촛불 켜기(LIGHTING CANDLES)

💙 촛불 켜기

 ✝  누가복음 12:35 - 12:40 

“ 허리에 띠를 띠고 등불을 켜고 서 있으라 “[누가복음 12:35]

정오였지만 해는 보이지 않았습니다. 1780년 5월 19일 아침 뉴잉글랜드에 암흑이 시작되어 몇 시간 동안 지속되었습니다. 이 아주 이상한 어두움은 캐나다의 대규모 산불로 생긴 짙은 연기구름 때문에 그런 것 같았지만, 많은 사람들은 최후 심판의 날이 온 것은 아닐까 생각했습니다. 
그날 코네티컷 주지사 자문회의(상원의회)가 열리는 중이었는데 그 어두움 때문에 사람들이 휴회를 고려하고 있을 때, 에이브러햄 데븐포트는 분연히 말했습니다. “나는 휴회에 반대합니다. 최후의 심판일이 올 수도 있고 아닐 수도 있습니다. 최후의 심판일이 아니라면 휴회할 이유가 없습니다. 만일 최후 심판일이라 해도 나는 내 임무를 끝까지 수행하는 쪽을 택하겠습니다. 그러니 양초를 가져와주십시오.”

주님이 재림하시는 날까지 하나님이 맡기신 일을 충실하게 수행하려는 데븐포트의 간절한 마음은 예수님이 하신 다음 말씀을 실제로 보여주고 있습니다. “허리에 띠를 띠고 등불을 켜고 서 있으라 너희는 마치 그 주인이 혼인 집에서 돌아와 문을 두드리면 곧 열어 주려고 기다리는 사람과 같이 되라 주인이 와서 깨어 있는 것을 보면 그 종들은 복이 있으리로다”(누가복음 12:35-37).

밤이든 낮이든 우리의 구세주를 섬기는 것은 항상 좋은 일입니다. 어두움이 밀어닥쳐도 주님을 기다리는 모든 사람에게 하신 주님의 약속은 지켜질 것입니다. 어둠 속의 촛불처럼 우리의 “빛이 사람 앞에 비치게 하여 그들로 보게”(마태복음 5:16) 하며 주님을 사랑하고 섬기게 하소서.

---------------------------------
만일 내일 예수님이 오신다는 것을 알게 된다면 어떻게 다르게 행동하시겠습니까? 
오늘 어떻게 주님의 빛을 비추시겠습니까?

<어서 오소서, 예수님! 주님이 그날에 준비되어 있는 저를 보실 수 있기를, 또 지금 사는 저의 모습으로 다른 이들을 주님께 인도할 수 있기를 기도합니다.>

***************************
[누가복음 12:35 - 12:40]
35. ○허리에 띠를 띠고 등불을 켜고 서 있으라
36. 너희는 마치 그 주인이 혼인 집에서 돌아와 문을 두드리면 곧 열어 주려고 기다리는 사람과 같이 되라
37. 주인이 와서 깨어 있는 것을 보면 그 종들은 복이 있으리로다 내가 진실로 너희에게 이르노니 주인이 띠를 띠고 그 종들을 자리에 앉히고 나아와 수종들리라
38. 주인이 혹 이경에나 혹 삼경에 이르러서도 종들이 그같이 하고 있는 것을 보면 그 종들은 복이 있으리로다
39. 너희도 아는 바니 집 주인이 만일 도둑이 어느 때에 이를 줄 알았더라면 그 집을 뚫지 못하게 하였으리라
40. 그러므로 너희도 준비하고 있으라 생각하지 않은 때에 인자가 오리라 하시니라

---

💙 LIGHTING CANDLES

 ✝  Luke 12:35 - 12:40 

“ Be dressed ready for service and keep your lamps burning. “[ LUKE 12:35 ]

It was noon, but the sun wasn’t visible. New England’s Dark Day began the morning of May 19, 1780, and lasted for hours. The cause of the surreal darkness was likely heavy clouds of smoke from massive wildfires in Canada, but  many wondered if it might be judgment day.
The Connecticut governor’s council (senate) was in session, and when some considered adjourning because of the  darkness, Abraham Davenport responded, “I am against adjournment. The day of judgment is either approaching, or it is not. If it is not, there is no cause for an adjournment; if it is, I choose to be found doing my duty. I wish therefore that candles may be brought.” 

Davenport’s desire to be found faithfully performing the work God had given him to do on the day He returns is  illustrative of Jesus’ words: “Be dressed ready for service and keep your lamps burning, like servants waiting for their master to return from a wedding banquet, so that when he comes and knocks they can immediately open the door for him. It will be good for those servants whose master finds them watching when he comes”
(LUKE 12:35–37).

Day or night, it’s always good to serve our Savior. Even when darkness encroaches, His promises for all who look forward to Him will stand. Like candles in the darkness, may our “light shine before others, that they may see”  (MATTHEW 5:16) and love and serve Him too. 
-JAMES BANK

---------------------------
What would you do differently if you knew Jesus was coming tomorrow? 
How will you shine His light today?

<Come soon, Jesus! I pray You’ll find me ready on that day, and that the way I live now will draw others to You.>

**********************
[Luke 12:35 - 12:40]
35. "Be dressed in readiness, and [keep] your lamps alight.
36. "And be like men who are waiting for their master when he returns from the wedding feast, so that they may immediately open [the door] to him when he comes and knocks.
37. "Blessed are those slaves whom the master shall find on the alert when he comes; truly I say to you, that he will gird himself [to serve,] and have them recline [at the table,] and will come up and wait on them.
38. "Whether he comes in the second watch, or even in the third, and finds [them] so, blessed are those [slaves].
39. "And be sure of this, that if the head of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have allowed his house to be broken into.
40. "You too, be ready; for the Son of Man is coming at an hour that you do not expect.