Luke 12:32–40
“Do not be afraid, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom. Sell your possessions, and give alms. Make purses for yourselves that do not wear out, an unfailing treasure in heaven, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. “Be dressed for action and have your lamps lit; be like those who are waiting for their master to return from the wedding banquet, so that they may open the door for him as soon as he comes and knocks. Blessed are those slaves whom the master finds alert when he comes; truly I tell you, he will fasten his belt and have them sit down to eat, and he will come and serve them. If he comes during the middle of the night, or near dawn, and finds them so, blessed are those slaves. “But know this: if the owner of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have let his house be broken into. You also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an unexpected hour.”
Reflection
Through the years of reading this passage, I've taken the last sentence in many different ways. "You also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an unexpected hour." I always think this may refer to the parousia, that is, Jesus coming or arrival or presence. But how is this going to happen? That is the question that lingers in my mind. I've know Jesus coming occurs and has occurred.
Jesus came to us in flesh and blood. That we know from the Bible and history. So, God does come to us. And God has come to us in ways throughout history as well. God came to us in creation, with Adam and Eve, Abraham, Moses, Jacob, Elijah and on and on throughout all of the people of the Old Testament. God came to all of these people and walked through life with them. God comes to us in the past and in the present and in the future. Of this, I am certain. God comes in flesh and spirit. Pause and think of all of the stories in the Old Testament especially and think of how God was present in flesh and spirit. Think of the Old Testament and you will see "Jesus" all over the place. Jesus, God in flesh, is present throughout the Old Testament as well as is obvious in the New Testament. Too many people have recorded the presence of God in their lives for me not to believe it. There's just too much evidence for doubt.
God also makes his presence known to me personally. He comes to me in Scripture, God comes to me in the Sacraments, God comes to me through the words and actions of people, God comes to me in creation, God comes to me in those moments of silence and those moments of disruption. God comes to me in the daily things of life and the daily meetings of life through people expected and unexpected. God comes to me in the eyes of another person. Look... you can see God in your neighbor and in your friends and in your family. God dwells with us and is present.
When you pause to think about it; God comes frequently. God is with us always. God's presence is all around us but we choose to not see the obvious. This passage makes me also think of Jesus' coming again. Jesus coming in the future to fulfill the kingdom of God. Jesus coming to gather the faithful under his wings lead us to that place he went to in the ascension. Jesus coming to take us to the place he has prepared for us. I look for this coming as well. I look for Jesus to come again for the resurrection of the dead. I look and wait.
As I look and wait for this and am focused on Jesus, I find that his presence has already been. He's here with me now. God is always closer than I think. Closer than I could ever imagine. When I think I'm away from God a moment will occur that makes me aware that God is with me. Turn and see God! He's there even when you think he's not!
Am I ready? That's what puzzles me. No, I'm not ready! He's just here! He's always been here. God's presence isn't due to my actions. Unless you consider that God had to come because of my sin. But God didn't have to come because of my sin. God's presence is due to his love for me and all his people.
I'm prepared in the sense that I believe that God is here with me. I'm prepared in the sense that I know that my life is in God's hands. I'm prepared for God in the sense that I eternally appreciate God's presence now and forever.
In this sense, I'm ready for God to come again. I'm ready for God now. I need God now and forever. I love the fact that God comes at the unexpected hour! That's what I love about God! He comes and is with me even when I don't expect him to be with me. He comes to me while I'm in the depths of sin, pain, death, crying, mourning and separation. He comes to me while I'm blessed and happy and joyous. God comes to me when I don't expect it. That's God! That's my Savior! That's love beyond everything. Yes, I'm ready and excited that God comes to me when unexpected!
Jesus is coming! Thanks be to God!
Prayer
Come, Lord Jesus, come... today... tomorrow... and forever. --- Amen
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