MARK 13:31-37 – Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away. “But concerning that day or that hour, no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. Be on guard, keep awake. For you do not know when the time will come. It is like a man going on a journey, when he leaves home and puts his servants in charge, each with his work, and commands the doorkeeper to stay awake. Therefore stay awake—for you do not know when the master of the house will come, in the evening, or at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or in the morning— lest he come suddenly and find you asleep. And what I say to you I say to all: Stay awake.”
THEME OF THE DAY. LOOKING OR SLEEPING? The theme of today’s nugget explodes throughout today’s scripture with force and clarity. The words “keep awake” and “stay awake” appear four times and the word “asleep” once. Another phrase is included tied to our Lord’s exhortation to be spiritually awake – “Be on guard.” The context of our Lord’s strong emphasis on being spiritually awake is His Second Coming. The illustration of the Master and servant relationship drives home the importance of the accountability we have before Him at His return and is worthy of our meditation, but I want us to focus on two portions of our Lord’s exhortation – “For you do not know when the time will come” and “lest he come suddenly and find you asleep.”
The best way to begin a focus on our Lord’s Second Coming is to ask ourselves two questions – “Are we daily thinking, and thus looking for His Second Coming?” or “Are we spiritually asleep never thinking of this next Great Event in God’s unfolding history in His world?” Hopefully, we are in the former crowd. If so, then the next direction of our nugget will have no impact on us. We are already in the right frame of heart and mind as a believer concerning our Lord’s return. However, if the devil, the world, and our remaining sin has captured our hearts and minds to where the thought of the Second Coming of the Lord Jesus is well, never a thought, the next part of our nugget should alarm us; then move us to confession and repentance for such sinful neglect. And now we move into the “meat” of today’s nugget . . .
Jesus tells us His Second Coming will be sudden, without warning, and that day is unknown to any human being. It could be morning, afternoon, evening, or at midnight. Now for the “looking” Christian, our cry is the cry from the last chapter of the Revelation, “Even so, come, Lord Jesus” (Revelation 22:20). We are ready and our lives reflect it. We are seeking holiness, fighting sin, not given into worldliness, daily deepening our relationship with Christ, and setting our affections on things above, not the world (Colossians 3:1-4). But, if we are the “sleeping” Christian, not looking daily for the return of Christ, we will be caught by surprise. Oh, our salvation is safe, but would we really want to meet the Lord knowing we were not fully living for the Lord? That we attached our hearts to the world more than Him, the Living Word?
A looking or sleeping Christian. The Lord Jesus emphasized the need to be an “awake” Christian; one looking for His return and doing so by a life affirming we are looking Christians. May He help us to “stay awake”. He may come back any day. Maybe today, maybe tonight. Live in light of His Second Coming. It is the Christian life.
PRAYER: “Father, guard my heart from the danger of my sin and the world lulling me into spiritual slumber.”
QUOTE: “To long to hear the Word is evidence of both new birth in Christ and the desire to grow in Christ.”