My friend passed away and
last night I attended the rosary and visitation. With the exception of the Lord’s
Prayer the first 45 minutes of the service was almost entirely in Spanish. Since
I couldn’t understand the language, the image of someone in the church talking
in tongues with no one to interpret crossed my mind. More than once I thought
about leaving the service because I couldn’t connect with the ritual commentary.
However, the Lord’s words to Peter caused me to re-evaluate my need to stay, “Could
you men not keep watch with me for one hour” (Matt 26:40b NIV).
1 comment:
Gail;
-----I often wondered why Jesus was so flustered by His disciples’ inability to stay awake and keep watch. What were they supposed to watch for? What could they do if they saw it? What did you know of Spanish? Did your purpose in being there really have that much to do with knowing what was being said? Did the disciples’ purpose in keeping watch really have anything to do with knowing what to watch for or what to do? Or should they have just drawn into the same solemnity they perceived in Jesus and watched with humble mind and full heart?
-----Jesus gave a warning to watch to a more general audience. “But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then know that its desolation has come near. Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains, and let those who are inside the city depart, and let not those who are out in the country enter it.” (Luke 21:20-21) The fourth century early church historian, Eusebius, records that while Titus was swinging his army into place around Jerusalem for the siege, Christians were fleeing the city. He records that days before, figures of an advancing army were seen in the skies over Jerusalem. Those who were humble enough to have allowed Jesus to change their lives understood that anomaly and left upon seeing Titus’ advance.
-----What are we to make of the Bible’s call for us to watch for His second coming? Are we to ponder the signs recently seen in the blood moons in the light of Genesis 1:14, “Let there be lights in the firmament of the heavens…and let them be for signs…”? Are we to ponder the blood moons coming, or poo-poo them? Are we simply to ignore the situation like Jesus’ disciples because most preachers run around making giant big of “you won’t know the day or the hour”? Or is there some humble and simple possibility that “day or hour” actually does mean “day or hour” rather than year or decade, and therefore, maybe these recent signs are our Loving Father’s actual warning for the humble to begin trimming their lamps with all solemnity for a marked change of circumstances.
Love you all,
Steve Corey
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