The liturgy of the beginning of Advent calls for watchfulness in preparation for the Lord’s coming. In Christmas we not only celebrate the coming of the Son of God in time, but, aware of his presence with us now, we also look forward to his final coming. The one thing that is certain about this coming in fulfillment is the impossibility of predicting the time — even from signs, all of which are easily subject to many different interpretations (v 36). Therefore the coming of the kingdom must be the object of constant attention. The ultimate sin is immersion in the ordinary affairs of this world to the exclusion of what is beyond (vv 37-39).

The "being taken" and "being left" of vv 40-41 refers to a coming to light of the inner state of a person’s soul — the basic orientation of life — which is not evident from ordinary occupations. The watchfulness required is not one of mere passive waiting, but of attentive and constant preparation (vv 43-51).

This prophecy of the messianic kingdom helps us to understand something of the nature of the present-day existence and growth of the reign of God in relation to its future fulfillment in the final coming of Christ. Jesus the Messiah came to restore rightness to humanity — it is our responsibility to participate in and promote that rightness. All efforts to bring about peace, justice, and true prosperity that can be shared by all people are in some way related to bringing about the kingdom just as all exploitation, greed, oppression, and violence are opposed to the kingdom and delay God’s vision of fulfillment.

God’s order is fulfilled in peace, and work for peace is expressed and fortified in prayer. Response: "I rejoiced when I heard them say: let us go to the house of the Lord."

The coming of Jesus Christ in time marked the beginning of the "final age" of the world. Therefore for the past two thousand years we have been living in "the last days." The sense in which to understand the urgency of time is not to concentrate of the brevity of time left, but to realize that the moment which is once past does not return. The past is dead and the future is out of our hands; so the present moment is of decisive and urgent importance. Night clothes are no longer proper in the light of day, especially since day is a time of battle with the forces of evil. The vices of v 13 are the clothing of night. Jesus Christ himself is the clothing (armor) of the day — the day which opens onto the eternal day.

1. What does it mean to "put on the Lord Jesus Christ"?

2. Discuss the "unconcern" of Mt 24:39 as the greatest possible sin.