The Beloved Thief ?

"Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come. But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what time of night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into. So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him."   Matthew 24 (NIV)

                                                                       

To an audience of frightened and weary followers Matthew wrote his gospel. His first listeners were people just like us. As one  Christian writer imagines, ‘they wanted to know whether Jesus’ delay in coming was part of a master plan, or whether he was missing in action? Was he  coming back to pull them from the edge of the abyss, or were they just going to hang there (white-knuckled) until their fingers gave out, and they fell onto the mounting pile of bodies at the bottom of the abyss?' It is to these 1st century followers, and to all of us, that Matthew recounts  Jesus’ warning: "Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come."

One might wonder if Matthew realizes there are only 12 shopping days left until Christmas? And that includes today! There’s eating, and drinking, and even weddings to celebrate, with poinsettias arranged just so……There’s work unfinished. So let’s finish putting up the tinsel, and make sure all the lights are burning on the tree.  Wreaths need to be hung. Crèches wait to be arranged. This Advent there are way too many items to check off our long lists of Christmas to-dos….

Now we who live between the Advent of His first coming and his coming again….wait…  Maybe this is why he comes to us unexpectedly, as if under the cover of darkness. The unexpected beloved thief.  Maybe he will find a crack in the door, a window unlatched, the alarm system mistakenly switched “off”. Then We will discover why he is to be loved; this one who comes not to take, but to give; who fills our lives with so much more than we can ever attain through our own plans and devices. 

To us this One says:  “KEEP WATCH”....“STAY AWAKE!” And maybe, just maybe, our watching will help us – not to keep the intruder out, but to welcome him in. 

Still In ONE Peace,

Jon (the Methodist)