Today in God's Word—May 2023
East Tallassee Church of Christ
May 23, Mark 13
In the days before mandatory car seats for kids, an old friend of mine allowed his six year-old son to sit on his lap and “drive” as they traveled along I-75 in Florida in the middle of the night. The boy’s hands were on the wheel, and Dad’s foot was on the gas pedal. After a long time, the little boy woke his dad, saying, “Daddy, I’m tired. You drive now.” The man had fallen asleep with his foot on the gas pedal, and the little boy had driven the car for many miles!
Maybe you’ve driven a long way after a long day, knowing it wasn’t the safest thing to do. You’ve been in other situations where you had to stay awake. Most of us have stayed up with a sick family member, watching them, watching the clock, looking out the window for the first sign of graying dawn. Maybe your biggest challenge to stay awake comes during a sermon at church! But whatever the circumstance, we know how it feels to force ourselves to stay awake when we want to sleep. You just want to rest your eyes, put your head down for a 30-second power nap. Then someone punches you because you’re disturbing the peace by snoring, or you wake up with drool on your sleeve.
When Jesus described certain events coming at an uncertain time, he told the disciples to stay awake. Anticipation is a big part of preparation for such eventualities.
We need to stay awake because our duty is so important. Disciples deal with spiritual matters, things of eternal significance. Our style may be casual, but our attitude toward making disciples should never be. Our own spiritual well-being and that of others may
be at stake. We cannot afford to be lulled into complacency. Drowsy indifference about our ministry suggests we don’t really think following Jesus is all that important.
We need to stay awake because our enemy is real and powerful. A few years ago when the circus came to town, I stood in front of the lions’ cage and felt the ground shake when those big, ferocious creatures roared. They were well-fed, in a secure cage and I could see them clearly. It was still scary. Imagine a lion in the wild—a hungry, prowling predator. Do you think you could stay awake when you heard that roar? I do not think I could lie down for a little nap in that circumstance, do you? That’s the picture the Bible presents of the devil—a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. I have no intention of being a lion’s lunch. I will avoid getting into a physical situation where that’s possible. I should take greater care to be wide awake when our adversary is on the prowl.
Let’s stay awake out there. Failing to do so could be the ultimate illustration of the truth in the old adage: “When you snooze, you lose.”
From The Abiding Companion: A Friendly Guide for Your Journey Through the New Testament, Copyright © 2010 by Michael B. McElroy. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
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