We certainly want to be ready when Jesus comes for us. It is very helpful to consider often during the day whether He would be pleased to find us doing what we are doing.
But I think this verse means more than that. We need to be alert to surprise visits from Jesus. Sometimes He touches our lives and we only realize it was Him when the moment has passed. We can see Him in a beautiful scene. He can surprise us in the loving actions of one of His children; often one we didn’t recognize as a child of His.
Sometimes He surprises us with encouragement; but He can also rebuke or warn. His visits are particularly surprising when they come from children or “ordinary” people.
Not ever word from the Lord comes in church or from a Minister. He speaks to us and reaches to us always. It is our task to be alert and sensitive to Him.
One of the truly sad things is that we can be “so absorbed in our service to Jesus Christ that we are not ready to face Jesus Himself at every turn. The greatest need is not facing our beliefs or doctrines, or even facing the question of whether or not we are of any use to Him, but the need is to face Him.
Jesus rarely comes where we expect Him; He appears where we least expect Him, and always in the most illogical situations. The only way a servant can remain true to God is to be ready for the Lord’s surprise visits. This readiness will not be brought about by service, but through intense spiritual reality, expecting Jesus Christ at every turn. This sense of expectation will give our life the attitude of childlike wonder He wants it to have. If we are going to be ready for Jesus Christ, we have to stop being religious. In other words, we must stop using religion as if it were some kind of a lofty lifestyle-we must be spiritually real.
If you are avoiding the call of the religious thinking of today’s world, and instead are “looking unto Jesus” ( Hebrews 12:2 ), setting your heart on what He wants, and thinking His thoughts, you will be considered impractical and a daydreamer. But when He suddenly appears in the work of the heat of the day, you will be the only one who is ready.”
Be ready and be blessed.
Nick
I read a book about 10 years ago about Jesus’ appearances to many people all over the modern-day world, whether they were Christian or not. It was very interesting and very enlightening.
I keep having to remind myself that He won’t care what my house looks like but what I am doing that keeps me from being home to clean it.