Sunday Readings: Isaiah 63.16-17, 19; 64.2-7; 1 Corinthians 1.3-9; Mark 13.33-37
Jesus said to his disciples. “Watch! Stay awake! You do not know when the appointed time will come. It will be like a householder going on a journey who leaves home, puts his slaves in charge, each with tasks, and orders the doorkeeper to be on the watch. Stay awake, for you do not know when the owner of the house will come—in the evening or at midnight, at cockcrow or dawn. So, do not let him come suddenly and find you asleep. What I say to you, I say to all: Stay awake! (Mark 13.33-37).
On this 1st Sunday of Advent, the new Church year begins and the gospel parable tells us to watch and stay awake. No one knows when the householder will return, nor when Jesus will come again.
The four times of day anticipate threshold moments in the journey his disciples make with Jesus during his passion. In the evening, at midnight, at cockcrow Jesus’ disciples fail to watch.
In the evening Peter, James, and John fall asleep when they accompany Jesus to the garden after their Passover meal together. Jesus prays and agonizes about the cup he must drink. They sleep.
At midnight in the deep of night the disciple Judas, who betrays Jesus, leads a crowd to arrest his Teacher. All of Jesus’ disciples except Peter run away. They fear for their lives and flee.
At cockcrow, a doorway to faith opens for Peter, who has followed Jesus to the high priest’s house. A servant girl suggests Peter accompanies the Nazarene; Peter denies even knowing Jesus. A cock crowing awakens Peter, who realizes he has denied his friend. Peter breaks down and weeps.
Dawn is the fourth time of day, the hour when Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and Joses, and Salome find Jesus’ tomb empty. The empty tomb is the ultimate threshold that invites faith that God has raised Jesus to new life. The word resurrection means waking. The heart of our faith is this waking moment.
Evening, midnight, cockcrow, dawn mark stages in our maturing faith. Mark’s gospel awakens us to the thresholds in every day and in every meeting with another person.
- At what doorways are you watching for God’s coming?
- With what time of day in the parable do you identify?