In the week leading up to his crucifixion, Jesus looks briefly toward the future. A big lesson is that Christians should be watching and waiting expectantly for Jesus while serving him now here on earth.
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Heavenly Father,
You are allowing us to live in troubling times. All around us we see war, disease, unrest. Our society seems right now to be falling apart.
Help us to find our strength and stability in you. Allow us to be a light during these dark days as we point people to you. Help us not to get sidetracked by the conflicts of our age. We know that instability is in some ways normal during these times in which we live.
Help us to be peacemakers while we look forward to the peace that will only come when Jesus, the Prince of Peace, returns.
In Christ,
Amen
This chapter gives us a glimpse into the ministry of John the Baptist and a moment when he and Jesus crossed paths – at the baptism of Christ. We then get a second version of Jesus’ genealogy.
James has proposed a goal of peacemaking. Instead we see wars and fights. Reality misses the ideal by a long way.
Central Reflections 