the day of "wreckoning"
The Lord "has torn down in His anger the fortresses of daughter Judah." —Lamentations 2:2
Jesus came to proclaim and establish the kingdom of God and bring salvation to the human race by overcoming the sin of Adam. Jesus destroyed the power of Satan and overcomes him (see 1 Jn 3:8). Satan's works cannot stand next to those of God. Anything built on a foundation based on evil must first be overturned and destroyed. Therefore, Jesus' initial work must be that of a demolition crew. First, He needs to make a total wreck of the existing structure, if it is not founded on Him. Only then will He lay a new foundation and build His kingdom.
Jesus is zealous for His house (Jn 2:17). As a carpenter, He is determined to build things the right way, and so He'll have to rip out and cut down an unstable foundation (see Lk 13:9). He clears the ground (Mt 3:10) completely and thoroughly. He will build His kingdom, and nothing will stand that opposes His work.
If anything in your life is opposed to God's kingdom, you don't have to wait for Jesus to "make a wreck" out of it. With God's grace, you can do some of the wrecking yourself to prepare the way of the Lord. Ask Jesus to show you what needs to be eliminated from your life. Let's do the wrecking ourselves so that Jesus can spend His time doing the building.
Prayer: Father, do in me whatever You must in order to do through me whatever You will.
Promise: "He expelled the spirits by a simple command and cured all who were afflicted." —Mt 8:16
Praise: The First Martyrs of Rome shed their blood for Jesus which has borne great fruit by preparing Rome to be the home of the Catholic Church.
Reference: (This teaching was submitted by a member of our editorial team.)
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Rescript: †Most Reverend Joseph R. Binzer, Auxiliary Bishop, Vicar General of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, February 27, 2018
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