21ST WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME

Stay awake! For you do not know on which day your Lord will come. 

There’s a popular bumper sticker that says, “Jesus is coming. Look busy.” In other words, we should keep up the appearance of activity so that we don’t get in trouble.

You might be tempted to think that Jesus is saying something similar when he tells us to stay awake in today’s Gospel (Matthew 24:42-51). But nothing could be further from the truth.

The “look busy” attitude comes from a fear or suspicion that Jesus is trying to trip us up. It assumes that he’s looking to catch us unawares so that he can punish us. And so we measure how ready for his coming we are by the number of things we are doing for him.

When we think that way, we’re missing the important point that Jesus is not a harsh judge trying to trap us. He loves us and wants to be with us. He became one of us, died for us, forgave our sins, and sent us his Spirit, all to make it possible for us to enjoy eternal life with him. So why would he be looking for an excuse to condemn us? And even more to the point, why wouldn’t we want to spend every minute of our lives in joyful anticipation of his return in glory?

Of course, that will affect how we behave—but not because we dread being condemned. No, it affects our behavior because we want to be ready to greet Jesus joyfully when he comes again. That’s why we spend time with him in prayer and read his word. It’s why we look for ways to share his love with the people around us, whether by doing works of service or by striving to be as merciful as he is.

It’s true that you do not know on which day your Lord will come. But you can wait in joyful anticipation. You don’t have to look busy. You just have to stay awake—awake to God’s love poured out in your life and awake to opportunities to share that love with the people you encounter.

“Lord, I can’t wait for your return! Awaken my heart to serve you now so that I will be ready when you come.”

1 Thessalonians 3:7-13
Psalm 90:3-5, 12-14, 17
Matthew 24:42-51

WORD AMONG US