Continuing our study
of 1st Thessalonians…
Scripture: 1st Thessalonians 5:1-2
Now concerning the times and the seasons, brothers and sisters, you do not need to have anything written to you. For you yourselves know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night.
Thought for the Day: Again, Paul, his colleagues and the Thessalonians had a certain expectation around a return of Christ. The expectation had no specific date, but months was probably as far out as any of them would have put the date. In light of everything happening at that point in history (occupation of Jerusalem, arrests, persecution and growing threats of revolution that would eventually lead to the first Jewish-Roman war), you could understand why people might think this way. Yet throughout the scriptures, and even throughout Christian history, the use of urgent apocalyptic language was to produce a higher level of holiness. The intent is less about expectancy, and more about motivating the reader to a specific way of living amidst the difficulties and pressures associated with Christian values in a non-Christian world.
Think about it for a minute—does Paul want people to just sit around and look for the coming of Jesus, or is the invitation to think of every moment as one ripe with the living Christ? It would be easy to become apathetic or push things off for some vague future date. In times of difficulty, this type of attitude can lead to a complete loss of the faith. Paul wished for everyone to be awake and aware, living every moment as if Christ was ready to join them—for in fact, through the spirit, he already had.
Prayer: We are the body of Christ in the world, and you – Lord – have called us to animate this body with faithfulness. Encourage us, especially in times of difficulty and suffering, to provide a genuine witness to your mercy and love. Amen.
Make Ashes A Part of Your Wednesday
