Luke 12:39
And this know, that if the goodman of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched, and not have suffered his house to be broken through. And this know, that if the goodman of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched, and not have suffered his house to be broken through.
The verse pictures a householder who would have watched and kept his house from being broken into if he had known when a thief would come, and so teaches that because the Son of man will come at an unknown and unexpected hour, His followers must watch continually and stay ready rather than be caught unprepared. Readiness is pictured as servants with loins girded and lights burning, like men waiting to open immediately when their Lord returns from the wedding, and blessed are those whom He finds so watching in the second watch or the third watch. Watching is not careless, idle waiting nor sleeping at the post, but resisting spiritual slumber by faithfully attending the duties of life, remaining diligent in serving the Lord, and using every moment faithfully. It requires daily prayer and putting the whole heart into the service of Christ, purifying the heart through obedience to the truth, and working earnestly for the salvation of others by giving the timely warning for the present generation. It means using the Lord's goods responsibly rather than spending them on unnecessary things or hoarding wealth, but investing means in His cause and giving alms to keep unfailing treasure in heaven where no thief approaches and no moth corrupts. It means guarding the heart with perpetual vigilance lest it be estranged from God, hungering and thirsting after righteousness instead of living to please self, and living as pilgrims and strangers whose citizenship is above.
Meaning and Urgent Warning
The verse pictures a householder who, if he had known at what hour a thief would come, would have stayed awake and watched and would not have allowed his house to be broken through. By that picture it teaches that the Son of man will come at an hour that is unknown and unexpected, so His followers must watch continually and remain ready rather than be caught unprepared. This constant readiness is the opposite of careless and idle waiting, for the warning belongs to a description of earth's last events.
Enduring to the end is linked with salvation, while God works in believers both to will and to act, and readiness therefore requires resisting spiritual slumber and using every moment faithfully. Readiness is pictured as servants with loins girded and lights burning, like men waiting to open immediately when their lord returns from the wedding. Blessed are those servants whom the Lord finds so watching when He comes in the second watch or the third watch, for He will gird Himself and serve them.
Living in Watchful Readiness
Watching is not careless or idle waiting, nor is it sleeping at the post, but a constant resistance to spiritual slumber. Active readiness means faithfully attending to the duties of life and remaining diligent in serving the Lord. It also means using every moment faithfully rather than drifting through time unprofitably.
It requires daily prayer and watchfulness, with the whole heart put into the service of Christ rather than striving in a tame, listless way. This duty presses especially upon those blessed with great light who fail to show the religious interest they should show. Watching is not passive, for it includes purifying the heart through obedience to the truth. It includes working earnestly for the salvation of others and giving the timely warning needed by the present generation.
Readiness is applied to faithful stewardship, using the Lord's goods responsibly rather than spending them on unnecessary things, and keeping treasure in heaven. It means not settling down to eat, drink and be merry, and not hoarding wealth in expensive mansions or bank stock, but investing means in the Lord's cause. It means selling what is possessed and giving alms, so as to provide unfailing treasure in heaven where no thief approaches and no moth corrupts. While waiting for the Master, servants keep the spiritual lamp supplied and burning and use God's goods responsibly rather than sleeping at their post.
It means guarding the heart with perpetual vigilance and jealousy lest it become estranged from God. It means hungering and thirsting after righteousness instead of living to please self or thirsting for human appreciation and honor, and living as pilgrims and strangers whose citizenship is above. It means moving out by faith to build a plain, neat, tasteful, debt-free house of worship in harmony with faith and dedicated to God, without spending the Lord's money in needless adornment. That house is to be devoted to educating and training older members, children and youth. It means making every sacrifice for the necessities of His cause without ostentation or display, with self hidden in Jesus. It involves an inward spiritual perception of the truth that never exalts self, where sanctification of the Spirit brings self-abasement and lowliness.