As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark; and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away. That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. Two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other left. Two women will be grinding with a hand mill; one will be taken and the other left. Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come. But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what time of night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into. So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.

 Matthew 24:37-44

We enter a new liturgical year as we celebrate the first Sunday of Advent—the season before the Nativity, the coming of Christ, the Incarnation —and we begin with this passage in which Jesus speaks of his arrival again at the end of time.

Read through the entire passage slowly and notice what thoughts and feelings come up in you. Hold those thoughts and emotions and savour them for a while.

Some 50 or 60 years after Jesus’ death, Matthew recalls and records these momentous words of our Lord. Jesus is speaking to his disciples—those nearest and dearest to him. How have you reacted to them today?

There are those who would greet these words with joy and expectation, finding them encouraging and exciting. “My Lord and Friend is arriving at any moment. I can’t wait to see him and be with him! I have been speaking with him and following him all this time, and I look forward to seeing him in person. Lord Jesus, please come sooner rather than later. I can’t wait!”

Sadly, there are many—even regular churchgoers—who might meet these words of Matthew with some alarm, fear, anxiety or even just unease. Too many, over the years, have been forced, pressured, or even bullied into believing in Christ and are trying their utmost to follow him dogmatically, instead of being encouraged to respond to his great love, develop a friendship with him, and follow him freely and authentically.

There is a third group of people who have not yet heard God’s offer of great love in Jesus or have heard and rejected it. 

Both these last two groups are people you and I, the Church, are called to reach out to.

What were your thoughts and feelings as you pondered this passage today?

What might God be saying about your approach to Advent and the celebration of the Incarnation this year? 
 

Lord Jesus,
draw me closer to you during this season.
Take away any anxiety or unease. 
Fill me with joy and anticipation about your coming again, and help me to share the good news of your love with all those around me.
Amen.
 

Reflections by Reggie Venter

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