March 13

Matthew 24:36-51 (Click to see scripture)

Bible in One Year Passages:

Journal Entry

Scripture

For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark, and they were unaware until the flood came and swept them all away, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. (38-39)

Then two men will be in the field; one will be taken and one left. Two women will be grinding at the mill; one will be taken and one left. Therefore, stay awake, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming. (40-41)

Observation

I am reminded of a song by Larry Norman called “I wish we’ve all been ready.” He describes this exact scene when Jesus returns again: One is left behind while the other is taken up by Jesus. One sent to eternal joy while the other condemned to eternal anguish. The haunting tune and lyric of the song trouble my soul deeply as I mediate on this tragic scene. They could be brothers or sisters. They could be father and son or mother and daughter. They could be life long friends. How sad is it that one is left behind? Even if you are the one who is heaven-bound, how heavy would your heart be knowing that the other is forever cutoff from God and you? Would you not wish that we’ve all been ready to receive our King?

There are two aspects to this tragedy. First, the person who is left behind did not prepare him/herself for this important event. As the scripture says they just went on living their daily lives without paying attention to the warnings that were given. Second, the person who knows better may not have done enough to warn the other. If we are really convinced that this will happen soon, would we not do everything within our power to do something about our loved ones? The problem, then, may be that we are not so convinced and do not see the urgency.

Application

I need to read this passage everyday just to remind myself what the big picture is, to put everything I do in perspective. I am often so squeezed by the daily pressure of life that I can’t even take care of myself let alone others. I am too busy just trying to make it through another day and the notion of the final judgment seems far too remote. But if I know that I’m going to die tomorrow, what would I do today? My attitude about the end times should be as real as my mortality. In an absolute sense, Jesus may come tomorrow or he may come thousands of years later. No one knows when he’s coming as the Bible teaches. However, exactly when he comes is irrelevant to me in the sense that my time is up when I die. That is, for me, his second coming coincides with my death, if he does not come earlier. And since no one knows exactly when I’m going to die, isn’t it with certainty that Jesus’ will come in my lifetime, at least for me?

With this logic, I should have a new sense of urgency to prepare myself for my King’s return. In addition, this urgency should cause me to help others so that they are not left behind, forever.

Prayer

Dear God, thank you for awaking me from my slumber. I acknowledge that you do not desire anyone to be condemned but everyone to come to repentance. Please help me to be alert in preparing myself to receive you any time. At the same time, I also pray that I may be of assistance to those around me who could be left behind. Awake us, O Lord, awake your church. Help us to realize the urgency and the gravity of the situation. We don’t want to be left behind. Nor do we want to see anyone left behind.

--tchang