You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. – Matthew 24:6

 Today's Scripture Reading (December 19, 2020): Matthew 24

John Lennon once said that "if everyone demanded peace instead of another television set, then there'd be peace." The Ten Commandments warn us not to covet, not to want what it is that our neighbor possesses. The Commandments fail to mention that this is one of the root causes of war; wanting what someone else owns or willing to do whatever is necessary to get another television. But until the wanting ends, war will always be with us. Unfortunately, it is part of the human condition.

One of the significant misperceptions is that wars and rumors of war are signs of Christ's predicted return or a gateway into the end times. It is the line that I hear from friends who are convinced that Jesus is coming soon; our newscasts sometimes seems to be filled with wars and rumors of wars, with assassinations and retributions. And sometimes, the question that is asked is this; How can you watch the news and not believe that Jesus is coming soon.

And it surprises some people that Jesus's message was not that wars and rumors of wars would be the signs of the end, but instead that Jesus admits that these things are part of the human condition. Because we covet, because we refuse to allow God to be our enough and lead us into contentment and a concern, conflict is ever-present in our lives. Our focus should not be on the idea that we don't have the luxuries that our neighbors possess, but rather that there are people in this world who need our help, help that we are entirely able to give. Because we covet more often than we give to those who have less, we are led to wars and conflicts. Jesus's comment is not that catastrophes are a sign of the end, but that they are a sign of the devastation that exists at the center of our souls.

We live in a world that always seems to be in conflict with itself as we chase after that extra television. Gene Roddenberry, the creator of Star Trek, dreamed of a society that could get past its materialistic tendencies. It was a place where money had no meaning, where hunger had been dealt with, a place where we want peace more than we want another television. But even within his vision, there was conflict. The Romulans and Klingons were a threat, and every once in a while, Captain Kirk got into a fight with someone. Wars and rumors of wars were part of even Roddenberry's hopeful vision of the future.

When you hear of war and rumors of war, we need to pray that God would enter into the conflict and heal the wounds. The Christian Church should be a great force for peace, but the fact that wars still exist is not proof that Jesus is coming soon, but that we are humans who are still coveting and chasing after the extra things that we want, but that we don't need.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Matthew 25