Stating the Obvious

Matthew recalls a story from Jesus.  “Therefore, keep watch, but understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what time of night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into.” It seems pretty obvious, if we know when a problem is going to occur, we pay attention, get prepared and respond.  Or do we?  Crime seems to be something that has been around for a few thousand years.  Today, there are alarm systems, video monitoring, heavy steel safes, gated communities, and even insurance if the criminal is successful, to protect those things that are of high value to us. We love to subcontract  protection.  But let’s apply today’s attitudes against a few more verses before and after Matthew 24:16.

⁴⁰ Two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other left. 41 Two women will be grinding with a hand mill; one will be taken and the other left. ⁴² “Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come. ⁴³ But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what time of night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into. ⁴⁴ So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him. ~Matthew 24:40-44

The picture is little different.  Jesus is talking about death, not knowing when our time will come and those mysteries of eternal life will be forever known to us.  So are we as a society, subcontracting the “watching and waiting” for our Lord too? In our busy and playful society, taking time to think about eternal life often takes a lower priority to the daily activities of life.  Working hard to maintain a secure job, finding and maintaining a place to live where our families can prosper, having fun, sports, beach time, hobbies, all discouraging the constant vigilance that Jesus is warning about. We read an occasional good spiritual book, see a movie with a moving lesson for life, maybe even offer a prayer or two while driving on our local highways.

None of the things in life that bring us joy are in themselves wrong.  But as this verse points out, it is not whether the thief will come but the the fact that the thief will come.  It is not enough to go to church once a week and then forget about God until the next visit. It is not enough to only remember God when we really need something.  Just as God is woven through the fabric of the Universe, faith and hope in our Savior should be woven into the every DNA of our lives.

Have you thought about how to make Christ part of your daily and hourly existence?

Checklist√

Is prayer part of your all day thought process? Before work, during meetings, before big decisions, during quiet time, while having fun?

Have you decided that a personal relationship with Jesus is a good thing?

Do you seek quiet time to allow the Holy Spirit to speak to your soul?

Have you made it your own responsibility to know and understand God’s Word?

Is your trust in Christ and your faith in His eternal gift obvious with those you meet?

Are you always ready?

Some Things Never Change

Isaiah, some 700 years before Jesus’s birth, finds himself really frustrated by society and the times he is living in.  See if you notice any similarity to today’s frustrations?

“¹ I revealed myself to those who did not ask for me; I was found by those who did not seek me. To a nation that did not call on my name, I said, ‘Here am I, here am I.’ ² All day long I have held out my hands to an obstinate people, who walk in ways not good, pursuing their own imaginations—³ a people who continually provoke me to my very face, offering sacrifices in gardens and burning incense on altars of brick; ~Isaiah 65:1-3

Isaiah finds himself trying to warn his nation.  While they didn’t ask his advice, he is trying to warn them that  their selfishness, their reliance on the wrong things for strength, their improper worship of material gods, would lead them to harm.   Do you feel the same way?  Our world grows more divided, hatred booms, violence and death seem to be commonplace, and no one seems to care.  Well, don’t lose heart.  The message for the good or the bad is that in this Universe, God is in charge.  He will have the last word.

Your Tip: Prepare your life every day so that you are vigilant, ready for God’s call to you whether is is for service in this world or the glory of the next.