Wake Up and Stay Awake

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One of the things that I have challenged myself to do this year is to read through the Bible chronologically. While I did this last year in less time, I asked some folks to join with me this year.  Currently I am reading about the last week of Jesus' life. In Mark 13:32-37, you read a very passionate plea from Jesus to His disciples concerning the end of days. With the recent earthquakes in Oklahoma and the unrest around the world it would seem to reason that we should pay attention to what Jesus is saying here.

Jesus warns us four times in these six verses to keep awake or stay awake.  I don't know about you, but I think He is trying to tell us something.  In verse 33 Jesus couples His warning against spiritual slumber with the command to be on guard.  When Jesus warns us to stay awake He is also commanding us to be doing something. I don't think Jesus just intends for us to be present. I think He intends for us to be about His Father's business like He was.  Jesus said He came to seek and to save the lost and we would do well to do likewise.

I think this is a very timely message for the American church.  For generations preachers have been warning the church of Christ's imminent return. After hearing this for years and years, when a preacher says it now it falls on deaf ears.  It's kind of like the pre-flight instructions on a plane.  If you have flown very much, you've heard the spiel the flight attendants go through as you are taxiing out. They talk about seat belts and oxygen masks, exits and exit procedures. Most people on the plane are not really paying attention because they've heard it all before. In both cases, flight attendants and preachers, important and life saving information is being shared but few are truly listening. The attitude on the plane toward the pre-flight instruction is the same attitude the church takes about the return of Christ. However, I think we are seeing, first hand, the very things that Jesus said would be prevalent in the days leading to His return.

Jesus illustrates his point by comparing His return to the return of a master of an estate.  The master instructs his servants to stay awake until his return.  It is far better to be found awake and working when the master returns than to be found sleeping, especially when you consider the instructions of the master.  In Matthew's account Jesus says the servant who is found asleep will be cast out to the place of weeping and gnashing of teeth. Trust me...you don't want to go there.

So what does all of this mean for you and me? Very simply, I think we need to wake up and pay attention to the things that are going on around us.  I think we need to study the Scriptures so that we can give an answer to those who have questions.  I think we need to be men and women of prayer, seeking God's discernment and direction.  I think we need to be giving a clarion call to the Church to wake up so as not to be found slumbering at Jesus' return.  I think we, as the Church, need to get back to the root of our history, to study the life of the disciples and do that which they were doing in the days following Christ's ascension. I think we need to be warning those around us of Christ's return with the same message He preached -- Repent! for the Kingdom of Heaven is near.  Finally, I think we need to take our commitment to Christ seriously.  When we take our commitment to Christ seriously we will be doing all of these things.