Matthew 24:36-44.                          Jesus – coming, ready or not??          27/11/16

{36)  "No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. {37} As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. {38} For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark; {39} and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away. That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. {40} Two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other left. {41} Two women will be grinding with a hand mill; one will be taken and the other left. {42} "Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come. {43} But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what time of night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into. {44} So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.

Today we begin the season of Advent - the time when we focus on the preparation for the coming of Jesus. Usually this is about when we start looking forward to and thinking about Christmas and preparing for it. From here on the children’s excitement begins to grow. The parents become more frustrated with all the things that have to be done. The workers and businesses don't even have time to give much thought to what Christmas really is all about, because of all of the things that have to be completed before the holiday season.

It is into this context that our reading here has some very sobering thoughts for us this morning. Just as Christmas may well come and go without our giving much thought to its real meaning; so also there is this warning that we don't have a similar attitude to the second coming of our Lord. For here our reading is quite clear on this matter. Jesus is coming again - ready or not!! And it will happen when we least aspect it. So we are encouraged to watch out - to be ready, because we do not know the day or the hour of his coming.

Now I am sure that we all have heard this message before. However, we have also had those who have stood up and given dates of when this is going to happen: which, naturally, have come and gone without it coming to pass. At the same time, we know that we will hear many more of these prophecies as time goes on. Of those who try and tell us that they know when this shall all happen, we must be wary.

But at the same time we must be careful that we don't fall into the same trap as in the story of the ‘boy who cried wolf.’ Having been told time and time again that the end is here and it has failing to be so; we then don't even think about it all. So when it does come [and it surely will] we get caught out. The end will come - be can quite sure about that. But we are clearly told, that it will be at a time that none of us know.

Neither should we be like the owner of their house, who knowing the danger of someone breaking in and burgling their home, installed a burglar alarm system. So he was ready and prepared. Then he sat back and gave no further thought to the matter. He just went on enjoying life, thinking all was well. A number of months later he came home one evening to find that his home had been ransacked – he’d been cleaned out. You see, he forgot to check the batteries and so the alarm didn't work. His complacency was his downfall.

Now in many ways we too are in danger of falling into the same trap. ‘She's right. I have been brought up in the Church. I have been baptized and so are a member. And look, I am still young yet. I have got a lot of time in the future to think more about these things.’ So we become complacent and ‘let our batteries run down;’ We get so involved in our business, family or leisure life that we haven't got time to think about the end; as if the end will only happen when we are ready for it, anyway.

It is so easy for us to be like those in the days of Noah; they all had their business life to get on with; their eating, drinking and being merry. Only a crackpot would build such a huge boat, miles away from the sea. Anyway, look we live up here on the top of a big mountain range. She'll be right! But for them, the end of their world came their way as the water went over their heads. For us too, the danger is there, that we will get so caught up in our living our pleasurable life, that we will give little thought to what God has to say to us here.

Let us remember again that the end will come for us too, whether we are ready or not. Whether that will be our unexpected or expected death, or the second coming. Nothing is surer. It will happen. So let us be ready and prepared for when it does come. And to be ready means that there is an expectation of it happening at any time. It could be this day - this week - this year. Yet it might not happen for many years. But always to be ready and prepared for it take place now, for we never know. That means ever being ready to face the Lord and judgement day.

Now, if that were to happen at this very moment or any time unexpectedly, would you be sure that you would be going to heaven? Would you? Could you be so sure? Absolutely sure? There are many today, even in our churches, who say that they are not sure. While others again will of course say; ‘Yeah we'll be right. We live a reasonably good life. If God is a loving God, he won't turn us away.’ We have a world full of people who simply think that when they die they will go to heaven, even though they have not taken Jesus Christ seriously.

Once again, however, if we think that it is what we do and are doing that has a bearing on what happens at the coming of the Lord, then we are in trouble. No amount of goodness or lack of it, on our part; or our church membership and even knowledge of the Bible, will make any difference. If we rely on anything other than Jesus Christ and his death on the cross for the forgiveness of sins, then we don't need to worry about being uncertain; We can be quite sure that we will not be going to heaven; but instead, hell. Nothing can be surer.

Jesus Christ alone, stands as the one sure hope of eternal life with God. In his coming that first Christmas and at each one since; we are reminded that our God comes to us; into our world. His very own Son came in order to die in our place. He allowed his Father to punish him on the cross, so that we might be forgiven. Jesus Christ’s death on the cross, then being the one thing that opens up the way of salvation for us.

Each of our baptisms join us into this Jesus and his death and resurrection for us. Our constant gathering in his presence reassures us and reaffirms this message in our hearts and lives so that we can be forever sure that it is he alone who has won a place for us in his kingdom. So now the way is clear for each and every one of us. Our goodness or lack of it, counts for nothing.

As we cling to the Lord Jesus Christ, trusting in him and his work of bringing salvation to us, we are assured that judgement day is not something to be feared. Now we have that assurance that Jesus stands with us ready to usher us through. So the only question, for us is; do we believe and trust that Jesus Christ is our Lord and Saviour. That answered in the affirmative, we are ready and prepared.

But that of course does not mean that we can now sit back and take life easy; thinking that since we are baptized and are members of the church - so all is well. We can now get on with the business of our life, doing whatever we want to. That would be falling into the same trap as the householder who was burgled. Complacency could very well mean that in time we will, like so many around us, forget about Jesus Christ and the importance of the salvation that he has made possible for us and for our children. It is so easy for us to get into the situation where we lose sight of what is important.

In our living for the moment, Satan very easily drags us further and further from the Lord and our reliance on him. That is why the second reading makes the strong point about living in light of the fact that the end may be very near and that we are to make every effort to live the Christian life every day. God wants to ensure that we never lose sight of Him who enables us to stand on that great and glorious day of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Be ready. Be prepared. The Lord is coming, ready or not. Believe on the Lord Jesus and the second coming will not be a problem. Let us then, make every effort to live in light of this wonderful assurance, and at the same time encouraging one another to stand firm and ready. Then we will not get caught out, like so many around us will.

May this Advent season be blessed one for each one of you. Not by letting the cares, hassles and pressures of this time of the year get to you. But by preparing your hearts, minds and lives with and for the continual presence of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. May the blessings of Almighty God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit then be with you always. AMEN.

Pastor Roger Atze

Glandore/Underdale Lutheran Parish