Listen to the audio of today’s Reflection:
https://soundcloud.com/hapearce/reflection-for-august-26-2025
Mark 13:32-37
The Day and Hour Unknown
32 “No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. 33 Be on guard! Be alert! You do not know when that time will come. 34 It’s like a man going away: He leaves his house and puts his servants in charge, each with their assigned task, and tells the one at the door to keep watch.
35 “Therefore keep watch because you do not know when the owner of the house will come back—whether in the evening, or at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or at dawn. 36 If he comes suddenly, do not let him find you sleeping. 37 What I say to you, I say to everyone: ‘Watch!’”
Yesterday’s Reflection included some prophecies from Jesus, some of which seem to refer to the ‘end times’ and others of which may have referred to a brutal war that would take place between Israelites and the Roman Empire about 35 years after Jesus ascended to heaven. As you might remember, we mentioned in that Reflection that when it comes to the end times, Jesus told his disciples that no one in this world knows when that hour will come. Now in our reading for today, Jesus says that during his earthly ministry, even he didn’t know when the second coming would take place.
I think about that statement from Jesus every time I hear some Christian leader making confident predictions that “the end is near.” It’s tempting to congratulate him or her for knowing more about the schedule for the end times Jesus himself knew. But why be snarky, I guess. I have a similar reaction toward the on-line “countdown clocks” that churn constantly toward their human creators’ imagined dates for the return of Jesus. Putting ignorance online doesn’t make it knowledge — it just makes it high-tech ignorance.
But leaving all that aside, the fact that we will not really know when Jesus is scheduled to return doesn’t mean that the subject of the end times isn’t worth some thought on our part. In fact, in today’s passage, Jesus calls our attention to an aspect of the matter that’s most definitely worth our reflection. That’s the question how we followers of Jesus are meant to be living out our faith as we wait for him to come back. And to put the matter succinctly, Jesus says that those of us who follow him should be living in a constant state of awareness that his return could happen at any moment. In a state of watchfulness, we should say.
In our reading, Jesus uses a little parable to make his point: A man goes away on a trip and gives his servants work to do while he’s gone. When he comes back, the man wants to find his servants hard at work, doing the work he’s given them to do. You don’t have to be a serious theologian to get the point he’s making. He has left this world and returned to heaven, and he’s given us work to do while we wait for his return. And the fact that none of us knows when he’ll come back — not even regular watchers of the countdown clock — just ratchets up the urgency of living watchfully – of living in ‘productive expectation.’
You also don’t need to be a theologian to understand what work Jesus wants us to be about while we’re waiting and watching for his return. He’s told us to be helping the suffering and the vulnerable – feeding the hungry, healing the sick, welcoming the stranger, visiting the imprisoned, standing up for the oppressed and the marginalized, etc.
But there’s another aspect of the work we’ve been assigned to do while we wait — an aspect many mainline Christians would just as happily ignore. That “other part” can be found in the Great Commission, Jesus’ final instructions to the disciples before he ascended to heaven. In the Great Commission, he says we are to “make disciples” and to teach them to live by the commandments he has given us. It seems that in Jesus’ mind, those two things go hand in hand – being a disciple means leading others to learn from Jesus and live by his teachings as we do.
That’s easier said than done, I think. Genuinely leading others to live by the commandments of Jesus takes thoughtful care and sensitivity. Some Christians seem to think the first step in making disciples is to tell people they’re sinners going to hell unless they them to stop sinning and “get saved” right now. But as you might have noticed, that really doesn’t work most of the time. Most people can’t be bullied into faith. They just tend to respond defensively, and are reinforced in their opinion that Christians are judgmental and self-righteous.
A much better way to lead others to obey the commandments of Jesus is by example. We can make it plain that in order to express our thankfulness for what God has done for us in Jesus, we’re trying to turn away from our own sins. Making disciples is something best done by a humble example that clearly communicates that we don’t regard ourselves as sinless and saintly people.
But there’s also another aspect to living in ‘productive expectation’ of Jesus’ return. In the opening chapter of Acts, before he ascends to heaven, Jesus says that his disciples are to be his “witnesses.” That means we’re supposed to share with people the good news of what God has done in Jesus. We’re commanded to be witnesses to what God has done through Jesus in our own lives, and in the lives of others around us. We need to remember that Jesus said if we’re ashamed to speak up for him in this world, he’ll be ashamed to speak up for us at the throne of the Father. So learning to tell your own ‘faith story’ in a couple of minutes is probably one of the most important things you need to do to bear effective witness.
No one knows when our master will return. Really — no one knows. But he’s pretty clear about what he expects us to be doing when he gets back. He expects us to be serving those in need, to be making disciples of ourselves and others, and to be bearing witness to what God has done in and through him. As far as I can see, those are the hallmarks of the life of a follower of Jesus.
Imagine the pain of having Jesus come back and find that you had neglected serving him for the sake of the things of this world, for worldly possessions and meaningless entertainment. But then imagine the thrill of having him come back and find you eagerly serving his kingdom, the joy of getting a proud smile and an arm around your shoulder from your master. Imagine hearing Jesus say, “Well done, good and faithful servant! Enter into the joy of your master!” What better reward could there be for a life of ‘productive expectation?’
Let’s pray. Lord, pour out your Holy Spirit on us today and every day, and empower us to live as productive disciples who are joyfully about our master’s work while we wait for him to come back. Amen.
Grace and Peace,
Henry
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