Irene

Several months ago I watched people on the news as they prepared for Hurricane Irene. The people on the Southeastern coast of the United States were taping and boarding up windows; they were moving patio furniture inside; they were tying other things down; Long lines formed at gas stations, hardware stores and grocery stores as people were filling up their tanks, stocking up on water, batteries, and other necessities—all in preparation for Irene. Someone even joked, that he got cleaned up and dressed up in anticipation of Irene’s arrival in his town.

The news made me reflect on Jesus’ words,

“As it was in the days of Noah, so will it be at the coming of the Son of Man. For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day that Noah entered the ark; and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away. That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man.” (Matthew 24:37-39)

What a contrast! Even though Jesus said that the people in Noah’s day “knew nothing about what would happen” they could not have been totally ignorant about the things to come. The people watched Noah at work for about 80 years and the ark that Noah was building was 50% longer than a football field (Genesis 6:15). And since Noah was called “a preacher of righteousness” (II Peter 2:5) he probably was not quiet about the impending doom.

Here’s another irony. Over and over Jesus said that He was going to die, was coming back from the dead, and His disciples did not believe or understand what He meant. And even though Jesus’ disciples witnessed the empty tomb, they were totally unprepared to see Him alive (Matthew 28:17).

History has a way of repeating itself and it is still amazing that Christians can listen to and believe the weather prophets today, but fail to hear the Son of God. We often look more like pagans in our life’s pursuits than we do as Children seeking our Heavenly Father’s Kingdom (Matthew 6:25-33).

Yet the words of the Preacher of Righteousness continue to echo throughout the ages, “keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come…you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect Him” (Matthew 24:42, 44). Can we hear Him now?