Title: The Dead Body / Topic: Last Days

Today’s Reading: Genesis 42; Genesis 43; Psalm 5; Luke 17

Scripture: Luke 17:37 [Jesus] replied, "Where there is a dead body, there the vultures will gather."

Observation: I have often wondered about this verse. The context, as I have understood it is that Jesus is speaking to his disciples about his second coming, one person will be taken and the other left, and so forth. But then, when his disciples ask "where, Lord?" he makes this strange reply: "Where there is a dead body, there the vultures will gather." He could have simply said, "heaven," or "to be with my Father," or some such thing, but instead he speaks of dead bodies and vultures. What is it all about?

Application: As I pondered, I thought, "What does a dead body have to do with what else Jesus is saying?" This whole section is in response to a question asked by the Pharisees "when the kingdom of God would come." Jesus replied, "The kingdom of God does not come with your careful observation, nor will people say, 'Here it is,' or 'There it is,' because the kingdom of God is within you." (vss. 20-21). Jesus then turns to his disciples and says, "The time is coming when you will long to see one of the days of the Son of Man, but you will not see it." (vs. 22). He compares this time to the "days of Noah" and the "days of Lot" where people just continued to live as if nothing was wrong even to the moment of God's terrible judgment. "People were eating, drinking, marrying and being given in marriage... buying and selling, planting and building." Life went on as if the people were in some kind of trance. And then judgment -- people are taken away. The disciples ask, "Where, Lord?" And Jesus gave this strange answer: "Where there is a dead body, there the vultures will gather."
I think Jesus is talking about the church. That is the dead body. (The saddest thing about a "dead body" church is that the people there are usually happy with it the way it is.) At the time of judgment, many people will be doing church as if everything is OK, but it will be a dead body, attracting vultures rather than sheep. His true disciples "will long to see one of the days of the Son of Man," but they "will not see it." But the dead church and its vultures will continue to play church. Jesus predicted that the love of most will grow cold but he who endures to the end will be saved. This is the same situation here.

Bottom line: Don't play church. Get close to Jesus. Stay humble and constantly repentant. I want to be a part of a living church filled with God's thriving flock, not a dead body attracting vultures.

Prayer: Lord, thank you that you always call people to a real and true living relationship with you. Lord, help me to keep it real. Keep me on the grow with you. And Lord, if I should ever slip into "doing church" same-o same-o, slap me or kick me or something to snap me out of it.
This I pray in Jesus’ name, Amen.