Daily Devotion for Lent - Day 21

Scripture Reading: Luke 12:35-59

It is interesting that this passage occurs right after Jesus tells us not to worry!

Be ready for you do not know the hour!

This does give us some anxiety and many people read through this and ask the question, "What does it mean to be ready?"

I'm reminded of the bumper sticker that says, "Jesus is coming - look busy!"

The irony of this statement is that it is really saying, "I'm going to need a little grace."

If we believe that Jesus offers grace to us, how do we balance that belief with these passages about readiness?  I mean I don't want to be cut into pieces.  I don't even want a beating - severe or light!

So, what does it mean to be ready?  

I think it may be that we need to cultivate more joy in life.  I don't mean for ourselves, but for those around us.  We need to cultivate more joy in the world today.  In the example, the slave with the wrongful action does eat and drink which might be considered joyful but the only joy he had in mind was for himself.  He began to beat his fellows and had no interest in sharing the love.

I've known followers of Jesus who were very sour.  If they believed the news of salvation was good, they had a poor way of showing it.  They were difficult to be around.  In essence, if Jesus returned, is this person really ready to receive him?

As my mission is to cultivate joy in others, it makes it more likely that I will reconcile with my accuser.  If I am to spread joy in others beyond my people, it may be that it does cause division among those close to me.  Sometimes we have entitlement of those closest to us as if there is only so much to go around.

So, if being ready means to cultivate joy in others, this may make us less anxious.  We can do this in how we begin to treat those around us.  That seems pretty Christ-like to me.

Prayer for the day:

God, help us to be ready.  Help us to be ready to lift the spirits of those around us.  May we understand the blessings that abound and be your witness to them.  Let us take care not to spread false cheer but to find that deep well source of your love that may spring up in us and through us.  We pray these things in the name of the Christ who brings hope to the outcast and the sinner.  Amen.

Photo by Alejandro De La Cruz via Flickr.com.  Used under the Creative Commons license.