Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect

 

 "Now learn this parable from the fig tree:  When its branch has already become tender and puts forth leaves, you know that summer is near.  So you also, when you see all these things, know that it is near -- at the doors!  Assuredly, I say to you, this generation will by no means pass away till all these things take place.  Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away.

"But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only.  But as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.  For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and did not know until the flood came and took them all away, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.  Then two men will be in the field:  one will be taken and the other left.  Two women will be grinding at the mill:  one will be taken and the other left.  Watch therefore, for you do not know what hour your Lord is coming.  But know this, that if the master of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched and not allowed his house to be broken into.  Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect."

 

- Matthew 24:32-44 

 

In our recent readings, Jesus is in Jerusalem, and it is Holy Week, the final week of Christ's earthly life.  After disputing in the temple with the religious authorities, Jesus has stepped outside of the temple, where He has been discussing the "end times" after a question from His disciples.  In yesterday's reading, Jesus taught them:  "Therefore when you see the 'abomination of desolation,' spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place" (whoever reads, let him understand), "then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains.  Let him who is on the housetop not go down to take anything out of his house.  And let him who is in the field not go back to get his clothes.  But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days!  And pray that your flight may not be in winter or on the Sabbath.  For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be.  And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect's sake those days will be shortened.  Then if anyone says to you, 'Look, here is the Christ!' or 'There!' do not believe it.  For false christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect.  See, I have told you beforehand.  Therefore if they say to you, 'Look, He is in the desert!' do not go out; or 'Look, He is in the inner rooms!' do not believe it.  For as the lightning comes from the east and flashes to the west, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.  For wherever the carcass is, there the eagles will be gathered together.  Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken.  Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.  And He will send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other." 

 

  "Now learn this parable from the fig tree:  When its branch has already become tender and puts forth leaves, you know that summer is near.  So you also, when you see all these things, know that it is near -- at the doors!  Assuredly, I say to you, this generation will by no means pass away till all these things take place.  Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away."  My study Bible comments here that this generation is a reference to all believers at all times.  That is, the generation of the Church, and not only those alive at the time of Christ.  

 

 "But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only."  My study Bible here cites the commentary of St. John Chrysostom.  It quotes St. Chrysostom who says that Christ speaks of the angels being unaware of the exact day of His return "so that men should not seek to learn what angels do not know," and to forbid them not only from learning the day, but even from inquiring about it.    My study Bible goes on to comment that, according to Mark 13:32, and also in St. Chrysostom's Matthew text, Jesus declares that the Son also does not know the day of His own return.  St. Chrysostom, it notes, teaches that this is not to be understood literally.  Rather it is a figure of speech which means that Christ -- even though He has revealed all the signs that will accompany His return, will not reveal the precise day to anyone -- and that believers should not be so brazen as to inquire of Him. 

"But as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.  For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and did not know until the flood came and took them all away, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.  Then two men will be in the field:  one will be taken and the other left.  Two women will be grinding at the mill:  one will be taken and the other left."  My study Bible comments that the second coming of Christ will entail a sudden revelation of judgment.  It says that one will be taken to heaven and the other left for eternal condemnation.  This particular separation of the saints from the wicked will happen at the coming of the Son of Man, and not at a certain time before He returns.  See also Matthew 25:31-46.

"But know this, that if the master of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched and not allowed his house to be broken into.  Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect."  My study Bible tells us that the Lord's purpose in this "end times" discourse is not to make people experts on end-time prophecy.  Instead, we are prepared so that we watch and be ready, continuing in virtue and in obeying the commandments of Christ.  This warning is illustrated by the parable of the returning master (verses 45-51, tomorrow's lectionary reading). 

When Jesus speaks of His return to us, He speaks of it this way:  "But know this, that if the master of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched and not allowed his house to be broken into.  Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect."  It's odd to think of Christ giving an image of Himself to us as a thief.  Elsewhere, Jesus, in the day of His return, is also spoken of as a thief.  Luke 12:39 repeats the identical words we read here in St. Matthew's Gospel:  "But know this, that if the master of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched and not allowed his house to be broken into."  St. Paul writes, "For you yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night. . . . But you, brethren, are not in darkness, so that this Day should overtake you as a thief" (1 Thessalonians 5:2-4).  St. Peter writes that "the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night" in 2 Peter 3:10.  In the Revelation, the Lord warns twice, using the same figurative language:  "Therefore if you will not watch, I will come upon you as a thief, and you will not know what hour I will come upon you"; and "Behold, I am coming as a thief. Blessed is he who watches, and keeps his garments, lest he walk naked and they see his shame" (Revelation 3:3, 16:15).  All of these warnings, describing Jesus' return as "like a thief in the night," teach us about preparedness for this Day, this moment of His Second Coming.  Why like a thief?  A thief's action is unexpected, snatching something away that we might consider precious -- and Jesus' point is that we must be prepared.  We must be ready.  A thief in the night comes while we're sleeping, and sleep is a metaphor for a lack of awareness and focus, a missing alertness to what needs to be done.  This must be our focus in this time.  Our whole lives are times of preparation and readiness for the return of our Lord, and that is the focus He wishes for us to have.  We're to be aware of opportunities to serve.  This is why He emphasizes His return as something that comes upon us as a thief in the night.  We're not to be busy making timetables, but rather to be busy following His wishes, doing His commands, living as He has asked us to live.  We should spend our lives cultivating preparedness for this moment.  For indeed, none of us can know when our time will come at the end of our earthly lives, under any circumstances.  For this is for the most part outside of our control.  We can take good care of our health, we can make sure we have all the advantages, but life throws us all surprises, and we are not in control of the whole of our lives -- for at the end even of our peaceful or prosperous or joyful lives, we still must be prepared for that Day, whether it comes in this earthly life or not.  What acts of compassion do we lack?  Is there a repentance we need to make?  Where is Christ calling us while we still have time in our lives to act?  The image of Christ coming as a thief is a useful one, for it teaches us that Christ's great emphasis is to be prepared for that time, which will come "at an hour you do not expect."

Of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only. But as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be

 "Now learn this parable from the fig tree:  When its branch has already become tender and puts forth leaves, you know that summer is near.  So you also, when you see all these things, know that it is near -- at the doors!  Assuredly, I say to you, this generation will by no means pass away till all these things take place.  Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away.

"But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only.  But as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.  For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and did not know until the flood came and took them all away, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.  Then two men will be in the field:  one will be taken and the other left.  Two women will be grinding at the mill:  one will be taken and the other left.  Watch therefore, for you do not know what hour your Lord is coming.  But know this, that if the master of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched and not allowed his house to be broken into.  Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.

"Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his master made ruler over his household, to give them food in due season?  Blessed is that servant whom his master, when he comes, will find so doing.  Assuredly, I say to you that he will make him ruler over all his goods.  But if that evil servant says in his heart, 'My master is delaying his coming,' and begins to beat his fellow servants, and to eat and drink with the drunkards, the master of that servant will come on a day when he is not looking for him and at an hour that he is not aware of, and will cut him in two and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites.  There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth."

- Matthew 24:32-51

In our current readings, it is Holy Week.  Jesus has made His Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem, cleansed the temple, and engaged in confrontation, questioning, and testing by the various parties of the  leadership, with His own challenging responses.  (See the readings from Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday.)   Still in the temple, Jesus' then made His final public sermon, an indictment of hypocritical practices of the leadership, ending with a lament over Jerusalem (see readings of Monday,  Tuesday and Wednesday).  Leaving the temple, He told His disciples of the coming destruction of the temple, and began to teach them about end times and the time of His return.  In yesterday's reading, He continued, "Therefore when you see the 'abomination of desolation,' spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place" (whoever reads, let him understand), "then let those in Judea flee to the mountains.  Let him who is on the housetop not go down to take anything out of his house.  And let him who is in the field not go back to get his clothes.  But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days!  And pray that your flight may not be in winter or on the Sabbath.  For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be.  And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect's sake those days will be shortened.  Then if anyone says to you, 'Look, here is the Christ!' or 'There!' do not believe it.  For false christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect.  See, I have told you beforehand.  Therefore if they say to you, 'Look, He is in the desert!' do not go out; or 'Look, He is in the inner rooms!' do not believe it.  For as the lightning comes from the east and flashes to the west, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.  For wherever the carcass is, there the eagles will be gathered together.  Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken.  Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.  And He will send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other."

"Now learn this parable from the fig tree:  When its branch has already become tender and puts forth leaves, you know that summer is near.  So you also, when you see all these things, know that it is near -- at the doors!  Assuredly, I say to you, this generation will by no means pass away till all these things take place.  Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away."  My study bible says that this generation refers to all believers at all times, the generation of the Church and not just to those who were alive at the time of Christ.  Some of the events predicted -- the destruction of the temple, for one -- in the earlier reading (above) clearly were to happen within the lifetimes of those to whom He was speaking, but the end times were at a time "no one knows" (Jesus' words in the following verse).    Once again, Christ's great emphasis to His disciples is on alertness, watchfulness, discernment.

"But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only.  But as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.  For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and did not know until the flood came and took them all away, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.  Then two men will be in the field:  one will be taken and the other left.  Two women will be grinding at the mill:  one will be taken and the other left.  Watch therefore, for you do not know what hour your Lord is coming.  But know this, that if the master of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched and not allowed his house to be broken into.  Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect."   Here Jesus repeatedly emphasizes that the "day and hour" of His return is something no one knows, not even the angels of heaven.  St. Chrysostom says that Jesus speaks of angels being unaware of the time of His return "so that men should not seek to learn what angels do not know.  In this view, Jesus isn't merely teaching them that the day is unknown, but also warning them against a focus on timetables and prohibiting them even from inquiring about it.  Jesus goes on to describe a sudden revelation of judgment accompanying His return (the coming of the Son of Man).  We note that the people are about their daily tasks, and the effect is absolutely sudden.   He gives us an assurance, in fact, that He "will come at an hour you do not expect."   The whole purpose of His warning isn't a focus on end time prophecy, but rather so that we watch and be ready.  My study bible says that this means we continue in virtue and obeying Christ's commandments.  Jesus goes on to illustrate with the parable in the following verses.

"Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his master made ruler over his household, to give them food in due season?  Blessed is that servant whom his master, when he comes, will find so doing.  Assuredly, I say to you that he will make him ruler over all his goods.  But if that evil servant says in his heart, 'My master is delaying his coming,' and begins to beat his fellow servants, and to eat and drink with the drunkards, the master of that servant will come on a day when he is not looking for him and at an hour that he is not aware of, and will cut him in two and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites.  There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth."  This parable of the returning master is meant to leave us with the understanding of just where we are at this time, this age in which we await His return. We are to be good servants, relating to one another according to His commandments, "ruling" as good stewards.  We note what the bad stewards do:  they exploit, they rob, they pursue violence, they forget the master's commandments, they are as the hypocrites (reminding us of Christ's final public sermon given in the temple and laying out criticisms of the leadership (see chapter 23).  "Weeping and gnashing of teeth" is a promise of judgment.

Jesus promises His return.  He gives us signs of the age -- "wars and rumors of wars, pestilences, famines, betrayals, love grown cold," and more -- but these characterize the period of the world we live in and have lived in since His crucifixion, death, and Resurrection.  We are not to despair, nor to give in with the standards of the world we may see around us.  On the contrary, in the parable He gives in today's reading, the great temptation for those who would be His disciples is forgetfulness -- losing consciousness of His promised return, forgetting that we are to follow His commands, and becoming like the rest of the world in its exploitation, violence, greed, and unrighteous behavior.  We remember He is speaking to His disciples, those who will be stewards of His Church, and His concern here is with His followers, His Church.  How will we live?  How will we treat one another, our fellow servants?  Will we remember His commandments?  Will we be aware that His return is guaranteed to be at a time we do not expect it?  Will we spend our time making timetables and speculations, or will we focus on our own awareness of being good disciples and growing in His love and teachings?  He seems to suggest that these two things are incompatible.  It's our awareness that is important, our mindset, our consciousness of His Return and our complete inability to know when that will happen.  All we can do is watch and remember what He teaches.  We can know who we are and what we are to be about.  We're given an identity and a mission in His house. To counted among the hypocrites is a dire warning, and we had best take it seriously.  So what does it mean to watch and be ready?  The Greek word for watch here has meanings that include being awake (as in roused from sleep),  or alert.  In some uses it is akin to "quicken" -- even being alive or springing to life, as sleep is likened to death.  We are to have a consciousness of what it is we are about, who we are, our identity as servants of Christ.  To be ready or prepared for His return is always to be aware of the things He asks of us, and growing in the consciousness of our identity as servants.  If to be a hypocrite is the worst sort of portion, then clearly Jesus' preparation is not just about doing "good deeds," but about growing in our own awareness of our inner lives and how that translates into our capacity for love of neighbor.  It's not enough, in the fullness of Christ's ministry, to focus on outward good deeds -- that's for the hypocrites, who are not alert and awake at all, but rather blind.  There is enough to occupy us full-time without a focus on timetables.  Let us remember all that He has taught, and live in His light that illumines us inside and out, even the dark places we don't want to see, in His name.