Coming Ready or Not

Our reading this week is from the end of Matthew 24. It is about the return of someone referred to as the Son of Man which is a common title used for Jesus. This picks up a reference in Daniel 7:13 which pictures the coming of the final judge of the world.

In Daniel there is a new form of picture language beginning which we see developed in Matthew 24. We call it apocalyptic language. It describes the violent unmaking of creation, where sun, moon and stars fall from their places in the sky, and the earth returns to chaotic upheaval.

Maybe in their minds these heavenly bodies were also symbols of nations and powers that would fall on that day when the Son of Man comes to set things right. Much of the key to understanding apocalyptic language has been lost to us with the passing of time so that many people either mistakenly take it literally or create their own theories of what it all means.

I am not struck with the question of when this will happen, but why?

I think that regardless of whatever else it is, this is the final act in the drama of the biblical story of salvation. This is what the Bible is about, not a scientific or historical account of the creation of the world, but the story of God’s salvation. It is a story which begins with a perfect God and the creation of a perfect “good” world, populated by “good” living things, the last of which, humanity, are given the very “image of God”. But through disobedience and grasping for equality with God the humans suffered the negative consequences of their actions. Thus came imperfection and suffering for all living things and even the earth itself. Humans lost their intimacy with God and they are now described as lost and suffering, and in need of salvation.

God takes the initiative and forms a covenant relationship with Abraham and his children to rebuild the connection. Next he gives them the law to follow, so that they can wind back disobedience and rediscover the wholeness God intended. As time passed God sent prophets to remind the people of the covenant and the law. Finally he sent Jesus his own son, to reveal the nature of an intimate relationship with God and the reality of the God’s rule in a human life.

The question of salvation is resolved only through a loving and faithful relationship with God. All is revealed in Jesus, so that though following him we can have the salvation God wants for us. Brokenness is solved by forgiveness and self sacrifice, disobedience by grace and lostness by love.

But the salvation story is not complete until the whole creation is returned to its intended perfection, what Jesus calls the Kingdom of God; when humans will do God’s will without confusion, when they will not suffer the consequences of brokenness and the world will be “good” again.

Naturally that new era will be established by the one who revealed it to us and we will follow him into a perfected universe. No wonder the Christian prayed, “maranatha” (our Lord come).
Jesus effectively said, “I am coming ready or not.” No one knows when this will happen to complete the salvation story, so the goal of every Christian in every era is to be ready for his coming. How? By loving and following Jesus, the true image of God, the true human being.

Adrian.