Remember the wife of Lot.
Whoever seeks to preserve his life will lose it,
but whoever loses it will save it.
I tell you, on that night there will be two people in one bed;
one will be taken, the other left.
And there will be two women grinding meal together;
one will be taken, the other left."
Saint Luke closes today's gospel with what my mother used to call, "a stupid question." Jesus' disciples asked, "Where, Lord?"
They're like the dog who looks at your hand when you try to point him in the right direction. They miss the point altogether.
Likewise, those Bible interpreters who regard these verses as a description of the "Rapture" misread the text. This vignette would fit readily into a burlesque comedy skit, with Jesus as the straight man.
How often does calamity fall on someone unexpectedly when everybody else saw it coming?
I knew a fellow who at times was half-blind with his high blood pressure. He'd stumble around the house. His doctor urged him repeatedly to slow down, get more rest, and take better care of himself. For years after the stroke laid him low he complained that he had no warning.
In his references to two people lying in bed and two women grinding meal, Jesus points to a common experience. Disasters strike suddenly and arbitrarily. A tornado sweeps through a neighborhood, smashing some houses and leaving others intact. Soldiers charge into battle; some are slain instantly; others survive unscathed. Many combat warriors suffer PTSD, but not all. Some shake off the horror and go about their lives. There's no rhyme or reason to it.
And the disciples ask, "Why is that, Lord?"
Doh!
The point is, Be ready! You don't know when or how catastrophe will strike. You say you see no danger but that doesn't mean there is none.
The Lord teaches the same lesson at the end of his Sermon on the Mount:
Everyone who listens to these words of mine and acts on them will be like a wise man who built his house on rock. The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and buffeted the house. But it did not collapse; it had been set solidly on rock. And everyone who listens to these words of mine but does not act on them will be like a fool who built his house on sand. The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and buffeted the house. And it collapsed and was completely ruined.”
Insurance companies, common sense, and the Word of God remind us that bad things happen to "good" people; that is, people who think, 1) this shouldn't happen to me; 2) I don't have time for this; 3) I am lucky; 4) God won't let it happen to me; 5) I'm in control. That is, fools.
As the scriptures use the word, wisdom teaches us about God, and people, and how to use common tools like hammers and saws. The skilled worker is wise, as is the thrifty housewife and the learned scribe. The Book of Wisdom, teaches us to live reasonably in this world. Our eyes are not so fixed on the Rapture that we fail to get the necessary degrees and diplomas; good jobs; and health, home, car, and life insurance. We pay our taxes gratefully and participate in democratic government, rather than obsess about conspiracy theories and the federal government.
Like Jesus and his disciples, we know there is trouble in this world and no one gets a pass-through without it. We practice the fear of the Lord and live fearlessly in this world.
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I love to write. This blog helps me to meditate on the Word of God, and I hope to make some contribution to our contemplations of God's Mighty Works.
Ordinarily, I write these reflections two or three weeks in advance of their publication. I do not intend to comment on current events.
I understand many people prefer gender-neutral references to "God." I don't disagree with them but find that language impersonal, unappealing and tasteless. When I refer to "God" I think of the One whom Jesus called "Abba" and "Father", and I would not attempt to improve on Jesus' language.
You're welcome to add a thought or raise a question.