Suspension of daily life (1)

Suspension of daily life (1)
Let no one on the roof of his house go down or enter the house to take anything out. Let no one in the field go back to get his cloak. (13:15,16)

The above verses vividly describe how serious the last time will be. The roof was used for Jews to take rest quietly. They drink a cup of tea, have conversation and spend happy hour with family or with guests. If they do not enter into a house surely there will be something horrible incident happened. We can imagine the situation that enemy threatens them saying “Freeze!” besieging.

The field is a working place. They had to go to the field and work for survival. Those who are working in the field by sweating should take off their outer garment in a safe place. When they finish the work they go back to home wearing it. However, this person didn’t have time to look back to take the outer garment. What on earth, what had happened? I wonder the author of Mark’s Gospel brought this scene from Genesis that wife of Lot became a pillar of salt when she looked back.

The above two cases is not the case of ordinary daily life of people. As I told you earlier, it is the situation to experience in the war only. War and the end of the world was similar experience for the ancient people. It does not mean that the war itself is not the end of the world. It means the end of the world shows the same form of destruction like the experience in the war. It signifies the suspension of entire daily life.

The new heaven and new earth what Christians are expecting also begins with such suspension of daily life. Here new means not only the form of life but its essence itself changes. That is the eternal life as the Bible talks about and need of the identification with God. We can have such experience in this world partially and indirectly. Please suspend your daily life and give ear to the spirit.