Matthew 24:23-28: a reflection

23“Then if any man tells you, ‘Behold, here is the Christ!’ or, ‘There!’ don’t believe it. 24For false christs and false prophets will arise, and they will show great signs and wonders, so as to lead astray, if possible, even the chosen ones. 25“Behold, I have told you beforehand. 26“If therefore they tell you, ‘Behold, he is in the wilderness,’ don’t go out; or ‘Behold, he is in the inner rooms,’ don’t believe it. 27For as the lightning flashes from the east, and is seen even to the west, so will the coming of the Son of Man be. 28For wherever the carcass is, that is where the vultures gather together.

Warning about the last days, Jesus alerts his followers to false christs and false prophets who will arise, performing great signs and wonders to lead people astray. And he gives them a way to tell the true from the false: if anyone says, Look, here he is! or, Look, he is in the wilderness, or in some secret inner room, do not believe it or go running after it. For, he says, the coming of the Son of Man will be like lightning that flashes across the whole sky, from east to west, unmistakable, visible to all at once.

Notice the contrast Jesus draws. The false christs and their signs come with rumors and pointers, look here, look there, he's in this secret place, this hidden room, requiring insiders to tell you where to find them. But the true coming of Christ will need no such pointing; it will be as unmistakable and universal as lightning across the sky, seen by everyone, impossible to miss. The very fact that something must be pointed to, hidden, revealed only to a few, marks it as false.

That is a useful discernment for our own age of sensational spiritual claims. When something comes with the marks of the secret, the hidden, the special revelation available only to insiders, look here, come to this place, believe this special messenger, Jesus says: do not go running after it. The true and decisive acts of God do not depend on insider pointers; they are unmistakable. Do not be led off after sensational, hidden, insider spiritual claims. When Christ truly comes, no one will need to tell you where to look. Hold steady, and do not chase the rumors.

Lord Jesus, you warned against false christs with their signs and their look-here, look-there, and promised that your true coming will be unmistakable, like lightning across the whole sky. Give me discernment in an age of sensational spiritual claims. Keep me from running after the hidden, the secret, the special revelation offered only to insiders. Help me hold steady on your clear word, not chasing rumors and dramatic signs. When you truly come, no one will need to point you out. Keep me from being led astray.