‘Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come… So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.’ Matthew 24:42-44
Jesus gives this advice during his final days in Jerusalem. He’s got his immanent death on his mind. Beyond that, he’s thinking about the end of the world and his second coming – the date is unknown, but it’s on the way. So Jesus says, repeatedly, to keep watch and be ready.
This reminds me of the time our family went on holiday to the caves near the border of South Australia and Victoria. (A long time back, in the days before mobile phones). At the park office, we booked a guided tour of the bat cave for twilight – 7.30pm. After dinner we drove from the caravan park to the cave entrance. We got there on time, at 7.30, but nobody was there. We had definitely booked and paid, definitely for that evening, because it was our last one in the region. We hung about for a bit. Fifteen minutes later, the ranger turned up. He didn’t apologise for being late. He thought he was there in plenty of time. His watch was set to South Australian time. Ours were on Victorian time. Two different time zones running simultaneously. But his overruled ours, because he was the ranger.
So I should not set my clock to the timeline of career, or daily tasks, or doing what my ‘zone’ prioritises. I don’t need to panic about the countdown to midnight. According to Jesus, who is better informed than I am, there’s a bigger clock ticking, even if I don’t get to see the hour hand. Be awake to that. Let it shape how I spend my time and resources, in getting ready for that big day. Set my clock to God’s time.
Share this post with a friend:
If you would like to sign up for this Lent series
hit the button below. Make sure that ‘Lent Scroll’ is switched on: