So, ever since that failed attempt to predict the end of the world awhile ago, I’ve been finding myself in conversations with people about Christ’s return and mulling over the whole issue.
To start, I find people’s interest in end-time prophecy interesting in its own right. Everyone around me seems very concerned about how many of the prophecies have been fulfilled and is talking about why Christ is going to return soon or can’t return soon; about how we can’t know the day or the hour, or maybe why we might be able to know at least the year, and if so, which year, etc. etc. ad nauseum. And, of course, they are all supremely confident that these, these, are the last days. Every war, famine, hurricane, and liberal gain is another argument for Christ’s imminent return. Did you know that every single generation since the ascension of Christ has been equally and absolutely convinced that they were the final generation before Christ’s return? Makes me wonder how much stock to put in our current generation’s confidence.
In the parables that Jesus told about the end times, the emphasis is almost never on the date of Christ’s return. Look at Luke 12:35-48. Jesus’ concern is not the precise timing of the master’s return, but on what the servants are doing while he’s gone. The master may come back at any time, day or night. Those servants who sit back, thinking that the master won’t be back soon will be punished when the master comes back unexpectedly. What I gather from this parable is that if I have to change how I live my life because I think that Christ is coming back tomorrow, then maybe I’m not living the right way in the first place. And that brings me to my next point.
What if God doesn’t have a set date at all?
What if God hasn’t set down a specific day, hour, month or year to return? What if He’s waiting for us? What if He’s waiting for to ask Him to return, to want Him to come back? What if He’s waiting on us to show Him, with our lives, that we actually want Heaven more than another day on earth?
We are told to pray for Christ’s return; what if those prayers actually have weight? What if God is watching His people, waiting for us to decide that we want Him, and His kingdom, and His will, more than we want the world; more than we want job promotions, football games and season premieres? If that were the case, then what is His church showing Him now? What is your life telling Him right now? What is my life telling Him?
Scary thought.
No comments:
Post a Comment