Be Forward-Looking With Divine Hope

We humans are fascinated by grandiosity. What I mean by that is exploits that are spectacular by human standards. Humans have always wanted to do the impossible. Think about Genesis 11 they said let’s make a tower that reaches the heavens and make a name for ourselves! Think about World Guiness Records. The first human to reach the moon, the first human to climb Mount Everest, the first human to reach the bottom of the Marianna trench. It is the summit of human Art and achievement just like the tallest building in the world, it is to invite us: Come and be fascinated! And we respond: "Wow, this is amazing!" And Jesus was unfazed. What we deem important in our world and think is worth of great admiration, doesn’t even get a 1% admiration from Jesus, the author of life. That in itself, should teach. Now about the magnificent and precious Temple that was built even before Jesus was born by Herod the Great, Jesus simply replied: “Not one stone will be left here upon another, all will be thrown down.” The disciples couldn’t help it but ask: “When will this happen?” Just like them, we want to know how this event will affect our lives. Jesus responds by describing the end of the age. Our residence in this world is temporary, there will be an end to everything, says the creator of this world! It’s as if Jesus was saying to us: "[Do not be mesmerized by what is to perish soon, but rather, be fascinated by the days ahead, seek to live a godly life because the day of the Lord is fast approaching.]" Will we be ready? Those who truly hold fast to divine hope will actively live on divine pathways. Be forward looking! This is what I was reading into these timeless Holy Scriptures: [Don’t be distracted by the beauty surrounding you, those things that bring a strong admiration out of humans. Where will your hope be when all this gets destroyed?] Paul’s letter to the Hebrews encourages believers to know where should their most important focus be: On Jesus our Lord and King. Friends, focus on forgiveness of your sins through Christ Jesus; focus on hope despite the messy world we live in. Focus on a good conscience with faith in Jesus. Focus on gathering together because soon enough the Day of the Lord is coming and is at hand. The book of Daniel also is forward looking: Those who are wise, shall shine like the brightest sky! Be forward looking and prepare. There is something hopeful about the fact that the present realities are temporary. Truth be told, there is so much brokenness around us and in our hearts and in our institutions. We are to prevent this brokenness to affect us. Ships are meant to float on the Sea. They are not supposed to carry the sea water in them because it would make them sink. We don't need to carry the brokeness of our world, Jesus asked us for an exchange of our burdens with his. On one hand, being forward looking with divine hope helps us not to dwell in that swamp of brokenness, and be soaked in it. On the other hand, when things are looking up, we are drawn to be more complacent and forget that one day this present reality will end abruptly. That’s what Jesus was warning us about in Luke’s Gospel, that as it was in the days of Noah, so it will be in the days of the Son of Man! People were warned but they did not pay attention until it was too late. Jesus gave a description of the chaos that will be in our world right before the day of the Lord. The question is: Will we live lives that are worthy of the Lord before the end comes? Be forward looking! Don’t be stuck in the beauty of the world around you or in your past. May we learn not to be too impressed by external pomp and human pride. The Titanic was impressive in its own day and it sank. The Roman Empire was impressive in its own day. They were not defeated by invasion; they disintegrated like a cake falling apart. The Jewish temple in Jerusalem was impressive in its own day, it was destroyed in the year 70 AD as Jesus had predicted. By being forward looking in hope, we heed Jesus’ message saying: “The end of the age is in sight. Now entrance into the divine will no longer require this Temple but God’s people will enter the divine through me. None comes to the Father except through me.” Will you be forward looking with divine hope? Will we prepare the days ahead by living a life that pleases the Lord? Hopefully our answer is Yes. Amen.

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