For No One Knows the Day or Hour

November 21, 2011

I have been reading those familiar words in Mark 13: "But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. Be on guard! Be alert! You do not know when that time will come (verses 32-33)."

Those words seem crystal clear to me. Jesus seems to be direct and to the point. You would think the entire topic of the Second Coming of Christ would be a closed case. No need thinking about it too much. No matter how many clues you might find in Daniel or Revelation, no one is going to figure it out. Even though the Mayan calendar ends in 2012, it doesn’t mean a thing.

Instead, we need to spend our time being “on guard” and “alert.” I’m not supposed to be counting the days when Christ returns. I am not supposed to be examining the geopolitical ramifications of Israel. That’s not being on guard or being alert.

Being on guard means I should protect my quiet and prayer time with the Lord jealously. Being on guard means I should mold my will to the will of my Father in heaven. It means reading the Bible and doing what it says – extending grace at all costs.

When I am alert about spiritual matters, then I should be able to see evidence of Christ’s presence all around me each and every day. When I get asked by my small group “where have you seen Christ this week?” I should be able to come up with several examples, way more than I have time to share.

In his explanatory notes about the Lord’s Prayer in Matthew, John Wesley writes this about “Thy Kingdom Come:” “May your kingdom come quickly and swallow up all the kingdoms of the earth! May all people receive You, O Christ, for their King and truly believe in Your name. May they be filled with righteousness, peace, joy, holiness, and happiness till they are removed into Your kingdom of glory to reign with You forever.”

Some powerful insights to consider – here’s just a few. “May your kingdom come quickly …” What a wonderful notion that it. Can I be so alert and on guard that from every fiber of my being could I declare to the Lord to “come quickly”? I am moved by his words “May all people receive you.” Do we really mean ALL people? That gives the notion of “open doors, open hearts and open doors” some deeper meaning.

Of course, in the world I live in, Jesus’ words do not stop the speculation. Instead, many people are consumed with picking the day, the moment, the year when Christ returns. I suppose someone might get it right eventually. My concern is that we lose focus on the message of Christ to every believer. We ought to be on guard and stay alert, to pray for the needs of others.