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Matthew 24:36-44 (ESV)
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 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 I was reading this passage, I was thinking about an NCAA regional cross-country race that took place several years ago in Pennsylvania. The race was going off without a hitch, and the runners were completely focused on their pace and the trail in front of them. Then, without any warning, a herd of deer suddenly bolted through a pack of runners catching everyone off guard, and one young man in particular, who was knocked clean off his feet when the deer struck him (he was uninjured, and you can see the video if you like. Just click on the picture above).
Every runner was so focused on the race that they were completely caught off guard when deer broke through their ranks.
In our passage, Jesus issues a strong warning to His disciples to stay awake and be ready. But for what?
On the one hand, some interpret this passage to be speaking about Jesus’ return to earth. That fits with other passages in Scripture where we are promised that Jesus will come again. That promise is expressed in Acts 1 and in 1 Thessalonians 4. In addition, both Paul and John tell us that Jesus will appear again in Colossians 3:4 and 1 John 3:23. However, we don’t know when that will happen, but we do know that we need to be ready for that day.
On the other hand, some interpret this passage to be warning Christians to be ready for the day of their own death, for that time when they will see Jesus face to face, and again the encouragement is for people to be ready to meet their Lord.
But here’s the thing; if we’re to understand Scripture correctly and not get carried away by our 21st-century cultural presuppositions which can lead us to understand Scripture from our personal point of view and expectations. If we’re going to understand Scripture correctly, then we need to understand how the first readers of Matthew’s Gospel would have understood these words of Jesus.
If you remember from the last devotional from the previous passage, the disciples would have understood Jesus to be speaking about a time of great cultural and social upheaval that would sweep through Jerusalem and culminate with the destruction of the Temple.
They would have understood Jesus to be saying three things in this passage.
First, no one knows when this upheaval will happen.
Second, life will go on as normal right up to the point that it happens.
Third, it will devastate families and relationships. The point of “one taken and one left behind” isn’t about God doing some sort of supernatural rescue for one while the other is left behind. Rather, it’s the opposite. When the upheaval happens, when the devastation comes upon Jerusalem and the Temple, the invaders will sweep some people away as slaves, others to their deaths, and leave others behind and untouched. Remember, all of this does take place in 70 AD when the Romans invaded Jerusalem.
All of what Jesus is saying would be very troubling and confusing for His disciples which is why He tells them, “stay awake…, be ready.”
“Stay awake…, be ready.” It’s still a good word for us today. In the previous devotional, I noted that our times are a snarled, tangled-up mess. When I woke up this morning, I found that not much has changed. The world is still a mess, people are still struggling and hurting. Hate, violence, corruption, and all things evil seem to have free reign.
And yet. We know that God is patient with us. He is not slow to keep His promises, for He does not wish for anyone to perish (2 Peter 3:9). So God’s patience with us gives you and I the great opportunity, the privilege really, to be found faithful, to grow in knowledge and love for the Lord and share God’s love, grace, and truth to our lost and broken world.
He is coming back.
So, for each church and for each of us, we need to hear Jesus’ words to those He loves, “Stay awake…, be ready.”
How will you act on that today?
God bless you and know that you are constantly in my prayers!
Scott
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