Living Ready: Lessons from Pompeii and Advent
Several years ago, my family and I visited the excavations of Pompeii and Herculaneum in Italy. Walking through those ancient streets, I was struck by the looming, silent presence of Mount Vesuvius.
It makes you wonder: given the history of the volcano, why did people build there? They must have known the risk. Yet, they settled, ate, drank, and went about their daily lives—until Vesuvius took charge, burying the towns in ash. They knew the history, but they ignored the urgency.
How Can We Not Know?
This dynamic mirrors the questions raised in Matthew 24. Jesus tells his disciples about the end times, emphasising the certainty of his return. But then he drops a bombshell in verse 36:
“But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.”
This creates a theological puzzle. If we believe Jesus is fully God, how can He not know? Is He limited?
The answer lies in voluntary humility. Throughout the Gospels, we see Jesus choosing to limit Himself to fully experience our humanity—to walk our walk and experience our waiting. He chose not to know the hour of his return as an ultimate act of submission to the Father. He modelled a life of trust rather than a life of having all the answers.
Prediction vs. Preparation
In the passage, Jesus compares his return to the days of Noah. People were carrying on as usual right up until the flood. It was sudden, swift, and unpredictable.
Despite this clear teaching, we still see people trying to predict the end. Social media trends and viral videos often claim to know the specific date of the Rapture or the end of the world. But Jesus is clear: We cannot predict it.
Our job isn't to figure out the timeline; our job is readiness.
The Call to "Keep Awake"
In verse 42, Jesus gives the command: "Keep awake."
This isn’t about physical sleep deprivation; it is a spiritual state. Advent is the season of waking up. It interrupts our "business as usual" mindset—much like the warning signs of Vesuvius should have interrupted Pompeii—and calls us to ready ourselves.
But what does being "awake" look like in 2025? It’s not just waiting around; it is active participation in the Kingdom of God.
Beating Swords into Plowshares
We catch a glimpse of this "awake" life in Isaiah 2:4, where nations "beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks."
To keep awake this Advent, we must shape ourselves into Kingdom people. This requires introspection:
What swords are you holding? Are there harmful words or actions you need to lay down?
Where is the war in your heart? Is there someone you need to forgive? Is there something you need to forgive yourself for?
How can you cultivate peace? How might you quiet the internal noise and pray for the prosperity of others as much as your own?
Being ready for Jesus isn't about marking a date on a calendar. It is about living with a heart at peace rather than a heart at war. It is about doing good and seeking the Kingdom, so that whenever He comes—or whenever He calls us home—we are found faithful.
Let us use this season to wake up.
Rev. Martin.