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Thessalonians 5:1-11 -Since Christians are children of the day
(righteousness) and not of the night (wickedness), they are to remain sober and
awake. To be ready and to be equipped to do battle against evil, they are to be
equipped with faith, hope, and love. Paul comforts and assures them that God
has not destined them to wrath, but to salvation so that whether they live or
die, they might be with the Lord.
Paul assures his readers the children of light will
not be surprised when the day of the Lord suddenly comes. The Christians of the
first century were concerned about the exact date of Jesus’ return. Does this
not sound familiar? There are many who spend an inordinate amount of time
speculating when the Lord will return. Paul reminded them that no exact day
could be determined, for Jesus will come suddenly and unexpectedly as a thief
comes in the night. But concerning that
day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the
Father only.- Matthew 24:36 Thus the Christian should pray, “Even so quickly come, Lord Jesus, quickly
come.”
Today is Veterans Day, a day dedicated to the cause
of world peace and to be thereafter celebrated and known as "Armistice
Day." Armistice Day was primarily a day set aside to honor veterans of
World War I. In 1918 on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month the war
officially came to a close. On this day we honor all those who have served our
nation’s armed forces but we also pray that solutions to conflict may flourish;
that peace in this world may come. Of course, there will be conflict as we are living
in a broken world outside of Eden. Still we ask that peace may reign. Thus we
look to that day when Christ will come bringing peace to the earth as even He
is the prince of peace.
[1] Collect
for the Second Sunday after Epiphany, Lutheran Service Book © 2006 Concordia
Publishing House, St. Louis
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