Unexpected

In my Old Testament reading I'm in the midst of Exodus.  As I've been reading through the 10 plagues I noticed something:  God gives no warning to Pharaoh and the people of Egypt that the 10th plague is coming.  The most terrible of all of the plagues--no warning.   The result of the plague is that there is huge weeping and mourning in Egypt, but the people of God get set free.  All of this brought to mind a theme that I think keeps running through the Bible:  we need to be ready for God's return because he's not planning on giving any more warnings.   In the book of Matthew Jesus teaches his last days discourse and in part of it he tells of a servant: "48But suppose that servant is wicked and says to himself, 'My master is staying away a long time,' 49and he then begins to beat his fellow servants and to eat and drink with drunkards. 50The master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he is not aware of. 51He will cut him to pieces and assign him a place with the hypocrites, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth." Matthew 24   The unexpected return and the gnashing of teeth have the feel of that 10th plague in Egypt.   In the book of Revelation Jesus is sending a message to the church of Sardis.   "2Wake up! Strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have not found your deeds complete in the sight of my God. 3Remember, therefore, what you have received and heard; obey it, and repent. But if you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what time I will come to you." Revelation 3  What is disconcerting about this passage is that not only does Jesus come like a thief in the night, but he comes to judge.   Often we like to disconnect Jesus from any of the harsh realities of judgment, making him out only to be a guy who loves us and would never hurt a flea, but in reality he upholds the justice and righteousness of his Father.  

During this holy week when many in Israel were missing the reality that God had come to them in Jesus Christ (a most unexpected package this Jesus, he did not look like the Messiah they were supposed to get)  and so were willing not only to ignore his teaching, but also crucify him it seems to me that we do well to keep ourselves ready for God's unexpected return.  When we are ready for that return there is celebration, when we are not ready there is weeping.   Along with our being ready is our call to others to see the reality that God is returning reminding them in ways that can infiltrate this time and place that those who are ready get to join God in a new heavens and a new earth where every tear is dried away, but those who refuse all of God's invitations to turn (as Pharaoh did) end up forever outside.  Or as C.S. Lewis put it in The Weight of Glory, "finally and unspeakably ignored".