“WE NEED AN URGENCY”


BIBLE READING: Matthew 21-25
DISCUSSION                                                                  
I can remember as a young adolescent in the garage making a futile attempt at souping up my bicycle late one evening.  As I looked up into the stars, I noticed a huge glow peeping out from one of the clouds.  I normally would not have given it a second look, but I could have sworn that the image was moving and getting brighter and brighter.  It caught my attention so much that I had to stop what I was doing and just stare at it as it appeared to get bigger and bigger, drawing closer and closer.  My mind immediately began to think of the movie “Close Encounters of the Third Kind”, which I had just recently seen on television on one of their many Sunday night movie occurrences.  My heart began to race as I continued watching the large mass get brighter and brighter, drawing what looked closer and closer.  I know it was only a matter of minutes, but in a young adolescent’s mind with a vivid imagination it seemed like hours.  What was this thing that was coming closer and closer as if it was drawing itself to me?  Was it a spaceship? Were we about to be invaded?  I knew that could not have been the answer, because that kind of stuff was only in the movies. However, deep down I knew what it was…it must be…it had to be Jesus!  I immediately began to pray over and over “Lord, please forgive me of my sins.  I am so sorry for letting you down, please take me to Heaven with you!”  Here He comes, peeking out of the clouds, just as the angels said He would do in Acts 1.  THIS IS IT!! I must admit, I was a little disappointed in seeing that it was only a full moon.  It had never moved, it was the clouds that had deceived and caused my imagination to wonder.   I don’t think that I have ever been so sure that the Lord was about to return in just a matter of minutes.  Isn’t that sad, that I have now become desensitized to the idea that Christ can return at any given minute.  I know it will happen, but He has waited this long, what assurance do I have that He will decide to return now?  Assurance…isn’t that the message that Christ is trying to illustrate to His disciples in the reading this week.  Just think back to your readings; Matthew 22 and the Parable of the Wedding Feast,  His answers to the Sadducees concerning the resurrection in Matthew 22.23, the signs of Matthew 24, the comparisons to Noah and the hour of Christ’s return in Matthew 24.36-52 and we can’t forget the parables of the unprepared virgin and the one who hid his talent encouraging us to be prepared in Matthew 25.  Have you ever wondered how the disciples could have been so devout to their service of the King of Kings, yet for us it is always a struggle?  Maybe it is because of the one thing that they had that we lack… urgency! 


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