Jump Start # 854

Matthew 24:38 “For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage until the day that Noah entered the ark”

This week we are taking a look at marriage and especially weddings. My daughter is getting married in a few days that that thought has filled our house with activity, plans and so forth. There are details and details that go into making a wedding run smooth and pleasing to the bride.

Jesus used the concept of weddings often in His teachings. We love weddings. They are happy occasions. Sometimes the excitement of the wedding can blind us to what is going on about us. That’s the thought behind our passage today.

Matthew 24 is a serious chapter that tells of the coming of the Lord. The destruction of Jerusalem is foretold. For most of us, that is a historical event. For the Jewish people, that changed their history, destiny and lives. Jerusalem was their city. They thought it was God’s city. It had been the capital of the nation since the days of David. It is where the Temple was. To Jerusalem, every male Jew traveled for feast days. Records of family histories were stored in the city. Each family knew what tribe they descended from. They were proud of their heritage. They were glad to be Jews. Now all of that was changing. God’s law was now found not in Moses, but Christ. The King was Jesus. God was going to allow the holy city to be destroyed and the temple ruined. Modern Jews today cannot trace their heritage back to a specific tribe. All the records are lost. The destruction of Jerusalem was a transition from the Old Testament to the New Testament.

This event was as important as the flood. This is where Jesus found a parallel. In the days of Noah, people were marrying, just as they were in the days of Jerusalem’s fall. That is the historical context of this passage.

Now some thoughts. Our verses states that they were marrying and giving in marriage until the day Noah entered the ark. What a contrast! Noah was building the ark, while others were building a wedding. The days grew closer for Noah and the days grew closer for the wedding. The day came for Noah to move into the ark. The day came for a wedding. People gathered. Promises were made. Kisses exchanged. A happy future was planned. Then it started to rain. Then it flooded. Then everything changed. Noah had preached while building the ark. No one paid attention. They didn’t listen. Didn’t believe. Too busy with wedding plans. Too much to do.

I saw a report on ESPN recently that stated 80% of professional football players are broke two years after they retire. 80%. What happened? They didn’t plan for life after football. They spent all that they had. There is a lesson from this. In all that you and I do, we must never take our eyes off the eternal. Weddings, vacations, celebrations, building houses, going to college, graduations, birth of babies are all exciting times of our lives. We cannot allow these events to get us so busy that we forget about the eternal. Back in Noah’s days, people were so caught up with today that they failed to see a tomorrow. They didn’t pay attention to an old man who was building an ark and warning people of God.

Setting our eyes on Heaven is the key. We never take our eyes off the eternal. Even at weddings…even on vacation…even when moving into the college dorm…even when building a new house…even when holding a sweet new baby. All these events cannot make us miss Heaven.

Use those events to pray. Use those events to glean from the Scriptures. Use those events to tell the story of Jesus to others. Instead of shoving Heaven to back while these events go on, include Heaven in them.

That thought helped me last night. I was tired from working on wedding stuff. I feel that I’m doing more for my daughter’s wedding than I did my own. It was a great moment to complain and think about self. Instead, Heaven was invited in. I thought how blessed I am to have a wonderful daughter, who is beautiful on the inside and out. She walks with the Lord and has found a incredible Christian man who adores her. Their relationship has brought the best out of each of them. God has blessed me to be in a position where I can afford this wedding. Many prayers have been said through the years for what we are about to witness in a few days. God works things in His own way. I’m blessed to be a part of this. There is much to be thankful for.

Inviting Heaven into your day is the key. It doesn’t have to be a grand event such as a wedding. It can be something as common as going to the grocery store. It can be as simple as reading a bed time story to the children. It can be as normal as going for a walk in the neighborhood. Remember Jesus saying, look at the lilies, or observe the birds…and then He invited Heaven into the conversation and thought. Don’t allow busy times to push Heaven out of your life, not even for a day. Don’t allow schedules, company, plans, packing, traveling as a time to forget who you are and where you are going. Don’t forget God because you are at a ballgame, out of town or sitting in a meeting at work. Invite Heaven. Include God. Set your mind on things above.

I’ve been to weddings that were supposed to be outdoors, but the weather forced it inside. I wonder if a rainy day in Noah’s time made people think about that prophet from God who warned them, offered them a chance to change, or did their minds only think of hassles of having to move a wedding indoor? They forgot to include Heaven.

Don’t be like that. Don’t let it happen today!

Roger