Dear Christian friends:

It is easy for us Christians to get caught up in the daily business of making a good living and being a "success" that we forget who we really are and the real purpose of our lives here on earth. So often these worship services, the lessons that are read, the sermons that are preached, the hymns that are sung, seem so irrelevant to our lives and thus even boring.

But in most cases it is not the lessons and the sermons which are out of tune, but our own lives and goals. Very often it takes a traumatic event in our lives to awaken us and remind us of who we really are and where we really out to be going. I am sure that those Christians who survived the United Airlines flight 232 crash at Sioux City, several years ago were awakened and reminded.

In our text our dear Lord Jesus in love reminds us also today. If we listen carefully, He may not need to present us with a traumatic event.

Jesus reminds us to be ready for the end of our lives here upon earth, either when we die or when He returns before we die. He says:


The Son of man is coming. The end of this world and our life upon it will indeed end, even though we don't like to think about it and may do all that we can to forget it.

We need to be ready for His coming at all times for He will come when we least expect Him. It may not be when we are 70 or 80. Also it may not be in the year 2000 A.D. as many will be predicting.

In our text Jesus compares His coming to that of a thief. (verse 39) St. Paul writes, "For you know quite well that the day of the Lord's return will come unexpectedly, like a thief in the night. When people are saying, “Everything is peaceful and secure,” then disaster will fall on them as suddenly as a pregnant woman's labor pains begin. And there will be no escape. But you aren't in the dark about these things, dear brothers and sisters, and you won't be surprised when the day of the Lord comes like a thief." (1 Thessalonians 5:2-4) Jesus says in our text, "Be ye therefore ready also; for the Son of man cometh at an hour when ye think not." (verse 40)

Only God knows the exact day and hour of the coming of the Son of man. Only God knows the hour and circumstances of our own deaths. So we need to be ready and waiting at all times.

Then we need not fear the coming of the Son of man or the hour of our death, because the Son of man comes to be a blessing to those who are ready and waiting.

In our text Jesus says, "Blessed are those servants whom the lord when he cometh shall find watching: verily I say unto you, that he shall gird himself and make them to sit down to meat, and will come forth to serve them. (verse 37) Jesus Himself will praise and honor those who are ready and waiting for His return. A great banquet with Abraham, Issac and Jacob etc.

Who are ready? Who need not fear the coming of the Son of Man? Jesus says to His disciples in our text, "Fear not, little flock, it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom." (verse 32) Those who believe in Jesus Christ, who accept Him for their Savior, have forgiveness of all their sins and need not fear the coming of the Son of man. They are his "little flock."

When Jesus was born the first Christmas the angel of the Lord announced to the fearful shepherds, "Fear not for behold, I bring good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord." (Luke 2:10-11) And after Jesus had suffered and died upon the cross for the whole world's sin, on Easter morning the angel said to the fearful women at the tomb: "Fear not, ye: for I know ye seek Jesus which was crucified. He is not here: for He is risen, as He said. (Matthew 28:5-6) "He was crucified for our offenses and raised again for our justification" (Romans 4:25)

The same Jesus who was born for us, who died for us and who arose for us that we might have forgiveness of sins is the Son of man who is coming to judge the living and the dead. He who is our Judge is also our Savior. Therefore we are indeed blessed by His coming. Those who do not believe will not be blessed by His coming, but eternally cursed.

How are we to be living as we wait for his coming? We are to be like servants waiting for their master to return. (verse 36) Out of love and thanks to Jesus our dear Savior and Lord we are to think of Him and His will and busy ourselves doing His good and gracious will here on earth. This, of course, means obeying His holy commandments, loving God and our neighbor. We are not to live as the unbelieving world, only unto ourselves and our needs and desires. We are not lords, but servants, stewards of a great and gracious Lord.

We are to be ready by being full of faith and good works. Because of God's grace in His Son Jesus Christ, we have been drawn into His kingdom. Our lives are to be marked by certain factors, peculiar to Christians. (1 Peter 2:9)

In our text Jesus says, "Sell your possessions and give to those in need. This will store up treasure for you in heaven! And the purses of heaven never get old or develop holes. Your treasure will be safe; no thief can steal it and no moth can destroy it.(verse 33)

We are to be committed to alms giving (giving to the poor, the homeless, the ill etc.). We are to be loosely attached to our worldly goods so that we can part with them, not just give what we can spare, but give of ourselves and of our necessary resources.

This is good, not only for those who receive our help, but also for ourselves who give. It helps to free us from covetousness and helps us wait for the Son of man. By giving to the poor and needy we show that we are living for the new world, not this dying and doomed world. By giving alms we lay up for ourselves treasures in heaven; and our hearts will be directed heavenward where our treasure is.

But is our treasure really in heaven? Many years ago I ran across this poem which I believe tells it like it is for many of us:

"The angels from their throne on high
Look down on us with wondering eye;
For where we are but passing guests
We build such strong and solid nests:
But where we hope to live for aye [ever]
We scarce take heed on one stone to lay."

As we heard from the Epistle lesson, Abraham was a true believer and pilgrim here on earth, living in tents and looking for a city eternal in the heavens, whose builder and maker is God. Most of us live in some very substantial housing and may even have a second house or a motor home, not looking for the Son of Man at all.

Although we in the past may not have been ready for the coming of the Son of man or waiting too well for His coming, He has not given up on us. In love and mercy He is still calling to us through His messengers and through various traumatic events in our lives. He is admonishing us as St. Paul admonished the Ephesians: "Awake, thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead; and Christ shall give you life."

Let us heed His loving admonitions and His kind interventions, that we may be ready and waiting each day and hour for the blessed coming of the Son of man.

Amen.