And if he shall come in the second watch, or come in the third watch, and find them so, blessed are those servants.
Blessed are those servants whom their lord finds watching and ready when he comes in the second watch or the third watch, though his coming is delayed to late in the night at an unknown and unexpected hour, so readiness must continue through the whole night and not depend on knowing the time. Watching means loins girded and lamps kept supplied with oil and burning, remaining awake at the post in prayerful waiting like men waiting for their lord to return from the wedding, so that when he comes and knocks they open to him immediately. Those found so watching will be made to sit down to meat and the Lord himself will gird himself and serve them. Such watching is not idle expectancy but purifying the heart by obedience to the truth with daily prayer and wholehearted service, united with earnest working and faithfulness in life's duties, resisting spiritual sleep and indolence and consecrating all to the Master's service, since readiness cannot be attained in a moment's time. The first and second watches are past and believers are now in the third watch with only a short period of waiting left, requiring double watchfulness and threefold earnestness without weariness or turning aside, while the long night is trying the morning is deferred in mercy because God is unwilling for his people to perish unready.
Blessed Watchful Servants
Blessed are those servants whom their lord when he comes shall find watching and ready, whether he comes in the second watch or comes in the third watch. His coming may be delayed until late in the night and far advanced toward morning, coming later than expected and at an unknown and unexpected hour. Readiness therefore must continue through the whole night and cannot depend on knowing the time of his coming, but calls for constant watchfulness and diligent faithfulness in life's duties and service to the Lord. The blessing rests on those who remain faithful when so found, with daily prayer and watchfulness and the whole heart put into Christ's service rather than striving in a tame, listless way, believing and living and practicing the truth with the love of God in the heart and supreme love to God and to those for whom Christ died. Their readiness means waiting faithfully with lives directed toward the kingdom of God and treasure in heaven.
Watching means loins girded about and lights burning, like men waiting for their lord to return from the wedding. The servants' lamps must be kept supplied with oil and burning, and they must remain awake at their post in watchful, prayerful waiting for the Master. So they are positioned to open to him immediately when he comes and knocks.
Those found so watching will be made to sit down to meat, and the Lord himself will gird himself and serve them. For the Son of man comes at an hour when he is not expected.
Active Faithful Waiting
Watching for the Lord's return in the second watch or the third is not idle expectancy but purifying the heart by obedience to the truth. It is daily prayer and watchfulness and putting the whole heart into Christ's service instead of striving in a tame, listless way without religious interest. The blessing is for those favored with great light who earnestly seek the Lord and believe and live and practice the truth, with the love of God in the heart and supreme love to God and to those for whom Christ died.
Vigilant watching is united with earnest working, for readiness to meet Him cannot be attained in a moment's time but requires vigilant waiting and watching combined with earnest work beforehand. It is constant readiness rather than readiness tied to a known hour, shown in diligent faithfulness in life's duties and service to the Lord. It resists spiritual sleep and indolence and faithfully uses every moment while waiting for His coming. Because they know the Lord is at the door, their zeal is quickened to cooperate with divine intelligences in working for the salvation of souls, with voices heard amid the busy scenes of life speaking words of encouragement, faith, and hope, and all they have and are consecrated to the Master's service.
These watchers are the faithful and wise servants who give the Lord's household their portion of meat in due season by declaring the truth now specially applicable and giving their generation its special warning. As Enoch, Abraham, and Moses each declared the truth for his time, so Christ's servants now give the special warning for their generation, keeping the great truth of His second coming ever before the church.
Watching means not settling down with riches to eat, drink, and be merry, and not incurring guilt by indolence when perishing souls around can be helped. It means waiting faithfully with lamps burning and lives directed toward the kingdom of God and treasure in heaven. It means selling what is held, giving alms, and investing means in the Lord's cause to provide treasure in the heavens that fails not, and not growing weary or turning attention to earthly cares and possessions while waiting through the prolonged delay.
It means living as pilgrims and strangers with citizenship above. It means moving out by faith to provide a plain, neat, debt-free tabernacle for worship without needless adornment. That house is to educate and train not only older members but children and youth to guard their hearts with perpetual vigilance lest they be estranged from God. They are to hunger and thirst after righteousness instead of pleasing self or courting human praise, to make sacrifice for His cause without ostentation, to hide self in Jesus, and to walk in sanctification of the Spirit with self-abasement and lowliness.
Watches and Final Delay
The first and second watches are past, and believers are now living in the third watch, which represents a prolonged time of waiting with only a short period of waiting left. That delay even into the second or third watch does not lessen vigilance but makes unceasing watchfulness more necessary, because the moments are fewer than before. If unabated vigilance was needed at first, double watchfulness is needed in the second watch and threefold earnestness in the third. The faithful must therefore not grow weary, impatient, or turn aside to earthly cares and possessions, lest they lose all their former earnest persevering watching, while the unfaithful fall spiritually asleep and unprepared for the Master's return.
The long night of gloom is trying, but the morning is deferred in mercy, for if the Master should come now many would be found unready. God delays because He is unwilling for His people to perish. The coming of the morning to the faithful and of the night to the unfaithful is right upon us. By this earnest watching and waiting position God's people manifest their peculiar character and separation from the world, showing they are truly strangers and pilgrims on earth, transformed and not conformed to the world. While worldlings are earnest and ambitious to secure earthly treasure, God's people show that their home is not in this world but that they seek a better country, even a heavenly one.
Blessed are those servants whom their lord finds watching and ready when he comes in the second watch or the third watch, though his coming is delayed to late in the night at an unknown and unexpected hour, so readiness must continue through the whole night and not depend on knowing the time. Watching means loins girded and lamps kept supplied with oil and burning, remaining awake at the post in prayerful waiting like men waiting for their lord to return from the wedding, so that when he comes and knocks they open to him immediately. Those found so watching will be made to sit down to meat and the Lord himself will gird himself and serve them. Such watching is not idle expectancy but purifying the heart by obedience to the truth with daily prayer and wholehearted service, united with earnest working and faithfulness in life's duties, resisting spiritual sleep and indolence and consecrating all to the Master's service, since readiness cannot be attained in a moment's time. The first and second watches are past and believers are now in the third watch with only a short period of waiting left, requiring double watchfulness and threefold earnestness without weariness or turning aside, while the long night is trying the morning is deferred in mercy because God is unwilling for his people to perish unready.
Blessed Watchful Servants
Blessed are those servants whom their lord when he comes shall find watching and ready, whether he comes in the second watch or comes in the third watch. His coming may be delayed until late in the night and far advanced toward morning, coming later than expected and at an unknown and unexpected hour. Readiness therefore must continue through the whole night and cannot depend on knowing the time of his coming, but calls for constant watchfulness and diligent faithfulness in life's duties and service to the Lord. The blessing rests on those who remain faithful when so found, with daily prayer and watchfulness and the whole heart put into Christ's service rather than striving in a tame, listless way, believing and living and practicing the truth with the love of God in the heart and supreme love to God and to those for whom Christ died. Their readiness means waiting faithfully with lives directed toward the kingdom of God and treasure in heaven.
Watching means loins girded about and lights burning, like men waiting for their lord to return from the wedding. The servants' lamps must be kept supplied with oil and burning, and they must remain awake at their post in watchful, prayerful waiting for the Master. So they are positioned to open to him immediately when he comes and knocks.
Those found so watching will be made to sit down to meat, and the Lord himself will gird himself and serve them. For the Son of man comes at an hour when he is not expected.
Active Faithful Waiting
Watching for the Lord's return in the second watch or the third is not idle expectancy but purifying the heart by obedience to the truth. It is daily prayer and watchfulness and putting the whole heart into Christ's service instead of striving in a tame, listless way without religious interest. The blessing is for those favored with great light who earnestly seek the Lord and believe and live and practice the truth, with the love of God in the heart and supreme love to God and to those for whom Christ died.
Vigilant watching is united with earnest working, for readiness to meet Him cannot be attained in a moment's time but requires vigilant waiting and watching combined with earnest work beforehand. It is constant readiness rather than readiness tied to a known hour, shown in diligent faithfulness in life's duties and service to the Lord. It resists spiritual sleep and indolence and faithfully uses every moment while waiting for His coming. Because they know the Lord is at the door, their zeal is quickened to cooperate with divine intelligences in working for the salvation of souls, with voices heard amid the busy scenes of life speaking words of encouragement, faith, and hope, and all they have and are consecrated to the Master's service.
These watchers are the faithful and wise servants who give the Lord's household their portion of meat in due season by declaring the truth now specially applicable and giving their generation its special warning. As Enoch, Abraham, and Moses each declared the truth for his time, so Christ's servants now give the special warning for their generation, keeping the great truth of His second coming ever before the church.
Watching means not settling down with riches to eat, drink, and be merry, and not incurring guilt by indolence when perishing souls around can be helped. It means waiting faithfully with lamps burning and lives directed toward the kingdom of God and treasure in heaven. It means selling what is held, giving alms, and investing means in the Lord's cause to provide treasure in the heavens that fails not, and not growing weary or turning attention to earthly cares and possessions while waiting through the prolonged delay.
It means living as pilgrims and strangers with citizenship above. It means moving out by faith to provide a plain, neat, debt-free tabernacle for worship without needless adornment. That house is to educate and train not only older members but children and youth to guard their hearts with perpetual vigilance lest they be estranged from God. They are to hunger and thirst after righteousness instead of pleasing self or courting human praise, to make sacrifice for His cause without ostentation, to hide self in Jesus, and to walk in sanctification of the Spirit with self-abasement and lowliness.
Watches and Final Delay
The first and second watches are past, and believers are now living in the third watch, which represents a prolonged time of waiting with only a short period of waiting left. That delay even into the second or third watch does not lessen vigilance but makes unceasing watchfulness more necessary, because the moments are fewer than before. If unabated vigilance was needed at first, double watchfulness is needed in the second watch and threefold earnestness in the third. The faithful must therefore not grow weary, impatient, or turn aside to earthly cares and possessions, lest they lose all their former earnest persevering watching, while the unfaithful fall spiritually asleep and unprepared for the Master's return.
The long night of gloom is trying, but the morning is deferred in mercy, for if the Master should come now many would be found unready. God delays because He is unwilling for His people to perish. The coming of the morning to the faithful and of the night to the unfaithful is right upon us. By this earnest watching and waiting position God's people manifest their peculiar character and separation from the world, showing they are truly strangers and pilgrims on earth, transformed and not conformed to the world. While worldlings are earnest and ambitious to secure earthly treasure, God's people show that their home is not in this world but that they seek a better country, even a heavenly one.