Thoughtfor 16 August

 

Matthew 24:35

Heaven and Earth will disappear, but my words will never disappear.

Today’s portion of scripture are words spoken by Jesus on the Mount of Olives not long after he had departed from the temple grounds on one of the days that would precede his trial and conviction.  In pretty much the whole of Matthew chapter 24, Jesus predicts what lay ahead for the believers of his time and largely, what still lies ahead for us.

Throughout the ministry of Jesus, he does miraculous things and fulfils all the Old Testament prophecies in relation to his coming into this world.  When he speaks, he tells of things that will happen, not things that might happen.  He talks with authority and, as believers, he has never given us any cause to doubt him.

I’m taking it that when Jesus talks of Heaven and Earth disappearing, he is meaning this world as we know it and the sky that we see above us with the sun, the moon and the stars.  From our point of view, it may not be a pretty prediction, it is extremely serious, it is stark and it is impossible for us to totally comprehend.  It means that all we have ever been aware of will no longer exist.  So, if all that we know will no longer exist, how is it possible that the words of Jesus will never disappear as per our reading today?  Surely, his words will still exist somewhere and where they exist, the Holy Trinity will also exist.

Before God created the heavens and the earth, he must have existed somewhere and that somewhere is pretty much beyond our understanding and our imagination, but wherever it is, it still exists and that is where the Father, Son and Holy Spirit also exists.

For Jesus to say that his word is more permanent than the heavens and the earth, does this not mean that Jesus is an eternal being, having lived before the earth and heavens have been created and who will still be living after the earth and heavens that we know have passed away?

It’s a whole lot to take in but the signs Jesus talks about in this whole chapter like crooked leaders, wars and threats of wars, famines and earthquakes are already happening, but Jesus says these are only first signs and that there would be much to come before his return.

Although these events that Jesus describes throughout this chapter are hard to take in, he gives reassurance to his followers that what he is saying is absolutely and totally reliable.  What he says will happen, will happen and we will eventually join him in that unknown place if only we put our faith in him and In him alone.

Prayer – Heavenly Father, Eternal God and loving Father, give us wisdom to understand and believe that which is truly lasting and worth having and help us invest our lives in them.  Help us look towards the things we would like our lives to be built upon, things that will never suffer decay.  We thank you for sending Jesus into our world to teach us truth that will last.  Help us always try to be obedient to his words and bless us in ways that help us each live a life that is true. In the name of Jesus, our eternal Saviour we pray,  Amen.