Properly Prepared for the Return of the Lord
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| Martin Luther Preaching, from the Altarpiece of the Church of Torslunde, 1561 |
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ!
I’ve always enjoyed
reading, but there is never enough time to read as much as I would like. Recently,
I started to listen to digitally recorded books. While I still prefer to hold
books in my hand (especially the more academic and theological works), I have
found it to be an entertaining way to listen to well-written and well-performed
works of fiction as I drive. I just finished listening to “World without End” by
Ken Follett that is set in 14th century England, with its feudal
system of dukes and earls, serfs and servants, monks and nuns. Believe it or
not, it helped me better understand the context of Jesus’ parable in our text
for today.
Occasionally, the lord would
have to leave his manor and estate for a while. Sometimes he would be off to
war. Other times away on business. Occasionally, he would take a holiday. The lord
would leave his steward in charge, giving him the authority to run the estate
as though the lord were still there. He would manage the lord’s farming
operations and oversee all the servants. He would make sure the pantry and wine
cellar were well-stocked, the whole house was kept clean and in good repair,
always ready for the lord’s return. And woe to you if you were not. In the days before mobile phones, email, and Facebook, you
never knew when that might be, so it was important to be always ready. If you
were properly prepared, you need not fear the return of the lord.
Jesus says in our text for today, Mark 13:33-37: “Be on guard, keep
awake. For you do not know when the time will come. It is like a man going on a
journey, when he leaves home and puts his servants in charge, each with his
work, and commands the doorkeeper to stay awake. Therefore stay awake—for you
do not know when the master of the house will come, in the evening, or at
midnight, or when the rooster crows, or in the morning—lest he come suddenly
and find you asleep. And what I say to you I say to all: Stay awake.”
Speaking to Peter,
James, John, and Andrew, Jesus compares the life of the Church until His return
to the running of a household. The lord of the house goes away, and no one
knows when he’ll be back. But they better be ready for his return. So what are
they supposed to do in the meantime? Before he leaves, the man put his servants
in charge. More accurately translated, he “gives them authority” to do the tasks
that are necessary to keep the estate running. If they continue in what he’s
given them to do, they don’t need to fear his return.
That’s the gist of the
parable. The Church on earth is like the household. The Lord Jesus has gone
away—ascended into heaven, but He’s coming back. He declares that His people
should be always ready. In the meantime, what should they be doing? How can
they be properly prepared for the return of the Lord?
They should be doing
what Jesus has given them authority to do.
So, what authority has
Jesus given to His people? After all, He declares that all authority has been
given to Him, and even the wind and seas obey Him. He could grant His people
quite a bit of authority and still have plenty left. However, keep in mind that
the Lord entrusts different individuals with different tasks to do.
For instance, it’s not
the job of the Church to wage wars or punish criminals: Jesus entrusts that
task to civil rulers, whether they believe in Him or not. In fact, remember
that when Jesus stood on trial before Pilate, Pilate asked, “Do you not know
that I have authority to release you and authority to crucify you?” Jesus
answered him, “You would have no authority over Me at all unless it had been
given you from above” (John 19:10-11). Do you see? Even though all authority
was given to Jesus, He delegated certain powers to civil rulers and instructed
them to make use of them; and because He gave them the authority, He refused to
take over their station. In fact, in His state of humiliation, Jesus allowed
Himself to be under several human authorities, including His mother and earthly
father, the civil and religious leaders.
So, what has Jesus given you, dear brothers and sisters in Christ, the authority to do? Let’s trace the
word “authority” through the New Testament and see.
First off, Jesus gives
you the authority to be His child. St. John writes: “But to all who did receive
Him, who believed in His name, He gave the right
to become children of God, who were born not of blood nor the will of the
flesh nor of the will of man, but of God” (1:12-13). The ESV uses the word “right,”
but it’s the same Greek word translated as “authority.”
Consider what that
means: Jesus gives you authority to be His child—something you could not do on
your own. You cannot say, “I choose to be born into this or that family.” But
Jesus has made you His beloved child by His sacrifice on the cross to redeem
you. Only because of His death and resurrection, you have the authority to say,
“I am God’s beloved child.” This, of course, takes place when you are baptized
in the name of the Triune God.
Then there’s Hebrews
13:10: “We have an altar from which those who serve the tent have no [authority]
to eat.” The text is speaking of Jesus’ sacrifice of Himself on the cross,
offering His body and shedding His blood for the forgiveness of sins. Once
again, this declares to you that you have the authority by Jesus to be
forgiven, to no longer be guilty for sin. And given the reference to eating in
the text, one can’t help but think of the Lord’s Supper. You have the authority
to join Him at His Table, to receive His body and blood for the forgiveness of
sins. Not everyone has that right, but He gives that authority to you as His
beloved child.
Do you see what the
Lord has given you to do until He returns? First and foremost, He gives you the
authority to be forgiven! Daily, He desires that you repent of your sin and
rejoice in the forgiveness He has won for you by His suffering and death on the
cross. That is how you are properly prepared for the return of the Lord. Your task
is really no task at all, because Jesus has done all of the work for you, by
His life, death, and resurrection.
Jesus gives you
authority to be forgiven. It sounds funny, doesn’t it? But consider this: the
devil will always work to accuse you, telling you that you’re much too sinful
and guilty and unworthy to be forgiven by Jesus. You’re no match for the evil
one; but the Lord is. And so you respond, “I know I am forgiven, because Jesus
says He forgives me—and He gives me the authority to say so!” Against that, the
devil has no response.
Now that we’ve been
given so much, we have much to give. This brings us to another use of the word
“authority.” Jesus said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given
to Me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the
name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to
observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the
end of the age” (Matthew 28:18-20).
Now that Jesus has
spoken forgiveness to us, He gives us the authority to tell others. Therefore,
as a Church we rejoice to teach all that He has commanded—His Word. We delight
to baptize in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. By
that Word which we are privileged to proclaim, the Lord gives authority to
others to be His children. That’s the authority that Jesus gives to the Church.
It’s sometimes called the Office of the Keys. It means that Jesus gives us the
authority “to forgive the sins of penitent sinners, but to retain the sins of
the impenitent as long as they do not repent.” Let us be clear: we are merely
His instruments. It is the Lord who does the work of forgiving.
This fits in with the
first Sunday of Advent quite well. Who was prepared for the coming of Jesus in
Bethlehem? Mary was. Joseph was. The shepherds were. Why? Because they heard
God’s Word and believed that Jesus was the Savior. Likewise, you hear God’s
Word and believe that your Savior will come again in glory. Believing and
forgiven, you’re properly prepared.
Be forgiven: that’s
your charge until the Lord returns.
Now, do you have other
responsibilities as well? Sure, according to your vocation. If you’re a parent,
God gives you the authority to train your children. If you’re an employee, He
gives you the authority to serve your employer. If you’re a student, He gives
you authority to study the subject and respect your teacher. These are things
that God has given you to do, and they’re good things. But they’re not things
that properly prepare you for the return of the Lord.
Therefore, hear the Law
which this text proclaims: do not be caught unprepared for Jesus’ coming. If
you persistently live in sin and do not repent, then woe to you: you are
unprepared. If you take the need for forgiveness lightly and neglect the Lord’s
Word and Sacraments, then you are not going about the “task” of being forgiven.
You will be found sleeping: repent. Should you not support the Church’s
corporate task of proclaiming the Gospel so that others are prepared for Jesus’
return, examine yourself. Where priorities have gotten misplaced, repent. If
you believe that you’re too guilty to be forgiven, repent of that sin, too:
your sins do not exceed Jesus’ authority. He has more grace than you need. If
you believe that someone else’s sin against you is so great that you cannot
forgive him or her, you've not understood the depth of Christ's forgiveness; repent. And should you believe that the Church should be
about something else than Word and Sacrament, repent. There are other great things
the Church could do… but none prepare you for the Final Judgment; only the
Gospel does.
Because this is the
Gospel which this text declares: Jesus has brought you into His household, and
He is coming back in glory to deliver you to heaven. In the meantime, He gives
you authority—authority to be forgiven and set free from sin. The Lord charges
you to stay awake and do what you have been given to do. You must be ready for
His return at any time. And so you are. You are properly prepared for the return of the Lord: because you are forgiven for all of your sins.
In the name of the
Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture
quotations are from the Holy Bible, English Standard Version, copyright © 2001
by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by
permission. All rights reserved.
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