There Comes A Day!

Last Sunday in the Church Year 2006

By Rev. S. D. Spencer, Pastor

Mark 13:32-37

32 "No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. 33 Be on guard! Be alert! You do not know when that time will come. 34 It's like a man going away: He leaves his house and puts his servants in charge, each with his assigned task, and tells the one at the door to keep watch. 35 "Therefore keep watch because you do not know when the owner of the house will come back-- whether in the evening, or at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or at dawn. 36 If he comes suddenly, do not let him find you sleeping. 37 What I say to you, I say to everyone: 'Watch!'" (New International Version)

Dear Fellow Redeemed in Christ Jesus,

I know it’s not baseball season but our Gospel lesson reminds me of a pitcher in a close game with a runner on first. You’ve seen that type of game. You know how a pitcher is constantly looking over his left shoulder to watching the runner.  Occasionally he throws the ball to first base to keep the runner in check. Even though the pitcher has a batter at the plate he’s still concerned about the runner. The pitcher must always watch the man at first base or there is a chance the runner will steal second. In our Gospel lesson Jesus is telling us that our life is much like that pitcher. True we have our lives to live in this world…like the pitcher pitching to the batter at home plate. But, we can’t just be concerned with this life. We must always be aware that Jesus could come back at any moment…and we must be ready or our salvation will be stolen from us. Of course, they didn’t have baseball in Jesus’ day and he uses a different illustration: It's like a man going away: He leaves his house and puts his servants in charge, each with his assigned task, and tells the one at the door to keep watch (vs. 34). That’s the key phrase in our lesson. "To keep watch because we do not know when the owner of the house will come back."

The house Jesus is speaking of is God’s house. And Jesus is the owner of that house. He is the Lord of that house. And He has been made the Lord of that house by God himself.

Jesus was made Lord of God’s house because of what He did as Savior of the world. Indeed, Jesus has earned the right to be the Lord of God’s house because He did everything that His heavenly Father requested of Him. What do I mean? He lived a perfect life of obedient for our Heavenly Father. What a contrast this is to our lives! Dear fellow sinners, how many sins have we committed in our lives? I’m sure far more than any of us are aware, I’m sure that’s true of me. And if only one sin condemned Adam and Eve then our many sins condemn us far more.

And yet, Jesus was willing to be punished by God in our place. The cross is our constant reminder of Christ love for us. And on the third day He was raised from the dead. His resurrection from the dead is the proof that all of this is true. Everything hinges on the resurrection. For if he died and stayed dead then He is no different from any other human being. But Jesus resurrection tells us that we can believe everything about who He is, and what He has done. For the heavenly Father made this man, Jesus Christ, the Lord of His house, the Lord of His church by raising him from the dead as Jesus said "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me"(Matthew 28:18).

But after being made the Lord of God’s house He went away. For after His resurrection from the dead He ascended into heaven and sat down at the right hand of God the Father almighty. Technically speaking Jesus is still with us just as he says at the end of Matthew’s Gospel: "Lo, I’m with you always, even unto the end of the age." (Matthew 28:20). But He’s no longer with us in a visible way. And because He’s no longer with us in a visible way, He has authorized His servants to take care of His house. Our lesson says: "He leaves his house and puts his servants in charge, each with his assigned task, and tells the one at the door to keep watch"(vs. 34). What all this means is this: The work of Jesus Christ has continued for two thousand years and still continues today. How? Through His church, through those that believe in Him and follow Him. Isn’t that what Jesus said right before he ascended into heaven? "Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey all things that I have commanded you" (Matthew 28:19).

The blessings of God are found only in the church of Jesus Christ. And as Christians, each of us have our assigned tasks, the pastor and the people together, continue to carry out the work that the Lord of the house has given us. As servants in our Lord’s house, our whole lives are dedicated to His work, the work that He has given us. All that we do is done in the name and in the authority of Jesus Christ. That’s how sins are forgiven. You’ve heard it time and again: "As a called and ordained servant of the Word, in the stead and by the command of our Lord Jesus Christ I forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost."

But one day, the Lord of God’s house is going to return. And of course, He will have us give an account of how we have run His house. He will want to know what we have done. Knowing this is to make us faithful and diligent in carrying out His work. For when He comes back He will take us to our eternal home, the new heaven and the new earth as Jesus says in John’s Gospel: "In my Father’s house are many rooms….and I will come back and take you to be with me"(John 14:2). But if we’re not ready, if we aren’t about His work we may lose our place in His home. That means the loss of eternal life and suffering that fate of those who do not trust in Him.

But here’s the problem: We don’t know when He’s coming back. He hasn’t told us when He’s coming back. He tells us plainly that no one knows when He’s coming back. Not even the angels. Only the Father and Jesus know when he is coming back. True, in our text he says that the Son doesn’t even know when He’s coming back, but Jesus said this when He was still in his state of humiliation when He was not fully using His Godly powers. But now that He sits at the right hand of the Father He fully uses his powers of God and He knows all things, including when He will come back. But no other human knows. And this serves as a warning to all of us. When some TV preacher or some writer of a book, or anyone tells us that they know when Jesus is coming back they are a liar and a false prophet. Jesus warned us about such people: "No one knows that day or hour"(vs. 32). Jesus could come back in 500 hundred years or in the next five minutes.

And so we are to live our lives as if He could come at any minute. Remember that pitcher watching the man at first base? That’s how we are to live our lives each and every day…always aware that Jesus has put us in charge of His house, His church, and that He could come back at any time to see how we are doing. Some people at their work will "goof off" when the boss isn’t around. That’s our danger. Because we can’t see Jesus will there be a temptation for us to "goof off". Jesus calls it sleeping. Here’s a question: "How would our lives be different if we lived them as if Jesus could come back any moment?" But that’s exactly what Jesus is telling us to do: "Be on guard! Be alert!…therefore keep watch….do not let him find you sleeping….watch!"

How do we do this? By believing and being faithful to His word as He says right before our text in Mark 13:31: "Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away." We are ready for Jesus as we treat our faith in Jesus Christ as the most important thing in our life. Death will teach us this truth in a most profound way. But Jesus wants us to learn it also while we live, for it is Jesus Christ who gives us real purpose and meaning in our lives. Everything else is either superficial or temporary. Did you hear what I said? Everything else in life is either superficial or temporary. Only Jesus is eternal. He gives us meaning not just for this life, but for a better life yet to come.

If you had a bottle of medicine that gave you relief from life’s guilt and anxiety and kept you alive, would you take really good care of that bottle? That’s what Jesus gives us. He comes to us with the medicine of his Word, and in our Baptism and His Supper. So obviously his Word, our Baptism and His Supper should have priority in our lives.

To be about the Lord’s business is to be concerned with doctrine; teaching and truth, for these are the things that His Word deals with. And to be about His business means to be concerned with the kind of lives that we live, to be concerned with right and wrong. Do our lives bring Him honor or shame? Are we good representatives of the master or do we misrepresent Him? And what is true of Christians in general is especially true of pastors, for in the story that Jesus tells they are "the one at the door to keep watch." For the pastor’s job is not only to remind himself to be diligent, but as the doorkeeper it is his job to constantly remind the rest of the house servants to be diligent. It is the pastor’s job to keep the rest of the staff faithful and ready for the master to return. It’s the pastor’s task to bring the Lord’s love and forgiveness in his Word and Sacraments and to remind all the staff in God’s house to be faithful and diligent. You are that staff!

As I said in the introduction, if a pitcher doesn’t constantly watch that man on first base, he could steal second. And in a close ball game that could end up making the difference if he ends up coming around to score. But of course, the worst thing that will happen is the pitcher will lose the game. We too have been told to watch, to be alert, to take care of our faith in Jesus Christ and be servants in His house. What a privilege we have to be servants in the only house that shall last forever, this house, His Church. The death of our Lord on the cross has made all this possible. And can you imagine the joy we will have when we will finally see the Lord of the house face to face? But the joys of that day will, of course, depends on how we have prepared for His presence. As the doorkeeper of the house, I continue to carry out my assigned duty by bringing you the message of the Master’s love and His forgiveness in His Word and Sacraments. And I will continue to remind you that He is coming back. He coming back to take you into a heavenly place prepared for you and for all believers. May we not be found find sleeping in that day! In Jesus name, Amen!