Eschatology and Christian Missions. Is it a Healthy Relationship? Part 2
In the previous post, I suggested that while Evangelical Christian Missions is often guided by Eschatology (the theological study of last things), it is often guided poorly. In fact, I would suggest that often it is guided by personal preferences and then justified (poorly) using poor eschatology.
One of the most egregious, in my mind, is the abuse of Matthew 24:14. See my previous post on that one. But it is true that Matthew 24 is a chapter where Jesus addresses “last things.” Therefore, it might be a good source for guiding missions IF missions should be guided by eschatology.
I would like to suggest looking at Matthew 24:36-51.
No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. As it was in the days of Noah, so will it be at the coming of the Son of Man. For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark. And they were oblivious, until the flood came and swept them all away. So will it be at the coming of the Son of Man. Two men will be in the field: one will be taken and the other left. Two women will be grinding at the mill: one will be taken and the other left.
Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day on which your Lord will come. But understand this: If the homeowner had known in which watch of the night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into. For this reason, you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour you do not expect.
Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom the master has put in charge of his household, to give the others their food at the proper time? Blessed is that servant whose master finds him doing so when he returns. Truly I tell you, he will put him in charge of all his possessions.
But suppose that servant is wicked and says in his heart, ‘My master will be away a long time.’ And he begins to beat his fellow servants and to eat and drink with drunkards. The master of that servant will come on a day he does not expect and at an hour he does not anticipate. Then he will cut him to pieces and assign him a place with the hypocrites, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
This passage is similar to the one in Luke 12: 35-38, as well as Mark13:32-37. Both Matthew and Mark place the passage in the context of nearing the end of the ministry of Jesus. Luke does not, and puts it in the middle of the Gospel. That may have been placed there for thematic purposes; or possibly it shows that this message of readiness was part of Christ’s regular message throughout His ministry.
One key point that makes this passage valuable for missiologists is that it undermines the two misuses of eschatology I noted in the previous post. The first point is that some missiologists believe that we should do a “different type of missions” because we are nearing the end of this age. In other words, they believe they can time the return of Christ and in doing so, feel they should adjust their work accordingly. The second point is that some missiologists believe they can CAUSE or hurry up the return of Christ. This passage in Matthew (and Luke and Mark) appear to thoroughly undermine these views. We don’t know when God will come— we cannot time it, we cannot change it, we cannot cause it. All we can do is watch and be ready.
A second point is found in the parable at the end— The Parable of the Faithful Servant. The story is meant to drive home the idea of being watchful and ready. What does watching and being ready always look like for a servant of the master (or paralleling across, what does it look like as a servant/minister of God)? We have heard stories of people standing on their houses in white linen at certain points in history (like 1000AD or 1848AD) believing they had figured out when Jesus was returning, and this was how they would show themselves as being watchful and ready. The parable in this passage suggests something very different. This parable does not refer to two servants, but only one… but that one has a choice. Option #1 was a servant who was always watchful and always ready. That readiness is not evidenced in trying to time the return of the master. It is not evidenced in trying to adjust behavior at the last minute based on seeing the master from far off. The servant is watchful and ready being doing what he is supposed to do every day.
However, the servant has a choice and perhaps, Option #2. Perhaps he starts out as he should, but at some point in time, a thought may come to his mind. “I can do what I want to do. Then, when I see the master coming from a distance, I can fix everything up like it is supposed to be.” In other words, the bad servant may also be watchful (seeking to anticipate the arrival time). But such watchfulness is used to excuse selfishness and laziness. Behavior is based on figuring out how to catch up on things if he can time the return of the master.
I feel like this is a bit of the logic in Christian missions today. A lot of decisions/strategies are based on trying to figure out when Jesus is returning and making short-sighted choices based on this. The faithful servant does not do things different because the master MIGHT come today or Might come tomorrow. MAKING WISE/GODLY DECISIONS EVERY DAY IS BEING WATCHFUL.
The wise servant, feeds the household staff and the animals every day. He ensures people are paid every day. These short-term activities are important. However, I expect that he also would send out his workers into the field to plant wheat, even if he does not know for sure whether the master will return before harvest in a few months’ time. I suspect he would also send workers to plant grape vines, pomegranates, and all sorts of fruiting trees even though there is a possibility that the master will return long before the first bears fruit. I also suspect he also would have buildings built for future expansion as the household may increase, or new livestock is purchased. Also, newborns in the household, I am sure he ensures gets proper education and training that may not directly benefit the child and household for literal decades. It seems reasonable that such a faithful servant is also training up other servants to be able to take over his role if he passes away before the master returns.
Such a faithful servant I believe is a good model for a faithful missionary. Dumping theological education so as to put more people into open air revivals, because the end is near is not the work of a faithful servant. It is the work of the servant trying to time the master’s return. Focusing on church planting movements or other programmatic work so much that holistic work and community transformation is defunded, is not the work of a faithful servant. The faithful servant honors both sides— the things that give short-term results AND the things that are invested in long-term potential rewards (that may or may not happen).
A good missionary is always faithful and always ready… but never trying to time or control God’s return.
