The Java Jolt

Isaiah 50:4

Insights by Chris Scully

Reading the Weather, Missing the Signs

Luke 12:54–56

He also said to the crowds, “When you see a cloud rising in the west, you say at once, ‘A shower is coming.’ And so it happens. And when you see the south wind blowing, you say, ‘There will be scorching heat,’ and it happens. You hypocrites! You know how to interpret the appearance of earth and sky, but why do you not know how to interpret the present time?” (ESV)

Few things in the Bible scare me, but something about the truthfulness of Jesus’ words in Luke 12:54–56 shakes me to the core of my being, leading me to repentance from just merely grasping the depth of the words he shared with a group of people more than two thousand years prior to my existence. Perhaps the very purpose of the words Jesus spoke in Luke 12 is supposed to have that effect upon each of us.

Imagine for one moment: Christ recognized that the crowds of people who followed him — the same ones he broke fishes and loaves with — could determine the weather patterns with accuracy. From the very beginning of daybreak, with the appearance of a cloud to the west, the farmer would know if it was a good day or not to plant his crop. The mere breeze of wind that blew dryly upon them within the night told all of Jerusalem that the next day would prove to be even hotter than the previous day.

Yet Jesus was not troubled because the people who followed him understood such mysteries. However, as he spoke as the Shepherd of a flock upon this day, what troubled him was the same thing that had troubled all the prophets who had come before him: the crowds who gave ears to him had continuously failed to recognize the signs of the times.

The Signs We Still Miss

Fast forward to our present generation. We can now predict storms not mere hours before they occur but rather days, through the help of meteorologists. We can spot comets flying in the skies above us and predict the day when they will pass us years before it happens. Sure, technology has increased; however, the thing that has remained constant with humanity is that we still fail to recognize the signs of the times.

A Personal Reckoning

When was the last time I pondered upon Christ’s return? I can remember the last time I went to church, shook the pastor’s hand, sang the choruses with all the voices around me — but when was the last time tears of joy ran gently upon my cheeks as I stared heavenward, looking unto my Savior and Creator, knowing I was ready for his imminent return with arms opened, awaiting his assured approval?

It is when I’m at the point of understanding that God’s return is soon that knowing what the weather forecast is going to be in a few hours does not seem to matter. Tomorrow, I know the forecast is going to be sunny, even if it rains tumultuously.