#109 Luke 17:27-37 As It Was in the Days of Noah

Amy:
Episode #109 Luke 17:26-37

Welcome

Amy:
Welcome to The Christgazing Podcast. We are so glad you are here! I’m Amy Burgin.

Joy:
I’m Joy Burgin.

Amy:
Christgazing, kind of like stargazing, is the act of looking steadily and intently at Jesus. This podcast makes room for just that. Amid a world of many words, we slow down here and make space for the God-breathed Words, the best words, the ones that rightly comfort, correct, and lead us. Each week we read a portion of scripture several times and create stillness after each reading so we might also be still and know God more.

We are in a series that takes us through the book of Luke

Pour Out Your Heart to God

Amy:
Before we read today, take time to share your heart with God. We do this each week; we pour out our hearts to God, exposing the deception, division, diversion, and discouragement inside us. We make room for God to exchange these with truth, unity, focus, and encouragement. So give God your thoughts, your hurts, fears, questions, and concerns in this next minute.

[Pause and pour out your heart to God]

What Does This Passage Say About God?

Joy:
I’m going to read today’s passage two times. As I read, consider the question, What does this say about God?

Luke 17:26-37 “Just as it was in the days of Noah, so also will it be in the days of the Son of Man. 27 People were eating, drinking, marrying and being given in marriage up to the day Noah entered the ark. Then the flood came and destroyed them all.

28 “It was the same in the days of Lot. People were eating and drinking, buying and selling, planting and building. 29 But the day Lot left Sodom, fire and sulfur rained down from heaven and destroyed them all.

30 “It will be just like this on the day the Son of Man is revealed. 31 On that day no one who is on the housetop, with possessions inside, should go down to get them. Likewise, no one in the field should go back for anything. 32 Remember Lot’s wife! 33 Whoever tries to keep their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life will preserve it. 34 I tell you, on that night two people will be in one bed; one will be taken and the other left. 35 Two women will be grinding grain together; one will be taken and the other left.” 36

37 “Where, Lord?” they asked.

He replied, “Where there is a dead body, there the vultures will gather.”

Again?

Luke 17:26-37 “Just as it was in the days of Noah, so also will it be in the days of the Son of Man. 27 People were eating, drinking, marrying and being given in marriage up to the day Noah entered the ark. Then the flood came and destroyed them all.

28 “It was the same in the days of Lot. People were eating and drinking, buying and selling, planting and building. 29 But the day Lot left Sodom, fire and sulfur rained down from heaven and destroyed them all.

30 “It will be just like this on the day the Son of Man is revealed. 31 On that day no one who is on the housetop, with possessions inside, should go down to get them. Likewise, no one in the field should go back for anything. 32 Remember Lot’s wife! 33 Whoever tries to keep their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life will preserve it. 34 I tell you, on that night two people will be in one bed; one will be taken and the other left. 35 Two women will be grinding grain together; one will be taken and the other left.” 36

37 “Where, Lord?” they asked.

He replied, “Where there is a dead body, there the vultures will gather.”

Take a minute to be still and consider the question:

What does this say about God?

[Pause and know]

What Does This Passage Say About People?

Joy: As I reread the passage, consider a different question, What does this say about people?

Luke 17:26-37 “Just as it was in the days of Noah, so also will it be in the days of the Son of Man. 27 People were eating, drinking, marrying and being given in marriage up to the day Noah entered the ark. Then the flood came and destroyed them all.

28 “It was the same in the days of Lot. People were eating and drinking, buying and selling, planting and building. 29 But the day Lot left Sodom, fire and sulfur rained down from heaven and destroyed them all.

30 “It will be just like this on the day the Son of Man is revealed. 31 On that day no one who is on the housetop, with possessions inside, should go down to get them. Likewise, no one in the field should go back for anything. 32 Remember Lot’s wife! 33 Whoever tries to keep their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life will preserve it. 34 I tell you, on that night two people will be in one bed; one will be taken and the other left. 35 Two women will be grinding grain together; one will be taken and the other left.” 36

37 “Where, Lord?” they asked.

He replied, “Where there is a dead body, there the vultures will gather.”

Take the next few moments to answer the question, What does this tell us about people?

[Pause and know]

Lord, What Would You Have Me Know Or Do Today?

Joy: As I read for the last time, ask God, “Lord, what would you have me know or do today in response to this passage?” If it helps, put yourself in the narrative.

Luke 17:26-37 “Just as it was in the days of Noah, so also will it be in the days of the Son of Man. 27 People were eating, drinking, marrying and being given in marriage up to the day Noah entered the ark. Then the flood came and destroyed them all.

28 “It was the same in the days of Lot. People were eating and drinking, buying and selling, planting and building. 29 But the day Lot left Sodom, fire and sulfur rained down from heaven and destroyed them all.

30 “It will be just like this on the day the Son of Man is revealed. 31 On that day no one who is on the housetop, with possessions inside, should go down to get them. Likewise, no one in the field should go back for anything. 32 Remember Lot’s wife! 33 Whoever tries to keep their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life will preserve it. 34 I tell you, on that night two people will be in one bed; one will be taken and the other left. 35 Two women will be grinding grain together; one will be taken and the other left.” 36

37 “Where, Lord?” they asked.

He replied, “Where there is a dead body, there the vultures will gather.”

Take the next minute to ask God, Lord, what would you have me know or do today in response to this passage?

[Pause and listen]

Blessing

Joy:
Christgazer, the Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace. And may you turn your face toward Jesus today and know him more.

One Response

Amy:
Several things stand out to me today:

  1. The day of the son of Man will bring destruction like the flood of Noah and the sulfur of Sodom.

  2. The day of the Son of Man will come as a surprise to many. Men will be in the middle of carrying out their plans, eating and drinking, buying and selling, planting and building. All our entertaining, busyness, and doing will be interrupted suddenly.
  3. In last week’s passage, we saw that the Kingdom of God has already come covertly – that it is already in our midst. We see that again today. The kingdom of God is totally intertwined with the kingdom of this world. A citizen of heaven sleeps in the same bed as a citizen of the world. A citizen of heaven works in the same bakery next to a citizen of this world.

  4. As God saved Noah by shutting him up in an ark, and saved Lot by dragging him away from Sodom, so God can and will preserve his people.

  5. In yesterday’s episode, the question to Jesus was “When? When is the Kingdom of God coming?”  Today, they area asking, “Where?” Several interpretations can be found in various commentaries of the passage but to me, Jesus seems to be saying, “it will happen everywhere – worldwide.” 

Psalm 12:7 comes to mind.

Help, LORD, for no one is faithful anymore;
those who are loyal have vanished from the human race.
2 Everyone lies to their neighbor;
they flatter with their lips
but harbor deception in their hearts.

3 May the LORD silence all flattering lips
and every boastful tongue—
4 those who say,
“By our tongues we will prevail;
our own lips will defend us—who is lord over us?”

5 “Because the poor are plundered and the needy groan,
I will now arise,” says the LORD.
“I will protect them from those who malign them.”
6 And the words of the LORD are flawless,
like silver purified in a crucible,
like gold refined seven times.

7 You, LORD, will keep the needy safe
and will protect us forever from the wicked,
8 who freely strut about
when what is vile is honored by the human race.

This is the word of the Lord.

Closing

Amy:
You can find a transcript of this episode and all our episodes at amyburgin.com. We will be back again next week to go Christgazing together. Until then, don’t forget, when you put your trust in Christyou are one in whom he dwells and delightsa dearly loved child of God. You are royalty in his strong and unshakeable kingdom. Though trouble abounds, Christ prevails, and so do you.

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