Matthew 24:36 44 (NRSV)
The sudden coming of salvation
"But about that day and hour no one knows, neither the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. For as the days of Noah were, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day Noah entered the ark, and they knew nothing until the flood came and swept them all away, so too will be the coming of the Son of Man. Then two will be in the field; one will be taken and one will be left. Two women will be grinding meal together; one will be taken and one will be left. Keep awake therefore, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming. But understand this: if the owner of the house had known in what part of the night the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and would not have let his house be broken into. Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an unexpected hour.
DEVOTION
Today is the first Sunday in Advent. Advent means "to come" or "to arrive."
During this CHRISTmas season, we prepare our hearts and minds to celebrate the coming of Christ into the world!
We thank God for the prophets of old, who foresaw his birth. We thank God for his incarnation on the earth as our Lord and Savior and for his continued presence in Word and Sacrament. Finally, we thank God for the certain good news that Jesus will come back again in glory to establish a new heaven and a new earth!
While the rest of the world is shopping their brains out, rushing around, and spending money they do not have--we, as Christians, are called to be counter cultural as we slow down, get still, pray, fast, meditate, read the word, and prepare our bodies, minds, and spirits for Christ's birthday party on Dec. 25th.
Today's scripture reading says, "But about that day and hour no one knows, neither the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father...Keep awake therefore, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming."
The hallmark of our faith is the declaration, "Christ has died! Christ has risen! Christ shall come again!"
Let us use the next four weeks to ready our hearts to receive him!
Let's pray: Eternal God, thank you for this Advent Season. Please help me to prepare my body, mind, and spirit to receive Jesus! I don't want this season to be stressful, rushed, or crazy. Please help me to slow down and to keep CHRIST in CHRISTmas! You are the best gift anyone could receive this year; please help me to gift our love to others. In Jesus' Name, Amen.
INVITATION
If you have questions about how to become a friend and follower of Jesus, please see the devotion entitled, “Come to Jesus” @ http://bit.ly/JVhaLta
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