The Holy Martyr Charalampius (193-211)
1 John 1:8-2:6; Mark 13:31-14:2
Read Mark 13:31-14:2
Glory to Jesus Christ! Glory forever!
Today we encounter an interesting statement: “But of that day or that hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.“ (Mark 13:32). How is it possible that the only-begotten Son, who is the source of all wisdom, the Word of the Father, the creator and perfecter of all things, the image of the invisible God, is ignorant of such an important detail of the history of humanity. This question has been pondered by the Fathers of the Church and from them we seek insight. St. Gregory of Nazianzus says this, “How then can you say that all things before that hour he knows accurately, and all things that are to happen about the time of the end, but of the hour itself he is ignorant?” (Theological Orations, Oration 30, On the Son, Second Oration 15).
St. Augustine states that the Father shares everything with the Son for the Son is the Wisdom and Word of God. That Wisdom and Word of God was sent to enlighten us by sharing from the Father what for us is holy and necessary for our good. St. Augustine redirects the question back toward the reader: Is is good for us to know the day and hour? The answer is a clear ‘No’. If we had the secret knowledge of the day and hour the temptation to delay living the Christian life would heavily inflict many. St. Augustine points out that the Lord is using a figurative language, which was a common form of speech, to emphasise that this is not for our good. The Lord instead is asking us to “Watch” and be always ready for that day and hour. That day and hour are not only reserved for a specific day in history, but rather are open to all humanity even those who have already passed on: “The dead will arise first: For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the archangel’s call, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first;” (1 Thes 4:16). We can be sure that everyone will participate in that great day of the Lord’s second coming. The real question that the Lord wants us to ponder is not ‘when will the day be’, but ‘where will I stand on that day’? With the sheep or the goats?