Enjoy Life, Enjoy God

DON'T KNOW…SO

March 25, 2013

If Jesus says even he doesn't know the hour of reckoning, the come-uppance of history, why does he talk a great deal about it, for example, Matthew 24?

"But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father."
                                                --Matthew 23:36 TNIV

Jesus tells us repeatedly the point of such apocalyptic prophecy is not to figure out WHEN, but to live ready, to live like the faithful now. "So you must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect it" (24:44).  Prophecy is not given to be discovered, which is what we are titillated to try to do, but to summon people to faithfulness for the present. "The master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour when is not aware of" (24:50).

Why would Jesus say over and over again, you will not know, if we are convinced we can figure it out? We will not figure it out; we've been told so. But we DO know what faithfulness looks like, and there is no time like the present for faithfulness.

Joyfully,

Dale Patterson