Thoughts for the Day

He also said to the crowds, ‘When you see a cloud rising in the west, you immediately say, “It is going to rain”; and so it happens. And when you see the south wind blowing, you say, “There will be scorching heat”; and it happens. You hypocrites! You know how to interpret the appearance of earth and sky, but why do you not know how to interpret the present time.'

(Lectionary, New Revised Standard Version)

Thoughts

Our ancestors would have been experienced in understanding the signs the earth gives us to show the weather is about to change. They would know when a storm, or snow were coming, and could protect their houses and crops as best they could. Today, we have national weather bureaus to warn us of extremes of weather. However, we need to play our part, to protect our property. It's no good being given a red warning with imminent danger to life, if we then go and stand outside in the middle of a hurricane!

In today's little parable Jesus is saying to the Hebrew people. "You haven't noticed the signs! You haven't noticed the threat to the nation!" They have wasted the opportunity to save themselves - to put right their standing with God. By failing to recognize Jesus as the Messiah, the one sent to restore them to Yahweh, their God, and by rejecting him they have missed an amazing opportunity. Some Jews would turn to Christ but largely the new Church would be based on Gentile converts.

The word 'crisis' in Chinese is composed of two characters. One character represents danger and the other represents opportunity. A danger can therefore be an opportunity. What opportunities are you and I as Christians missing at this time when there so many different crises in our world?

Father-God,
our world is riven with crises
so many we can barely count them.
There is war, economic problems,
our planet is under extreme stress,
and at home we have our own difficulties.
May we learn to turn to You for help,
and also to see these crises as opportunities
to witness to Your work.
Amen.