Watchfully Waiting
A reflection on Mark 13:24-37
Last week Doug shared a “litmus test” he had found helpful. It was to ask ourselves “Am I the same today as I was yesterday?” I think it’s probably even more helpful to go a bit further and to ask, “Do I want to be the same tomorrow as I am today?”
When our son Keiran woke up on his 5th birthday, he was very distressed and said “I haven’t grown any bigger!”
In 2007 when I was leaving Macksville after being Rector there for 7 years, I said to the congregation “you don’t have to tell me the answer but think about what have you learned or changed during my time with you?”
Now, as Advent begins, we are encouraged do a very personal spiritual stocktake; “am I the same this Advent as I was last Advent? Has there been any spiritual growth in the last twelve months?”
Advent is thought of as being the beginning of the new Church Year (we are now in the new Lectionary for Year B). However, you can’t have a beginning without an end, so Advent is as much an ending as it is a beginning. Remember the Slim Dusty song “Looking forward -looking back”. If we were to do that, we would probably see that there’s a strong connection between the old and the new church years.
Recently, in Year A, we have been hearing the theme of inevitable judgement. What has been done with the talents given out? Are the guests dressed properly for the wedding dinner? Do the lamp bearers have some spare oil ready for the lanterns? A time will come to separate the goats and the sheep. Now, in beginning of Year B, there is the same sort of theme of judgement. When Jesus comes again the powers in the heavens will be shaken and angels will be sent out to gather his “elect” (the chosen ones) “from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of heaven”.
Traditionally, Advent is a time of waiting. Yet it is an active type of waiting; not thumb twiddling. So we have the idea of “watchfulness”.
There are two kinds of Advent waiting. There’s the waiting for Christmas which is all tied up with the story of baby Jesus in the manger and angels and shepherds. We think of Christmas being very cozy and sweet. And then there’s the second kind of waiting; a watchful type of waiting for Jesus triumphant appearance in glory. (Jesus return is mentioned over 300 times in the New Testament). This isn’t waiting for a baby to come on 25th December; this is waiting for our King who says he will return in glory anytime.
We know that people find waiting for Christmas the easier of these two. Generally, we like to hear Dean Martin singing “I’m dreaming of a white Christmas” and to become all excited that “Santa Claus is coming to Town”.
But today, we have to think about the other type of Advent waiting. In the opening verses of our reading from Mark chapter 13 we hear: “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 of the heavens will be shaken”.
That’s unsettling! Yet, a few verses later, there’s the incredible promise which is at the very heart of Advent: “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away” (13:31).
As we start all the Christmas activities such as visiting the Christmas trees in Uniting Church, going to parties and family dinners, card sending and present buying, there’s this amazing promise that outdoes all the glitzy and commercial cultural focus of our time; “God’s words will not pass away!”.
This message of “the Son of Man coming in the clouds with great power and glory” will not pass away.
These “coming in the clouds with great power and glory” things are the “looking forward” part of Advent. But, remember that there’s also a “looking back” part of Advent. We remember the God who came to us as Jesus; not just the babe in the manger, but also the King on the cross.
We remember (have you thought about the possibility that word means to put flesh (members) back on again) that we are the Body of Christ.
Later on this morning (in the Thanksgiving Prayer at Holy Communion) we will say together, "Christ has died. Christ is risen. Christ will come again." So, we’ll be proclaiming that Jesus is coming again. But do we really believe it?
Even if we haven’t prayed “Come, Lord Jesus!” many others have. This prayer may well be answered at any time. So, it’s important to pay attention to Jesus warning to “keep alert”.
Mark seems to be very conscious of time (kairos in Greek). He began his writing (in Chapter1, verse 15) saying “the time is fulfilled and the Kingdom of God has come near”. Now, in Chapter 13, verse33 in today’s reading, he writes “Beware, keep alert; for you do not know when the time will come.”
We don’t very often behave as if we really believe that Jesus is coming again. And yet, if he is coming again, when? It isn’t logical for us to say “at a time unknown Jesus is coming again but it won’t be today”.
Meanwhile, the fact is that we are not the same person who heard this message to be prepared and who celebrated Advent last year. And we are not the same person who will celebrate Advent next year. Our circumstances have changed in the last twelve months and will change again in the year to come. The joys and sorrows and hope we bring to this year’s Advent are not the same joys and sorrows and hope we brought to Advent last year and are not the same joys and sorrows and hope we will bring to Advent next year.
For many people, life in this world is actually not very pleasant. But even those fortunate enough to have a life filled with joy and blessing should not be satisfied to the point of complacency. There is more! There is something better!
So, we wait for these better (or even much better) times to come. Those who think very deeply about Jesus’ first appearance on Earth; Christ’s first Advent, (Jesus birth in Bethlehem and teaching in Galilee and death in Jerusalem), are the ones who are better prepared to be thinking of, and to be watchfully waiting for, his next Advent.
It is the way we wait which is the key. Waiting certainly doesn’t and shouldn’t mean stagnating.
So friends, do we wait passively or passionately? If we are passionate about Jesus promised return the spinoff of that is that there is plenty of motivation to be alert and to keep watch.
If we are alert, keeping watch, then we’ll be ready to join in with whatever we see God doing in this world around us. The more watchful we are, the better prepared we will be to jump in and work with God in the things God is doing in the world right now.