Mark 13:32-37: a reflection

32“But of that day or that hour no one knows—not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. 33Watch, keep alert, and pray; for you don’t know when the time is. 34“It is like a man traveling to another country, having left his house and given authority to his servants, and to each one his work, and also commanded the doorkeeper to keep watch. 35Watch therefore, for you don’t know when the lord of the house is coming—whether at evening, or at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or in the morning; 36lest, coming suddenly, he might find you sleeping. 37What I tell you, I tell all: Watch!”

Speaking of his return, Jesus makes a striking admission: of that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels, nor the Son, but only the Father. And from that unknowing, he draws a command, repeated for emphasis: Be on guard, keep awake; watch. He compares it to a master who goes away, leaving his servants each with their work and the doorkeeper to keep watch, and returns at an unknown hour. Watch, therefore, Jesus says, lest he come suddenly and find you asleep. What I say to you I say to all: Watch.

Notice the connection between the unknowing and the watching. Precisely because we do not know when the Master will return, we are to be always ready, always watchful, always found faithfully doing our assigned work. If we knew the hour, we might slack off until it drew near; because we do not, the call is to constant readiness. The uncertainty is not meant to make us anxious but alert, living always as those who could meet their Master at any moment.

That is a call to a certain way of living: watchful, ready, faithful at our assigned work, not knowing the hour but always prepared for it. It guards us against both complacency, drifting into spiritual sleep as though the Master will never come, and against idle speculation about dates. Instead, we are simply to keep watch, to be found faithfully doing the work he has given us whenever he returns. Live today as one who could meet the Master at any moment: watchful, ready, faithful at your post. What he says to all, he says to you: Watch.

Lord Jesus, you told us that no one knows the day or hour of your return, and so you command us to watch, to stay awake and be ready. Keep me from both complacency, drifting into spiritual sleep as though you will never come, and idle speculation about the time. Help me live today as one who could meet you at any moment: watchful, ready, faithfully doing the work you have given me. Let me be found awake and at my post whenever you come. What you say to all, you say to me: help me watch.