{"id":10991,"date":"2026-11-04T09:00:11","date_gmt":"2026-11-04T15:00:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.elca.org\/faithlens\/?p=10991"},"modified":"2026-11-03T11:28:14","modified_gmt":"2026-11-03T17:28:14","slug":"november-8-2026-gospel-in-gods-judgement","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.elca.org\/faithlens\/november-8-2026-gospel-in-gods-judgement\/","title":{"rendered":"November 8, 2026 – Gospel in God’s Judgement"},"content":{"rendered":"

Prepare\u00a0<\/b><\/h4>\n

This week\u2019s readings from Amos and Matthew are on the theme of the Lord\u2019s coming. The former uses a dark and light metaphor while the latter returns to the image of the wedding banquet. What fascinating imagery to have right after a national election and the first week of standard time for many in the United States, making our evenings suddenly darker. Note that at the time of writing, the election has not yet happened; however, there are certain declarations that happen after every election. That of promises and, oftentimes, hatred made by politicians, whether they won or lost, that I trust will connect to our day\u2019s readings for many of our students.<\/span><\/p>\n

Amos is warning of the \u201cDay of the Lord\u201d or \u201cjudgement\u201d that is coming. He does not think well of Israel\u2019s chances of surviving God\u2019s judgement because of their inauthentic worship and ways of living. His warning to Israel is that they have not been living as God commanded, or even in relationship with God. Therefore, things will go dark for them (and in some cases already have). If you do not associate with the light of the world, you have no light.<\/span><\/p>\n

Gospel in God’s Judgement<\/span><\/h6>\n

In Matthew, we learn of different approaches to waiting for Christ. All of the bridesmaids are hoping to meet the bridegroom (Christ), but some expect this to happen much more quickly than others. Those who expect to meet Christ quickly are scrambling when they have to wait. Note that this is one of only a few stories in the gospels where the person who\u2019s unprepared is in the wrong rather than the one who refuses to share. That\u2019s because this text is not about how we are to approach our earthly resources, but rather about how we are approaching God. Those who expect God to come soon, and are not ready to be patient, are looking for a quick fix. In the end, they will not get to experience the glory of God\u2019s justice in the world when it arrives.<\/span><\/p>\n

Both of these scriptures meet us as we live into the promise of Jesus, the one \u201cwho was and is and is to come.\u201d Yes, Jesus came, lived, died and was resurrected from the dead. We also continue to live in a broken world. So we read these texts assured of the promise of salvation from Christ who overcame death. We also recognize the reality that life can feel hard and cyclical, making it difficult to see what God is doing in the world.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Opening Exercise<\/b><\/h4>\n

If you were to run for class president, what would your platform be? If you have extra time and want a sillier exercise, make campaign signs or slogans. Consider these questions:<\/span><\/p>\n