The Time is Short

Posted on by korgrocker

“But if you do get married, it is not a sin. And if a young woman gets married, it is not a sin. However, those who get married at this time will have troubles, and I am trying to spare you those problems. But let me say this, dear brothers and sisters: The time that remains is very short. So from now on, those with wives should not focus only on their marriage. Those who weep or who rejoice or who buy things should not be absorbed by their weeping or their joy or their possessions. Those who use the things of the world should not become attached to them. For this world as we know it will soon pass away.”
1 Corinthians 7:28-31 NLT

In Paul’s day, the expectation was that Jesus was going to return “soon”. In John 14:2-3, we read, “There is more than enough room in my Father’s home. If this were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am“. And then we have Matthew 24:44, when Jesus said, “You also must be ready all the time, for the Son of Man will come when least expected“. In neither case did Jesus say when He was going to return to the earth a second time, but the early church can be forgiven for having an expectation that it would be “soon”. Even in the book of Revelation, John wrote down some of the last recorded words of Jesus, such as in Revelation 22:7, “Look, I am coming soon! Blessed are those who obey the words of prophecy written in this book”.

With the expectation that Jesus might return at any moment, Paul encouraged the Corinthians to get their lives in order. He told them to stay married, if that was their status at the time, but to remember that service to Christ was far more important, and if they were going through a time of sorrow, or a time of joy, such occasions were unimportant in the light of Jesus’ imminent return. And his final point was that, although possessions were all very good, the believers in Corinth mustn’t become too attached to them, because they wouldn’t survive the cataclysmic event associated with the world “passing away”. There is an apocryphal story of a businessman who nagged God unmercifully to be allowed to take his possessions with him into Heaven. God relented, allowing this to happen, so for convenience, the businessman sold what he had and converted it all to gold. When he died, he turned up at Heaven’s gates with a heavy bag and was asked what it contained. He replied that it was all his earthly wealth in gold bars, only to be told that there was no point in bringing it with him, because in Heaven, gold was used to pave the streets. A silly story that has made the rounds as a Christian joke, but it makes the point that nothing we have on this earth can survive the transition into Heaven.

In Matthew 24, Jesus outlined some of the events that will occur before the world “passes away”. He mentioned wars, famines and earthquakes, but only in the context that these were the “birth pains with more to come” (Matthew 24:8). Jesus then said that terrible things would then follow, with persecution and martyrdom, false prophets and sin. But here’s the thing, Jesus then said that the “Good news of the Kingdom will be preached throughout the whole world” (Matthew 24:14). Perhaps the early Christians had a world view that didn’t extend beyond the Middle East, and had concluded, with the rapid propagation of the Gospel, that their world had indeed been reached. But Jesus told the disciples about other things that would have to happen, such as complete darkness without the sun, moon, and stars, before Jesus came. Matthew 24:30, “And then at last, the sign that the Son of Man is coming will appear in the heavens, and there will be deep mourning among all the peoples of the earth. And they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory”.  

David Pawson, the late theologian and apologist, maintained that four significant signs had to happen before Jesus returned. These would be, “A “world-wide disaster” including wars, famines, and earthquakes; a “great tribulation” of worldwide trouble where many believers would be killed; the rise of a false dictator who commits an abhorrent act in a future temple; and the Antichrist’s return to power in the Middle East, and the subsequent preaching of the gospel to the entire world before the final judgment“. So, on that basis, about one and a half out of the four signs have been completed. But come what may, it is pointless trying to come up with a date for Jesus’ return, because He said to the disciples, “However, no one knows the day or hour when these things will happen, not even the angels in heaven or the Son himself. Only the Father knows” (Matthew 24:36). Instead, Jesus said, “You also must be ready all the time, for the Son of Man will come when least expected” (Matthew 24:44). 

We pilgrims, with the benefit of hindsight and a complete canon of God’s Word, can discern the times, but we must also be obedient to Jesus’ warning, as set out in two parables in Matthew 25. The “Parable of the Ten Bridesmaids” ends with the verse, “So you, too, must keep watch! For you do not know the day or hour of my return” (Matthew 25:13). This was followed by “The Parable of the Three Servants”, where Jesus made the point that it is not about when He returns, but what we have been doing while He has been away. The time may or may not be short, but while we wait, we must be busy in our service for the Lord.

So, suitably warned, we pilgrims must be careful about how we are spending our time while we await Jesus’ return. He may or may not come back in our lifetimes, but once we die, our service for Jesus will come to an end. We are not “pew warmers”, social or Sunday Christians, of course, just waiting for the moment when we will cross the Great Divide. Instead, we are active in our faith, seeking to spread the Gospel at every opportunity. We prioritise our lives so that we are not overburdened by the troubles and possessions of life, looking to Jesus, “who is the Author and Perfecter of our faith”. What else can we do when we consider Jesus and all that He has done for us?

Dear Lord Jesus. Thank You for Your words about the end times, with the parables that illustrate what You require. Amen.

Jesus Figuratively

Posted on by korgrocker

“I have spoken of these matters in figures of speech, but soon I will stop speaking figuratively and will tell you plainly all about the Father. Then you will ask in my name. I’m not saying I will ask the Father on your behalf, for the Father himself loves you dearly because you love me and believe that I came from God.”
John 16:25-27 NLT

Why did Jesus use parables or figurative language when He spoke to those around Him? Apart from the fact that this was a common form of communication in those days, and has been used in one form or another ever since, the use of illustrations in the way that Jesus did somehow made events and situations easier to remember. Even humorous examples today, using figurative language, like, “That comment landed like a lead balloon” or “He’s as useful as a chocolate teapot” somehow convey a meaning far beyond what would otherwise be recorded as “That was an inappropriate comment”, or “He’s useless”. A good example in book form is The Pilgrim’s Progress by John Bunyan, a book rich in hidden meanings and allegorical language. 

Jesus often used parables to illustrate a point that He was making. Although there are about thirty five parables in the Gospels, a good example is the Parable of the Soils (or Sower), that we find in Matthew 13. Jesus was surrounded by a crowd of people so He borrowed a boat and taught the people who were standing on the shore. In Matthew 13:3, we read, “He told many stories in the form of parables, such as this one: “Listen! A farmer went out to plant some seeds“. And He ended the parable, “Anyone with ears to hear should listen and understand” (Matthew 13:9). ‭‭And that really illustrates the point of figurative language and messages in the form of parables. Those with spiritual “ears” would understand, but those who had little interest or just didn’t “get it” would miss the point. 

The disciples asked Jesus why He used parables and we find His answer in Matthew 13:11-12, “He replied, “You are permitted to understand the secrets of the Kingdom of Heaven, but others are not. To those who listen to my teaching, more understanding will be given, and they will have an abundance of knowledge. But for those who are not listening, even what little understanding they have will be taken away from them“. Imagine today, if we asked someone to read the Parable of the Soils, someone who had had no previous church or Biblical exposure and was without any understanding of spiritual matters. How would they respond? Some would understand but many wouldn’t. There are sadly many around us in our societies who lack spiritual ears, so what would they make of this Parable? If they have the listening ears that Jesus referred to then they would understand. The Holy Spirit works in amazing and enlightening ways, but many would cast aside what they had read and instead would move on to deal with, what they would consider, more important matters. 

Jesus had used figurative language to describe His person and work. Examples would include His seven “I Am” statements comparing Himself to bread, light, a gate, a shepherd, resurrection and life, the way, the truth and the life and a vine. These figures of speech were hard for the disciples to understand while Jesus was with them. In Mark 4, Jesus quoted a verse from Isaiah 6:9-10, “And he said, “Yes, go, and say to this people, ‘Listen carefully, but do not understand. Watch closely, but learn nothing.’ Harden the hearts of these people. Plug their ears and shut their eyes. That way, they will not see with their eyes, nor hear with their ears, nor understand with their hearts and turn to me for healing“. 

But although puzzled, even confused, at the time, there was going to come a time when the disciples would understand these allegories, and the figurative language. This time arrived following His death, burial and resurrection and with the coming of the Holy Spirit. Today, we pilgrims are those who understand the parables because we have Holy Spirit within us, the One who leads us into all truth. So before we reach for the keyboard so that we can consult Mr Google, instead we should go to the Source of the parables Himself, our Lord and Master Jesus. 

Dear Father God, the Source of all truth. Through Jesus You alone are the One who can bring spiritual light into our secular world. We are so grateful. Amen.