The bigger picture

Mark 13:14-27

¹⁴ “When you see ‘the abomination that causes desolation’ standing where it does not belong—let the reader understand—then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. ¹⁵ Let no one on the housetop go down or enter the house to take anything out. ¹⁶ Let no one in the field go back to get their cloak. ¹⁷ How dreadful it will be in those days for pregnant women and nursing mothers! ¹⁸ Pray that this will not take place in winter, ¹⁹ because those will be days of distress unequaled from the beginning, when God created the world, until now—and never to be equaled again.

²⁰ “If the Lord had not cut short those days, no one would survive. But for the sake of the elect, whom he has chosen, he has shortened them. ²¹ At that time if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Messiah!’ or, ‘Look, there he is!’ do not believe it. ²² For false messiahs and false prophets will appear and perform signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. ²³ So be on your guard; I have told you everything ahead of time.

²⁴ “But in those days, following that distress,
“ ‘the sun will be darkened,
and the moon will not give its light;
²⁵ the stars will fall from the sky,
and the heavenly bodies will be shaken.’

²⁶ “At that time people will see the Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and glory. ²⁷ And he will send his angels and gather his elect from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of the heavens.

It’s sometimes hard to remember the bigger picture in the day-to-day of living. The bigger picture is that this world is not forever, that one day Jesus will come again. And when He comes again, He will not come as He did before, unannounced and as a vulnerable baby. This time He will come in all His fearful glory. However, we do not know when this will be. It may be tomorrow, or it may be in thousands of years.

How do we live with this information? On the one hand it is right to make plans for the future, to save money, to build things, to take the time to learn skills, to grow long-term relationships and to work hard, with the understanding that we could be here a long time. But on the other hand, we don’t know what’s coming tomorrow, or even if we have tomorrow. Today is a gift and it’s important to live in the thankfulness and urgency that comes from that. What am I putting off that I would do today if I knew that’s all I had?

Thank you, Lord that we do not need to live in fear, desperately holding on to time, for you promise an eternity of walking with you. But equally thank you for the gift of time, thank you for today and help us to take the opportunities to love and grow that You have waiting for us this day.  

Written by Rhiannon Mellor