Ever noticed how some people always seem ready to go, willing to work?  They're ready to lend a hand, do the job, get things done.  Ask them, and they're on their toes and ready to go.  Some of us have that kind of attitude, and others of us are not always so ready.  We check our schedules and weigh whether we can go and often hold back.  But those others, God bless 'em, always seem to jump right in.  There aren't many of them, but we thank the Good Lord for them because we need them!

          A woman died and met St. Peter at the pearly gates.  She could see the beauty of heaven and asked to get in.  "Certainly," Peter said, "All you have to do is spell a word - grace."  She spelled it, "G-R-A-C-E" and was admitted.  Heaven was wonderful and being a good Lutheran, she pitched in and helped St. Peter do things around the place and he truly appreciated her readiness.  One day he asked, "Would you watch the Pearly Gate awhile?  I have some things to do."  She stood there awhile, when who should show up at the gate but her husband!  "Hello dear," she said.  "How have you been?"  "Very good," he said.  "After you died, I married that cute nurse who took care of you.  We bought a big house with your life insurance and later won the lottery.  We travelled a lot and I learned to ski.  In fact, just this morning I was skiing Copper Mtn. when I unfortunately hit a tree and here I am.  I'm not quite ready for all this, but say, it's really beautiful in there.  Can I come in?"  "Sure," said his former wife, "all you have to do is spell a word - Czechoslovakia!"

          Some people always seem ready, and others are busy with other things.  A teacher can tell when students are ready to learn, and a good scrub nurse can tell you if the surgeon is ready to operate.  People come with attitudes showing they're ready, and others have attitudes that show they're not.  There is a big connection between attitude and action.  Our attitudes play a big part in determining what we do.

          In our Gospel lesson for today, Jesus urges us to an attitude of readiness, of being alert to meet Him whenever He may come.  It is exceedingly hard these days to think of Christ's second coming because we're so busy with life.  We're tied up in the immediate and almost unaware of the important.  Terrorism happens on the outside and fighting on the inside, but still we're all wrapped with the present.  Still we think only of ourselves, our plans, our wants.

          A man's car breaks down and he somehow gets lost in the California desert looking for help.  For three days he wanders without food until he comes upon a huge, expensive house, a mansion in the desert.  He drags himself to the door, pounds on it and a gorgeous, beautiful woman answers it.  "Please, ma'am, I've not had anything to eat in four days," he says.  The woman responds, "I wish I had your will power," and shuts the door on him.  Yes, our attitudes always determine our actions.

          Friends, this world will not last, and the end is drawing near.  Jesus' story asks us today, are we today ready for His coming again?  He encourages us, "Be dressed ready for service and keep your lamps burning, like men waiting for their master to return..."  But are we ready?  What are we doing to show it?

          When Jesus tells this story, His disciples seem confused.  "Are you telling this parable to us, or to everyone?" (Luke 12:41)   So He tells them another story.  Jesus does that often.  Instead of merely quoting the Bible, He tells another story, and again it's about being ready.  "Who then is the faithful and wise manager, whom the master puts in charge of his servants?  It will be good for that servant whom the master finds [ready] when he returns.  He will put him in charge of all his possessions." (Luke 12:42-44)

          Who would have thought our world could be changed so dramatically by just one event?  In just three years our world has been subjected to terrorists.  Since 9-11, extremist organizations strike fear into our hearts, killing whomever they choose, and justifying murder by their religion.  Islamic terrorists have led our world into war, loss of life, massive loss of wealth, metal detectors, and limitation of some of our freedoms.  We suspect Middle Eastern people, and see the ripple effects in American politics.  As a local columnist wrote in last Friday's paper, Islamic terrorism is a cancer that must be removed.  Until it is, we will never sleep.

          I'm not sure we ever will sleep soundly again.  The age of American innocence is over.  Some said it happened in the sixties.  If not then, it surely has now.  And with it should come the realization that the end of all things is near.  Many will pooh-pooh this idea.  They think we'll find a way to overcome it and bring a new time of peace.  I'm not so sure.  Peace may be there for us, but it can come only from God Himself.  Our variety of peace will never be good enough.

          We are often so tied up in our own journeys that we ignore the signs of danger.  The signs can be in our bodies, telling us we're aging, or they're in the world, telling us peace is far away.  Signs are in our churches and homes.  But do we read them?

          A man on vacation was driving along a major highway when the road was blocked by a huge sign that said, "Under Construction."  Knowing he had only a few more miles to go, he decided to go around the sign and get there on that road anyway.  At first it wasn't bad, but then the road got worse.  After ten miles it went from bumpy to muddy and finally to a bridge that was out.  He turned around and drove the 10 miles back to where he started, and on the back of that big "Under Construction" sign was written, "Welcome back, stupid."

          Yes, welcome back, stupid, welcome back to reality.  The road really is out, life has become impassible, and the bad news is that we're the ones responsible.  It's our sin that washed the road out.  It's the sin of the world that has ruined the world.  It's my sin and your sin that has made my life and your life the mudhole it often is.

          Sin separates us, from God and from each other.  Sin is the elephant in the living room that no one wants to admit is there.  Churches don't even like to admit it, and preach a gospel of feeling good.  But these stories of Jesus tell us to be ready, ready for when Jesus returns, ready by true faith and trust in Him, not ourselves.

          Dear friends, He is coming soon.  He once came in Bethlehem, and He will come again soon.  For you and me, Christ comes at the moment of death.  True, He will come at the end of all things, but for each of us, He comes when we die.  I pray each of us here today are ready for Him by believing He is our Lord and trusting Him for eternal life.

          God loves our world and all us people.  He gave His only Son for all who think we can find our own way to heaven.  We see the muddy road and think we can get there anyway.  But we can't.  We can get there only through trusting in Christ, and what He has done for us.  He makes the road smooth for us.  He shows us the way.

          The road to God starts with repentance and faith.  Confession and absolution are not just parts of the worship service, they are the air we breathe as Christians.  We need Jesus, and His death and resurrection.  We need to hear Him forgive us.  Only when we know our sin can we realize our need for a Savior.  Only when we know our Savior can we see clearly God's love.

          The road is out, dear friends.  We'll not find our own way to God alone.  But Christ gives us a new road - through faith in Him.  But when we do see that sign, "Welcome back, stupid," then we are on the right road.  It's the road of God.  He loves stupid people.  He forgives them and shows them the right way.  He wants them ready to meet Him.  God grant each of us here the faith to be ready to meet Jesus, whenever that may be for us, amen

Copyright © 2004 by Pastor Bob Tasler.  All rights reserved.