2015-08-02 Luke 12:35-48 Ready or Not (2): To Be Ready You Have To Get Ready
Notes
Transcript
READY OR NOT (2): TO BE READY, YOU HAVE TO GET READY
(Luke 12:35-48)
Intro – Several years ago the CT State Police were required to put on chains
when it snowed. One trooper failed to do so and ended up in a skid that
flipped the car onto its roof. A caller reported, “Well, he seems okay, but you
better get someone out here quick. He’s standing on the car putting chains
on the tires!” He was just a little late, not ready! That is what Jesus is urging
in this passage. He’s coming again. Be ready. Too late to put chains on then.
This follows on heels of His warnings about greed and anxiety. Those are red
flags showing we’re not ready -- focused on the wrong things. Stonewall
Jackson was a devout believer, but kind of quirky, absent-minded prof prior to
the CW. But following his early brilliant, daring campaign in the Shenandoah,
one contemporary wrote: "No one would have thought one year ago that
Jackson’s fame would be spread the wide world over as one of the greatest
captains. He may well be fearless, as he is ready to meet his God; his lamp is
burning, and he waits for the bridegroom." When we’re ready to meet Jesus
any time, anxiety vanishes. Be ready! That’s what Jesus is urging.
So, how do we do that? In vv. 35-40 He urges that we Wait Expectantly. And
in vv. 41-48 He urges that we Work Earnestly. Both waiting and working are
part of being ready. There are 4 elements to waiting expectantly.
Assurance of His Coming – This passage revolves on v. 40. 2 key things.
First, the Son of Man is coming.” The world may mock all it wants, but Peter
says they forget 1,000 years is like a day to the Lord! What is huge delay to us
is a couple of minutes to Him. The great proof that He is coming again is that
He came the first time. He fulfilled OT prophecies to the letter then, precisely,
and there is no reason to doubt that He will do so again “in the same way” as
the disciples saw Him go. The doubts of scoffers never slowed Him down
before and it will not then either. Timetable is His.
Astonishment of His Coming -- 40 You also must be ready, for the Son of
Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.” Thousands have thought they
had it figured out. None has been right. None ever will be right. Nothing
prevented Jesus’ return in Paul and Peter’s time and nothing prevents Him
now. But the timetable is His. It will be when least expected, not when most
expected. Many will be astonished. We must live ready! So, v. 40 has set the
1
tone – be ready. Now to further develop this theme, we will go back to v. 35 to
develop how we do that – wait expectantly by:
Anticipation of His Coming – 3 things define our waiting.
A. Be Unencumbered
35
“Stay dressed for action.” Literally this reads, “Gird up your loins.” It was a
common expression in Jesus’ time. Everyone wore long, flowing robes or
togas. Often they hung loose for comfort. But that made work difficult. So,
when they labored, they tucked their togas into a belt to keep the long, flowing
garment out of the way. That’s the picture: “Stay dressed for action.”
What action does He have in mind? Service for the king who is coming. Jesus
elaborates on this point by parable in Lu 19:12 He said therefore, “A nobleman
went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom and then return (that’s
picturing Jesus returning to the Father). 13 Calling ten of his servants, he gave
them ten minas, and said to them, ‘Engage in business until I come.’ We’re to
be about His business until He returns. It is not our own concerns that are
primarily to occupy us, but His. It is not our own kingdom we are to seek, but
His. It is not our agenda, but His. We can’t do that if we’re too entangled in
the affairs of this life. Sure we have to make a living. Sure we have to engage
our culture. But at the same time, we must hold this life loosely.
Paul tells Timothy in II Tim 2:4, “Share in suffering as a good soldier of Christ
Jesus. 4 No soldier gets entangled in civilian pursuits, since his aim is to
please the one who enlisted him.” That’s Jesus’ point. This world isn’t home
anymore. Phil 3:20, “But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a
Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.” Priorities have changed and we need to make
sure we don’t have too many loose ends in this life keeping us from engaging
in the mission God for which God created us.
I was saddened watching the Academy Awards last year. Here were people
whose whole life was focused on getting a little gold statue to put on the
fireplace. Life is all about seeing and being seen and looking glamorous. Host
Ellen Degeneres commented at one point, “I’m not saying movies
are the most important thing in the world, because we
all know the most important thing in the world is
youth.” It was a joke, but when you saw what some had done
to look young, it wasn’t funny. All they have is “now”. How
2
desperate it must feel to see it gradually fading away in
the distance, first slowly but with greater speed every year.
How fortunate for those who know Christ to know this is not
all there is. Youth is not the end all, because there is more to
come.
Listen, we’re in a foreign country, awaiting our King who is
invading soon. His priorities must be our priorities, not those
of this world. It’s so easy to get distracted with things and
toys and hobbies and habits – not bad in themselves, but
devastating if they shove Christ aside. It’s a real and present
danger.
During the CW this was Pres Lincoln’s constant struggle. His
many generals demanded tons of supplies. Lincoln did his
best, but he knew the Union was in danger of losing the war –
slowed by its abundance of supplies. The enemy moved
twice as far with half as much. Lincoln wrote McClellan in
1862, “this expanding and piling up of impedimenta,
has been, so far, almost our ruin, and will be our final
ruling if it is not abandoned.” Things changed when Grant
and Sherman got into command. Sherman abandoned
supplies altogether when he made his march to the sea living
entirely off the land. It broke the Confederate’s back. They
finally learned what Stonewall Jackson always knew: “The
road to glory cannot be followed with much baggage.”
We must be like the travelers were waiting for the baggage in
Miami one day. The delay was long, then one tiny object
appeared – a pair of neatly folded blue socks. Someone
exclaimed, “That’s what I call traveling light.” That’s
Jesus’ point. Travel light! John Wesley used to say, "Money never stays
with me. It would burn me if it did. I throw it out of my hands as soon as
possible, lest it should find its way into my heart." Note what Jesus says just
before “Stay dressed for action.” V. 34, “For where your treasure is, there will
your heart be also.” Hold things loosely. That’s the point. Wesley earned a lot
of money from book royalties, but he determined to die leaving nothing
behind, and he did, having given away thousands of dollars before they found
their way into his heart. So we might well ask, “How is our heart?” Are we
dressed for action – is our treasure here and now or is it laid up in heaven?
3
B. Be Enlightened
V. 35: “Stay dressed for action and keep your lamps burning.” So, what does
keep your lamps burning” mean? Well, light in the Bible represents
knowledge or truth. What Jesus is saying by keep your lamps burning is
know the truth and live the truth. You are now children of light, not children
of darkness, so live like it. Jesus is due any time, so live according to truth. Do
what is right. Be holy as your Father is holy. Don’t let the light go out and
return to your old selfish lifestyle. Not even for a moment. Live in the light.
God didn’t tell us things about the 2nd coming so we could speculate on timing
and obsess on details. It’s great to study prophetic details – but they are
intended to motivate holy living, not as an ego trip. There is no better
commentary on keep your lamps burning than Rom 13:11 Besides this you
know the time, that the hour has come for you to wake from sleep. For
salvation is nearer to us now than when we first believed. 12 The night is far
gone; the day is at hand. So then let us cast off the works of darkness and put
on the armor of light. 13 Let us walk properly as in the daytime, not in orgies
and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and sensuality, not in quarreling
and jealousy. 14 But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for
the flesh, to gratify its desires.” That’s pretty clear, isn’t it?
I caught this message as a child. I didn’t know all the details I learned later
about Christ’s 2nd coming, but I knew He could come at any time. I didn’t
want Him to find me doing something wrong. As I got older and Jesus didn’t
come, it got easier and easier to lose that motivation. We get sophisticated,
don’t we? We anticipate tomorrow will be like today and so forth. Yes – Jesus
is coming sometime, but it’s out there. It ceases to be part of our motivation to
holy living. Know what’s happened? Our lamp has gone out.
When we were in Edinburgh we came across the statue of a terrier named
Bobby. Bobby belonged to John Gray who worked for the Edinburgh Police as
a night watchman. When he died he was buried in Greyfriars Kirkyard and
Bobby became famous for sitting at his master’s gravesite awaiting his return
for the rest of his life – all 14 years of it! A statue was erected in his honor
when he died in 1872. Would it change our lives if we lived in that same
expectation of Jesus’ return? That’s what it means to keep our lamp lit.
C. Be Expectant
4
36
and be like men who are waiting for their master to come home from the
wedding feast, so that they may open the door to him at once when he comes
and knocks.” What is the message? Expect His return any time. Marriage
feasts in those days could last from a day to a week. Someone might return
any time. You didn’t know. Faithful servants were ready to open the door at
once. There would be no, “Wait a minute while I hide these magazines or
turn this show off or clean up the place.” True believers live like He’s
coming next minute, ready to open the door at a moment’s notice. He doesn’t
have to get ready; he is ready. Jesus doesn’t say, “Get ready;” He says, “Be
ready.” Have sins confessed up to the minute, living a holy life, willing to be
caught at any moment in whatever you are doing.
“39 But know this, that if the master of the house had known at what hour the
thief was coming, he would not have left his house to be broken into.”
Different illustration – same point. Thieves don’t send calling cards. They
come when least expected. So the only way to counter them is to be on guard
all the time. Be ready all the time. Believers live with one foot in time and
the other in eternity. It’s great because even if Jesus never comes in our
lifetime, it means we are ready to die. Live expecting the Lord’s return at any
moment and you are ready to live and ready to die. All bases covered.
C. S. Lewis describes the 2nd coming this way: “When the author walks onto
the stage, the play is over. God is going to invade, all right; but what is the
good of saying you are on His side then, when you see the whole natural
universe melting away like a dream and something else comes crashing in?
This time it will be God without disguise; something so overwhelming that it
will strike either irresistible love or irresistible horror into every creature. It
will be too late then to choose your side. That will not be the time for
choosing; It will be the time when we discover which side we really have
chosen, whether we realized it before or not. Now, today, this moment, is our
chance to choose the right side.” To be ready then, you must get ready now.
IV.
Aftershock of His Coming
37
Blessed are those servants whom the master finds awake when he comes.
Truly, I say to you, he will dress himself for service and have them recline at
table, and he will come and serve them. Here’s an astounding verse -- almost
incomprehensible. Think about it! Who is the master coming back in this
parable? It is Jesus , of course. And so far the parable follows local custom.
5
The faithful servants await expectantly to welcome the Master on his
return. But then Jesus totally departs from anything anyone would expect.
Totally. You’d expect the servants to feed the master and get him to bed.
Jesus depicts the absolute opposite . It is the master who dresses
himself in as a servant, sits the servants down to dinner and then he
serves them himself. It’s an incredible picture which is why the devout
German Bible scholar Bengel regarded this as the greatest promise in
all God’s Word .
To feel get the impact of this, check Rev 19: 11 Then I saw heaven opened,
and behold, a white horse! The one sitting on it is called Faithful and True, and
in righteousness he judges and makes war. 12 His eyes are like a flame of fire,
and on his head are many diadems, and he has a name written that no one
knows but himself. 13 He is clothed in a robe dipped in blood, and the name by
which he is called is The Word of God. 14 And the armies of heaven, arrayed in
fine linen, white and pure, were following him on white horses. 15 From his
mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations, and he will
rule them with a rod of iron. He will tread the winepress of the fury of the
wrath of God the Almighty. 16 On his robe and on his thigh he has a name
written, King of kings and Lord of lords.” The passage goes on to describe
how He quickly rounds up the Anti-Christ and all His enemies. Then Matt
25:31 picks up: 31 “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels
with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. 32 Before him will be gathered
all the nations, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd
separates the sheep from the goats.” Judgment follows. The lost are cast with
Satan and his angels into hell. This is Jesus in the fullness of His power and
glory and majesty. This coming is not the humble baby in a manger prepared
to suffer utter humiliation to pay the penalty for our sins. This is the
conquering, powerful King of kings and Lord of lords coming in judgment to
rid the world of sin and set everything right by the power of His Word.
And having done all that, “He will dress himself for service and have them
(faithful believers) recline at table, and he will come and serve them.” How
humbling! We’ll wish we had served Him better. Will it be a literal banquet? I
don’t know. It is described that way, as the marriage supper of the lamb, in
Rev. 19. Whatever it is, it will exceed any expectations we ever had. It will
fulfill Psa 126:1-3, “When the Lord restored the fortunes of Zion, we were
like those who dream. 2 Then our mouth was filled with laughter, and our
tongue with shouts of joy; then they said among the nations, “The Lord has
6
done great things for them.” 3 The Lord has done great things for us; we are
glad.” What a shock to find our unworthy selves being served by the King
Himself. If we really believed this it would change our lives.
Jesus is coming, Beloved. It’ll be too late to put the chains on the car then.
You have to get ready now to be ready then! I heard Vin Skully one time tell
a story about former big-league infielder Gene Freese: "He once got back to
the hotel after a night on the town, dialed the front desk and asked for a 7 am
wake-up call. The operator said, ‘You just missed it.’” Jesus is coming again,
Beloved. Don’t miss it! Very soon we will all meet Him either in death or in
His coming. So we must be ready. We must not be so bogged down with the
things of this life that we fail to be ready for the next. If we are to be ready
then, we must get ready now. How? By receiving Him as Lord and Savior if
you’ve never done that. And if He is your Lord, live expecting that you will
see Him soon because believe me, you will. Let’s pray.
Ace; Advantage; Taking advantage; Advantage taken; Last to know; Last
to Know; Good news, bad news; Corruption; Worth; Value; Advantage,
taking; Death; Last to Know – An artist went to the gallery that represented
him. The owner said, “I have good news and bad news for you.” “What’s the
good news?” “A man came in earlier today and asked me if your paintings
would go up in price if you were dead. I told him that they would, so he
bought all I had.” “What’s the bad news?” “He was your doctor.” (More of
the Best of Milton Berle’s Private Joke File, p. 62).
Planning; Second Coming; Joke; Funny; Now; Patience; Impatience;
Test; Blind Date: A young lady busied herself getting ready for a blind date.
This was not just dinner and a movie; her date had planned dinner at an
exclusive downtown restaurant with live music and dancing. Wanting to make
a good first impression she had taken the day off work. She cleaned her
apartment; she went out that afternoon to have her hair done and get a
manicure. When she got home she did her makeup, put on her best dress and
7
was ready for her date’s arrival. His expected arrival came and went, but she
continued to wait patiently.
Finally after waiting over an hour she decided she had been stood up,
so she took off her dress, let down her hair put on her pajamas, gathered all
her favorite junk food and sat down to watch TV with her dog. Sometime later
there was a knock at the door; it was her date. He looked at her surprised and
said, “What I gave you an extra two hours and you’re still not ready to go!”
Jesus is coming again. Will you be ready for His return, or will He catch you
unprepared?
(D. Greg Ebie, “Ready or Not,” SermonCentral newsletter)1
Attention; Method; Scheme; Fear; Urgency; Now; Attention (RD 5/08)
Being very organized came in handy when I put an extension on my house. I
made sure all my bills were paid promptly. So I was mortified when I
received a letter from an electrician that stated in bold letters, “Second and
Final Notice!” “I’m sorry,” I said when I called him. “I never saw the first
notice.” “I didn’t send one,” he told me. “I find second notices are much
more effective.”2
Now; Providence; God’s Sovereignty; Little Things; Alertness; Watch; Be
on Guard; Opportunity; Warning; Failure; Lost; Now; During the
Revolutionary War, a loyalist spy appeared at the headquarters of Hessian
commander Colonel Johann Rall, carrying an urgent message. General George
Washington and his Continental army had secretly crossed the Delaware River
that morning and were advancing on Trenton, New Jersey where the Hessians
were encamped. The spy was denied an audience with the commander and
instead wrote his message on a piece of paper. A porter took the note to the
Hessian colonel, but because Rall was involved in a poker game he stuffed the
unread note into his pocket. / When the guards at the Hessian camp began
firing their muskets in a futile attempt to stop Washington’s army, Rall was
still playing cards. Without time to organize, the Hessian army was captured.
The battle occurred the day after Christmas, 1776, giving the colonists a late
present—their first major victory of the war.3
1 McNeff, D. (n.d.). New Illustrations.
2 McNeff, D. (n.d.). New Illustrations.
3 McNeff, D. (n.d.). New Illustrations.
8
your days; Second Coming; Eschatology, personal; Now; Last Day;
Second Coming – Kevin Lewis in sermon at Kindred on 4/2008 said, we get
all hung up trying to find out the date for the rapture and the second coming
and wondering when is the last day. But far more important is, when is your
last day. For the Bible makes it clear that it is appointed unto man once to die
and after that the judgment and you will either go to heaven or hell. Personal
eschatology is far more important than pinning these other things down.4
“and he will come and serve them” -- This is a very touching
suggestion that He who once came into this world in the form of a
bondslave will graciously condescend to serve His people again in
their heavenly home. The devout German Bible scholar Bengel
regarded verse 37 as the greatest promise in all God’s word. (MacDonald)
What this really means is reserved for us to learn when the
great hour comes. Then Ps. 126:1–3 will be fulfilled in a new
way; also Ps. 23:5. (Lenski)
However, at this point Jesus departs radically from the customs
of the ancient world. To this simple story, drawn from the
everyday experience of the people, he adds a consequence that
is utterly uncommon. The master on his return gives an
unprecedented reward to his workers. He himself, puts on the
uniform of service, invites his servants to recline at the table,
and waits on them himself. Jesus is obviously applying this to
himself; when he comes, those who are found ready, who are
busily engaged in their work, having set their hearts on the
kingdom of God, and not to the acquisition of material
possessions, will be rewarded. When the King comes, the King
will serve his faithful people. (Sproul)
38
If he comes in the second watch, or in the third, and finds them awake,
blessed are those servants! κἂν ἐν τῇ δευτέρᾳ κἂν ἐν τῇ τρίτῃ φυλακῇ ἔλθῃ καὶ
4 McNeff, D. (n.d.). New Illustrations.
9
εὕρῃ οὕτως, μακάριοί εἰσιν ἐκεῖνοι. If in the second, if in the third he
might come and find such, blessed are those.
If they are watching (v. 37) and ready (v. 38), their master will serve
them. The second watch was from 9 P.M. to midnight, and the third
watch was from midnight to 3 A.M. The point of the words about the
thief (v. 39) is the same—the disciples must “be ready” for “the Son of
Man will come” unexpectedly. (BKC)
As Plummer (op. cit., p. 331) and many after him see it, Luke is here
following the Jewish division of the night into three watches (cf. Judg.
7:19), not the Roman division into four watches. This may be correct,
but we cannot be sure. That Mark divided the night into four watches
is clear from 13:35; that Matthew did also follows from 14:25. I can
see no compelling reason to conclude that Luke, whose report, in these
few verses, in other respects follows Matthew’s, adopted a different
time computation. (Hendriksen)
The Roman schedule for guard duty divided the time between 6:00
P.M. and 6:00 A.M. into four equal units; if φυλακή refers to this
Roman custom, then the second and third watches would be between
9:00 P.M. and 3:00 A.M. (Zahn 1920: 505). However, other methods of
time-keeping had three watches during the night, which would yield
between 10:00 P.M. and 6:00 A.M. The most common Jewish custom is
the three-watch pattern (SB 1:688–91; Judg. 7:19), and so most
commentators adopt this view (Plummer 1896: 331; Marshall 1978:
537; Manson 1949: 116; Creed 1930: 176; Nolland 1993a: 702).
However, Luke elsewhere uses a four-watch pattern (Acts 12:4; also
Mark 13:35). Regardless of which schedule Jesus refers to, the image
points to the deep-night watch, the time when one would not normally
be ready. (Bock)
Conc
Heaven; Hope; Assurance; Salvation; Preparation; Eternal perspective;
Ready; Ready to go; Living; Receiving Christ; Afterlife; Accepting
Christ; Citizenship; Ace; Billy Graham is now 92 years-old with Parkinson's
disease.
In January, leaders in Charlotte, North Carolina, invited their favorite son,
Billy Graham, to a luncheon in his honor. Billy initially hesitated to accept the
10
invitation because he struggles with Parkinson's disease. But the Charlotte
leaders said, 'We don't expect a major address. Just come and let us honor
you.' So he agreed.
After wonderful things were said about him, Dr. Graham stepped to the
rostrum, looked at the crowd, and said, "I'm reminded today of Albert
Einstein, the great physicist who this month has been honored by Time
magazine as the Man of the Century. Einstein was once traveling from
Princeton on a train when the conductor came down the aisle, punching the
tickets of every passenger. When he came to Einstein, Einstein reached in his
vest pocket. He couldn't find his ticket, so he reached in his trouser pockets. It
wasn't there. He looked in his briefcase but couldn't find it. Then he looked in
the seat beside him. He still couldn't find it. "The conductor said, 'Dr.
Einstein, I know who you are. We all know who you are. I'm sure you bought
a ticket. Don't worry about it.' "Einstein nodded appreciatively. The conductor
continued down the aisle punching tickets.
As he was ready to move to the next car, he turned around and saw the
great physicist down on his hands and knees looking under his seat for his
ticket. "The conductor rushed back and said, 'Dr. Einstein, Dr. Einstein, don't
worry, I know who you are; no problem. You don't need a ticket. I'm sure you
bought one.' Einstein looked at him and said, "Young man, I too, know who
I am. What I don't know is where I'm going.”
Having said that Billy Graham continued, "See the suit I'm wearing?
It's a brand new suit. My children, and my grandchildren are telling me I've
gotten a little slovenly in my old age. I used to be a bit more fastidious. So I
went out and bought a new suit for this luncheon and one more occasion. You
know what that occasion is? This is the suit in which I'll be buried. But when
you hear I'm dead, I don't want you to immediately remember the suit I'm
wearing. I want you to remember this: I not only know who I am. I also know
where I'm going."
Internet note dated 3/9/13.
Life, uncertainty of; Ready; Decision; Preparation; As a pastor, I am often
called upon when life "vanishes like a mist." One of the most powerful
examples I have seen of this was Stan Gerlach, a successful businessman who
was well known in the community. Stan was giving a eulogy at a memorial
service when he decided to share the gospel. At the end of his message, Stan
told the mourners, "You never know when God is going to take your life. At
that moment, there’s nothing you can do about it. Are you ready?" Then – Stan
11
sat down, fell over, and died. His wife and sons tried to resuscitate him, but
there was nothing they could do – just as Stan had said a few minutes earlier.
I’ll never forget receiving a phone call and heading over to the Gerlach
house. Stan’s wife, Suzy, was just arriving home. She hugged me and cried.
One of her sons, John, stepped out of the car weeping. He asked me, "Did you
hear the story? Did you hear? I’m so proud of him. My dad died doing what
he loved doing most. He was telling people about Jesus."
I was asked to share word with everyone gathered. There were
children, grandchildren, neighbors, and friends. I opened my Bible to Matthew
10:32-33: "Whoever acknowledges me before men, I will also acknowledge
him before my Father in heaven. But whoever disowns me before men, I will
disown him before my Father in heaven."
I asked everyone to imagine what it must have felt like for Stand. One
moment, he was at a memorial service saying to a crowd, "This is who Jesus
is!" The next, he was standing before God. Jesus say, "This is who Stan
Gerlach is!" One second he was confessing Jesus; a second later, Jesus was
confessing him!
It happens that quickly. And it could happen to any of us. In the words
of Stan Gerlach, “Are you ready?"
Francis Chan, Crazy Love, p. 46.
Liberty; Living; Ready; Fearlessness; Fearless; Fear; Alertness;
Readiness; Preparation; Eternal values; By November 1862, a matron in
the northern end of the Shenandoah Valley was writing: "No one would have
thought one year ago that his [Stonewall Jackson’s] fame would be spread the
wide world over as one of the greatest captains. He may well be fearless, as he
is ready to meet his God; his lamp is burning, and he waits for the
bridegroom."
James I. Robertson, Jr., Stonewall Jackson, p. xvi.
Chuck Swindoll worked in a machine shop before he became a pastor with a
guy named George. George swept up shavings and kept the place clean, often
singing Christian hymns as he did so. Ready; Second Coming; Holiness;
Worldliness; Untouched; Confession; Untouched By The World;
Godliness; Christlikeness; Short Accounts; Keeping Short Accounts;
Prepared; Readiness; I worked in a machine shop for 4 1/2 years alongside a
12
fellow named George. His job was to sweep and clean out the shavings
underneath the huge machines we were running. George was born again and
he loved to teach Scripture on prophecy. I remember him singing hymns as he
worked – "In the Sweet By and By" and "When the Roll is Called Up Yonder."
Late one Friday afternoon about 10 min. before quitting time
when we were all weary, I looked at George and said, "George, are you
ready?" He said, "Yes." But he was all dirty. He was obviously not ready. In
fact, he looked like he was ready to keep on working.
I said, "Are you ready to go home?" He said, "Yes, I'm ready." I
said, "Look at you! Man, you're not ready. You have to go clean up." "No," he
said, "let me show you something." So he unzipped his coveralls and
underneath where the neatest, cleanest clothes you can imagine. He had them
on already. All he had to do when the whistle blew was just unzip and step out
of that cover all, punch the time clock, and he was gone. He said, "You see, I
stay ready to keep from getting ready – just like I'm ready for Jesus!"
Swindoll's Ultimate Book Of Illustrations And Quotes, Page 506.
Complacency; Now; Unexpected; Prefigurement; Predictive; Surprise;
Innocence; History, repeats; Security; Secure; Comfortable; Alert;
Watchfulness; Complacency: Life Magazine, in the issue dated November
22, 1963, described by historian Theodore White. Harry Luce had a small
article in the back urging pressing of the war in Vietnam and White had an
article on the potential riots among blacks. But mostly the issue reflected the
effervescence of the Kennedy’s time. There was a large article on the new
Broadway play “Barefoot in the Park” by a young playwright, Neil Simon,
starring a new young male lead, Robert Redford and a new beautiful actress,
Elizabeth Ashley. There was also a new history series.
“George Hunt, the managing editor had decided to precede my
frightening piece on the blacks in the cities with the first part of his series of
nostalgic fluff – Europe at peace in 1913, half a century before, as La Belle
Epoque and the Golden Yesterday both vanished. Hunt had inserted a fold-out
centerpiece, especially painted for Life, of the 1910 funeral of Edward VII,
showing all the panoply of a century gone to legend. Kings and Kaiser
followed on foot behind a riderless black horse. And in the custom honored
since the death of Genghis Khan, the leader’s horse paced behind the coffin,
saddle empty, riding boots reversed in the stirrups. It was all so long ago. But
by its next issue, Life would have the riderless horse prancing through
Washington in real life.” No one thought it could happen, but it did. (II Pet.
3)
13
In Search of History, by Theodore White, p. 513.
Rapture; Second coming; Abandonment; Left Behind; Rejection;
Overlooked; Left out; Abandoned; In the closing days of the Second World
War I was seven years old, and my father was stationed with the Air Force at
Barksdale Field, Louisiana—with the family. We knew that the war was
ending. Many servicemen had been sent home. We were looking forward to a
discharge too and had even begun to pack so we could leave quickly if the
papers came through. I remember my father explaining that when we were
discharged we would have to leave quickly or run the risk that other orders
might come through canceling the discharge.
When our discharge did come, school was in session, so I was told that
we would leave as soon as I got home that afternoon. I was so excited! I could
hardly wait to get on the school bus, get back to base, and then get off at our
corner. When the bus stopped I ran up the sidewalk and the steps to our front
door. It was locked. Surprised and a bit subdued, I went around to the back
door and found that it was locked too. At last I found a window I knew could
not be locked and after prying it up with a nail I crawled over the sill into a
room adjoining the kitchen. It was empty. So was the entire house. I will never
forget making my way slowly from room to room with the sinking sensation
that in the rush of packing and the need to “leave quickly lest our orders be
canceled” I had somehow been left behind.
Actually, my parents had only gone off briefly for a last-minute errand.
While I was wandering through the empty house they had returned and were
waiting outside in the car for the school bus, which they thought had not yet
dropped me off. But it was a sad little boy they saw backing out of the window
of the room next to the kitchen after my tour of the empty house had been
completed.
Boice, J. M. (1998). Genesis : An expositional commentary (368). Grand
Rapids, Mich.: Baker Books.
Preparation; Ready; Readiness; Alert; Watchfulness; Decision;
Complacency: Several years ago, the Connecticut State Police were required
to put chains on their tires after the first snowfall. One officer, failing to do
so, found himself in a skid that flipped the car over onto its roof.
A woman called the police station to report the accident. In reply to
inquires on the officer’s condition, she said, “Well, he seems okay, but you’d
14
better get someone out here real quick. He’s standing on the car, putting
chains on the tires!”
Reader’s Digest, Dec., 1977, p. 242.
15