Today, we wait with great longing for the return of the risen Christ. According to one of Jesus’ parables, it is like servants who waited for their master to return from a wedding feast. “Be dressed ready for service and keep your lamps burning,” Jesus urged his disciples in Luke 12:35.

In today’s reading, Paul encourages the Thessalonians to wait and serve. On this side of the Second Coming, waiting is one of the marks of genuine faith. But this type of waiting is not passive, but both expectant and active. As the Thessalonians waited for the return of the risen Christ, they served Him, motivated by a combination of love and hope (v. 3). For those who have faith, the gospel comes “not simply with words but also with power, with the Holy Spirit and deep conviction” (v. 5). This combination of truth and power enables those who wait for Jesus to imitate His life (v. 6). This is not a matter of trying to live up to Jesus’ example. It is living in the power of His resurrection.

Faith involves turning. The Thessalonians turned away from idols “to serve the living and true God” (vv. 9–10). Paul emphasizes the contrast between the empty promise offered by false idols that the Thessalonians had previously served and the living hope of the true God. Although it may seem as if there are two distinct motions in this, the text only speaks of one. It is a turning toward God. The very act of turning toward God sets us on a path away from the one which is not of God. The Greek term that the NIV translates as “turned” can also mean “to return.” This meaning implies that the conversion Paul describes is not only a return to God but also a kind of homecoming.

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