Fretting About The Time

Luke 21:12-19

On Labor Day, we had a church picnic about four miles north of the church, on the BLM land. The site was overlooking a small canyon. Numerous junipers and desert plants, contrast sharply with the red sandstone and black shale rocks. The kids thoroughly enjoyed climbing around on the rocks.

A few days later I decided to hike to the same place by following the arroyo near the church. The soft sand and winding path of the arroyo made it hard to tell how far I’d traveled, and which way. Realizing I had to be back soon, I climbed to the top of a nearby hil where I discovered I still had over a half mile to go so I decided to cut straight across. By the time I had crossed the wash five or six times, and back over the intervening hill, I am sure I had traveled at least another mile, and was almost ready to just start home when I finally climbed to the top of the last hill and saw my destination a hundred yards ahead. That last hundred yards turned out to be some of the roughest traveling I had done yet, with steep cliffs and dense brush in some places. It seemed like there was always one more obstacle in the way, and concern about the time was taking away my enjoyment. When I finally stepped out into the spot, it was almost a surprise, because I had been working so hard for so long. I followed the road back because I was tired and I needed to get back quickly.

Like me, Israel knew where they were supposed to go, but had no idea how long it would take them to get there. The book of Revelation tells us what will be there when we arrive, It allows us to see our destination. However, we seldom realize how long it will take us to get there or what we will experience along the way. For present day Christians, most of Revelation serves only to show us where we are headed. Christ repeatedly reminds us that we don’t understand how far away it is and that it will come unexpectedly.

He also warns of some difficulties we will experience before we get there. Luke 21:12-13 warns, “But before all these, they shall lay their hands on you, and persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues, and into prisons, being brought before kings and rulers for my name's sake. And it shall turn to you for a testimony.” He advises us not to try to plan for these occurrences, but act as he shows us when the time comes in Luke 21:14-15. “Settle it therefore in your hearts, not to meditate before what ye shall answer: For I will give you a mouth and wisdom, which all your adversaries shall not be able to gainsay nor resist.” This is exactly the opposite of advice the Christian Law Association was gving a few years ago.

Some of the worst conflicts will come from where they are least expected. Jesus warned that serving him would result in these conflicts in Matthew 10:34-36. "Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword. For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law. And a man's foes shall be they of his own household.” He repeats himself in this passage.

“And ye shall be betrayed both by parents, and brethren, and kinsfolks, and friends; and some of you shall they cause to be put to death. And ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake. But there shall not an hair of your head perish. In your patience possess ye your souls.” (Luke 21:16-19)

Like my hike to the picnic area, the last period before we arrive will probably entail the worst persecution and discouragement of history. It is clear that the persecution will get even worse in the tribulation period, with those who turn to Christ being killed. Before that time, however, Jesus promises that not a hair of your head will perish. We are to keep serving him in patience, knowing he will come at the proper time.

I find it very difficult to sit and wait for some one to arrive, especially if they don’t come as soon as I expected. I have found that by having something to keep myself occupied, I don’t fret about the time as much, relieving a lot of stress. I think a lot of Christians would relieve a lot of their stress by getting busy about the Lord’s work rather than fretting about the time. Jesus said to “occupy till I come.”

He also said we wouldn’t know when he was coming so not to get stressed out over it. Paul instructed the Thessalonians in II Thessalonians 2:1-4, “Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him, That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand. Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God.”

To put it simply, much of the absorption with the second coming is contrary to God’s command. He is coming again, and he will deliver his people, but when and how are his business, not ours. Our job is to obey him till he comes, trusting him to take care of us.