“Jesus said to his disciples:

‘Be watchful! Be alert!

You do not know when the time will come.

It is like a man traveling abroad.

He leaves home and places his servants in charge,

each with his own work,

and orders the gatekeeper to be on the watch.

Watch, therefore;

you do not know when the Lord of the house is coming,

whether in the evening, or at midnight,

or at cockcrow, or in the morning.

May he not come suddenly and find you sleeping.

What I say to you, I say to all: ‘Watch!’’”

How long, O Lord, do we have to wait? One week or two weeks? One year or two years? One decade or two? How long must we be vigilant awaiting the master’s return? What happens when our generation begins to die? One generation or two? And the generation after us, when they begin to die? One century or two? One millennia or two? How long? Imagine the servants awaiting their master’s return. Long delayed, they wonder about what has befallen their master. How long does the admonition to watch perdure? Do they pass along the watchfulness to the next generation, their descendants? Generation after generation the expectation survives. Doubt creeps in, however, and the real question arises, “What has become of our master?” Will he ever return? Surely he and his descendants are dead by now. Why else would they have delayed? Why hasn’t he returned? Does his claim on his possessions and work continue? Is there any way this work still belongs to him? It hardly seems like he could come suddenly, if he comes at all. Where is he?

A fundamental aspect of faith is expectation. It is a trust that God will show up. That he is true to his word and will not falter or fail. As with a king riding on a donkey, God may not show up exactly as we anticipate. As a savior is born in a manger, the world may be turned upside down, but nonetheless God is here. It is not just about waiting for an event to happen that puts an end to trial, strife, and evil, but an in breaking of a kingdom, the dynamic revelation of love in us and through us. Expectation is for the ages, so to speak. Each century, each generation, and each person has deep within them the yearning for something more, for something better. That desire for a savior to set things right or for the return of the king to his rightful glory harbors a deeply human desire for goodness, justice, and peace. We know we were made for more. We know our world was made for more. The expectation reveals something true about us, about how God made us. We do not wait simply for the master’s return, as if it were an appointment on our calendar. We wait with hunger and yearning for the perfect to be revealed. We wait for the more we all know is possible or inevitable. 

Our waiting is more than a time bound expectation or a space bound event. It is not simply that the master will return at this particular time or in this particular place. It is a hope that rings true in every time and place. It rings true in every human heart. In the darkest night, a candle is lit. Under the most heinous persecution, resolve springs up. When all hope is lost, the hero stands once more. When death is at the door, we see an empty tomb. This season of darkness fosters a yearning for the light. This Advent, every Advent, and each day, our hearts yearn for a savior to be born. Don’t you see? We all long for more. This, disguised within each of our hearts, is the truth of God with us (Emmanuel). Right here and right now, God is coming. Watch!