“So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.” (Matthew 24:44)
Read Matthew 24:32–51.
In 79 AD, Mount Vesuvius erupted, catching the population of Pompeii virtually unaware. When the site of the formerly busy city was rediscovered about 1,700 years later, it was as if Pompeii had been frozen at the precise moment of the eruption. Everyday life continued right up until time stopped for those who lived there. Small bread rolls were even found inside an oven, placed there by the baker who never had the chance to remove them.
Just like the people of Pompeii, we do not know when life will change forever. We do not know when Jesus will come again. Over and over again, today’s passage tells us that no-one knows the hour, yet that does not stop some people from predicting the day and the time. God has not set us a challenge to predict the Second Coming. We are not supposed to know. It is enough for us to know with certainty that Jesus will come again, as this is mentioned repeatedly in today’s reading. The timing is irrelevant.
Instead of trying to predict the time when Jesus will come again, we are instead urged to be ready. It may sound like an impossible task. How can we be prepared for such an important event when we have no idea when it might happen? To be ready is to be like the servant who is serving their master faithfully and wisely, and not like the servant who abuses their position.
While this might sound threatening, even frightening, the emphasis of today’s passage is the certainty that Jesus will return, and it is, therefore, filled with hope. When we pray in the Lord’s Prayer, “Your kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as in heaven”, we are filled with hope for the promised return of Jesus. Until that time, our ordinary, everyday life continues to be filled with the extraordinary love and hope we find in Jesus.
Prayer
Thank you, Jesus, for Your promise to come again. Keep us filled with hope, and help us share Your love with those who need it most as we wait for Your kingdom. Amen.
Stay encouraged!
Pastor Mike
