Keep Awake!

We hear a lot about the end-times. The popular series "Left Behind" has left a huge footprint on American culture by fictionalizing the theology of the rapture within the context of today's news and events. It has been so powerful, in fact, that it is hard to imagine any other scenario of the return of Jesus that doesn't involve planes dropping out of the sky as their pilots are taken up into heaven!

Perhaps the most interesting aspect of this trend in thinking has been the attempt to discern whether or not today is the actual day Jesus will come again. Some recent attempts by noted television preachers to demonstrate links between the book of Revelation and geo-political events in the Middle East leave little doubt that they expect the immediate, imminent return of Jesus. "We are in the final countdown," one friend of mine has observed who follows these preachers regularly.

The early church expected the imminent return of Jesus. So much so, that in Mark, chapter 13 Jesus tells his listeners to "keep awake - or else he may find you asleep when he comes suddenly." And so two thousand years of faithful watching have gone by as believers have kept "awake" looking for the return of our Lord.

I must confess that in all of my Bible study and what seems at times voluminous reading I have no idea when Jesus is coming again. I don't feel bad about that. Jesus himself said, "But about that day or hour no one knows, neither the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. Beware, keep alert; for you do not know when the time will come." (Mark 13:32-33). I figure that if Jesus wanted us to know, he would have told us.

Knowing when Jesus is coming really isn't the point, after all. The fact remains as Jesus described to his earliest disciples - he could come at any time so now is the time to be ready.

Liberal theologians have wrongly allegorized the return of Jesus as a kind of mythological time where one is confronted with an existential crisis of life through which they will either fall into the abyss of despair or - more hopefully - discover their true self. I can't imagine this is what Jesus had in mind as he taught hurting, broken people that the way to salvation was through the path of pain and brokenness (literally going through it by the grace of God to come out on the other side) but also living into lives of radical obedience and love. By faith in the power of the cross of Christ would one be saved. Salvation was, and is, the restoration of all fallen creation to its pre-fallen condition. Or if you prefer, to it's "post-fallen" or renewed condition. And the establishing of this new basileou, or kingdom, according to Jesus would be an event of cosmic proportion.

"But in those days, after that suffering,
The sun will be darkened,
And the moon will not give its light,
And the stars will be falling from heaven,
And the powers in the heavens will be shaken." (Mark 13:24-25)

In other words, "de-historicizing" Jesus's return into self-help therapy isn't the answer. When Jesus comes again, he will be coming to restore all things to himself, establish his reign, and make all things new. It won't just be my self-perception that is changed. It will be the whole created universe!

Our life as disciples following Jesus in obedience then is to make ourselves ready for that kingdom. There is much work to be done. Because, who knows? Jesus might come tonight - or tomorrow - or next week - or a hundred years from now. But when he does come I want to be as aligned in obedience as a faithful disciple as I can be. I want to be as true a reflection of his character that I can be. I want for Jesus to recognize in me when he returns the embodiment of all that he taught and lived for - and died for.

And so, today - even this very hour - I will "keep awake" because it could be this very day that my savior will return to restore creation to wholeness and I desire to be fully prepared to receive and experience that incredible blessing.

What we do know is that the visionary of Revelation expressed in light of all of the violence, power-struggle, natural tragedy, and sinful oppression of his day the simple cry to God, "Maranatha! Lord come quickly!" My challenge is to spiritually discern how that cry transforms my life into one of surrendered expectancy and preparation for that event. And so with the early church, I cry out - "Lord, come quickly!" And even though I don't know when he will return, I expect to see him soon. Do you?