Gospel: Luke 21:5-19

5When some were speaking about the temple, how it was adorned with beautiful stones and gifts dedicated to God, [Jesus] said, 6“As for these things that you see, the days will come when not one stone will be left upon another; all will be thrown down.”   7They asked him, “Teacher, when will this be, and what will be the sign that this is about to take place?” 8And he said, “Beware that you are not led astray; for many will come in my name and say, ‘I am he!’ and, ‘The time is near!’ Do not go after them.   9“When you hear of wars and insurrections, do not be terrified; for these things must take place first, but the end will not follow immediately.” 10Then he said to them, “Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom; 11there will be great earthquakes, and in various places famines and plagues; and there will be dreadful portents and great signs from heaven.   12“But before all this occurs, they will arrest you and persecute you; they will hand you over to synagogues and prisons, and you will be brought before kings and governors because of my name. 13This will give you an opportunity to testify. 14So make up your minds not to prepare your defense in advance; 15for I will give you words and a wisdom that none of your opponents will be able to withstand or contradict. 16You will be betrayed even by parents and brothers, by relatives and friends; and they will put some of you to death. 17You will be hated by all because of my name. 18But not a hair of your head will perish. 19By your endurance you will gain your souls.”

One of my favorite stories - What time is it?

There was a man who walked each day from his humble home to the factory at the edge of the town. Each day he made his way down the road past the stores that lined the main road. Each day the man would stop at the Clock Shop on his way to work and stare at a beautiful grandfather clock that stood proudly in the front window. The man would look at the clock and then head to work at the factory.

At the end of the day, the man would walk the way he came, and again, he would stop and look at that clock in the window.

The owner of the store noticed the man and his interest in the stately clock. Being a good salesman, he decided one day to strike up a conversation with the factory worker about the clock.

Early one morning, the store owner waited patiently for the man to come by his shop and admire the clock. Sure enough, right on time, the man arrived.

Stepping outside the store, the store owner struck up a conversation: “Good morning! I couldn’t help but notice that you have been interested in the grandfather clock in the front window. Would you consider possibly purchasing this lovely piece of craftsmanship for your home?”

Caught a bit off guard, the factory worker said, “Good Morning. I do love the clock, but I definitely cannot afford it. It is beautiful, I agree, but I am not interested.”

“Are you sure? I could offer you a payment plan, maybe a discount?”

The worker blushed and said, “Thank you but no. You see, the reason I stop by and look at the clock is because I am in charge of the time clock at the factory. At the beginning of work each day, it is my job to sound the whistle to start work, and I blow the whistle to end the work at the end of the day. And, you see, I have this old pocket watch. It doesn’t keep very good time. So every day on the way to work and the way home from work, I set the watch to your grandfather clock so I have the right time to sound the whistle.”

The shop owner laughed. “That is something. You see, this grandfather clock, as lovely as it is – it doesn’t keep very good time. So each day I listen for the whistle from the factory at the beginning of the workday and the end of the day and set the clock to that whistle.”

So what time is it?

When will Christ come again? How will we know?

Here is the message we need to hear – God’s words will never pass away. Yesterday, today and tomorrow, God’s Word forever will abide.

God may not always match up with our schedule, but God is always right on time.

I believe what we need to do is to recalibrate our lives and our actions to God’s clock, God’s word, God’s direction.

What needs to be adjusted in your life as you listen to God’s words of life and hope and love?

Let us pray: Almighty God, all the time, You are good. You are good, ALL the TIME. Thank you for the time you have given us today to live our your mission to love one another. We pray this in Jesus’ name. Amen