Are You Watching for Christ?

Look both ways when you cross the street. Watch the sky for bad weather. If you live in the mountains, watch for falling rocks. We spend our time always watching out for something that can hurt us. Do we ever watch our surroundings for Christ?

The Lord said to his disciples, “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.  But of that day or that hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.  Take heed, watch; for you do not know when the time will come.  It is like a man going on a journey, when he leaves home and puts his servants in charge, each with his work, and commands the doorkeeper to be on the watch.  Watch therefore — for you do not know when the master of the house will come, in the evening, or at midnight, or at cockcrow, or in the morning — lest he come suddenly and find you asleep.  And what I say to you I say to all: Watch.”  It was now two days before the Passover and the feast of Unleavened Bread. And the chief priests and the scribes were seeking how to arrest him by stealth, and kill him; for they said, “Not during the feast, lest there be a tumult of the people.”

Mark 13:31-37: 14:1-2

The ancient Church lived with the belief that Christ was going to return at any moment. His words in today’s Gospel passage along with so many reinforcements from the Apostles, created an atmosphere of always watching for Christ, Whom they believed would come for them.

Fast forward about two thousand years and Christ still hasn’t come and we no longer spend our day watching for Him. That is what makes time so dangerous. We have given up waiting for Him, until we grow old. Then knowing we will be seeing Him ‘soon’ we begin to pay attention.

How would your life change if you spent your days watching for Christ? If we limit our thoughts to the ‘warnings’ we are accustomed to, then we will spend our days in fear. God doesn’t want us to fear Him. He wants us to desire Him. How we watch is as important as if we watch.

Think back to a time when you were watching for something good. Maybe you were a little child watching for Santa Claus to enter your house. Maybe you were a teenager watching for your ‘crush’ to get off the school bus. We can all remember watching for our mother.

See? How we watch matters. When we want what we are watching for, we make sure we are prepared. We check our clothes to make sure they are clean. If we want to see Christ, then we will want to be prepared for Him when we see Him, and we WILL see Him.

Whether He comes for us, or if we go to Him, we WILL see Him. We can either be afraid or hopeful. It is safe to presume we want to see Christ, so that is where I will focus. In our excitement waiting for Him, let’s take a moment and make sure we are ready for Him.

The Triodion and Great Lent is a time of self-reflection. I invite you to look at yourself and look ahead. Imagine what it will ‘feel’ like to finally see Christ and say, “YEAH! I’ve been waiting for you!” instead of “Um, can you come back tomorrow?” If you don’t like the ‘feeling’ then change.

That is what shows God’s mercy. He knows we aren’t ready. Rather than coming ‘too soon’ He gives us a chance to be ready so we can be excited when we see Him. Now, here’s the trick. If we are honest with ourselves. We are not ready because of sin.

Brethren, if we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.  If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just, and will forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.  If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.  My little children, I am writing this to you so that you may not sin; but if any one does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous; and he is the expiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world.  And by this we may be sure that we know him, if we keep his commandments.  He who says “I know him” but disobeys his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him; but whoever keeps his word, in him truly love for God is perfected.  By this we may be sure that we are in him: he who says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked.

1^st John 1:8-10;2:1-6

Use Saint John’s words today also to remind yourself what you must do to be ready. Then, start watching for Christ. At least if we are watching for Him, the chances are better we will be ready for Him.