Watch

“Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.” (Mt 24:42 AV)

 

Very good advice, but difficult to do.  We can be very busy in the affairs of this life and forget  Jesus could return at any moment.  The disciples had asked Jesus about the signs of His coming.  The entire chapter lists the events and signs prior to His coming.  Some are natural events.  Others are man-made.  There is geopolitical upheaval.  There are false Christs and the Antichrist sits in the temple declaring himself to be God.  The list is both dramatic and very concerning.  Anyone faced with these things would be overwhelmed.  Jesus indicates the events listed in chapter 24 of Matthew will not come suddenly.  At least the majority of them.  The majority of them have been happening since the first century.  They are simply increasing in intensity.  If these things are happening today, we can become complacent in our expectation of Christ’s return.  In other words, we may not be watching.  When the dramatic events of the world become mundane and hardly noticeable, this is when the LORD will return.  When we are no longer shocked at the moral depravity of humanity or moved by the disasters we see all around us, He is coming.  In other words, when the things God permits or sends no longer affect change in the human race toward God and not away from Him, it is time for a divine visit.  This is where we are.

Watching and being prepared go hand in hand.  The other day, I was at a Domino's Pizzeria picking up a large order for our VBS.  I used to manage an old-style pizzeria with brick-decked ovens.  That was back when pizza chefs had to be a bit talented.  Keeping the pizza round while putting it on deck was no small feat.  The chef used a wooden paddle called a peal.  He would place a copious amount of coarse cornmeal on the peal and then place the well-floured dough on top.  After he built the pizza, he took the peal to the oven and with a shimmy and a shake, got the pie off the peal and onto the deck.  The oven could hold six to eight pies depending on the size.  The cook we called the ‘puller’ would keep an eye on the individual pies, rotating them for an even cook.  He or she would then ‘pull’ them from the oven, place them in a box, slice them, and send them out front.  The new way of doing pizza is a bit different.  Domino’s has a conveyor oven.  The pizza is placed on a metal tray, which in turn is placed in a conveyor which travels through an open over.  Sort of like an open-ended toaster oven.  The conveyor does not stop  So, I got to thinking.  What if they were short-handed and things got a bit complicated?  That conveyor is running and the pizzas are coming regardless of how ready you are or not.  I can imagine a few pies might hit the floor if the ‘puller’ is not ready.  He or she must always be aware of what is coming and how long it will take to get there.  They have to be prepared to remove that pie before the conveyor returns to make a trip back.  Watching means being prepared.

Jesus tells his disciples to watch.  We are not watching for entertainment’s sake.  We are not watching for curiosity’s sake.  We are not watching so we can predict something no one else can or appear smarter than everyone else.  We are watching so we can be prepared.  At any moment we could meet our Savior face-to-face.  Watching means working.  Watching means repenting.  Watching means knowing what might indicate His imminent return.  Watching means yearning.  Watching means anticipation.  Watching requires faith.  Faith in a promise of His return.  Only the simple ignore His advice.  To believe Christ’s return is certain in a specific day or hour is a fool’s errand.  But ignoring the potential of His return being immediate is equally foolish.  The question is simple.  What are we doing in light of Christ’s return?  How are we watching?  Are we prepared?