Mark 13:33-37, CEB - Watch out! Stay alert! You don’t know when the time is coming. It is as if someone took a trip, left the household behind, and put the servants in charge, giving each one a job to do, and told the doorkeeper to stay alert. Therefore, stay alert! You don’t know when the head of the household will come,whether in the evening or at midnight, or when the rooster crows in the early morning or at daybreak. Don’t let him show up when you weren’t expecting and find you sleeping. What I say to you, I say to all: Stay alert!”
As the “Little
Apocalypse” of Mark 13 draws to close, Jesus drives home the main point with a
simple parable which foreshadows what is about to happen. The owner of the household (Jesus) is about to
leave his servants (disciples) in charge.
They are to attend to their duties conscientiously knowing that the
owner is coming back. Not knowing when,
they have to be always watchful to see His return. They do not want to be caught not doing their
job. Vigilance is key!
Constant
vigilance, however, is also very difficult for humans. We are easily distracted. We get bored. We get tired. We get lost. We lose our focus. Sometimes, we even lose hope. This is even more challenging when the vigilance
we are to maintain has been charged to us by another. I am way better at
staying focused on what I want to do than a task given to me by someone
else. What about you?
What is
the work that God has given you to do?
How’s it going? If Jesus showed
up later today, what would be your reaction?
Spend some time today thinking about these questions.
Prayer: Lord, forgive
me for getting distracted, bored, tired, lost, and/or unfocused. Renew my hope. Make it clear what my focus should be at this
point in my life and help me stay alert. Amen,
Prayer Focus: Pray
for people who life situation has changed recently in a significant way. Pray for a fruitful transition.
Song: I Wish We'd All
Been Ready - DC Talk
No comments:
Post a Comment