Today's Reading April 27

Good morning.
This morning's reading in our through-the-Bible-in-a-year path, from the Old Testament is Second Samuel chapters 17 and 18. The struggle between David the king, and Absalom, his own son who sought to kill his father and seize the crown, reaches the end. Absalom dies. His father mourns him.
One translation of the name of Absalom is ''father of peace''. Well, we all want good things for our children, and perhaps the names we give them are indicative of our hopes for them. This one went wrong, real wrong. It is not possible to excuse his actions. But David his father bore some guilt. Plural marriages were part of the problem. Whether that is the displayed as the ''serial monogamy'' of our own time, which leads to ''blended families'' and similar problems, or the polygamy we see in the failed societies of the Islamic heathens, nothing good comes of it. David's refusal to take seriously the issues of his other children also was part of the problem. Sound familiar? Finally, patricide, matricide, fratricide, etc. are and have long been part of mideastern ''culture''. Some of the ''celebrate diversity!'' flaks really ought to be aware of this.
At any rate, a fight took place that should never have happened and there was a lot of ''collateral damage'' landing on those who had no guilt in the matter. That often happens, by the way. The ''it's my life!'' folks never seem to own up to that.

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This evening's reading, from the New Testament, comes from the Gospel of Luke, chapter 21, verses 1 through 19. Luke's Gospel always seems to be packed full of good stuff, and this passage is no different, and contains a few things we often overlook.
Verses 1 through 4 recount in a few words the offering of the widow's mite in the Temple. Jesus saw her acts, and her heart. The Lord still does, by the way. Something for us all to consider. More than 2000 years later, her act is still celebrated. The money was not the issue, her heart was.
Verses 5 through 19 get into a teaching moment on future cataclysmic events. There is here no polite easy path predicted.

12 But before all these, they shall lay their hands on you, and persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues, and into prisons, being brought before kings and rulers for my name's sake.
13 And it shall turn to you for a testimony.
14 Settle it therefore in your hearts, not to meditate before what ye shall answer:
15 For I will give you a mouth and wisdom, which all your adversaries shall not be able to gainsay nor resist.
16 And ye shall be betrayed both by parents, and brethren, and kinsfolks, and friends; and some of you shall they cause to be put to death.
17 And ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake.

And, yet, I nearly overlooked verse 19:

19 In your patience possess ye your souls.

Hang on, hold fast. It ain't over yet. See past the moment to the reality. God is still in control. Lean on him. Good words.