Gospel Notes by Michael Whelan SM
For as the days of Noah were, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day Noah entered the ark, and they knew nothing until the flood came and swept them all away, so too will be the coming of the Son of Man. Then two will be in the field; one will be taken and one will be left. Two women will be grinding meal together; one will be taken and one will be left. Keep awake therefore, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming. But understand this: if the owner of the house had known in what part of the night the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and would not have let his house be broken into. Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an unexpected hour (Matthew 24:37-44 – NRSV).
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Introductory notes
General
Luke has a similar passage in 17:26-27 & 34-35. Mark has no parallel to this passage from Matthew. Though Mark 13:33-37 does cover the same themes of the end time and the need for vigilance.
Daniel Harrington SJ argues that the material that Matthew has added here in his expansion of Mark, “overloads” the theme of constant vigilance: “The theme of constant vigilance in view of uncertainty regarding the time of the Son of Man’s coming is expanded by Matthew with material taken mainly from Q: the parable of the days of Noah (Matt 24:37–39 = Luke 17:26–27), the twin parable about two men in the field and two women at the mill (Matt 24:40–41 = Luke 17:34–35), the parable about the householder and the thief (Matt 24:43–44 = Luke 12:39–40), and the parable of the two servants (Matt 24:45–51 = Luke 12:41–46). The exhortation to watchfulness (Matt 24:42) is taken over from Mark 13:35, and the whole of Matt 24:37–51 can be seen as an expanded version of Mark 13:33–37. Whereas the point of Mark’s neatly balanced structure was to suggest an evenhandedness between the signs taking place in ‘this generation’ and uncertainty about the time of the Son of Man’s coming, Matthew has shifted the structure toward the theme of constant watchfulness in the face of uncertainty regarding the time of the Son of Man’s coming” (D J Harrington, The Gospel of Matthew, Collegeville, MN: Liturgical Press, 2007, 344-345).
The theme of “watchfulness” that Matthew urges, rather than “expectation of a specific time”, may be a response to the scoffing of those who ridiculed the Christians for their belief in an unfulfilled timeline. We pick up something of this same struggle in the Second Letter of Peter: “First of all you must understand this, that in the last days scoffers will come, scoffing and indulging their own lusts and saying, ‘Where is the promise of his coming? For ever since our ancestors died, all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation!’” (2 Peter 3:3-4).
Specific
For as the days of Noah were: The total surprise is the key here. This is emphasized by references to “the two in the field”, “the two women grinding meal” and “the owner of the house”. It is impossible to set conditions on God’s actions. This echoes a primary theme in the Decalogue where the sovereignty of God is paramount – see Exodus 20:1-17 and Deuteronomy 5:1-21.
coming: The Greek word is parousia. The idea of “a day that is coming” dates from the Book of Daniel – about 167-164 BCE. Daniel has several timelines – see 7:25, 8:13, 9:27, 12:7, 12:11 and 12:12. Harrington writes: “Given the apocalyptic context of Daniel with its hopes for a new age and the fullness of God’s kingdom, it is not surprising that there should develop in Jewish apocalyptic circles a fascination with calculating the apocalyptic timetables” (Ibid). By the end of the first century, the word parousia had become identified with the return of Jesus Christ. Harrington writes: “Matthew’s twin emphasis on the uncertainty about when the Son of Man will come and the attitude of constant watchfulness in the meantime has shaped mainline Christian theology through the centuries. Careful analysis of Matt 24:32–51 shows how he developed this approach out of even earlier traditions. In the encounter with (nonapocalyptic) Judaism after a.d. 70 one can also see how Christianity became a major vehicle for the survival of apocalypticism. This Christian apocalypticism, however, is not given to speculations and timetables. While retaining a strong faith in God’s direction of history and a hope that it will mean the vindication of the just, Matthew made them into a framework for Christian action in the present. Thus he brought about union between eschatology and ethics. Christians should always act as if the coming of the Son of Man were near” (Harrington, op cit, 346-347).
eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage: A statement of the ordinary. Life goes on. In the ordinary, we must be attentive, alert to the fact that it is precisely in the ordinary that Jesus is coming. We can interpret that in two ways. Firstly, it can mean that “Jesus is going to appear” – that is, it is a statement of a future happening. Secondly, it can mean that “Jesus is already appearing” – that is, it is a statement about the present moment. These are not mutually exclusive interpretations. See Luke 17:21.
Keep awake therefore: Watchfulness is the logical conclusion from the foregoing. This calls for creative waiting rather than rigid expectations.
Questions
In today’s Gospel – Matthew 24:37-44 – Jesus addresses a question that is close to the hearts of the first Christians: When is God going to bring this world to a triumphant conclusion? That question is intertwined with another question: How is it all going to happen? It is crucial that we recognize the origins of this questioning in the Jewish tradition: “The OT is a theological statement and an interpretation of history. For Israel, its history is its encounter with Yahweh. (Emphasis added.) The very idea that history is a process with beginning, middle and end, is original with Israel. It is the will and purpose of Yahweh that unifies the process. … History is not the chance collision of blind forces without meaning or purpose nor an epiphenomenon of eternally recurring cycles of nature; it is the execution of an intelligent plan. … The acceptance of history as the execution of the designs of Yahweh demands an act of faith” (John L McKenzie, “Aspects of Old Testament Thought,” in The New Jerome Biblical Commentary, edited by Raymond E Browne SS et al, London: Geoffrey Chapman, 1990, 77:113).
Jesus is born and raised and stands within this tradition. Further, he recognizes that he is a key to the unfolding of history. But he does not attempt to answer the questions “When?” or “How?” In fact, his response to those questions raises question about how much of the details he actually knows: “‘About that day and hour no one knows, neither the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father’” (24:36). In fact, Jesus’ response seems to be saying: “Come! Join me in living the questions!”
Answers – real or imagined – can create the sense of control. Questions, on the other hand, remind us we are not in control. This is particularly the case when it is about ultimate things, such as when and how will the world end. However, questioning posed from the standpoint of faith, can open us to possibilities, to reverence and humility. It is a way of listening and readying ourselves for the unfolding of history. So, Jesus gives his twofold command. Firstly, “stay awake.” Secondly, “be ready.” This suggests a willingness to surrender to what God wants rather than what we wish for or expect or fear.
The Austrian poet, Rainer Maria Rilke, speaks to us all when he offers advice to a younger poet: “Be patient toward all that is unsolved in your heart and … try to love the questions themselves like locked rooms and like books that are written in a very foreign tongue. Do not now seek the answers, which cannot be given you because you would not be able to live them. And the point is, to live everything. Live the questions now. Perhaps you will then gradually, without noticing it, live along some distant day into the answer.” (Letters to a Young Poet, trans M D Herter Norton, W W Norton, 1962, 34-5).