Jesus Comes Unexpectedly

One of the things I have been doing for exercise lately is playing golf.  Walking over uneven ground pushing a buggy has helped me with balance and endurance.  Though it is cold and often foggy early at 6:30am, I brave the chill during a weekday to squeeze in a round as early as possible.  It is a blessed time of quiet with the LORD as I take in the beautiful scenery.  Since I typically golf alone, I am often able to be completely finished by 9am and head off to work.

Because the course I typically play had a competition going this week, I played at another course in the area.  I called in a couple days in advance and was assured I could tee off by 7am.  As is my custom I arrived twenty minutes early, just in case I would be able to tee off earlier.  As I waited by the locked pro shop an elderly member pushed his buggy near mine.  "Still isn't here," the old man said.  "Usually he turns up early, but since the boss is out of town he's taking advantage of it."  We continued chatting for a few minutes.  Ten minutes after 7 he arrived and I headed out into the fog.

The man's words had me thinking.  How typical it is of human nature to take advantage of someone's absence to be slack concerning our responsibilities!  Jesus told several parables which warned against the folly of this approach to life.  Luke 12:42-46 states, "And the Lord said, "Who then is that faithful and wise steward, whom his master will make ruler over his household, to give them their portion of food in due season? ⁴³ Blessed is that servant whom his master will find so doing when he comes. ⁴⁴ Truly, I say to you that he will make him ruler over all that he has. ⁴⁵ But if that servant says in his heart, 'My master is delaying his coming,' and begins to beat the male and female servants, and to eat and drink and be drunk, ⁴⁶ the master of that servant will come on a day when he is not looking for him, and at an hour when he is not aware, and will cut him in two and appoint him his portion with the unbelievers."  By his wicked deeds the "servant" was proved no servant of Christ at all, but lived to please himself.  Thus exposed as a false believer, such a one faces eternity separate from God in Hell.  This is a warning all people who profess Christ do well to consider.

Many times in scripture we are told no man knows the day or the hour of Christ's return, but only the Father in heaven knows.  But in another sense, we can know for certain exactly when Jesus will come:  He will come for those unfaithful servants in the hour when they least expect it!  If I was the owner of the golf course and I wanted to see how things truly run in my absence, perhaps I would cut a holiday short and show up unannounced early in the morning when it would be least expected.  The employees who are faithful would be prepared for my arrival, but those who took the opportunity to sleep in and arrive late would face stern consequences.  Jesus is coming back, and His reward is with Him.  All Christians must give account of their stewardship to the One who has committed all things unto them.  Our faithfulness to Christ's call to obedience, our gifts, talents, and resources will all be judged by Jesus to see if we have measured up to His standard of faithfulness.

Let's keep looking to Jesus, knowing the time is short.  Blessed is that wise and faithful servant whom our Master discovers has been obedient to His will.  Jesus is coming at a time we do not expect!