Parable of the Doorkeeper

Advent, what is it?

“Advent -- for the world, it is time of counting shopping days before Christmas. Advent -- for the church, it is the season of the shadows, the season of ‘the works of darkness,’ the season in which the church looks strait down into its own heart and finds there - the absence of God.” - Fleming Rutledge (264) Advent

“The church lives in Advent. That is to say, the church lives between the advents, Jesus Christ has come; Jesus Christ will come. We do not know the day or the hour....It is the Advent clock that tells the church what time it is. The church that keeps Advent is the church that is most truly herself.”

Expectations

Isaiah 64:1-9

In some ways Isaiah’s plea is our plea. We want God to act in some dramatic way.

The New Revised Standard Version Chapter 64

O that you would tear open the heavens and come down,

so that the mountains would quake at your presence—

2 as when fire kindles brushwood

and the fire causes water to boil—

to make your name known to your adversaries,

so that the nations might tremble at your presence!

3 When you did awesome deeds that we did not expect,

you came down, the mountains quaked at your presence.

4 From ages past no one has heard,

no ear has perceived,

no eye has seen any God besides you,

who works for those who wait for him.

In the parable of the door watcher in Mark 13:32-37 the expectation is to be on the watch for what God is doing?

Parable of the Door Watcher

NT Wright provides us some insight through looking at what was going on in Palestine at this time.

in cities like DC and NYC, there are apartment buildings which have door keepers, people who watch the doors 24/7. They see everything and everyone that comes and goes. When I worked in hotels in DC

Similarly, in Judea and especially in Jerusalem in the great houses they would have gatekeepers.

Jesus is warning his followers that they need to keep awake for troubled times were coming. Prophetic Jesus that these time are about to be upon Judea, Jerusalem, and in some measure the whole world.

The imminent destruction of the Temple. Jesus was warning the disciples of the end of the Temple (AD 70). It would be an end - traumatic end to the national life of Jews.

Watch for signs - like leaves on a fig tree

It is clear that Jesus expected this in the life time of the followers.

Only God knows the time, however.

And Today

Followers of Christ - in advent time, between Jesus Christ has come, and Jesus Christ will come, are to keep watch

Traumatic changes are taking place in the culture around us due to the pandemic

The church is to yet watch, to be alert, watch for the leaves on the fig tree - signs of the kingdom already present, signs of the coming kingdom.

to watch and be alert and to witness to the world of the presence of a King already in our midst and to come and consummate the kingdom

God’s desire for the church -

remember the stories of the faith

embody those stories - living them out as if they were true for as they were for Jesus

share with others the stories - evangelization, disciple-making, witness

It is the Advent clock that tells the church what time it is. The church that keeps Advent is the church most truly itself. The church is not supposed to be prosperous and comfortable and established. It is the Advent - it is dark and lonely and cold, and the master is away from home. Yet he will come. Keep awake. He came among us once as a stranger, and we put him on a cross. He comes among us now, in the guise of the stranger at the door — perhaps with a face of the wrong color, or manners that are not of the best. He will come in the future, not as a stranger, but as the King in his glory, and ‘at the name of Jesus every knee shall bow’ (Philippians 2:10). ‘The comin of the Lords is at hand,’ says James. ‘Behold, the judge is standing at the door’ (James 5:8-9). Keep awake , then … if he comes suddenly, he must not find you asleep. [Fleming Rutledge]