Mark 13

Mark 13

I will always try to be as prepared as possible for any situation. I am the type of person who reads the restaurant menu days in advance, so I know exactly what I want before we arrive. I make lists for every trip, and I might peek at my Christmas presents to be fully prepared for how I should respond.

This may be a little extreme, but humans have an innate desire for knowledge. We want to know what’s happening when it will happen, and how we can be prepared. When it comes to the rapture, this can be scary. You spend five minutes searching for it on Google, and you will find all kinds of stories and theories about when Jesus will return.

However, the beauty of today’s reading is that it’s not up to us to know. We don’t have to be in charge of the plan because God already is. God’s not asking us to read about Jesus’ return so that we can know everything, but He’s asking us to trust Him and His timing.

The apostles ask about the end times because they want to know what to expect, and Jesus meets them with compassion, explaining what they will experience when the time has come. It is not for us to control what will happen but to trust our heavenly Father, who sits enthroned forever and sets everything in place. Instead of focusing on what may happen, we can rejoice, knowing that one day there will be no more pain or suffering but that Jesus’ return will bring healing to the whole Earth.