Luke 12:49-56 (NRSV)
Read Luke 12:49-56 on biblegateway.com
Verse 49"I came to bring fire to the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled! Verse 50I have a baptism with which to be baptized, and what stress I am under until it is completed! Verse 51Do you think that I have come to bring peace to the earth? No, I tell you, but rather division! Verse 52From now on five in one household will be divided, three against two and two against three; Verse 53they will be divided: father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law."
Verse 54He 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. Verse 55And when you see the south wind blowing, you say, 'There will be scorching heat'; and it happens. Verse 56You hypocrites! You know how to interpret the appearance of earth and sky, but why do you not know how to interpret the present time?
Devotion
Grandma Betty always said, "There's never enough time to do things right the first time, but there's always time to do it [try] again." So true. In farming communities, planting is always a mixture of guesswork, luck and weather. Everyone suddenly becomes a television meteorologist with quips and one-liners.
When you hear this gospel read this coming Sabbath in worship, what kinds of forecasts are you expecting in your life? Clear skies, money in the bank and summer vacation? Or is it storms of sadness? It is fascinating how we worry and wonder over the sky and never see our neighbor.
Jesus constantly said don't miss the beloved child of God that has been put right in front of you. We look at the sky, we look at the ground, but we can so easily miss the face of the person next door. When we look at our neighbor’s face, we can see there too forecasts of joy, sorrow, fear or peace. Do we have the eyes to "interpret the present time?"
Prayer
Give us focus to love and serve our neighbors! Amen.