Sunday 30 November 2025
"Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an unexpected hour." (v. 44)
Background
This passage feels urgent. Jesus is speaking and he's using vivid images to say something big is coming – but we don’t know when. The message is simple yet searching: 'be ready'.
Jesus speaks about everyday life – people working side by side, one taken, one left. It’s unsettling and mysterious. Is it better to be taken or left? When we read this alongside the story of Noah, where those swept away by the flood perished, it seems that being left behind might actually be the safer place.
There’s also a phrase in verse 36 that reminds us how much mystery surrounds this moment: even the Son (ie Jesus himself) doesn’t know the day or hour. That tells us something important; this isn’t about predicting dates or times. It’s about living prepared.
Think of preparing a gift. Before you give it, you often need to remove the packaging, peel off the price tag, maybe take away a sticker. Today marks the beginning of Advent, which means 'coming' and is when we prepare for Christmas. Advent is like preparing a gift. It’s a time to ask: what needs peeling away in me? What attitudes, habits, or distractions don’t belong in the gift God wants me to be?
Jesus says we must be ready for 'the coming of the Son of Man' (ie himself coming into the world). Not with fear, but with hope. God is making us ready: he is refining us and wrapping us in grace, so we can be gifts of peace to the world.
The Methodist Church has an Advent campaign, Gifted. To find out more, please follow this link: methodist.org.uk/for-churches/christmasresources
To Ponder:
- How might you become more of a gift to those around you this Advent?
- What practical or prayerful commitments could you make to prepare the way for peace?
Prayer
Lord, this Advent peel back what’s not needed. And when I'm refined, reshaped and wrapped in grace, may I become a gift of peace to my neighbour. A gift of justice to my community. A gift of love in a world that’s longing for hope. Amen.
Bible notes author: The Revd Andy Fishburne
Andy is a Discipleship and Faith Formation Officer for the Methodist Church in Britain. He works to support individuals and communities in deepening their life of faith and discipleship, helping people explore what it means to live a Methodist Way of Life. His role includes developing resources and encouraging creative approaches to faith formation across the Connexion.