Be Still

When he was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will this be, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?” Jesus answered them, “Beware that no one leads you astray. For many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am the Messiah!’ and they will lead many astray. And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars; see that you are not alarmed; for this must take place, but the end is not yet. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places: all this is but the beginning of the birth pangs. . . . But anyone who endures to the end will be saved. And this good news of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the world.”

Today’s reading, a continuation of Matthew’s Gospel (Mt. 24: 3-8; 13), really speaks to the news of the day. We are surrounded by many voices who seek to replace the voice of Jesus; they tell us that they have the answers to all of life’s problems, of who is right and who is wrong. We hear daily news about a troubled economy. If you open the newspaper, listen to the radio or watch the television, you will no doubt hear about unrest, war, and now missile testing is certain parts of the world. Just as in today’s world, there was unrest in Jesus’ day as well.

But Jesus tells us quite emphatically that if we have faith in the good news of salvation all will be well. The good news is that we have been saved. Jesus has done the hard work; he died and rose for us. So, be still, and know that God is.