Gospel – 10/23/20 – Luke 12:54-59
Jesus said to the crowds,
“When you see a cloud rising in the west
you say immediately that it is going to rain–and so it does;
and when you notice that the wind is blowing from the south you say that it is going to be hot–and so it is.
You hypocrites!
You know how to interpret the appearance of the earth and the sky; why do you not know how to interpret the present time?
“Why do you not judge for yourselves what is right?If you are to go with your opponent before a magistrate,
make an effort to settle the matter on the way;
otherwise your opponent will turn you over to the judge, and the judge hand you over to the constable, and the constable throw you into prison.
I say to you, you will not be released
until you have paid the last penny.”
I remember as a child having nightmares. I would lay there – fully awake – thinking if I didn’t acknowledge what was there – it would go away.
Eventually it would but I spent a lot of time trying to ignore, what I believed was real.
Today’s Gospel has Jesus dealing with things people don’t want to acknowledge. They think if they don’t acknowledge the truth then maybe they will never have to deal with it.
He’s trying to wake them from their slumber but they don’t want to wake.
They want to continue to ignore what they don’t want to face.
We do it also. How many times do we deny a coming death of a loved one? Future catastrophic changes in our work place? A loved one’s behavior that will end in tragedy?
We can all name something that made us mimic the ostrich.
The time is coming for each of us when we will need to deal with our own reckoning. We know when it will rain and prepare. We know when it will be hot and we’re ready.
The time is coming to answer for the life we’ve lived – be ready.
At least that’s what I heard Him say…
