Be on guard, keep awake!

Scripture Lessons

Isaiah 51:4-6                         But my salvation will last forever.

Psalm 93                               “The LORD reigns.”

Jude 20-25                           “Keep yourselves in the love of God.”

Mark 13:24-37                      You do not know when that time will come.

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

I’ll begin today in a little different manner than usual. I want to start with an excerpt from Shakespeare’s play, Hamlet. In this scene, Hamlet intends to avenge his father by killing his murdering uncle, Claudius (brother to Hamlet’s father).

[Enter Hamlet.]

Now might I do it pat, now he is a-praying,

And now I’ll do’t. [He draws his sword.]

And so he goes to heaven,

And so am I revenged. That would be scanned:

A villain kills my father, and for that,

I, his sole son, do this same villain send

To heaven.

Why, this is hire and salary, not revenge.

He took my father grossly, full of bread,

With all his crimes broad blown, as flush as May;

And how his audit stands who knows save heaven.

But in our circumstance and course of thought

’Tis heavy with him. And am I then revenged

To take him in the purging of his soul,

When he is fit and seasoned for his passage?

No.

Up sword, and know thou a more horrid hent.

[He sheathes his sword.]

When he is drunk asleep, or in his rage,

Or in th’ incestuous pleasure of his bed,

At game, a-swearing, or about some act

That has no relish of salvation in ’t—

Then trip him, that his heels may kick at heaven,

And that his soul may be as damned and black

As hell, whereto it goes. My mother stays.

This physic but prolongs thy sickly days.

[Hamlet exits.] (Taken from Folger Shakespeare, https://www.folger.edu/)

In other words, Hamlet will not kill Claudius whilst Claudius is praying, lest he go to heaven. He will wait and catch Claudius in a moment of sin and then will kill him, thereby sending him to hell.

I fear that this line of reasoning may be misapplied to our gospel lesson today. Jesus said, “But concerning that day or that hour, no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. Be on guard, keep awake. For you do not know when the time will come.” Does this mean that we must be diligent, to always be found doing some good deed, doing only what is good and right, lest Jesus return at any moment and upon His return, find that you are wallowing in sin? Some would have it this way. They look upon the return of Christ as a day of dread. As we confess in the Creed, “He will come to judge the living and dead.” Does the day of judgment cause panic in your heart? If Christ will return to judge your sins, how will He rule? Guilty or not guilty? If the question is framed thus, then we are without hope. For all of you have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. There is not one of you who is without sin.

So then, where does our hope come from? In short, it comes from the cross. This is what Isaiah referred to: “give ear to me, my nation; for a law will go out from me, and I will set my justice for a light to the peoples. My righteousness draws near, my salvation has gone out.” This prophecy of Isaiah was fulfilled at the cross. “Lift up your eyes to the heavens, and look at the earth beneath; for the heavens vanish like smoke, the earth will wear out like a garment, and they who dwell in it will die in like manner; but my salvation will be forever.” Even though the temporal world will be consumed, the salvation that has come to each of you through Jesus Christ will last for all eternity. Hold fast to that hope. That is what it means to “stay awake.”

“The Lord reigns…Your throne is established from of old; you are from everlasting.” Yes, Jesus Christ is the alpha and omega, the beginning and the end. His salvation lasts for eternity.

“Be on guard, keep awake.” You don’t know when He will return. Perhaps you still can’t help but feel like this means, “Watch your every move. There’s no telling when He’ll return and just what will you be up to when He does?” If so, Jude will be of great help and thankfully this passage was included in the lectionary readings. Jude provides an example of watchfulness. This is what it means to be on guard, to keep awake. “But you, beloved, building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that leads to eternal life.” To the law-stricken conscience, Jude reminds you that it is the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that leads to eternal life. “Be on guard,” then means to guard yourselves from departing from Christ’s mercy. Is that possible, you ask? Well, certainly God is longsuffering not wanting that any should perish. Certainly, God has claimed you in Holy Baptism. Certainly, God’s mercy will never depart from you. Jude refers to the building up of the church in your “most holy faith.” Faith receives the mercy of God. Faith clings to the promises of God just as Abraham clung to God’s promise and God counted it to him as righteousness.

So, to be on guard means to keep the faith. As time goes on, you will undoubtedly see and experience tremendous events. Kingdoms will rise and fall. Storms will ebb and flow. Health and riches will come and go. Even the mountains may be cast into the sea. Loved ones will depart this mortal life. In all of these events, be on guard, keep awake! Hold fast to the mercy of Christ Jesus. He will never leave you nor forsake you. “Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy, to the only God, our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen.”

The peace of God, which passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.