29TH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME

At an hour you do not expect, the Son of Man will come.

You unlock the door of your home after a long day at work. A million things are on your mind—paying the bills, fixing the crack in the ceiling, taking the dog for a walk. Then as you step through the door, you are completely stunned. Your friends are in the living room, with big smiles on their faces. In a split second, you realize what’s going on as they all call out, “Surprise!” at the top of their lungs. They’re throwing you a surprise birthday party.

The experience of a surprise party seems like quite a contrast to the “surprise” that Jesus is talking about here. Obviously, Jesus is talking about a very serious event, one with eternal consequences. He wants us to be prepared for his coming and to greet him with joy. He wants us to be busy about his work and living our lives for him. He realizes our human tendency to “slack off,” and he warns us of the consequences if we do.

Let’s return to the idea of a surprise party for a moment. The reason Jesus warns us about being prepared is that he wants us to be pleasantly surprised when he returns. None of us can avoid this surprise. None of us know when Jesus will come—it could be tomorrow, next week, or five minutes from now. But if we are ready for his coming, it will be a wonderful, joyful event for us. In fact, it should be something we are looking forward to every day!

Imagine that you are in on the surprise and know when Jesus is going to return. What would you do to get ready for him? What would you add—or subtract—from your life? You know the answers to these questions. Whatever you need to do, don’t put it off. But don’t act out of fear. Act as if you were preparing for the most exciting day of your life—because you are! Just think of how pleased the Lord is with each step you take and each decision that you make for him. He has a glorious crown waiting for you when he comes (2 Timothy 4:8). So keep living for him, and get ready for that awesome day!

“Lord, I long for your coming! Help me to be ready to meet you.”

Ephesians 3:2-12
(Psalm) Isaiah 12:2-6