Thursday, April 22, 2021

A call to discerning the time

READ: Judges 13,14; Psalm 112; Luke 12: 35-59

SCRIPTURE: Luke 12: 54 He(Jesus) said to the crowd: “When you see a cloud rising in the west, immediately you say, ‘It’s going to rain,’ and it does.
55 And when the south wind blows, you say, ‘It’s going to be hot,’ and it is.
56 Hypocrites! You know how to interpret the appearance of the earth and the sky. How is it that you don’t know how to interpret this present time?

OBSERVATION: Pharisees, Sadducees, Scribes and many other people often asked Jesus to show them a sign. Although they saw the miracles, teachings, and the life of Jesus, they were asking for a sign because they did not want to accept Jesus. Here, Jesus questioned about their failure in interpreting the present time. While they were good in interpreting the "the appearance of the earth and the sky," they were not ready to understand their spiritual crisis. They turned a blind eye to the corruption of their religious leaders. They were more concerned about their tradition than the word of God. They did not heed to all the signs that were given by prophets, concerning the Messiah. Rather, they were showing their interest in interpreting clouds and winds. So, Jesus called them Hypocrites. Many prophets, including Abraham, wanted to see the time when Jesus lived on earth. But here even after seeing Jesus directly, these people did not have the desire to see him as the promised messiah. The "present time" that is mentioned here was a unique time in the history of men and was a well attested period by so many prophecies. It is important to discern the "present time" in order to understand the spiritual crisis of the time, and to do the right thing that pleases God.. 

APPLICATION: In the modern technically advance world, interpreting the seasons, forecasting the future of economic and social environments are easier with the human friendly technologies and innovations. However, in any given situation, whether it is physical or spiritual, understanding the "present time" is vital to deal the issues of the time.  I should not simply ignore and reject it.  When I discern the "present time", I will see the presence of Jesus. Such a time as this, I should not spend my time and energy in unworthy things. Rather, I should focus on God to discern what he wants me to do now. It may be a small thing. However, it will be necessary and relevant to  "this present time." It is my privileged responsibility to do something for God in the "present time."

PRAYER: Jesus, thank you for your wake-up call to discern the present time of the world. Help me to understand the social and spiritual crises of today. Lord, give me your strength to do your will in my life. Amen.

- Arputharaj Samuel
+91 9538328573

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