Monday, December 2 (November 19), 2024
1Thess. 2:20-3:8;  Lk. 11:29-33                                

“The Queen of the South shall rise up in the judgment with the men of this generation, and condemn them” [Lk. 11:31].  Condemn for what?  For the indifference to God’s work which unfolded before their eyes.  That Queen, having heard of Solomon’s wisdom, came from far away to hear him, while those men, beholding the Lord Himself, did not listen to Him ─ even though they knew Him to be higher than Solomon as the sky is higher than the earth.

Likewise, the Queen of the South condemns all those who are indifferent and cold-hearted towards God and His works right now, because the Lord in His Gospel is visible today as clearly as He was visible on earth 2000 years ago.  Reading the Gospel, we have the Lord with all His miracles before our eyes, for the Gospel is as certain as the witness of our own eyes.  And still, though His impression on our souls is so powerful, only a few heed to the Lord.  Either we are looking the other way, or just have closed our eyes,  ─ in any case, we do not see Him and, consequently, do not take part in His works. 

This is, however, not an excuse for us, but simply a reason for our disregard to the Lord, a reason equally abominable as our behavior itself.  Lord’s work is the most important of all: it is the salvation of our souls.  Lord’s work, irrespective to ourselves, ought to be of the highest priority anyway, ─ so much more when it is dedicated to us, to our very existence, to our eternal well-being.  See, then, how detestable it is to disregard it!

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