So it will be on the day the Son of Man is revealed.
On that day, someone who is on the housetop
and whose belongings are in the house
must not go down to get them,
and likewise one in the field
must not return to what was left behind.
Jesus repeats his teaching about the Day of the Lord in today's gospel. There will be, and should be, no doubt about its appearance. You'll know it when you see it.
He used images of his time to illustrate its urgency, but they're often misinterpreted by Christian preachers. Not recognizing the Lord's familiar language, they suppose that something really weird will happen on that day. They suppose that, "One will be taken and the other left" means people will suddenly soar aloft, as if aliens are beaming them up Star Trek style into UFOs. Such preaching makes for good entertainment but misses the point.
We know about true emergencies. Whenever we board a plane we're reminded we might have to evacuate and there will be no time for grabbing carry-on luggage. Get up, get in the aisle, and get out! Forget your stuff. Go!
Similarly, fire fighters tell us, "Get out of the building now! Don't go back to retrieve your wallet, your keys, or your teddy bear!" This is real, people!
The Kingdom of God tests our values. Do we obey the Lord first, or do we have certain reservations about immediate obedience. Do we reply, "I'll come when I'm good and ready;" or, "Let me go back and bury my father?"
Which of us has not put off grace when it was offered to us? Everyone has a sad memory of hurting long after it was necessary because of something that seemed, at the time, terribly important. And now we can't remember why it was so important.
We learn to reply like Abraham whenever he heard the voice of the Lord? "Here I am!" He used that expression when the Lord commanded him to sacrifice his son Isaac. And he replied with the same immediate obedience even as he raised the knife to slay the boy. In a moment of intense, godly passion, having overcome every human, parental instinct to spare the boy, he forgot everything again when he heard God speak, and said, "Here I am!"
Abraham was justified by his faith. The statement in Genesis 15:6, “And he believed in the Lord, and he accounted it to him for righteousness,” is quoted in Romans 4:3, 22; Galatians 3:6 and James 2:23. His fidelity was his salvation. (Not to mention the child's!) He provided a model of faith which stands for all time, and the Son, whom he delighted to see, followed his example.
Rather than idle speculation about how one will be taken and the other left, we should consider how ready we are to hear and respond immediately to the voice of the Lord.
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I love to write. This blog helps me to meditate on the Word of God, and I hope to make some contribution to our contemplations of God's Mighty Works.
Ordinarily, I write these reflections two or three weeks in advance of their publication. I do not intend to comment on current events.
I understand many people prefer gender-neutral references to "God." I don't disagree with them but find that language impersonal, unappealing and tasteless. When I refer to "God" I think of the One whom Jesus called "Abba" and "Father", and I would not attempt to improve on Jesus' language.
You're welcome to add a thought or raise a question.