Read: Luke 12:35-59

Pastor Jarren Rogers

Be ready, servant of Christ, for your Master comes suddenly, when an ungodly word least expects Him. – Charles Spurgeon

My wife knows me too well.

It’s scary how well she understands me sometimes. I remember an instance just a few weeks ago, she was out running a few errands and I was staying at home. “Can you make the bed while I’m out?” she asked. “Of course, my dear. I live my life to serve you in all things,” I replied. Then she left.

Around an hour later the bed remained unmade. To be completely honest, it had slipped my mind. It was then that she texted me this:

I’ll be back in ten minutes. You’d better go make the bed.

I was offended! How dare she assume that I’d hadn’t already done what she’d asked. She was right in her assumption, but still…

I replied, How do you know I already haven’t?

Her response: Because you probably already forgot about it.

She knows me too well…

The fact of the matter is: I wasn’t ready. If Annie had returned without sending that text for a reminder, I would have failed in the mission she had called me to do. After all, the world would have ended had the bed not been made! (Don’t tell her I said that).

I think that these verses in Luke 12 are our “text message reminder”. I think Jesus is reminding us of our mission: to be ready for His return.

“You also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.” (Luke 12:40).

At the time that Jesus spoke these words, I think that He felt that most people were sitting at home and had already forgotten that they needed to make the bed. I think He said these things because He knows us too well. I think He talked about this because he knew we needed to be ready.

Christ’s coming will be unexpected. Jesus tells us here that no one will know the hour or the day when He will return. It will be an unexpected event for everyone. But it shouldn’t be a surprise.

There’s a difference between being surprised and encountering the unexpected. You can prepare for the unexpected. You can live your life and put things in place for the day that you cannot expect. But if you are surprised, it means that no preparations have been made. It means that you are not ready for what has come.

Each of us lives our life in the midst of the unexpected. We don’t know what will happen tomorrow or next week or next month, but we can live our lives in such a way that anticipates the coming of Christ. We can live a life that speaks to His salvation and His grace and His love. We can live a life that is centered in His will. That way, when He comes on the clouds and the trumpets sound, it will be beautiful, it will be wonderful, it will be unexpected. But it won’t be a surprise.