“Be patient, then, brothers, until the Lord’s coming. See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop and how patient he is for the autumn and spring rains. You too, be patient and stand firm, because the Lord’s coming is near.” – James 5:7-8
As the story goes, a teacher had just finished putting the last pair of boots on her preschoolers…32 pairs in all, when the last little girl said, “These aren’t my boots.” The teacher removed them as the little girl continued, “They are my sister’s boots, and she let me wear them today.” The teacher quietly put them back on. Now that’s patience!
“Lord, grant me patience, and please hurry!”
As we work through the summer months, I am always amazed at how quickly the crops grow and am once again reminded of how the farmers’ patience throughout the spring and summer pays off. Honestly, I could never be a farmer…it takes to much patience and faith! But I don’t think I am alone…I think just about our entire society has become impatient. Stuck in the McDonalds drive through for five minutes and we’re ready to start honking the horn and screaming at the top of our lungs. Yet, just stop and think for a moment, there are folks all around the world who have to wait hours in line just to get food so their family can stay alive for another week.
In the context of that St. James passage above, he tells us that we need to put everything we experience into perspective, and to consider what is truly important. He urges us to have patience and to live out our faith by doing good works by caring for others…displaying the love of Christ by having an attitude of forgiveness, patience, and long-suffering with those whom God has placed in our lives. Yes…even with that person in front of you at the checkout lane. Who knows? Perhaps that long wait was intended by God in order for you to strike up a conversation with that person in order for you to share your faith with them. Ever thought of it that way before?
The Scriptures tell us that patience ought to be our way of life while we wait for God to fulfill His promises…that He will take us to heaven where we will see Him face to face. But that day has not yet come for any of us, so we must trust in that promise while waiting…patiently. I understand that’s not easy to do, but God has not left you or me on our own to come up with that virtue. You don’t have to find it within yourself to come up with the strength needed to live a life of patience for patience is a “fruit of the Spirit.” St. Paul confirms this in his letter to the Galatians. “The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.” – Galatians 5:22
So, while we have been called upon to be patient in order to be better witnesses for Christ in our world, we are also reminded of our Lord’s patience towards us sinners.
In reading the Gospels, there is one thing that certainly sticks out, Jesus’ patience with people, with their endless questions, their false accusations, and let us not forget his patiently bearing the cross up Calvary’s hill where he then endured agony for hours before he died, patiently enduring all of it for you…for your benefit, so that, your sins would be forgiven and forgotten.
James writes, “The Lord’s coming is near” and the truth of the matter is we are all just a heartbeat away from his coming near to us to take us home to our heavenly rest. But the Lord is coming near in another sense, he is coming near to us in his Word and Sacrament here at church. Therefore, as we patiently endure the often-oppressive heat of summer, let us not forget to draw near to our Lord in worship.
Until next month….
Pastor Roloff