8-9Don't overlook the obvious here, friends. With God, one day is as good as a thousand years, a thousand years as a day. God isn't late with his promise as some measure lateness. He is restraining himself on account of you, holding back the End because he doesn't want anyone lost. He's giving everyone space and time to change. (The Message)
Peter is talking here about the return of Jesus and trying to answer the age old question, "If Jesus is going to come back, why hasn't he done so?" The early church anticipated that Jesus was going to return before the last of the Apostles died. When that didn't happen they began to look for other explanations. Over time the emphasis upon the end of time and Jesus' return has ebbed and flowed. Many times the expectation rose as the perception of how bad things were in particular places increased and then wained as things got better. Over the past 50 years the expectation seems to have risen again with the rise of the Nuclear bomb and the growing awareness of environmental issues.
What the early church leaned to do was to live in the tension anticipating Jesus return without giving up the reality of everyday life. It is the same tension that we find ourselves in today as well. How do we not lose what is one of the primary tenants of the Christian faith, Christ's return, without becoming so focused upon it that we give up living out our faith on a daily basis? It isn't something that we necessarily talk about on a regular basis but maybe we should.
Some thoughts to ponder and share with others:
- When you think about the end of time what comes to mind?
- What do you think the Christian faith would look like if the Bible had never said anything about Jesus returning?
- What do you think God is giving you time to change in your life?
- What are you doing today that might help someone else experience the presence of Jesus?
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