Keep Awake: The Urgency of Advent | Preparing for the Coming of Christ

Jesus said, “keep awake therefore, for you do not know on what day our Lord is coming.” from the 24th chapter of Saint Matthews Gospel in the name of the father and the son of the Holy Ghost. Amen.

The season of Advent is upon us, and we are preparing for the commemoration of the birth of Christ. Today is the first Sunday in advent, and we will conclude this season with a Christmas Eve mass, when the whole church will gather to celebrate the birth of our Savior. But it's important that we prepare ourselves for the celebration, as one would prepare themselves for a great and important feast. You likely wouldn't show up to a fancy gala without cleansing yourself, washing your face, putting on nice clothes, and generally making sure that you're ready for the feast.

This season allows us to focus on the meaning of the Incarnation of Christ, but it also allows us to consider the implications of his birth, passion, death, and resurrection. Therefore Advent is a time of deep reflection. We reduce the amount of music in the liturgy for that reason. We tone down our ceremonial ritual, to give us all an opportunity to meditate upon these great mysteries. More importantly, we make more time for prayer. These are a few weeks of the church calendar, similar to the lenten season, in which we prepare ourselves, our souls and bodies, for a great act of God. We did not prepare individually but as the body of Christ together. Of course, we realize that all of life and creation is a great act of God, but during this short season of the church calendar, we the church intentionally make room in our lives for meditation, prayer, and even fasting.

This might seem like a lot to ask of you, as you prepare for the big festivities of the Christmas time, and all that is included in it. I'm certain that you have your schedules quickly filling with parties, caroling, and other Christmas activities. Some of you might be preparing your homes for visitors and family, and you may be wondering how on earth you are going to make time for meditation, prayer, and fasting.

I remind you of the warning and admission of our Lord, who said, "keep awake, for you do not know on what day our Lord is coming." What did Jesus mean when he said to keep awake we know that he was talking to his disciples, admonishing them to remain vigilant, despite the many problems that were to come.

In many ways, however, Jesus is telling his disciples to prepare for the second coming of the Son of Man. The 24th chapter of Saint Matthews Gospel is in many ways about this second coming of Christ. But it also has elements that can be interpreted in different ways. Traditionally there were several ways of understanding or interpreting this particular chapter in Saint Matthews gospel. There is the eschatological interpretation, which refers to the things that will happen on that last day. There's also the historical interpretation which views the events of this chapter as having already occurred. Another interpretation is called a mixed interpretation, which was originated by Saint Augustine, in which he carefully distinguishes between those things that are eschatological, and those that are historical. Then there is the church history interpretation, which has connections to the other interpretations, but is often applied to one's own time. There's also the spiritual or individual interpretation, which originated with Origen, and which personalizes the interpretation so much as to do away with any eschatological or historical interpretation. All of these have their weaknesses and their strengths. Various groups throughout history have adopted these interpretations or a combination of any of them to advance their theological agendas. But the way that I find best to interpret these types of scriptures is to understand first, the original audience and the original author, and only then consider the various interpretive models that are available.

I find that Saint Matthews gospel includes a tapestry of all of these ways of interpreting scripture. For example, Jesus is speaking in 24th chapter about things that would occur shortly after his death. He speaks of signs that will occur on the last great day when he returns. He refers to the general sentiment of humanity as similar to the days of Noah. In other words, despite the many signs that are signaling the return of Christ, people carry on with their lives as if nothing big is on the horizon. Jesus says that in the days of Noah, before the flood people were getting married and having big parties, and carrying on as if there was not a flood about to happen. This speaks to the Faith, or like thereof, of those who heard Noah's warning. There were obvious signs that a flood was coming. Noah was building a giant ark, he was preparing his family, and with his own words, he was warning people about the impending flood. Yet, the people refused to believe.

Jesus in Saint Matthews gospel says that we and the whole church would be wise to learn our lesson from the fig tree. The seasons on earth are trying to teach us a lesson. I was recently in Colorado, and as I looked around creation, I could see the leaves of the trees changing into unbelievable colors. The changing of the leaves is a sign to us that something is about to take place. Creation itself signals to us that a change is about to occur. God in his infinite wisdom has seen fit to leave us with ways to interpret the times.

Similarly, regarding his return, God has given us signals that we can look at, that are irrefutable, which signal the return of the Son of Man. Some of these events have occurred, such as the destruction of the temple in Jerusalem, but even the destruction of the temple signifies something that is coming, which is the gathering of all the elect of Christ into the kingdom of God. No one can say with any certainty when that great day will happen, but we know that it will happen. There are sign that it is near. The signs have been evident since the death and resurrection of Christ. The early church believed that these things were certain, and that the return of Christ was imminent. Scripture tells us in Matthew 24 verse 33, "so also, when you see all these things, you know that he is near, at the very gates.”

We are more near to the second coming of Christ than we have ever been. He is standing at the gate, ready to return. It reminds me of traveling from Fort Worth to Milwaukee, for my theological studies at Nashotah House. When the time for my flight has come, I go to the gate in the airport and I wait for my flight. I look around and I see all sorts of signs that the time for my flight has arrived. I see people gathering near the gate. They are all carrying bags and purses and items needed for their trip. Children are getting restless. People are on their mobile phones, letting their loved ones know that they will likely arrive within the next two hours or so. The signs above the gate say, "boarding in five minutes."At times I see people running to their gate to make sure that they don't miss their flight. I looked out the window, and I see that the plane is parked at the gate, and the pilots are preparing for flight. These are all irrefutable signs that it is almost time for us to take our flight. Barring any mechanical difficulties or delays, nobody in their right mind would look at all these signs and refuse to believe that the flight is about to take place.

Similarly, God, in his great mercy as left us innumerable signs for the second coming of Christ. He desires not the death of sinners, but that they should turn from their wickedness and live. He desires that all would come under the grace of the cross through faith in Christ. Therefore, he sent his son to regain humanity and to recapitulate all creation to himself. The signs in the miracles and the wonders in and of themselves are not the point of Christianity. He gives us those things to increase our faith, so that we would be able to confidently to invite others into the kingdom of God. The work of the church is not done in this place, in the nave. This term nave comes from the Latin meaning ship. The church is a ship, or an ark, through which many will be saved. If these were the times of Noah, then we are Noah. And our job is to go out through the doors of the nave after we have worshiped our Lord, and do our very best to reach others so that they might also be saved.

Many people view the church as a preservation of a tradition. While the Christian religion is a tradition, it is much more than a tradition: it is a mission. The great commission that Jesus gave his disciples was to go into all the world, to make disciples, and to baptize them in the name of the father of the son of the Holy Ghost. There is a lot of activity packed into that short mission statement. First, it means that the church is an active body of believers, living in the world as they normally would, but with an understanding that the work of the Christian is that of discipleship. And discipleship takes place in all sorts of manners. It begins in the heart, and it works its way out into the actions of both the individual and the mystical body of Christ, the church.

At the end of chapter 24, Jesus warns his disciples and says, “if the owner of the house had known in what part of the night that the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and would not have let his house be broken into.” In other words, nobody can look around their own lives in the state of the world, and say with any honesty that there are not signs that Christ is coming back soon. The signs are everywhere, if you have the eyes to see and the ears to hear, and the spirit to perceive. When Jesus does return for his faithful bride, nobody is going to be able to say that they didn't see the signs.

We must be watchful and ready for the bride groom when he returns for us. Being watchful, and Ready means that we have to be active. Think of the parable of the talents, in which the servant who hid his talent was punished. The parable doesn't primarily point to the harshness of the master, but to the laziness of the servant. Each one of us will have to make an account to God for what we did with the talent that he has given us. God will reward those who have spent themselves in humble service for his kingdom, and to those who refuse he will say, "I do not know you. Depart from me.”

Jesus said, "the harvest is plentiful, but the workers are a few." We have a lot of work to do. Jesus was not referring to the fact that we need more clergy in the church. While I welcome the idea of more clergy in the church, because it would be very helpful to me personally, we really don't need more clergy in the church. What we really need is more average christians, who have a zeal for the gospel and a deep love for God and for people. These kinds of people are the ones who truly changed the world.

I have a vision of Good Shepherd, in which I see God's people working side-by-side, feeding the poor, clothing the naked, preaching the gospel, healing the sick, resurrecting a neighborhood, ministering to the drug addict, and doing all these good works, not for the history of the church, or doing all these things so that we can restore building, but doing all of these things out of a deep love for God and for people. This is the mission of the church. Behold, I stand here as Noah before you, pointing out the many signs that we see which tell of the second coming of Christ. He is returning for his bride. We would do well to be found with our lamps lit and burning, working diligently for the kingdom of God, and Ready for the wedding feast of the Lamb of God.

In the name of the father of the son and the Holy Ghost. Amen.