Matthew 24:32-51
“From the fig tree learn its lesson: as soon as its branch becomes tender and puts forth its leaves, you know that summer is near. So also, when you see all these things, you know that he is near, at the very gates. Truly I tell you, this generation will not pass away until all these things have taken place. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away. But about that day and hour no one knows, neither the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. For as the days of Noah were, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day Noah entered the ark, and they knew nothing until the flood came and swept them all away, so too will be the coming of the Son of Man. Then two will be in the field; one will be taken and one will be left. Two women will be grinding meal together; one will be taken and one will be left. Keep awake therefore, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming. But understand this: if the owner of the house had known in what part of the night the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and would not have let his house be broken into. Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an unexpected hour. Who then is the faithful and wise slave, whom his master has put in charge of his household, to give the other slaves their allowance of food at the proper time? Blessed is that slave whom his master will find at work when he arrives. Truly I tell you, he will put that one in charge of all his possessions. But if that wicked slave says to himself, “My master is delayed”, and he begins to beat his fellow-slaves, and eats and drinks with drunkards, the master of that slave will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour that he does not know. He will cut him in pieces and put him with the hypocrites, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”
Apocalyptic literature is crisis literature. It is meant, as we’ve seen, to bring comfort to distressed communities, both linking their struggles to a cosmic battle between good and evil (with the promise that good will eventually triumph) and assuring them that God is on their side and on the way. But apocalyptic literature also has another purpose, and that is to encourage fidelity during the struggle. Hence, promise of deliverance is normally linked to the urge to watchfulness. What will come is sudden, dramatic, cataclysmic…and unexpected.
That’s part of the allure, of course, of this genre – the suggestion and promise that those reading this literature know something others don’t and possess information kept secret from their contemporaries. But in order to make the most of this opportunity and secure their place in the unfolding and eventually glorious drama, the faithful need to pay attention, persevering through the present challenges with hope, patience, and preparedness. Hence, in this passage Jesus urges his disciples along just these lines.
All of this, frankly, is standard fare for such passages. The question for me is why? So little of the gospel story is couched in apocalyptic language and imagery or even tinged by its presence. Yet Matthew, along with Mark and Luke, each have a “little apocalypse” – a brief section that is as clearly aligned with typical apocalyptic predictions as it is distinct from the rest of the gospel story. Why?
Perhaps it’s that Jesus himself was an apocalyptic preacher, anticipating that his life and death would prompt and provoke the coming kingdom of God and these passages preserve that memory and expectation. Perhaps…although if that were the case I would expect the gospel stories to be more infused with this spirit. Or perhaps a portion of the early Christian communities that Matthew, Mark, and Luke represent held these views, and this part of the story was particularly aimed to represent and reassure them. Or perhaps there were a jumble of stories and themes and images associated with Jesus and Matthew (and Luke), following Mark, tried both to sort through them to make sense of Jesus’ story for their community as well as to represent elements of the various traditions faithfully.
Ultimately, we just don’t know. What we do know, however, is that given how surprising the cross and resurrection was to those earliest believers – and to any of us who take these events seriously – they would have naturally anticipated that Jesus’ future coming and return would be equally surprising. And, indeed, isn’t God’s arrival – in the embrace of a friend, words of comfort during crisis, a helping hand in times of need – always easy to overlook? Our waiting is no doubt different than that of the earliest Christians. But perhaps we might still be reminded to keep alert, to eagerly expect, and to prepare for God’s presence among us, even now, even here, each and every day.
Prayer: Dear God, open our eyes to see your presence and providence all around us. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
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