Matthew 24:36-44 (NRSV)
Read Matthew 24:36-44 on biblegateway.com
Verse 36"But about that day and hour no one knows, neither the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. Verse 37For as the days of Noah were, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. Verse 38For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day Noah entered the ark, Verse 39and they knew nothing until the flood came and swept them all away, so too will be the coming of the Son of Man. Verse 40Then two will be in the field; one will be taken and one will be left. Verse 41Two women will be grinding meal together; one will be taken and one will be left. Verse 42Keep awake therefore, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming. Verse 43But understand this: if the owner of the house had known in what part of the night the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and would not have let his house be broken into. Verse 44Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an unexpected hour.
Devotion
After a long and tedious day, I exited the church to encounter a former student and sometime seeker. “When will Jesus return?” he asked at the stroke of midnight. “None of your business,” I answered with some humor.
Really, at midnight! Surely there was something more useful to ponder. He looked at me quizzically. It is not for us to know the day or the hour, I quoted to him. We are not to second-guess God. We are to wait and trust and hope. Matthew tells us that we “must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an unexpected hour.” We know not when the arrival will happen. We trust God for that.
Prayer
Father, Son and Spirit, make us patient as well as prepared, through Christ our coming Savior! Amen.