We see in scripture, not only are we asked to stay awake, but also to be prepared for the coming of The Lord. The first that comes to mind is the Parable of the Ten Virgins from Matthew 25. Ten virgins, preparing for a wedding, fall asleep as the bridegroom is delayed. At midnight, the bridegroom arrives and the ten virgins awake, but only five have enough oil for their lamps, and the other five have to run and buy some more. The five with enough oil go into the wedding and are welcomed by the bridegroom and the door is shut to the marriage feast. Then straight from Matthew,
"Afterward the other maidens came also, saying, 'Lord, lord, open to us.'
But he replied, 'Truly, I say to you, I do not know you.'
Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour."
Then in Matthew 26, Jesus asks his disciples to stay awake as he prays in the Garden of Gethsemane; this is that very emotional and powerful moment where we see Jesus sweat blood, the pressure of death taking it's physical toll. Jesus says to his disciples, "My soul is very sorrowful, even to death; remain here, and watch with me."
We all know how it ends; they fall asleep.
"And he came to the disciples and found them sleeping; and he said to Peter, "So, could you not watch with me one hour?Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation; the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak."
Matthew 26:40
Therefore, as Christmas approaches and we prepare for the coming of The Lord, then and now, we are reminded further to keep watch.
The first reading acts as a warning of what is to come. In these verses from Malachi, the Lord tells us that He is sending a messenger to prepare the way for His coming. Here Malachi is prophesying of John the Baptist, but he may also be referring to the second coming. We are warned by Malachi that when the Lord comes, it won't be with rainbows and buckets of Love. No, he says it will be a great and terrible day, where only the strong will endure the fires of purification that The Lord will bring to cleanse us for the kingdom. Sounds fun, right? I'm no expert, but I would say that two things happen to things placed under a really hot fire: they are either strengthened and refined, or they melt and burn into ash.
"But who will endure the day of his coming? And who can stand when he appears?" Malachi 3:2
Is it clear enough yet? Maybe not, here's more scripture...
Now look at what God shows us in today's Gospel of Luke. Zechariah and Elizabeth are having a baby, which never should of happened because Elizabeth was way past due for a child, but it did, and when it comes time to name the child, there's a big problem: Elizabeth wants to name the child John, but "they", whoever they are, stop her because none of her relatives have had that name. Instead of arguing with Elizabeth, they make signs to ask Zechariah, who astonishingly agrees that the child should be named John, although he has had now communication with his wife since the conception of his child because he did not believe what the angel Gabriel had told him. At this moment, where he announces the name of the child, his voice is restored and he immediately praises The Lord.
I think we can relate to Zechariah and the "they" in this passage. We have a hard time understanding the Lord's plan for our lives, and when forced to look straight at it in the face, we can be overcome with fear and disbelief that any faith or courage we had before is squandered, and we are rendered immobile. In my own life, with college decisions staring me in the face, following God's will for me is something I struggle with a great deal of confusion and fear. I've know for some time that He is calling me to the priesthood, but what does that mean now that I have to act on that calling? How will my life change? What must I sacrifice?
Surely Zechariah was asking similar questions as the birth of his child was fast approaching. And what about the "they"? All they are trying to do is circumspect the kid and name him, but they have no clue that The Lord has deemed this child for greatness. And so when they finally understand, scripture tells us,
"Then fear came upon all their neighbors,
and all these matters were discussed
throughout the hill country of Judea.
All who heard these things took them to heart, saying,
“What, then, will this child be?
For surely the hand of the Lord was with him.”"
and all these matters were discussed
throughout the hill country of Judea.
All who heard these things took them to heart, saying,
“What, then, will this child be?
For surely the hand of the Lord was with him.”"
Luke 1:65
What does this mean for Christians as we prepare for the birth of Christ, and his second coming?
Several things...
1. While contemplating the first coming of Christ, we are reminded constantly to be prepared for the day He will come again, and stay awake! No one but the Father knows when He is coming again. So as we look in our lives and at the future ahead of us, we have to always keep in mind the ultimate end: Heaven. If we're lucky, the second coming will happen while we're still here and we will get to skip the whole death part, but no matter what, we have to be purified before ever stepping foot into the kingdom. By staying awake and preparing for that day we are strengthening ourselves for the final cleanse. So, make it as easy as possible for yourself to get clean.
2. We are reminded that our future is unknown except to the Father. So in our own lives, as we look to the future, we have to listen to the Father to know where the next step is, or we'll fall. The future is like a staircase in the dark, and each step is a different height. In this same way, we can't be afraid to take the next step. If we believe that God guides our path, then we must trust Him and persevere, always keeping in mind where we are headed.
3. Finally, The Lord erasures us that He is leading us to a future better than we can ever imagine. Just as the "they" were clueless as to what the Father wanted to call his son until the asked him, and when they did they were blown away by his answer. They never could have expected it. In this same way, we must constantly turn to the Father with open hearts and minds, not allowing our logic and reasoning to blind us from the will of the Father, even when it seems unknowable, incomprehensible, or just totally insane.
With total surrender to the will of the Father, we will no longer be unhappy, anxious, discouraged, disappointed, or unfulfilled, because everything he does for us, he does so to give us the best possible future, a life eternal with Him in heaven.
Christmas is two days away. Until then, I will be praying for my eyes to be opened to the Lord's will for me, for my heart to softened and opened to whatever He calls me to, and for my soul to be strengthened in preparation for His coming. I'll be praying the same for all of you.
Christmas, undoubtedly is a call to us for action, for mobility. Look into your life and try to see where the Spirit is moving, and what form of action He is calling you to take. Perhaps it is an increase in your devotion to Mary, or maybe it is a call back to confession, to his mercy and love. Whatever it is, know that the result of that action will be good and full of happiness, just as the first Christmas was for Mary and Joseph, both called to accept an unknowable future with the promise that it will bring light to the world... That promise was fulfilled in a way they could have never expected. Can we take this same leap of faith?
“For I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope”
Jer. 29:11
Well if you made it all the way down to here, I thank you immensely for hearing what the Spirit has spoken through me today.
Merry Christmas Y'all!
Alex
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