And
they said to him, “Where, Lord?” He said to them, “Where the corpse is, there
the vultures (eagles) will gather.” Luke 17: 37
As Jesus concludes his
teaching on the nature, timing and signs surrounding the coming Kingdom of God, He is asked one
question more. Having dealt with
what and when, He is asked the question, “where.” Where will these things take place? If I am to see this happen, Lord, where will it be?
In response Jesus gives a maxim taken from nature, one all would have commonly observed. It is a word from Jesus meant to give assurance. A word reassuring them that what is to come will not be missed, for, just as birds will gather around
a carcass, instinctively, so too will they be gathered about Christ.
Of course when we read this
verse we may be confused, perhaps even 'turned off' because It represents to us a
negative image. One of death and of something that is not pretty, or pleasant. The word vulture is a translation of the
Greek word 'aetoi' in many of our modern translations (NIV, ESV), and this immediately
conjures a negative image. However, some manuscripts and subsequent
translations offer the Greek word, not as vultures, but as 'eagles',
which may well change our feeling about the passage altogether. Either way,though, the truth remains
the same. Just as in nature birds gather about a body, so will it be with Christ at His coming, His
passion, and His glory yet to come.
So what might the application be for us? Well, I prefer to think of myself as an eagle (if you don’t
mind) and, that said, I know this - that when Jesus comes again I will be with
Him. Wherever that is, I will be
there!
Paul teaches in 1st Thessalonians that even if my body lies in the grave, it will be caught up with Him in the air at His return. And what did Jesus say to thief on the cross, and to you and me? He said that because of our belief, our faith in Him and His work on Calvary and in victory over death, that if I were to die even today, that... “today, I would be with Him in paradise.”
And this is something to look forward to - whenever and wherever it may be!
Paul teaches in 1st Thessalonians that even if my body lies in the grave, it will be caught up with Him in the air at His return. And what did Jesus say to thief on the cross, and to you and me? He said that because of our belief, our faith in Him and His work on Calvary and in victory over death, that if I were to die even today, that... “today, I would be with Him in paradise.”
And this is something to look forward to - whenever and wherever it may be!
Pastor Sam
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