Thursday August 27, 2026

Matthew 24:42-51

Jesus said to his disciples: ‘Stay awake, because you do not know the day when your master is coming.

Do you know what it means to be awakened? In the 6th and 5th century BCE (563 BCE) there lived a man who was later called the Buddha. A story is told that a contingent of men were sent to him to ask him a question as he was meditating under a tree. He had created quite a speculation and so people wanted to know who he was. They asked “Who are you?” “Are you a god?” He answered “NO.” They asked if he was a man, his answer was a simple …no. A third time they asked if he was a sorcerer, again he simply answered no. So in frustration they asked “What are you then so we can bring back an answer!!” He looked up and gave the answer that started a movement. “ I am awake!!”

600 years later after Gautama Buddha, Jesus of Nazareth shows up on scene and exhausts his disciples to ‘stay awake’ or stay alert’.

The kingdom of God belongs to those who choose to see and be awakened to the promptings of God in there life today. It is not for those who dream of a life with God someday when they die. Let us stop postponing our full experience of the divine to our afterlife. How about seeing the blessings today. I know some days are unbearable. I have had thousands of those days but I can look back now and sometimes wish God had been more obvious of his presence but truly I can say he has been with me through it all.

Today I pray you awaken to his loving embrace. Don’t you know this early morning I looked at this beautiful moon and said, thank you for letting me notice her. We say in the old country that when you start noticing the moon and all, you have become rich. Yup I think I have become …