A sign that will be Contradicted

 Peace, Blessings, and the Joy of the Lord be to all!

In reading and contemplating this week's Gospel reading, I find myself drawn to Simeon's prophecy that Jesus is "destined for the fall and rise of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be contradicted." It's an unexpected comment regarding The Messiah, don't you think? The Prince of Peace - God-with-us - Wonderful- Counselor. The Savior of the World. Yet Simeon says the He will be cause of the rise and fall of many. He will be a sign that will be contradicted. 

Perhaps it is not surprising that Jesus would be contradicted; any call to change is usually met with resistance. And Jesus called everyone to change. Break from sin and follow the Lord. It's the "Go and sin no more" part that we tend to have a problem with. We want to believe that we have license to be the way we want to be and to do the things that please us, because we find them to be "good."

How often we need to be reminded that the Lord's ways are not our ways.

As we move into the new year, I pray that we all pause long enough to recognize the ways in which our own hearts may contradict the Lord. The ways that we are called to change, and perhaps refuse to hear it......

Peace,

                    + Theophilus