportunities. Amen.
Jim Thvedt, '59
Retired; Speaker/Producer of "The Hour of Hope"
Luke 12:32 "Do not be afraid, little flock, for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom.
33 Sell your possessions, and give alms. Make purses for yourselves that do not wear out, an unfailing treasure in heaven, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys.
34 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
35 "Be dressed for action and have your lamps lit;
36 be like those who are waiting for their master to return from the wedding banquet, so that they may open the door for him as soon as he comes and knocks.
37 Blessed are those slaves whom the master finds alert when he comes; truly I tell you, he will fasten his belt and have them sit down to eat, and he will come and serve them.
38 If he comes during the middle of the night, or near dawn, and finds them so, blessed are those slaves.
39 "But know this: if the owner of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have let his house be broken into.
40 You also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an unexpected hour."[New Revised Standard Version]
---------------------