Watch - Mark 13:33

Mark 13:33-37

33 Take heed, watch; for you do not know when the time will come.

34 It is like a man going on a journey, when he leaves home and puts his servants in charge, each with his work, and commands the doorkeeper to be on the watch.

35 Watch therefore—for you do not know when the master of the house will come, in the evening, or at midnight, or at cockcrow, or in the morning—

36 lest he come suddenly and find you asleep.

37 And what I say to you I say to all: Watch.”

The command, “Watch,” is listed four times in verses 33 to 37–at the beginning, middle and end. Watch! Stay alert! Jesus wants us to stay awake.

Did you observe that the phrase, "for you do not know when" occurs twice? Then verse 33 adds, "the time will come." And verse 35, "the master of the house will come." The point is–be on the watch. For Jesus comes!

#1 Commands and Reasons - Verse 33

First-The COMMANDS to be awake for His return.

V 33 begins with Take heed, watch. It means take care, watch out, be aware.

God commands us to stay watchful. We need to live a life that honours Christ. We are to live each day as if Jesus returns today.

Second-The REASONS for His Commands.

• While we don’t know when Jesus will return, we do know that He’s coming again. The exact day and hour will remain unknown. Jesus is concerned with the way we live and the way we wait.
• As we wait Jesus calls us, to faithfulness and steadfastness. We must live in a way that acknowledges His soon return.

So how do we prepare for His coming?

#2 A short Parable. - Verse 34

Jesus gives instructions for jobs to be done while He is gone. As a faithful servant of our Master, we are to fulfill our tasks, do our job.

Like a doorkeeper, we are called to be always on the alert, we must be watchful and wait expectantly for the Master’s return. Watch. 

#3 To look expectantly for Jesus' return. - Verses 35-36

Remain faithful-committed until Christ comes to get you. We do not know, the day-the hour or minute, when Christ is returning. It could be today. Watch therefore—for you do not know when the master of the house will come. It could be–in the evening, or at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or in the morning. The Lord is saying: I am coming at any time; hence we need to be prepared.

Matthew 25:1-13 "Then the kingdom of heaven shall be compared to ten maidens who took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. For when the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them; but the wise took flasks of oil with their lamps. As the bridegroom was delayed, they all slumbered and slept. But at midnight there was a cry, `Behold, the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.' Then all those maidens rose and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said to the wise, `Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.' But the wise replied, `Perhaps there will not be enough for us and for you; go rather to the dealers and buy for yourselves.' And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the marriage feast; and the door was shut. Afterward the other maidens came also, saying, `Lord, lord, open to us.' But he replied, `Truly, I say to you, I do not know you.' Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour.

His coming cannot be predicted. Christ warns all of us–He’ll come suddenly. No one will know exactly when. The word “suddenly” means quickly, without warning, and unexpectedly.

The parable Jesus shares encourages us to wakefulness with the reminder that the Master is returning and we should desire to be found faithful.

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(I found this again on November 13of23. NOW Updated here on Watch - Mark 13:33 Date 17 NOV 23.)

Fr. Reuben, Fr. Daniel & Fr. Christopher mass. 8th November 2020. 

Fr. Reuben in this celebration of the mass speaks on
Be Alert and awake.

In today’s Gospel there is a parable told of a wedding. 

Now while reading this Parable we realize that there are certain eschatological overtones, in other words this is talking to us about the end times….
And the focus of today’s Gospel is a reminder to all of us to be alert and awake.
Now one thing is very clear The Lord while giving us this beautiful parable, of the wedding feast is trying to tell us that at the end time, when we meet our Lord, it is going to be an occasion of joy like a wedding is. And for that we have got to be ready and so in telling us about these 5 wise and 5 foolish bridesmaids, He gives us an opportunity to think about, what is our preparation for this end time. And remember, that when the Lord comes is not known, when we are going to face our maker is not known, but we must be ready and prepared and as we as little children always love to sing that hymn, Give me oil in my lamp keep me burning. This oil that we are talking about, that the Lord is speaking about is the oil of Joy that comes from worshipping the Lord, believing in Him, doing good deeds in His name, serving people, making a difference in the world.

In other words, our preparation for the end, is a joyful preparation because we can invest in this lamp that is our lives, all the possible oil that we can fill into the oil of love, the oil of peace, the oil of joy, the oil of good works. Because as we hear the lord telling us, the door will be opened to us, when we celebrate life in His name. 

And for this what is important is Wisdom, how to fill those lamps, with the oil that will burn throughout, burn with love for the lord, burn with love for one another. And wisdom was a quality that we remember in Solomon also prayed for. And wisdom is very important because it helps us discern what is right and wrong, it helps us discern what is the best that we can do in our lives as Christians, and there are so many opportunities, given to us. 

St. Paul is telling the people of Thessalonica today, that we must live life even we have lost our loved ones, and we must always remember that the loved ones are with God. God is the one who sent them into this world, God is the one who takes them back. 

And it is this God for whom our soul is thirsting. And the thirst that we have, once again fills the lamp of our lives with this oil. And this thirsting comes therefore, from our prayer, it comes from our reading of the Word, it comes from knowing God, through our various actions and good deeds. In our families today, there are numerous opportunities, for us to fill the lamp of our lives with that oil. 

Given the times of covid, we know that families have been together, doing a lot of good things together, I also heard that people possibly have been getting on one another’s nerves. But that is obvious, because we are human, and we are weak. But we must remember that every family member is blessing to us, we are blessings to them. And the more and more we fill the lamp of our lives, with this Joy, the service that we render to each other the love that we show, the forgiveness, we are preparing ourselves, so beautifully to meet the Lord. Whether it is in the community, whether it is in the Parish, even if we are in this online participation of the Eucharist, the prayers that we make for each other are prayers that permeate every corner of the Earth, and this is something that we must remember that the joy that comes from praying for each other is a joy that fills the world. It also fills the lamps of our lives.

And this is what the lord is telling us in the Gospel today, fill your lamps, let them be burning, burning with love, burning with Joy, so that when it comes to meeting The Lord, we won’t have to look for that oil, the oil is there, we don’t have to waste time running for that oil elsewhere, the oil is there. We don’t waste time because if we do, we will never be recognized as Gods loved disciples because we have been foolish, foolish not to use the opportunities that He has given us. This is a parable that reminds you and me that God continues to love us. But we at the same time, must be ready to accept that love and to fill the lamps of our lives with the oil of love. Amen.

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Christ must not return, to find us asleep!

Jesus Prays in Gethsemane – Mark 14. The disciples are reprimanded for their failure to watch. Despite being urged to watch and pray, the disciples fall asleep.

32 And they went to a place which was called Gethsem′ane; and he said to his disciples, “Sit here, while I pray.”

33 And he took with him Peter and James and John, and began to be greatly distressed and troubled.

34 And he said to them, “My soul is very sorrowful, even to death; remain here, and watch.”

35 And going a little farther, he fell on the ground and prayed that, if it were possible, the hour might pass from him.

36 And he said, “Abba, Father, all things are possible to thee; remove this cup from me; yet not what I will, but what thou wilt.”

37 And he came and found them sleeping, and he said to Peter, “Simon, are you asleep? Could you not watch one hour?

38 Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation; the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.”

39 And again he went away and prayed, saying the same words.

40 And again he came and found them sleeping, for their eyes were very heavy; and they did not know what to answer him.

41 And he came the third time, and said to them, “Are you still sleeping and taking your rest? It is enough; the hour has come; the Son of man is betrayed into the hands of sinners.

42 Rise, let us be going; see, my betrayer is at hand.”

Could you not watch one hour? Jesus pours out His heart here to Peter, asking to be on the watch. But when Christ needs them most, He asks them to Watch and pray? Each of them repeatedly fall asleep in the garden.

#4 Jesus says to all - “Watch.” How do we do that? - Verse 37

• We live lives of love, of compassion and always forgiving. We live a life of prayer-a life of good deeds. We live a life devoted to Christ and His teachings.
• Jesus wants to come closer to each one of us. When we are alert and watchful, we will be responsive to the ever so gentle knock of Jesus on the door.
• Always on the watch for we know not the Hour or the minute. In JOY, we wait for our Lord always seeking God in all things.

Christ repeatedly asks us to watch for His coming. 

His command - to live each day ready for His return.

Time is NOW! Each day our prayer must be, “Come Lord Jesus, COME”!

Be Alert! Be on the Watch!

God controls ALL. 

God holds TODAY!