2023 Sun Nov 19

In last Wednesday’s comics, the comic strip “Pearls before Swine” focused on Judgement Day.  Goat says to Rat, “Do you believe that if you do bad things, you’ll be judged after you die and go to hell?  Rat responds, “I do.”  Goat says, “But everything you do is bad.” Rat says, “I plan on pleading ‘oopsies.’ “ Goat says, “Not sure that’s a defense.”  Rat says, “OK, now I’m worried.” 

Today’s scriptures are worrisome.  The prophet Zephaniah describes the day of judgment in dreadful terms, a day of wrath, distress and anguish for those who have been complacent, and who say in their hearts that “The Lord will not do good, nor will he do harm.”  The complacent people who heard Zephaniah’s oracle, and we who give in to the modern day temptation to dismiss any thoughts of God’s judgement and to focus only on God’s goodness and mercy, or believe deep down inside that God is just looking the other way about most things may feel like Rat—“Now I’m worried ”  or at least shaken up a bit after hearing from Zehaniah.  Or, we can just dismiss the Day of Judgement as the raging of a crazy prophet. 

But let’s take these passages to heart.  The Nicene Creed, which is an outline of our Christian core beliefs, states that that Jesus will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead, and his kingdom will have no end.”  That statement challenges our thoughts like—“Jesus hasn’t come back yet, and it’s been over 2000 years,” or “We believe in Jesus, so we will be judged on faith alone.”  God’s assessment of how we try to carry out God’s will on this earth matters now, and will always matter, for God has entrusted us, the followers of Jesus, to carry out the work of Jesus until he returns.  And when we decide to follow Jesus, we accept that trust, and take on the challenge.

Today’s scriptures make clear that there is a finish line and a day of reckoning, and then gives us ways to reach the finish line as winners.    

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