Matthew 24:32-51--The Olivet Discourse (Part 3)

​Matthew 24:32-51 English Standard Version (ESV)
LISTEN:  https://www.biblegateway.com/audio/mclean/esv/Matt.24.32-Matt.24.51
The Lesson of the Fig Tree
32 “From the fig tree learn its lesson: as soon as its branch becomes tender and puts out its leaves, you know that summer is near. 33 So also, when you see all these things, you know that he is near, at the very gates. 34 Truly, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place. 35 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.

No One Knows That Day and Hour
36 “But concerning that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only. 37 For as were the days of Noah, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. 38 For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark, 39 and they were unaware until the flood came and swept them all away, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. 40 Then two men will be in the field; one will be taken and one left. 41 Two women will be grinding at the mill; one will be taken and one left. 42 Therefore, stay awake, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming. 43 But know this, that if the master of the house had known in what part of the night the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and would not have let his house be broken into. 44 Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.
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45 “Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom his master has set over his household, to give them their food at the proper time? 46 Blessed is that servant whom his master will find so doing when he comes. 47 Truly, I say to you, he will set him over all his possessions. 48 But if that wicked servant says to himself, ‘My master is delayed,’ 49 and begins to beat his fellow servants and eats and drinks with drunkards, 50 the master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he does not know 51 and will cut him in pieces and put him with the hypocrites. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

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Once again Jesus uses a fig tree as an object-lesson for His disciples  I do believe once again that the fig tree here is a symbol of the nation of Israel.  Jesus points tot he fig tree and says that just like when we see the fig tree coming back to life in the Spring, we know that Summer is approaching, so we know that when we see the nation of Israel "coming back to life" and all these things coming to pass that Jesus has been talking about that the end is very near--only a "season" away in prophetic time.  We have seen this happen in recent history as the nation of Israel was restored in a day and life was brought back to the desert where there was no life.  Jesus is coming again.

With that said, let's be careful to not try and say that we know an exact date.  We are told that no one knows that it impossible to know the day or hour (to great specificity) when Christ will return--again, only the Father knows that, but it does seem to indicate that we can have some idea that He is coming "soon," and that His return is imminent, otherwise, why give us the teaching of the fig tree to watch out and be alert so that we don't miss the signs?

Just like with the days of Noah, no one understood what rain was and when the Lord God would open up the heavens and pour out His judgment on the earth.  Men were eating, drinking, making merry and thumbing their noses at God and defying His commandments.  Read what the Lord had to say in Genesis 6:5-8, "5 The Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. 6 And the Lord regretted that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him to his heart. 7 So the Lord said, “I will blot out man whom I have created from the face of the land, man and animals and creeping things and birds of the heavens, for I am sorry that I have made them.” 8 But Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord."

Does that not sound close to the time we live in today where man continually does only evil all the time and culture continually tries to find new ways to thumb their nose at God be more rebellious and more sinful than their neighbor, yet make it out that their sin is somehow virtuous?  The harvest of the grapes of wrath is ripening and we can be sure that God will not tolerate man's rebellion forever, but His grace and mercy lasts for a season in order that He may bring many sons and daughters to glory.

We then see another teaching about a harvest.  People will be about their daily lives and men and women will be suddenly swept away in the harvest.  Because this paragraph is talking about the comparison of the flood and those caught up in the judgement, it is most reasonable to assume this is not talking about the rapture but instead about the coming plagues talked about in the book of the Revelation where God will pour out His wrath and there will be multitudes of people that die from famine and pestilence and war, but these deaths may appear random and indiscriminate in that one neighbor will be taken (killed) and another will be left alive and it will all happen suddenly in the middle of them living their daily lives.

Jesus then makes an interesting statement.  He is like a thief coming to steal from the kingdom of the devil.  He comes quickly and quietly--without warning.  Remember that Lucifer, the devil, is a created being and while he is very old and has a lot of knowledge about the world and how things work, he is not omniscient and does not know the future.  Jesus seems to ask, "Why would I hand the enemy my playbook so that he can be ready for me?"  Jesus said that would be as dumb as telling the owner of the house when you are coming to break into it if you were a thief.  Then Jesus says that means that we must always be ready for His return because He's going to come at an unexpected time that will take us and the enemy by surprise.

Jesus then shifts gears and talks about who He will find faithful when He returns.  Who will continue to take care of His people and diligently be about His work?  Who will be a faithful steward of the gifts and talents that have been entrusted to him?  But Jesus gives a warning to those that would act like He is slack in keeping His promise of returning and would mistreat fellow servants of God and live like the world imagining that they will escape punishment.  Jesus says that the actions of these people betray them and their fruit shows what kind of root they have and that when He comes these "weeds" will be separated from the good grain and will be swept up in the coming judgement as well.  Just because we call ourselves Christians is not enough to save us, "21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ 23 And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’ (Matthew 7:21-23).

When He returns, how will He find you?  Make your choice now on how you want to live now and where you want to spend the rest of eternity.  There are only two choices: (look back at the teachings of The Sermon on the Mount--specifically Matthew 7:13-27).  Do not wait if you hear the Savior calling because you are not guaranteed tomorrow (or the next breath for that matter).