No Better Time
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Matthew 16:1-4
1. And the Pharisees and Sadducees came, and to test him they asked him to show them a sign from heaven. 2. He answered them, "When it is evening, you say, `It will be fair weather; for the sky is red.' 3. And in the morning, `It will be stormy today, for the sky is red and threatening.' You know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, but you cannot interpret the signs of the times. 4. An evil and adulterous generation seeks for a sign, but no sign shall be given to it except the sign of Jonah." So he left them and departed.
This morning we’re on a different schedule at our house (my husband had a little incident with the carafe to our coffeemaker last night and he announced there would be “no coffee in the morning”)! For those of you who do not know either of us, let me just tell you that is not a statement that is made lightly—actually it is a statement that should never be made at our house! Fortunately, wonderful man that he is, he got us coffee from a convenience store we like this morning—so our day may be salvageable!
I share this with you because my entire morning routine was thrown off and out of order. The benefit of that is that from my kitchen window this morning, I observed the most awe-inspiring sunrise! The sky was bright red, streaked with gold—absolutely incredible. I know the sailors would say that means bad weather is on the way – we are expecting a snow fall late tonight. Not being a sailor, I view the majesty of the gold and red sky as God’s handiwork. It was absolutely stunning! And I can’t help but believe God knew I was going to need a sign today. A sign that He is still in charge of the world.
The anxiety level in the world seems to be on the rise. Listening to the news reports is really quite disturbing. As I re-read these verses, and think about Jesus and his radical message, I can’t help but wonder about how well we are reading the signs of the time. I find myself continually wondering what it will take for the world to “get it.” In this case ‘It’ is not whatever one’s heart desires as in one of the latest commercials—it is the message of Jesus. How many wars must be waged? How many people must die of HIV/AIDs? How much corruption and greed will be tolerated before the Christians of this world stand up and say, “Enough.”
I’m getting a bit “political” I realize. But at a certain point, we must take a stand. The world seems to be out of control. And while the media feeds on the unrest, riots, threats of attack, nuclear arms races, racial tension, religious fervor, they seem to be able to get us whipped up into quite a state of agitation and hopelessness. Or worse, profound disinterest. “It’s” too big for us to deal with. That is exactly why NOW is the time to act. NOW is the time to take a stand. I’m not talking about rioting or boycotting. I’m talking about how we live our lives. Now is the time to declare our faith and to share it with the world.
Now. We must read the signs of the times and know that it is always the right time for Christians to live out their lives as disciples of Jesus Christ. We may feel very small and powerless. But we are not alone. We are never left to our resources. We are children of God – the one true and loving, merciful and mighty God. The same God who reigns in glory over the Middle East, over the Midwestern United States, South America and everywhere in between. Our God is in control of the world. We only need to call out to Him.
He has promised us, “never will I leave you, never will I forsake you.”
My prayer today is that you take a stand as a Christian. And that you live out your calling to be a disciple of Jesus Christ.
Mary
