Redeem the Time

When Jesus was teaching His disciples at Jacob’s Well in Samaria, He told them the fields were ready for harvest. The men were no doubt confused because it was months until harvest time, and they missed the Teacher’s metaphor meaning not the crops, but the people were ready. He then demonstrated truth by convincing most of the people in town that He was indeed the long-awaited Messiah. As I mentioned in “The Samaritan Revelation,” this was twice dumbfounding to the disciples since the converts were Samaritans. A less likely place for revival could hardly be imagined.

I think we are in a similar position now. I said so a while back in “Finding God in COVID 19.” I think the double whammy of COVID 19 and the civil unrest we are experiencing has our “neighbors” in a perfect position to hear the gospel. Maybe I should have said see the gospel. The phrase “redeeming the time” was brought to my mind recently. I went to Ephesians 5 to be reminded of the full context of the admonition. I discovered that the verse containing the phrase begins with a therefore. As I often do, I looked to see what the “therefore” was there for. It is actually one link in a chain of therefores. Here is my condensed paraphrase of the thought Paul begins in verse 17 of chapter 4:

My life and my words say that you should no longer live the way unbelievers live without concern for truth or goodness, but take a higher, spiritual view of things, so that you become the person you ought to be, letting everyone you meet see what really matters. Be kind toward one another, compassionate, forgiving one another, just as God in Christ has forgiven you. Demonstrate to everyone the kind of love your Heavenly Father showed you while you learn how to please God. Don’t get caught up in the wicked ways of the unbelievers around you, but rather reveal them for what they are. Take utmost care to spend your time wisely because these days are full of perils, hardships and annoyances.

Notice that Paul was calling the Ephesians to action: “Live… become… see… be… demonstrate… reveal… spend your time wisely.” None of these words sound like shelter-in-place behaviors (sorry). This admonition sounds like something we should put into practice. At its root, it is a practical description of what following the “Greatest Commandment” (love God; love your neighbor) would look like. The old saying is true that actions speak louder than words.

Another thing you might notice in my paraphrase is how I translated the last word. The King James and many others say we should redeem the time because the days are evil. In both the Old and New Testaments, the word “evil” is not primarily a moral judgment; it has a broader meaning. “Perils, hardships and annoyances” comes straight from the Greek dictionary definition of the word Paul used. The Hebrew word often translated “evil” means unpleasantness, calamity, distress or adversity.

We are in the midst of some serious unpleasantness right now. Days like these call for wisdom. We need to spend our time doing everything we can to show God’s love to a hurting world. While actions are extremely important, we are not excused from speaking the truth when we have an opportunity. If you are not sure how to begin a conversation about God with your neighbor, I can recommend some resources. The Gospel Coalition has an article on how to evangelize during a pandemic. God Space by Doug Pollock has some very simple, practical suggestions. I wrote Lead a Horse to Water to help people break the ice that often keeps them from sharing the gospel. Put Google to good use; you’ll find plenty of help. Whatever you do, take utmost care to spend your time wisely because these days are full of perils, hardships and annoyances. Let people know you believe better days are ahead – an eternity of better days.