Be ye therefore ready also, for the Son of man cometh at an hour when ye think not. Luke 12:40
Most of us remember the mayhem that would break out in our classroom when the teacher would leave the room when paged to go to the office or for some other reason. As soon as the door closed when the teacher left, the air would be filled with erasers, pieces of chalk, and other objects being thrown. Some clown would perform a dance on top of a desk, another would make an impromptu speech at the teacher’s desk, and several would engage in good-natured wrestling matches. But all of the tomfoolery would come to a rapid halt when the door suddenly opened and the teacher stepped into the room, usually accompanied by the unsmiling principal. We would realize that we should have posted somebody at the door to keep watch for the teacher’s return. Just as we need to keep watch today for our Lord’s return.
Have you ever wondered just how ready most Christians are for the Rapture? We know, at least in our heads, that our Lord has promised to come back for us, and we appreciate the possibility that we might not have to die if the Lord comes before sin and death claim our bodies. This glorious hope has been a great comfort to the saints, and we do well to keep reminding ourselves of this hope. The word Maranatha should never be far from our our lips and its truth should be ever before our minds. But our text speaks of being ready for that great event. If we don’t know when the Rapture is to occur, how can we be ready?
Our text follows an illustration that Jesus gave of servants in a house where the master is expected to return at any time. With their loins girded and their lights burning, these servants are working diligently and are watching expectantly. If we are like those servants, we will be ready when the Son of man cometh. We will also be ready if we are obeying our Lord’s directions. Consider His words: This do in remembrance of Me (Luke 22:19). Paul reminds us that as we obey these words, we do shew the Lord’s death until He come (1 Corinthians 11:26). For many of us, our fondest hope is that the trumpet will sound as we are gathered in obedience to these words, and we will rise from the place where the Lord Jesus is in the midst to meet him in the air and to be forever with the Lord. Is that how it will be. Certainly it cannot be like that for most of us, just because of the time differences on our planet. Regardless, when our Lord comes to the air to take us to be with Himself, we would want to found in a place and at an activity that would be honouring to our Lord. We would want to be ready, as He asks us to be.
Our Lord is coming. Are we ready to meet Him? -Jim MacIntosh