Daily Devotional for December 16

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December 16                                               Matthew 24:1-14

Matthew was convinced that the end of the age could not come
until Christ's message had been proclaimed to all nations: "And
this Gospel... will be preached throughout the whole world,
as a testimony to all nations; and then the end will come."
This was a startling shift from the traditional Jewish notion
that only the Jews were the children of God. Matthew, like
Paul, insisted that the good news is for everyone, not just for
the Jews.

Why is this true? Why must the Gospel be preached to the
whole world? The answer is simple: the Gospel represents
God's love offered to every person, without exception; by
definition, then, every person must be given a chance to
receive it.

It is clear that we haven't succeeded in preaching the Gospel
to the whole world, inasmuch as the end has not yet come.
The truth of Jesus must still be spread to the forgotten, the
ignored, the discounted, the unloved. We still have much to
do.

Jesus suggests in today's reading that the false gospels of false
prophets who arise and lead many astray represent one
obstacle to the spread of the true Gospel. A false gospel is one
that proclaims that happiness can be attained apart from God
- for example, through material wealth, individual self-
fulfillment programs, or the exercise of political power without
the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Such "gospels" lead directly
to the chaos Jesus describes here: wars, famine, and persecu-
tion. Jesus Christ, the true Gospel, promises only one source
of happiness: the love of God offered to every person on earth.

         Lord of Light and Truth, for our sake and our
   redemption you sent Jesus into the world. You have
         given us the good news to tell to the nations.
                   Help speed us on our way! Amen.

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From The Road to Emmaus - An inclusive devotional Edited by Joseph W. Houle

Emmaus House of Prayer - Washington D.