Keeping my eyes on you

‘It will be like a man who goes away from home on a journey and leaves his servants in charge, after giving to each one his own work to do and after telling the doorkeeper to keep watch. Watch, then, because you do not know when the master of the house is coming-it might be in the evening or at midnight or before dawn or at sunrise. If he comes suddenly, he must not find you asleep. What I say to you, then, I say to all: Watch!’  (verses 34-36)

Read Mark 13:28-37

You are surrounded by a world which clamours for your attention. Young children regularly call on their parents to ‘watch’ while they perform some new feat of learning or daring. Television advertisements call out from the corner of the living room for those present to ‘watch’. Flashing lights of police or emergency services call out for traffic to ‘watch’. If you are not careful, you could become giddy with all the watching you are called to do.

Jesus also calls you to watch, but not because he is desperate for your attention. He calls you to watch for him because he is coming as your saviour and helper. ‘Watch!’ means ‘stay awake!’, ‘keep going!’, ‘hang in there!’.  And you’re doing it now. In fact, whenever you pray, whenever you hear God’s word, whenever you praise God in word or song, you are responding to Jesus’ call to ‘watch’.

Keep my eyes fixed on you today, Lord, so that I may ee your coming in hidden ways. Amen.

by Adam Cooper, in ‘New Strength for each Day’ (LCA, Openbook, 1998)

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