"See, I have told you beforehand." Matthew 24:25
Some of the eschatological passages in the Gospels (or anywhere in the Bible, really) can sound quite harsh because of their idea of eternal destruction and/or death to all the unfaithful. I know I have trouble accepting many of their messages, but at the same time, there are messages like this one above, in the middle of all the images.
As Christians, I am sure that we feel entitled, many times, to a smooth and good life. We feel entitled to a grace that means that we will just float around in this world and not have to do a single thing. Of course, when we encounter tough times, we then blame God for all the issues. We feel entitled to all of our own petty wishes, and we feel damned when we don't have them our way. In our selfishness, we see ourselves as not being blessed enough.
But we are blessed. We have an entire earth given to us. We are given a life where we can do whatever we want. We are blessed enough to have the will to deny everything that God has given us and all that God offers. We are blessed with the free will to decide whether we will accept the message that Jesus has told us beforehand or not!
During Lent, we have the opportunity to celebrate our relationship with Jesus. We have the opportunity to invest even more into our relationship. We have the opportunity to draw closer to God. The Bible is right there for us. We have all the information we need in order to live a good life. It is our choice, though, whether we will accept it as a gift - a glorious revelation - or push it away as an unwanted burden on our lives. However, our decision whether we accept it or not will not affect the turn of events. Jesus has told us beforehand all that is going to happen. A long line of prophets has also revealed so much more than we can imagine about what events are supposed to happen. We must accept the grace that God gives us in this life. Make today the start of a journey in the light.
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