Today's passage in Luke follows upon the episode of Jesus' healing the epileptic boy. The people were amazed by the miracle. The disciples themselves would have been caught up in the excitement. However, Jesus reminds the disciples of what will happen to Him. He will undergo suffering and be put to death. Jesus points out that it is not miraculous healings or amazing signs that will defeat the power of evil. The only source of power over evil is His passion and crucifixion.

Ecclesiastes is a beautiful poem that describes the idealism of youth and the realities of life, which includes growing old. To the young, the poet says, "Life is good; live it to the fullest". However, the young must learn that all is not rosy. They cannot presume to know more about life than they really do. Life itself is a mystery, something that cannot be fully explained. It can be confusing and haphazard. And only God knows what life is about although He chooses to remain silent. For now, it is enough to acknowledge that life is safe in the hands of God, Who created us.

We are often caught up with sensational occurrences and human qualities like beauty, youthfulness, strength and so on. Today the Word of God reminds us that the essence of Christian faith has to be centered on God. Eventually, everything in the world will give way. Only God will stand forever.