Daily Readings - Fri Nov 15 2024
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 invite us to reflect on the themes of fidelity, love, and preparedness. In the Second Letter of John, we hear a heartfelt exhortation to remain faithful to the commandment of love and to walk in the truth. John rejoices to see believers living according to God’s will but also warns against deceivers who reject the truth of Christ’s incarnation. He reminds us that love is not merely a feeling but a commitment to living according to God’s commandments. This letter emphasizes the importance of remaining rooted in the doctrine of Christ, for only then can we have true union with the Father and the Son.
The Gospel from Luke presents a stark contrast between life as usual and the suddenness of God’s judgment. Jesus compares the days of Noah and Lot to the day when the Son of Man will be revealed. Just as the flood and fire destroyed those unprepared, so too will the Lord’s coming catch many off guard. Jesus warns against attachment to worldly possessions and comforts, urging us to be vigilant and detached. The imagery of one being taken and the other left behind reminds us that our ultimate destiny depends on our readiness to follow God without hesitation. The story of Lot’s wife, who looked back, serves as a caution against nostalgia for a life that is passing away.
These readings call us to live with integrity and purpose. Like John, we are to love one another by walking in the truth of Christ’s teachings. Like those in Noah’s and Lot’s time, we are to be prepared for the unexpected, trusting in God’s plan rather than becoming complacent in our current way of life. In a world filled with distractions and temptations, we are reminded to keep our eyes fixed on Christ and to live in such a way that we are ready to meet him at any moment. Let us strive to remain faithful, to love without reserve, and to be prepared for the day when the Lord will reveal himself in glory.