Matthew 24:15–21 (ESV)
“So when you see the abomination of desolation spoken of by the prophet Daniel, standing in the holy place… then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains… For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been from the beginning of the world until now, no, and never will be.”
Introduction: A World That Feels Scattered
There is something deeply human about the desire to be gathered.
To be known.
To belong.
To feel rooted rather than scattered.
We are living in a moment where scattering feels normal—relationally, spiritually, emotionally. People are fragmented. Communities are divided. Faith itself often feels displaced.
And yet, when we look at Scripture, we do not find a God who delights in scattering. We find the God who gathers.
God Scatters — But Never Without Purpose
Throughout the Bible, scattering does occur.
But it is never random.
And it is never final.
In the Old Testament, God’s people are scattered through exile, judgment, and disobedience. Yet every scattering comes with a promise: I will gather you again.
Even in moments of discipline, God’s heart remains redemptive.
Scattering may be necessary.
But it is never the end of the story.
Jesus and the Reality of Severe Scattering
(Matthew 24:15–21)
In Matthew 24, Jesus speaks soberly about a coming moment of profound upheaval.
He describes a time of desecration, danger, and urgency—a moment when people must flee, when systems fail, and when safety is uncertain. It is one of the most intense passages in the Gospels.
And it matters that Jesus names this reality honestly.
God does not minimize chaos.
Jesus does not romanticize suffering.
He acknowledges that there are seasons when scattering is traumatic and unavoidable.
But even here—especially here—God is not absent.
This passage reminds us that God’s gathering work does not eliminate tribulation, but it does anchor us through it.
Gathering Is More Than Geography
When God gathers, He is not just moving people physically.
He gathers:
- Hearts that are disoriented
- Faith that has been shaken
- Identity that has been fragmented
This is why Jesus, even while warning of scattering, later speaks of angels gathering the elect from the four winds (Matthew 24:31). Judgment and redemption exist in tension—but redemption has the final word.
God gathers what crisis tries to destroy.
Jesus: The Visible Heart of a Gathering God
When Jesus looked over Jerusalem, He said He longed to gather its people like a hen gathers her chicks under her wings.
That is not the voice of condemnation.
That is the voice of grief and longing.
Jesus gathers the sinner and the saint.
The faithful and the fearful.
The convinced and the confused.
His table was open.
His invitations were personal.
His presence was restorative.
The Church’s Calling in a Scattered Age
The Church does not exist to increase fragmentation.
We are not called to mirror the division of the world.
We are called to participate in God’s gathering work.
The Church is meant to be:
- A refuge for the scattered
- A home for the weary
- A place where fractured lives are made whole
Gathering is not about control.
It is about restoration.
A Word for the Scattered
If you feel scattered today—
Spiritually overwhelmed
Emotionally exhausted
Relationally disconnected
Hear this clearly:
God is not distant.
God is not indifferent.
God is moving toward you.
The same God who warned of tribulation is the God who promises deliverance. The same Jesus who spoke of scattering is the One who gathers with compassion and authority.
Closing Reflection
Gathering always comes before renewal.
Renewal always leads to purpose.
The God who gathers is still at work.
Still calling.
Still restoring.
Still drawing people home.
And He is not finished yet.
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