1 Th 3:7-13, Ps 90:3-4,12-14,17, Mt 24:42-51
This part of Matthew’s Gospel is all about the Parousia, the time when Jesus will return to establish God’s kingdom. The earliest Christian communities thought Jesus would be returning soon. In the beginning everyone thought that Jesus would be back in their lifetime, only as time passed did it become apparent that Jesus’ return wasn’t when they expected. By the time the Gospel of Matthew is being written, probably between the years 80 and 90, it has to address issues that surround a community that is trying to keep up the ideals of Christian living when nobody is quite sure when Jesus will return.
This can be seen as bearing almost directly on us as well. Because by now we know that the end of the world as we know it and Jesus’ return is not something we’re marking on our calendars. So then what happens to these stories about guarding the house and waiting for the master’s return? I suspect for most of us we have thought of these stories in terms of our own death. We begin to think of the time we will meet Jesus or the time we will be held to account for our life as the time after we die. That is certainly one good way of hearing these stories. We all need a reminder that leading an honorable, forthright, generous life is not something we can put aside until later when maybe we could play catch-up. There was a time in the Church, before the 6th century, when you could only go to confession and be forgiven for serious sins once in your life. People in those dark ages would put off going to confession until as late as possible to help clear the way for a heavenly assent.
However, thinking of these stories in terms of our own death and coming before God isn’t the only way to hear this Gospel. Consider that it has been over 2,000 years since Jesus walked this earth. There is very little in our culture that reinforces the idea that discipline, sacrifice, generosity, and happiness are why we were created. Even in the Church, the things that happen and in many cases the things that don’t happen, can cause us to wonder, where God is these days. I want to suggest to you that we are experiencing another kind of waiting. We are in another time when we have to be vigilant and keep our good behavior even though there are no signs that this is reasonable much less worthwhile behavior. The waiting time in which we find ourselves is not because we expect Jesus to return anytime soon. It is not because of our certain death some day in the future. It is because Jesus in the form of the Holy Spirit can be part of our lives at any moment and in any circumstance and we have to be alert enough to see and feel it.
The kind of waiting, vigilance and wisdom we have to have is so that we can spot the very presence of God in this life. It is too easy to let our alertness slip into humdrum routine. It is too easy to engage in activities or conversations that undermine our integrity or chip away at our appreciation of the real gifts God has given us.
Instead, we must know that God is here, with us and persevere in what we know is right because at any moment our God may reveal the power, mercy and graciousness that will lift our spirits to new heights and new joy. This too, is the unexpected hour, the unexpected moment that Matthew is talking about. The peaceful moment, the inner sense of calm, the joy of life’s many moments of surprise these are sacred moments of grace and God’s presence.
In our first reading Paul said, “may the Lord make you increase and abound in love for one another and for all,” and the Psalm asked that God, “fill us with your kindness that we may shout for joy and gladness all our days.” That joy, love and gladness is the hour we wait for. If we are alert, it is an hour of joy that can come again and again. Jesus told us, “you too must stand ready because the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.” Are we standing ready? Are we still alert and waiting?
