Wow, in times like this (And I've lived through a few) doesn't it seem like everything is going to lead to the end of all things, Jesus' return, and so forth? Don't get me wrong, Jesus will return. He promised He would, and so He shall. But every time something bad has happened, someone has predicted "this is it!" What does Jesus say? He says: 36“But concerning that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son,but the Father only.37For as were the days of Noah, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.38For 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,39and they were unaware until the flood came and swept them all away, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.40Then two men will be in the field; one will be taken and one left.41Two women will be grinding at the mill; one will be taken and one left.42Therefore, stay awake, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming.43But 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.44Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect. (Matthew 24).
Jesus says we need to be ready. The Master has gone away and will return. When He does, how will His servants be found? There will be wars, rumors of wars, nation will rise up against nation, there will be famines and floods, earthquakes and pestilence. But we do not need to chase after the signs, we need to be found waiting for our Master, serving in His house and making all ready for His return. So How do we respond? We stand ready. We prepare a table for the Lord, so that food might be found if He returns to His house. We keep the lamps lit. We stay vigilant, and not grow weary of our service to the Master, for He can return at any time! And for some of us, He returns sooner than others, as some will find rest in death; but how will He find us, whether in dying, or if He returns and we're alive? Will the lamps be lit? Will the table be ready? Will the servants be attentive?
Church, let us, then, prepare our hearts. Let us always be vigilant, for the Day draws nearer always. Whether in this lifetime, or in generations to come, let us seek to be waiting on the good pleasure of our master. Stay vigilant.
45“Who then is the faithful and wise servant,whom his master has set over his household, to give them their food at the proper time?46Blessed is that servant whom his master will find so doing when he comes.47Truly, I say to you, he will set him over all his possessions.48But if that wicked servant says to himself, ‘My master is delayed,’49and begins to beat his fellow servantsdand eats and drinks with drunkards,50the master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he does not know51and will cut him in pieces and put him with the hypocrites. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
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