Daily Readings - Fri Nov 29 2024
Revelation
1And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand.2And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years,3And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season.4And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.11And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them.12And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.13And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works.14And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.15And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.
Luke
29And he spake to them a parable; Behold the fig tree, and all the trees;30When they now shoot forth, ye see and know of your own selves that summer is now nigh at hand.31So likewise ye, when ye see these things come to pass, know ye that the kingdom of God is nigh at hand.32Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass away, till all be fulfilled.33Heaven and earth shall pass away: but my words shall not pass away.
Sermon
The readings today invite us to reflect on the ultimate triumph of God’s plan and the call to live with hope and vigilance. In the first reading from Revelation, we are given a vision of the end times: Satan is bound for a thousand years, the martyrs reign with Christ, and ultimately, God creates a new heaven and a new earth. This passage is not meant to be a literal description of the future but a symbolic assurance that God’s justice and love will prevail. It reminds us that despite the struggles and evils of this world, God’s final victory is certain, and all creation will be transformed.
The Gospel reading from Luke complements this vision by emphasizing the importance of being attentive to the signs of God’s kingdom. Jesus uses the example of the fig tree to teach that just as we can recognize the approach of summer by the changes in nature, so too can we discern the nearness of God’s kingdom by the events unfolding around us. This is not a call to fear or anxiety but to trust in God’s Word and to live with hope. Jesus assures us that while heaven and earth will pass away, his words will endure forever.
In our daily lives, these readings encourage us to live with faith and perseverance. We are called to trust in God’s plan, even when the world around us seems uncertain or chaotic. Like the martyrs in Revelation, we are invited to remain faithful, even in the face of challenges, knowing that our ultimate destiny is to share in the eternal life of the new heaven and the new earth. Let us strive to live each day with hope, keeping our eyes fixed on the promise of God’s kingdom, and trusting that his Word will guide us through all things.