Our daily reflections follow the M'Cheyne Bible reading plan, designed for those who want to read the whole Bible in one year. Each reflection focuses on one of the chapters from that day's readings. Darllenwch rhain yn Gymraeg.
Lord, open my ears to hear what you have to say to me; open my heart to love your word, and open my mind to understand your truth.
This chapter of Matthew is part of the ‘Little Apocalypse’, a block of teaching that focuses on the ‘end times’. It’s in a style of writing – ‘apocalyptic’ – that’s like Revelation or parts of Daniel. We should be wary of treating it as a sort of coded route-map of the future; attempts to decipher these books in terms of world events always end in failure.
The lesson of Matthew 24 is straightforward: God’s judgement through Jesus is coming, and no one knows when. These verses are urgent and practical: it could be tomorrow. It could even be today. So the question becomes, how then should we live?
On a purely personal level, when we’re aware that we are to face an inspection of our behaviour or a reckoning for our conduct, we tend to sharpen up. We know we’re accountable, and we tend to live up to a higher standard. Jesus is reminding us that we’re accountable to God.
Most of the time, perhaps, we don’t actively feel this. We may think of him as a relaxed, absentee manager who doesn’t really mind what we get up to. No, says Jesus: how we live really does matter, and if we are careless, faithless or sinful, God sees.
If we woke every day with the thought that the ‘the Son of Man will come like the lightning which flashes across the whole sky from the east to the west’ (verse 27) what difference would it make to how we live?
God, forgive me if I’ve lived carelessly and not made the most of the time you’ve given me on this earth. Help me to live day by day, ready for the coming of Christ.
This reflection was written by Mark Woods, Bible Society's Editor
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