No One Knows That Day and Hour
36 “But concerning that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only. 37 For as were the days of Noah, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. 38 For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark, 39 and they were unaware until the flood came and swept them all away, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. 40 Then two men will be in the field; one will be taken and one left. 41 Two women will be grinding at the mill; one will be taken and one left. 42 Therefore, stay awake, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming. 43 But know this, that if the master of the house had known in what part of the night the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and would not have let his house be broken into. 44 Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.
As a general rule, I do not like surprises. An occasional bouquet of flowers or card is always nice, but someone showing up unannounced at my house or calling me after 10pm at night is frowned upon. I think it's because, as a pastor, those sorts of things mean someone is trouble. You see, I like to plan things out as much as possible, so surprises are often a difficult distraction for me - a disruption of the flow of my plans. I don't get upset, I just would prefer not to have any surprises. Sounds rather boring when I say it, but that's who I am I guess - one who likes to know what to expect. Maybe it's a control thing. Surprises mean being out of control of what's happening. My house might be a mess, or there might be dog hair on the floor that needs swept, or dishes in the sink that haven't been put away. Heaven forbid anyone would see that! But there's a certain startling effect that comes with surprises; an adrenalin rush that means "quick to action."
Jesus says we must be ready for his return. It will not be announced a week early so we can get our houses in order. It won't be announced at all! It will be a surprise. However, this is a surprise we know is coming and can be ready for, but we must be ready each and every day or we will be caught off guard.
How do we prepare for Christ's return? What do we do in the meantime, knowing it could be any hour of any day?
We intentionally wait, putting our trust in the promises of God who vowed to never forsake his people. We sink into the knowledge of our faith and ask for help in the waiting period. We ensure we won't be surprised by having our spiritual houses in order.
What thoughts come to mind as you ponder this?
Loving God, as we wait and watch for the return of your Son, give us confidence to live in this moment as fully as we possibly can. Help us to serve others and to work for your kingdom even as we keep eyes on the heavens, watching for Christ's glorious return. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.
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