Faithful Waiting

It's hard to wait. Let's talk about this coming Sunday's gospel lesson. What are your thoughts and insights? This was sent out to the people of St. Timothy Lutheran Church. 

Gospel: Matthew 24:36-44

 [Jesus said to the disciples,] ³⁶“About that day and hour no one knows, neither the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. ³⁷For as the days of Noah were, 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 Noah entered the ark, ³⁹and they knew nothing until the flood came and swept them all away, so too will be the coming of the Son of Man. ⁴⁰Then two will be in the field; one will be taken and one will be left. ⁴¹Two women will be grinding meal together; one will be taken and one will be left. ⁴²Keep awake therefore, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming. ⁴³But understand this: if the owner 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 unexpected hour.”

Can we live with not knowing? Can we live in mystery? Jesus said that no one knows when his return will be, except the Father. Look how many times not knowing is used in this passage. The angels of heaven and the Son do not know when these things will happen. In Noah’s day, the people knew nothing until the flood came. Jesus’ audience did not know when the Lord is coming. The owner of the house did not know when the thief would come. This is a lot of not knowing.

The people of Noah’s time were just living their lives like we are: eating, drinking, getting married, and working—there is nothing inherently wrong with any of these things. These are normal everyday activities. It’s not the actions per se, but the place of importance they take in our lives. Is there room for God? In Noah’s day, the people were too preoccupied with these things to hear the warning God issued through Noah. They knew nothing until the cataclysmic flood came. Then they understood that their lives would never be the same.

God isn’t asking us to suspend our daily lives to sit and wait for Jesus to return. We are still supposed to work, eat, and live. The Lutheran Study Bible says that watching and being ready have “surprisingly simple” meanings. “Faithfully carry out the tasks set before you [as the verses following today’s gospel reading demonstrate] and use the gifts God gives you wisely and faithfully.” 

Dear Lord, help us to embrace waiting while still living our lives. May we not be swept up into the consumerism that causes the hurry and stress that can come in this season, but instead watch and wait for Christ. Amen.

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