Few, if any, other topics within Christian thought are given more consideration than what is referred to as "the end times"--the return of Christ and God's final judgment. Within that last decade or so, more and more books, articles, Bible studies, etc. have appeared on bookshelves, in magazines, and showed up in church. Personally, I don't see what all the fuss is about. Please don't get me wrong, it is important to know and understand what Jesus has to say about those days. However, Jesus also says that no one--not the angels, not even Jesus himself--knows when the Second Coming will occur; only God knows. There are some that claim that we are living in the last days even now; that current global events seem to be mirroring the events about which Jesus speaks. In reality, just about any era in history is full of events that could mirror what Jesus is talking about. Are we living in the end times now? Possibly. But it is also possible the end times are generations away.
Part of the fascination with the end times comes from the fear factor that the discussion elicits. Even a brief skimming of what Jesus says here in chapters 24 and 25, plus the message of John in Revelation is enough to get a person's imagination going. To be fair, Jesus does describe some events that would not be the most pleasant to experience. I have to believe, though, that Jesus does not want us to live our lives in fear of what is going to happen when He returns; I fully believe that Jesus' desire is for us to enjoy life. In today's reading, Jesus offers a simple solution to the fear factor: Be ready. Be ready for his return, whether it is today, tomorrow, or sometime in the distant future. All that it takes to be ready is to place our faith and trust in him and follow his commands. Are you ready?
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