Reflections

Today's Reading: Introit for the Last Sunday of the Church Year
(Psalm 39:4-5, 7-8; antiphon: Isaiah 35:10)
Daily Lectionary: Daniel 2:1-23; Revelation 18:1-24
The ransomed of the Lord shall return and come to Zion with singing;
everlasting joy shall be upon their heads. They shall obtain gladness and joy, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away. (From the Introit for the Last Sunday of the Church Year)
In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. The Lord's ransomed you. He's paid the penalty. Wiped the slate clean. His holy precious blood and His innocent suffering and death did it. You were chosen in Him before the creation of the world, and He chose you in the new-creation waters of Holy Baptism.
Life is tough. Seems to be getting tougher all the time. What will college hold? Your career? Your life? Your job? Well, the reality is one day it will all go away because you will go away. You're going to die. I know it seems like it's a long way off, but it's coming.
When I put it that way it may seem pointless, right? Meaningless, even. It could make you despair. But just because it will all go away doesn't mean it's not a gift from the Lord to take care of you and take care of others through you. And just because you will go away--die doesn't mean you won't come back. Because you will!
You will return! You'll come back…from the dead! All that's wrong with the world, all that's wrong with you, everything that gives you sorrow, that makes you sigh, will run away scared. They'll run from the Lord when He returns, when He returns to make you return to life.
He will raise you from the dead. He's already taken care of the source of all the sorrow and sighing--sin! He's ransomed you from sin, redeemed you, forgiven you in His death and resurrection. Delivered that forgiveness in water, words, Body and Blood, and He's also given you His resurrection in Baptism, and the promise of the resurrection in His Body and Blood!
You'll rise to eternal life. You'll be brought into the true Zion, the eternal kingdom. You'll have eternal joy and gladness as you stand in the presence of Christ, your Savior, of His and your Father, and of the Holy Spirit, as you're surrounded by all your fellow ransomed, with all the angels and archangels, too. The ransomed of the Lord "shall hunger no more, neither thirst anymore; the sun shall not strike them, nor any scorching heat. For the Lamb in the midst of the throne will be their shepherd, and he will guide them to springs of living water, and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes" (Revelation 7:16-17). In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.