25 “There will be signs in the sun, moon and stars. On the earth, nations will be in anguish and perplexity at the roaring and tossing of the sea. 26 People will faint from terror, apprehensive of what is coming on the world, for the heavenly bodies will be shaken. 27 At that time they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. 28 When these things begin to take place, stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.”29 He told them this parable: “Look at the fig tree and all the trees. 30 When they sprout leaves, you can see for yourselves and know that summer is near. 31 Even so, when you see these things happening, you know that the kingdom of God is near. 32 “Truly I tell you, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened. 33 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.34 “Be careful, or your hearts will be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness and the anxieties of life, and that day will close on you suddenly like a trap. 35 For it will come on all those who live on the face of the whole earth. 36 Be always on the watch, and pray that you may be able to escape all that is about to happen, and that you may be able to stand before the Son of Man.” (Luke 21:25-36)
The Boy Scouts were a big part of my life growing up. Having a father who served in leadership, gave me the desire to be a part of this life-building program.
The Boys Scouts, a program that has gone through a lot of changes since I was a part of it, is a youth program for boys (and now girls as well) that challenges participants to develop good moral and ethical choices throughout their life. We could probably relate it to a number of youth organizations helping young folks to make the right life choices
I’m sure there are mixed feelings about Scouting and its blending of country and faith as it does call for one to recite the Pledge of Allegiance while also encouraging one to have a strong commitment to one’s religious background and faith tradition. It also includes aspects that might seem contrary to some beliefs that many folks might share within the Anabaptist tradition. Scouts do take an oath, but also speak about the importance of service and doing good for one’s neighbor. One of the merit badges emphasizes religious service, and many Scout troops are located in churches. This was early in my formative years and as such was important for part youthful development. For me, it was also about the camaraderie with other young men my age, and the work ethic that it strongly encourages.
I started out as a Cub Scout, as most do, and began progressing through the program earning my badges and the advancements that come along with age and merits. I then moved on to the Boy Scouts. There I earned my merit badges and advanced all the way up to Life Scout, one level before Eagle Scout. I later served as a Cub Master and an Assistant Scoutmaster.
I enjoyed my time in the program. Learning new skills, participating in Pinewood derbies, going camping for an evening or a weekend, making new friends, and even experiencing some of the competition that happens at certain “camporees”, like Klondike derbies and water events.
I think we especially enjoyed the Spring Camporee, where we would put a canoe out on the river and compete with other groups to see who the best of the weekend would be. But canoeing on a river is very tricky. There are lots of rocky outcrops and various obstacles in the water that can impede your movement through the river. It’s the maneuvering through the rocky areas where you have to really be alert; so that you won’t hang up the canoe and get stuck or, worse, capsize the canoe throwing you and your partner into the river to most likely have to chase down the canoe in the rushing waters.
But we had prepared ourselves for this. We were given a practice run, allowing us to know where most of the obstacles were and how we might best maneuver around those. It helped when it came time for the race, but we still needed to be watchful, because rivers can change in an instant.
I still think of this as a great learning experience, and it was a lot of fun. Why? Because life has its own obstacles, its own moments when the waters are calm and then the waters can become rough. In those moments. And like the motto of scouting tells us to – “Be Prepared” – you have to always have your wits about yourself on the river. Much like when Jesus told his followers, he tells us, also his followers, that we are to always “Be Alert”, to be prepared.
Even our lives as followers of Christ have those moments when some barrier, some difficulty might get in our way and we need to have made ourselves ready, just in case. We look to the scriptures for direction, and we look forward to seasons of the year to focus us in our preparation to overcome those things in our lives, so we can use those later in life and even give guidance to those we know who might need encouragement when they face the same.
We are now entering the season of Advent. Thanksgiving is behind us, as well as the family fun, all the food, the naps, the football games, and those many Black Friday sales. It has been a joyous time of fellowship with family and friends, and the opportunity to set aside this one day to share our gratitude to God for what he has done and all that he will do.
Thanksgiving is an important season for us in the church, and it seems appropriate that it would precede this season in the life of the church.
Advent, during its four Sunday period, gives us time to be more reflective, a time to ponder on our own spiritual well-being. This season calls us into a time of preparedness, a time to get ready, a time to wait too but to be expectant. A season that comes with that stern warning to “Be on guard! Be alert! You do not know when that time will come.” (Mk. 13:33)
It’s like watching out for those small breakers in the water, to look out and see what is up ahead.
The Advent season is a reminder that we anticipate the glorious coming of Christ back to the world that we live in, a period of waiting for this event to transpire, and waiting is something that becomes a test in itself for many of us. But is there something more we look for?
We might spend more of our time looking more toward the end of Advent, as we look forward to Christmas and the arrival of Jesus, the Son of God, the Savior, and his birth as a baby. We might focus more on the gifts that need to be purchased, the food that needs to be prepared, the plans being made for travel, or just the time it might take to make sure the house is clean and presentable for the guests who are expected to come. In all that, we might forget what the season is all about and who it is about.
Advent itself means: “the arrival of a notable person, thing, or event”. A word derived from the Latin adventus meaning “coming”.
For us, Jesus is that ‘notable’ person and his birth was that notable event that took place so many years ago. He is to be our focus as we begin Advent and as well as the end.
Jesus is the one who was foretold by the prophets who settled in Israel and Judah, offering to the people that all they were experiencing would soon be relieved by a Savior, a new deliverer. God would hear his people once again and come and rescue them. So, be ready.
The deliverer they expected, though, was not the person that came into the world. They expected so much more. Some were overjoyed, but many were disappointed and a little dismayed.
Jesus does not come into the world as some sort of heroic warrior ready to defend his people with violence and destruction, overthrowing mighty kingdoms and empires, especially that of Rome; one who is born into some royal family (as some might have expected). Jesus comes into the world as a baby, born to ordinary people, a working-class father and an unwed teenage mother. Parents who had directly received word from God himself as to the importance of this child. Parents who took on this role, albeit somewhat reluctantly, and fulfilled a part of God’s intended purpose in coming into the world in this way.
For many of us, especially in the US culture (as well as some others), waiting at Christmas is about the celebration of his birth that coincides with the excitement of giving and receiving presents placed under the tree, which we have impatiently anticipated, no matter when we might take the time to do that. I know that for me and my family, we share in this gift exchange on Christmas Eve Christmas morning, and since we travel to see my family, we even open the day after.
Waiting for this child is not necessary for us, because he has come. This child, Jesus, has returned to be with his father. (He, too, is waiting.)
This same impatient waiting for us as Christians should be seen in our anticipation of his arrival as he comes back to this world, not in the same way as before, but in his glorious self. A king jumping from his throne to save his people once again, but in a more magnificent way. At the end of the gospel of Luke, as he was preparing himself for his death, Jesus says to his disciples, “Be always on the watch, and pray that you may be able to escape all that is about to happen, and that you may be able to stand before the Son of Man.” (Luke 21:36)
These words come at the end of this long discourse telling his disciples of the inescapable future to come. A future where many difficult events will take place, and that all people will experience ‘these coming horrors’ (as it is put in the NLT), some of which seems to have transpired, some that we might see even in the days we are living in now. Just look around, read the news articles in the morning paper or on our favorite social media site, watch the evening news. He was trying to remind them, and us, that there is the comfort to know that the Kingdom of God is near.
Jesus wanted them to continue what they were doing, to live life, but to always do it with one eye open, being watchful, being alert, being prepared, reminding them to be prayerful so they might escape the things that will happen. Encouraging them as they shared the gospel with those whom they would encounter, to be bold in their preaching and especially in the conformations they might have with those who stand opposed to their teaching.
As we enter into this season of Advent, we need to be just as vigilant in our watchfulness. We need this season to remind us to be alert, to make ourselves prepared for this coming of Jesus. Not as a baby born in a manager, but as a Savior coming to rescue his people from the difficulties and the destructiveness of this world.
I always enjoy the way Jesus looks at life and how he was able to use commonly themed stories to share his point of view. Matthew writes that Jesus told a certain parable as a way to illustrate the importance of being ready, being prepared, and he does so by telling of the arrival of the bridegroom to his wedding. (Matt. 25:1-13)
“At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish and five were wise. The foolish ones took their lamps but did not take any oil with them. The wise ones, however, took oil in jars along with their lamps. The bridegroom was a long time in coming, and they all became drowsy and fell asleep. “At midnight the cry rang out: ‘Here’s the bridegroom! Come out to meet him! “Then all the virgins woke up and trimmed their lamps. The foolish ones said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil; our lamps are going out.’ “‘No,’ they replied, ‘there may not be enough for both us and you. Instead, go to those who sell oil and buy some for yourselves.’ “But while they were on their way to buy the oil, the bridegroom arrived. The virgins who were ready went in with him to the wedding banquet. And the door was shut. “Later the others also came. ‘Lord, Lord,’ they said, ‘open the door for us!’ “But he replied, ‘Truly I tell you; I don’t know you.’ “Therefore, keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour.”
Jesus was reminding his listeners of the eternal implications of being ready or not. As told through this parable, those who had prepared themselves with plenty of extra oil were able to overcome the lateness of the bridegroom, while those who weren’t were left to beg for extra and then to hopefully rely on open markets for oil, to which they found none. Those were the ones left behind not enjoying the reception that was to unfold. (Luke says: “Be dressed, ready for service and keep your lamps burning.” (Luke 12:35)) And so, Jesus’ reminder is a foreshadowing of his second coming, his returning for his people, his faithful followers. Telling those in his audience that he is that bridegroom and that his arrival has no set time. Be prepared for his arrival like those who carried extra oil, so that even though the Son’s arrival may be a surprise, the hope of eternal life will be the reward. Jesus says: “Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour.” (Matthew 25:13) We know this is not just some tale told just to those who were privy to Jesus’ presence, but to us as well. Because he wants us to be ready when he returns, as he does not want to leave any behind but that all might live with him in eternal paradise.
And so, Advent is here, and we too are to remain watchful in our own lives, being diligent in our keeping alert and ready. We should work hard to live the life that Jesus has called us to. Being faithful in our living, not letting sin creep into our lives, and holding on to the fruits of the Spirit (love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control) as our way of life, exemplifying these in our daily walk with those around us, following in the example of Jesus. We also spend much time in prayer making requests of God, seeking his guidance and his will in our lives. We need to spend much reading the Bible, pouring through the scriptures finding answers, searching for direction in our lives. Fellowshipping with other believers allows them to keep us accountable for our faithful walk, watching out for each other and keeping us alert for that day that will come.
On each occasion that we would gather for our weekly meeting, we scouts would first recite the scout motto, “Be Prepared”, as a reminder that we never know what might come our way, but when it does, we will always be ready.
We prepared ourselves for our meetings by having worked on merit badges and any other work that was to be checked on for that evening. When we packed for overnight campouts or for a long weekend, we prepared ourselves with extra clothing, food, and all the essential supplies (such as cooking utensils and a fully packed first aid kit) needed to make the not only fun but knowing that we would be deficient in all the things need to make the trip successful.
This was teaching us that in life, not everything can be predicted ahead of time. We needed to know that we need to anticipate what might stand in our way, what might cause us to stumble and fall, how we might replace what was lost or forgotten.
Advent calls us as Christians to do the same. It reminds us that Jesus is coming back, and we don’t know when that might happen. The signs have been given, the time of waiting has come, keep doing life, but doing what you do. Share the story of Jesus with others and let your faith guide others into a relationship with him. Most of all, be prepared, be ready, be alert, his return is soon.
I will conclude with a text from Matthew using the New Century Version, with its more contemporary language: “So always be ready, because you don’t know the day your Lord will come.” (Matthew 24:42 )
- All biblical references are to the New International Version unless otherwise noted.
Marty Doss is the pastor of the Mount Bethel Church of the Brethren in Dayton, Virginia, where he has served since 2014. A 2004 graduate of Eastern Mennonite Seminary, he lives in the college town Harrisonburg with his wife Cheryl, daughter Jill, and their little shihpom (dog) Cleo. Marty also co-hosts the 2 Preachers Talking podcast with former Brethren Life & Thought contributor Jon Prater.