2 Timothy 4:7-8 - "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that Day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing."
I wish I could remember so I could give them credit. But decades ago, I heard or read how someone ended every class by asking people, "What are you taking with you?" It is a way to make people stop and think about what they learned so they can give an account when somebody says, "What did you learn and talk about in class?"
It is a good practice for the end of life too and not just the end of a class. In today's Bible verse, St. Paul is, in essence, answering the question, "What are you taking with you?" St. Paul not only gives an account for his own life, but he also encourages all of us to love the appearing of Jesus because it brings a great reward. Inspired by the Holy Spirit, what St. Paul means is that there is great blessing for those who love it when God shows up and does his thing, which sometimes sets our enemies straight, but sometimes sets us straight, which we may not be so excited about.
I believe my dad knew that Jesus was about to appear for him. And, in essence, his answer to the question, "What are you taking with you from the class of life?" was, "The Lord is good." My dad had a lot of things in life that didn't go his way, like a forced early retirement, but his last words to me testified that he trusted God had appeared and set it all straight.
So, as Lent is a season for us to think deeply about some things that we may not want to think about, the question is set before us, as with Paul and my dad, at the end of this day that God has granted you, "What are you taking with you from the day?" And, at the end of the big Day, when Jesus appears to take you to your heavenly home, what will you say to the question, "What are you taking with you from the class of life?"
May God grant all of us to say something like St. Paul and my dad, something like "I have believed to the end because the Lord is good!"
Praise God!
Pastor Chris
"The gospel is the story of Jesus [what God's only Son has done for us that we can't do for ourselves], spoken as a promise." - Robert Jenson
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