At Faith Church we have an informal running group, and over the last few years we have done numerous 5ks, two half-marathons, and two marathons together, as well as some races individually. When we are training for the longer runs, one of the guys and I will meet up once or twice a week for an early morning run. Usually we finish by going into each others’ houses to get water and maybe a banana. During the summer our humid Lancaster County air can turn us into a soaking mess. Even early in the morning.
So we get quite an interesting response if the ladies of our houses are not ready for our entrance! They might still be in their PJs, thinking they are in the comfort and security of their own homes, and suddenly two stinky, sweaty men come bursting through the door! For some reason our wives wanted to be ready for us.
What Jesus talks about next in our study of Luke reminded me of my friend and I making surprise entrances into our homes. After teaching about defeating worry by seeking first the Kingdom of God, Jesus continues a long teaching section in Luke chapter 12.
He says in verse 35 that servants should “be dressed ready for service and keep their lamps burning so that when the master returns they can immediately open the door for him.”
Jesus loved to teach in parables, short stories about real-life situations that taught spiritual principles. In Luke 12:35-59, Jesus teaches a parable about servants being ready for their master. Without giving away to much of the sermon, Jesus was talking about his own return. He said that he is coming again. There have numerous instances in recent years in which people claimed they knew when Jesus was going to return or when the world was going to end. So far, they’ve all been wrong.
If we don’t know when he is coming, isn’t it impossible to be ready? Wouldn’t it be better to say “You’ll never be ready?” What is Jesus trying to teach when he says that we should be ready? Why can’t he just tell us when he’ll return, and then we can get ready for Him?
But unlike those wrong predictions we’ve heard lately, Jesus has a different approach. He is not concerned as much with the timing. He’s more concerned with us.
Are we ready for his return?
Are you?
We are in the Season of Advent, which is the four week preparatory time for celebrating the birth of Jesus. Just as he came once, he said that he is coming again. So during Advent we ready ourselves for his return.
Join us at Faith Church on Sunday at 9:30 as talk about what it means to be ready for Jesus to return.
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