Daily Readings - Fri Nov 11 2022
2 John
4It has given me great joy to find some of your children walking in the truth, just as the Father commanded us.5And now, dear lady, I am not writing you a new command but one we have had from the beginning. I ask that we love one another.6And this is love: that we walk in obedience to his commands. As you have heard from the beginning, his command is that you walk in love.7Many deceivers, who do not acknowledge Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh, have gone out into the world. Any such person is the deceiver and the antichrist.8Watch out that you do not lose what you have worked for, but that you may be rewarded fully.9Anyone who runs ahead and does not continue in the teaching of Christ does not have God; whoever continues in the teaching has both the Father and the Son.
Luke
26"Just as it was in the days of Noah, so also will it be in the days of the Son of Man.27People were eating, drinking, marrying and being given in marriage up to the day Noah entered the ark. Then the flood came and destroyed them all.28"It was the same in the days of Lot. People were eating and drinking, buying and selling, planting and building.29But the day Lot left Sodom, fire and sulfur rained down from heaven and destroyed them all.30"It will be just like this on the day the Son of Man is revealed.31On that day no one who is on the roof of his house, with his goods inside, should go down to get them. Likewise, no one in the field should go back for anything.32Remember Lot's wife!33Whoever tries to keep his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life will preserve it.34I tell you, on that night two people will be in one bed; one will be taken and the other left.35Two women will be grinding grain together; one will be taken and the other left."36Verse omitted from the New International Version37"Where, Lord?" they asked. He replied, "Where there is a dead body, there the vultures will gather."
Sermon
The readings today from 2 John and Luke invite us to reflect on the themes of faithfulness, love, and preparedness. In 2 John, the apostle expresses joy in seeing some of the community walking in truth and obedience to the commandment of love. He emphasizes that this is not a new instruction but one rooted in the teachings of Christ. John warns against those who deceive by denying Jesus as the Messiah, urging the community to remain steadfast in their faith to maintain a deep connection with both the Father and the Son.
In Luke's Gospel, Jesus uses the examples of Noah and Lot to illustrate the unexpected nature of God's judgment. He cautions against being consumed by worldly distractions and material attachments, using Lot's wife as a symbol of the consequences of looking back. Jesus emphasizes that when the Son of Man is revealed, there will be a separation, and one's preparedness will determine their fate. The eagles gathering where the body is serve as a metaphor for the inevitability of judgment.
Both readings connect through their emphasis on vigilance and adherence to God's word. John's letter and Jesus' teachings remind us to stay true to our faith and be prepared for life's uncertainties. In our daily lives, this means cultivating a deep love for one another and remaining faithful despite the world's distractions. The moral lesson is clear: perseverance in faith and love is essential. As we navigate life, let us stay vigilant, keeping our hearts and minds focused on Christ, ensuring we are prepared for whatever comes our way.