Be ye therefore ready also: for the Son of man cometh at an hour when ye think not.
Christ will return at an unexpected hour no one knows, so all must live in constant readiness for him. His coming is like a lord returning to servants who keep watch with girded loins and burning lamps to open to him at once whenever he knocks, and those he finds alert and faithfully doing their entrusted work he will bless and serve. Such readiness is not idle waiting but vigilant watching against carelessness, sleep and indolence, joined with earnest, diligent work in life's duties and wholehearted service to Christ. It means purifying the heart by obedience to the truth, keeping it supplied with God's grace, working out salvation as God works within, and storing treasure in heaven rather than living for earthly wealth. Those who so watch and work are the faithful and wise servants who give their generation its due portion of present truth and warning, consecrating all they have and are to the salvation of souls.
Unexpected Coming and Watchers
The verse commands constant readiness because the Son of man will come at an hour people do not think of, do not expect, and do not know. That unexpected coming calls for continual watchfulness and readiness for his coming and for the last events of earth's history. Readiness cannot depend on knowing the hour, but means staying watchful through daily prayer and wholehearted service to Christ.
Its setting is servants keeping watch for their returning lord, who are blessed when he finds them alert. Readiness means staying watchful and faithfully doing the work entrusted to God's servants, remaining constantly ready and faithful in responsibilities rather than being found sleeping or unprepared. Those found watching when their Lord comes are blessed whenever he comes.
Like servants with loins girded and lights burning who wait for their Lord returning from the wedding, they are to open immediately when he comes and knocks. If he comes in the second watch or the third he will bless the watching servants by girding himself and making them sit down to meat and serving them. As a householder who knew the thief's hour would watch to prevent burglary, so all must always watch. They must not neglect their responsibilities or let their spiritual lamps grow dim, but keep them burning as they wait for their Master.
Faithful Watchful Living
Readiness is continual watchfulness against carelessness and unfaithfulness, against spiritual sleep and indolence, keeping attention fixed on the Lord's return through daily prayer and faithful use of every moment to the end. It means neither careless neglect nor idle waiting, but diligence in serving the Lord and doing life's duties faithfully in preparation for the last events of earth's history. Saving faith is proved by active works, with grace received and worked out as God works within.
Watching is not idle expectancy, nor striving in a tame, listless way without religious interest, but vigilant waiting united with earnest, diligent working and wholehearted service to Christ. It joins vigilant waiting and watching with earnest work, purifying the heart by obedience to the truth. This requires earnest, decided seeking of the Lord, receiving His grace and keeping the heart supplied with it, working out salvation as He works within. Neglect of that inward preparation leaves a person unprepared to enter the wedding.
For those blessed with great light, especially students, this means not merely claiming to believe the truth but living it and practicing it. Accountability belongs to readiness: those who know their Master's will but fail to do it will be held accountable, and doing less than one can do brings guilt through indolence. Readiness lays up treasure in heaven that fails not, where no thief approaches nor moth corrupts, so that the heart is there rather than living for earthly wealth. Power to get wealth is from God to be returned to Him by honest labor and industry, invested in His cause for perishing souls and given to those in need rather than spent on unnecessary things, on eating, drinking and merry settling down, or hoarded in expensive mansions and bank-stock which weigh nothing against the salvation for which Christ died; wealth thankfully received and returned is a blessing, while only the love of money is the root of all evil.
Those who so watch and work are the faithful and wise servants who give the Lord's household its portion of meat in due season by declaring the truth specially applicable now and giving their generation its special warning, as Enoch, Abraham, and Moses each declared the truth for his time. Because the Lord is at the door, zeal is quickened to cooperate with divine intelligences in working for the salvation of souls, consecrating all they have and are to the Master's service and glorifying God amid busy life by words of encouragement, faith, and hope. Such readiness to meet Him cannot be attained in a moment but requires this preparatory vigilant waiting, watching, and earnest work. In the perils of the last days when many are unaware of danger, repentance and obedience to truth are essential preparation. The same unexpected coming applies to sudden divine judgment on cities, when fire and brimstone will fall when people do not expect it with severity corresponding to each city's sins, calling God's people to locate away from the cities and not treat a city's destruction lightly or plan to rebuild there.
Christ will return at an unexpected hour no one knows, so all must live in constant readiness for him. His coming is like a lord returning to servants who keep watch with girded loins and burning lamps to open to him at once whenever he knocks, and those he finds alert and faithfully doing their entrusted work he will bless and serve. Such readiness is not idle waiting but vigilant watching against carelessness, sleep and indolence, joined with earnest, diligent work in life's duties and wholehearted service to Christ. It means purifying the heart by obedience to the truth, keeping it supplied with God's grace, working out salvation as God works within, and storing treasure in heaven rather than living for earthly wealth. Those who so watch and work are the faithful and wise servants who give their generation its due portion of present truth and warning, consecrating all they have and are to the salvation of souls.
Unexpected Coming and Watchers
The verse commands constant readiness because the Son of man will come at an hour people do not think of, do not expect, and do not know. That unexpected coming calls for continual watchfulness and readiness for his coming and for the last events of earth's history. Readiness cannot depend on knowing the hour, but means staying watchful through daily prayer and wholehearted service to Christ.
Its setting is servants keeping watch for their returning lord, who are blessed when he finds them alert. Readiness means staying watchful and faithfully doing the work entrusted to God's servants, remaining constantly ready and faithful in responsibilities rather than being found sleeping or unprepared. Those found watching when their Lord comes are blessed whenever he comes.
Like servants with loins girded and lights burning who wait for their Lord returning from the wedding, they are to open immediately when he comes and knocks. If he comes in the second watch or the third he will bless the watching servants by girding himself and making them sit down to meat and serving them. As a householder who knew the thief's hour would watch to prevent burglary, so all must always watch. They must not neglect their responsibilities or let their spiritual lamps grow dim, but keep them burning as they wait for their Master.
Faithful Watchful Living
Readiness is continual watchfulness against carelessness and unfaithfulness, against spiritual sleep and indolence, keeping attention fixed on the Lord's return through daily prayer and faithful use of every moment to the end. It means neither careless neglect nor idle waiting, but diligence in serving the Lord and doing life's duties faithfully in preparation for the last events of earth's history. Saving faith is proved by active works, with grace received and worked out as God works within.
Watching is not idle expectancy, nor striving in a tame, listless way without religious interest, but vigilant waiting united with earnest, diligent working and wholehearted service to Christ. It joins vigilant waiting and watching with earnest work, purifying the heart by obedience to the truth. This requires earnest, decided seeking of the Lord, receiving His grace and keeping the heart supplied with it, working out salvation as He works within. Neglect of that inward preparation leaves a person unprepared to enter the wedding.
For those blessed with great light, especially students, this means not merely claiming to believe the truth but living it and practicing it. Accountability belongs to readiness: those who know their Master's will but fail to do it will be held accountable, and doing less than one can do brings guilt through indolence. Readiness lays up treasure in heaven that fails not, where no thief approaches nor moth corrupts, so that the heart is there rather than living for earthly wealth. Power to get wealth is from God to be returned to Him by honest labor and industry, invested in His cause for perishing souls and given to those in need rather than spent on unnecessary things, on eating, drinking and merry settling down, or hoarded in expensive mansions and bank-stock which weigh nothing against the salvation for which Christ died; wealth thankfully received and returned is a blessing, while only the love of money is the root of all evil.
Those who so watch and work are the faithful and wise servants who give the Lord's household its portion of meat in due season by declaring the truth specially applicable now and giving their generation its special warning, as Enoch, Abraham, and Moses each declared the truth for his time. Because the Lord is at the door, zeal is quickened to cooperate with divine intelligences in working for the salvation of souls, consecrating all they have and are to the Master's service and glorifying God amid busy life by words of encouragement, faith, and hope. Such readiness to meet Him cannot be attained in a moment but requires this preparatory vigilant waiting, watching, and earnest work. In the perils of the last days when many are unaware of danger, repentance and obedience to truth are essential preparation. The same unexpected coming applies to sudden divine judgment on cities, when fire and brimstone will fall when people do not expect it with severity corresponding to each city's sins, calling God's people to locate away from the cities and not treat a city's destruction lightly or plan to rebuild there.