Watch and Be Ready

24:36-25:13 Watch And Be Ready

In my first post on the Olivet Discourse, I said:

There are two surprising things Jesus stressed in this teaching. It would do us well to keep these in mind. We are prone to concentrate on the details of the last days, focusing on events and timing etc. While Jesus does give us events and details, he emphasizes:

(1) Take heed that no man deceive you
(2) Watch and be ready

We’ve seen take heed that no man deceive you, now we come to watch and be ready. Jesus spends a lot of time on this - he must consider this important. He offers four illustrations:

24:36-42 As the days of Noah
36  But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only.
37  But as the days of Noah were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
38  For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ark,
39  And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
40  Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left.
41  Two women shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken, and the other left.
42  Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.

But of that day and hour knoweth no man – this is a definitive statement, no man, no one, knows the day or the hour of his coming. Mark it down, no one knows. Whenever you hear someone claiming to know, at best they are mistaken (deceived), at worst they are lying. We can read the signs of the times and know that it is near, that’s the purpose of these stories, but we cannot know the day or hour.

As the days of Noah - The people in Noah’s day were unaware until the flood came. Wait, Noah knew. He wasn’t surprised. The people had heard the flood was coming, and saw Noah building the ark, but they dismissed it. They were surprised.

One taken and the other left – does this refer to a secret rapture? Y’know, one raptured and the other left? No. That’s a definite No. Verse 39 says, the flood took them all away, that is in judgment. That’s bad. So in 40 and 41, to be taken is bad.

Watch therefore – stay awake (spiritually), keep alert; we don’t know when our Lord will come, so we should watch lest we’re surprised.

24:43-44 Good man of the house
43  But know this, that if the goodman of the house had known in what watch the thief would come, he would have watched, and would not have suffered his house to be broken up.
44  Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh.

Now it’s the goodman of the house. If he had known what hour the thief was coming he would have watched. I’m telling you, watching is something Jesus and the apostles stressed that is not talked much about these days. The Greek word is gregoreo and literally means to be or stay awake. It is used metaphorically: “give strict attention to, be cautious, active: -- to take heed lest through remissness and indolence some destructive calamity suddenly overtake one.” Thayer goes on to say, “employ the most punctilious care in a thing.” I love words that sort of give you the sense before you know the meaning. Punctilious. I have no idea what it means, but I’m guessing it is something along the lines of be very careful, pay close attention.

So how do we watch? Be ye also ready. Be alert. Be prepared. He is coming.

In such an hour as ye think not – there is always going to be an element of surprise!

24:45-51 the two servants
45  Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his lord hath made ruler over his household, to give them meat in due season?
46  Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing.
47  Verily I say unto you, That he shall make him ruler over all his goods.
48  But and if that evil servant shall say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming;
49  And shall begin to smite his fellowservants, and to eat and drink with the drunken;
50  The lord of that servant shall come in a day when he looketh not for him, and in an hour that he is not aware of,
51  And shall cut him asunder, and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

Ok, watch and be ready. So how do we be ready? This story of the two servants explains that.

The faithful and wise servant does what his lord told him to do, and does it until his lord returns. It’s not glorious, not exciting, not adventurous, not romantic, it’s simple faithfulness.

The evil servant says, My lord delayeth his coming, and ceases to be faithful. He treats his fellow servants despicably and leads a dissolute life. To that servant the lord comes in a day when he looketh not for him, and in an hour that he is not aware of. We don’t know the day or the hour, but the faithful are blessed when he comes because they watched and were ready; those who did not watch and prepare will be surprised and find their portion with the hypocrites.

And shall cut him asunder – Yep, just what it sounds like. Not everyone who names the name of Christ will be blessed when he comes. Therefore be ye also ready.

25:1-13 Parable of the 10 Virgins
1  Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom.
2  And five of them were wise, and five foolish.
3  They that were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them:
4  But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps.
5  While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept.
6  And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him.
7  Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps.
8  And the foolish said unto the wise, Give us of your oil; for our lamps are gone out. 
9  But the wise answered, saying, Not so; lest there be not enough for us and you: but go ye rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves.
10  And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut.
11  Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us.
12  But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not.
13  Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh.

This is a parable. A parable is different than an allegory. In an allegory, every detail of the story is important. For example, go to them that sell and buy for yourselves oil for your lamps. Jesus is not saying you can buy readiness. It’s not an allegory. It’s a parable. A parable is a story taken from everyday life that illustrates a truth about the kingdom. Happily, Jesus tells them and us the point of the story – watch ye therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh. 

You see, five of the virgins were foolish because they were not ready, they were not prepared. The virgins experienced a delay – the bridegroom didn’t appear right away and they were not prepared for this delay. Jesus said, Watch. I said that watch means to stay awake. Well, all ten fell asleep, so did all ten fail? No. Who knows how long the virgins had been waiting, and the bridegroom didn’t come until midnight. It was natural that they fell asleep. The five wise virgins were ready – they brought oil for their lamps; come day or come night they were ready for the bridgroom. The foolish five were not prepared – they brought no oil. There is no significance in the virgins, ten virgins, fell asleep, or the oil. It is all in this: five were ready and five were not. 

We don’t know the day or hour of his return. Jesus said watch and we know that includes being ready. Jesus is coming. He is coming soon. But God’s ‘soon’ may not be our ‘soon’, so while we look for him to come soon, we need to be prepared for a wait.

“For this cause, I say, when He had told all things, both the times and the seasons, and had brought it to the very doors (for it is near, He says, even at the doors), He was silent as to the day. For if you seek after the day and hour, you shall not hear them of me, says He; but if of times and preludes, without hiding anything, I will tell you all exactly.” ~Chrysostom

Next: Parable of the Talents