Matthew 24, 37-44
1. Opening prayer
Lord Jesus, send
your Spirit to help us to read the Scriptures with the same mind that you read
them to the disciples on the way to Emmaus. In the light of the Word, written
in the Bible, you helped them to discover the presence of God in the disturbing
events of your sentence and death. Thus, the cross that seemed to be the end of
all hope became for them the source of life and of resurrection.
Create in us silence so that we may listen to your voice
in Creation and in the Scriptures, in events and in people, above all in the
poor and suffering. May your word guide us so that we too, like the two
disciples from Emmaus, may experience the force of your resurrection and
witness to others that you are alive in our midst as source of fraternity,
justice and peace. We ask this of you, Jesus, son of Mary, who revealed to us
the Father and sent us your Spirit. Amen.
2. Reading
a) Key for reading:
In the Liturgy of the first Sunday of Advent, the Church
places us before an extract of the discourse of Jesus on the end of the world.
Advent means Coming. It is the time of preparation for the coming of the Son of
Man into our life. Jesus exhorts us to be vigilant. He asks us to be attentive
to the events in order to discover in them the hour of the coming of the Son of
Man.
At the beginning of Advent, it is important to purify our
look and to learn anew how to read the events in the light of the Word of God.
And this in order not to be surprised, because God comes without telling us,
when we less expect him. To show how we should be attentive to the events,
Jesus goes back to the episode of the deluge in the time of Noah.
During the reading of the text, let us pay attention to
the comparisons which Jesus uses to transmit his message.
b) A division of the text to help in the reading:
Matthew 24, 37-39: The coming of the Son of Man will
arrive as in the days of Noah
Matthew 24, 40-41: Jesus applies the comparison to those
who listen
Matthew 24, 42: The conclusion: “Stay awake”; be
“Vigilant”.
Matthew 24, 43-44: A comparison to recommend vigilance.
c) The text:
Matthew 24,37-4437 'As it was in Noah's day, so will it
be when the Son of man comes. 38 For in those days before the Flood people were
eating, drinking, taking wives, taking husbands, right up to the day Noah went
into the ark, 39 and they suspected nothing till the Flood came and swept them
all away. This is what it will be like when the Son of man comes. 40 Then of
two men in the fields, one is taken, one left; 41 of two women grinding at the
mill, one is taken, one left.
42 'So stay awake, because you do not know the day when
your master is coming. 43 You may be quite sure of this, that if the
householder had known at what time of the night the burglar would come, he
would have stayed awake and would not have allowed anyone to break through the
wall of his house. 44 Therefore, you too must stand ready because the Son of
man is coming at an hour you do not expect.
3. A moment of prayerful silence so that the Word of God may penetrate and enlighten our
life.
4. Some questions to help us in our personal reflection.
i) Which part of the text struck you most? Why?
ii) Where, when and why did Jesus pronounce this
discourse?
iii) In what exactly does this vigilance consist, to
which Jesus exhorts us?
iv) “One is taken, one left”. What does Jesus want to
teach with this affirmation?
v) At the time of Matthew, the Christian community, in a
certain sense, expected the coming of the Son of Man. And today, which is our
way of waiting for the coming of Jesus?
vi) According to you, which is the centre or origin of
this teaching of Jesus?
5. For those who desire to go deeper into the theme
a) Context of the discourse of Jesus:
The Gospel of Matthew -
In the Gospel of
Matthew there are five great discourses, as if it were a new edition of the
five books of the Law of Moses. The text on which we are meditating this Sunday
forms part of the fifth Discourse of this New Law, Each one of the preceding
four discourses enlightens a determinate aspect of the Kingdom of God announced
by Jesus. The first one: the justice of the Kingdom and the conditions to enter
into the Kingdom (Mt from 5 to 7). The second one: the mission of the citizens
of the Kingdom (Mt 10). The third one: the mysterious presence of the Kingdom
in the life of the people (Mt 13). The fourth one: to live the Kingdom in
community (Mt 18). The fifth Sermon speaks of vigilance in view of the
definitive coming of the Kingdom. In this last discourse, Matthew continues the
outline of Mark (cf. Mk 13, 5-37), but adds some parables which speak about the
need of vigilance and of service, of solidarity and of fraternity.
Waiting for the coming of the Son of Man -
At the end of the first century, the communities lived
expecting the immediate coming of Jesus (I Th 5, 1-11). Basing themselves on
some words of Paul (I Th 4, 15-18), there were some persons who had ceased to
work thinking that Jesus was about to arrive (2 Th 2, 1-2; 3, 11-12). They
asked themselves: When Jesus comes, will we be taken up to Heaven as he was?
(cfr. I Th 4, 17). Will we be taken or left behind? (cfr. Mt 24, 40-41). There
was an atmosphere similar to that of today, in which many ask themselves: “Is
this terrorism a sign that the end of the world is close at hand?” What should
we do in order not to be surprised?” An answer to this question and concern
comes to us from the words of Jesus which Matthew transmits to us in the Gospel
of this Sunday.
“As it was in Noah’s day, so it will be when the Son of
Man comes”. Here, in order to clarify his call to vigilance, Jesus refers to
two episodes of the Old Testament: Noah and the Son of Man. The “days of Noah”
refer to the description of the deluge (Gen 6,5 to 8,14).
The image of the “Son of Man” comes from a vision of the
prophet Daniel (Dan 7, 13). In the days of Noah the majority of persons lived
without any concern, without being aware that in the events the hour of God was
getting near. Life continued “and they were not aware of anything until the
deluge came and drowned them all”. And Jesus concludes: “Thus it will be when
the Son of Man comes”. In the vision of Daniel, the Son of Man will come on the
clouds unexpectedly and his coming will decree the end of the oppressing
empires, which will have no future.
“Two men will be in the fields: one is taken, one left”.
These phrases should not be taken literally. It is a way to indicate the
diverse destiny that persons will receive according to the justice of the works
they did. Some will be taken, that is, will receive salvation, and others will
not receive it. This is what happened in the deluge: “You alone of your
contemporaries do I see before me as an upright man” (Gen 7, 1). And Noah and
his family were saved.
God is the one who determines the hour of the coming of
the Son. But God’s time is not measured by our clock or calendar. For God one
day can be equal to a thousand years, and a thousand years equal to one day (Ps
90; 2 Pt 3, 8). God’s time (kairos) is independent from our time (cronos). We
cannot interfere in God’s time, but we should be prepared for the moment in
which God’s hour becomes present in our time. It can be today, it can be from
now in one thousand years.
God comes when we less expect him. It can also happen
that He comes and people are not aware of the hour of his arrival. Jesus asks
for two things: an always attentive vigilance and at the same time, a peaceful
dedication of the one who is in peace. This attitude is a sign of much
maturity, in which are mixed the vigilant concern and the serene tranquillity.
The maturity which succeeds to combine the seriousness of the moment with the
awareness that everything is relative.
The certainty communicated to us by Jesus - Jesus leaves
us a twofold certainty to orientate our journey in life: (1) surely the end
will come; (2) certainly, nobody knows anything about the day or hour of the
end of the world. “But as for that day and hour, nobody knows it, neither the
angels in Heaven nor the Son, no one but the Father alone!” (Mt 24, 36). In
spite of all the estimates or calculations that men can do on the date of the
end of the world, nobody can calculate with certainty. What gives security is
not the knowledge of the hour of the end, but the Word of Jesus present in
life. the world will pass but his Word will never pass. (cfr. Is 40, 7-8).
When will the end of the world come? - When the bible
speaks about the “end of the World”, it refers not to the end of the world, but
to the end of a world. It refers to the end of this world, where injustice and
the power of evil reign; these which embitter life. This world of injustice
will come to an end and in its place there will be “a new heavens and a new
earth”, announced by Isaiah (Is 65, 15–17) and foreseen in the Apocalypse (Ap
21, 1). Nobody knows when nor how the end of this world will be (Mt 24, 36),
because nobody can imagine what God has prepared for those who love him (I Co
2, 9). The new world of life without death exceeds everything, just like the
tree exceeds the seed (I Co 15, 35-38). The first Christians were anxious to be
present in this end (2 Th 2,2). They continued to look up at heaven, waiting
for the coming of Christ (Acts 1, 11). Some no longer worked (2 Th 3, 11). But
“It is not for you to know times or dates that the Father has decided by his
own authority” (Acts 1, 7). The only way to contribute to the coming of the end
“in order that the Lord may send the time of comfort” (Acts 3, 20), and give
witness of the Gospel everywhere, to the earth’s remotest end (Acts 1, 8).
6. Prayer: Psalm 46 (45)
“God is our refuge! We shall not be afraid!
God is both refuge and strength for us,
a help always ready in trouble;
so we shall not be afraid though the earth be in turmoil,
though mountains tumble into the depths of the sea,
and its waters roar and seethe,
and the mountains totter as it heaves.
There is a river whose streams bring joy to God's city,
it sanctifies the dwelling of the Most High.
God is in the city, it cannot fall;
at break of day God comes to its rescue.
Nations are in uproar, kingdom are tumbling,
when he raises his voice the earth crumbles away.
Yahweh Sabaoth is with us, our citadel,
the God of Jacob.
Come, consider the wonders of Yahweh,
the astounding deeds he has done on the earth;
he puts an end to wars over the whole wide world,
he breaks the bow,
he snaps the spear,
shields he burns in the fire.
'Be still and acknowledge that I am God,
supreme over nations, supreme over the world.'
Yahweh Sabaoth is with us, our citadel, the God of Jacob.
7. Final Prayer
Lord Jesus, we thank for the word that has enabled us to
understand better the will of the Father. May your Spirit enlighten our actions
and grant us the strength to practice that which your Word has revealed to us.
May we, like Mary, your mother, not only listen to but also practise the Word.
You who live and reign with the Father in the unity of the Holy Spirit forever
and ever. Amen.
Source. www.ocarm.org
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