May 27, 2024

The Waiting Servants

By Peter Amsterdam

Audio length: 11:58
Download Audio (10.9MB)

Within the Gospels of Mark and Luke, Jesus spoke of His return in two different parables. While they’re somewhat different from each other, they both make the same point.

The first parable, found in the Gospel of Mark, is told by Jesus, followed by explanations for His disciples regarding the parable’s application. Prior to telling this parable, Jesus was speaking about events which would precede the parousia (His return at the end of time). He said that only the Father knows when that time will come, but in the meantime, His disciples were to “Be on guard, keep awake. For you do not know when the time will come” (Mark 13:32–33).

He then proceeded to tell them the parable:

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 stay awake. Therefore stay awake—for you do not know when the master of the house will come, in the evening, or at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or in the morning—lest he come suddenly and find you asleep. And what I say to you I say to all: Stay awake (Mark 13:34–37).

The master of the house set things in order by making sure each of his servants knew what they were to do during his absence. He made a point of telling the doorkeeper to stay awake, to be ready for his return, and to open the door upon his arrival. Generally the duty of a doorkeeper was to keep out possible intruders, but in this case he was instructed to be prepared to open the door on the master’s return. However, he wasn’t given any indication as to when that would be.

Jesus then went on to tell His disciples that they too are to stay awake and alert, because they don’t know when their Master will return. Jesus made reference to the four watches of the night that the Roman soldiers used—the evening, midnight, cockcrow, and morning. His inference that the master could come suddenly didn’t mean soon, but unexpectedly—that he could come at any time and no one would know exactly when he would arrive. If the servant was found sleeping when the master arrived, he would have failed in his duty.

Similar calls to stay awake and to be alert are found throughout the Gospels: “Stay awake at all times, praying that you may have strength to escape all these things that are going to take place, and to stand before the Son of Man” (Luke 21:36). “Therefore, stay awake, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming” (Matthew 24:42). “Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour” (Matthew 25:13).

To be discovered sleeping when one is supposed to be on duty would be considered a shameful failure to fulfill one’s obligations. We read of this very thing happening on the eve of Jesus’ crucifixion when Jesus told Peter, James, and John to “remain here and watch” as He prayed. Later we read that “He came and found them sleeping,”and said to Peter, “Could you not watch one hour?” (Mark 14:34–37).

Jesus stressed that His disciples must be alert, awake, aware, and vigilant, for no one knows the time of His coming. What Jesus said to His disciples, He says to all Christians in all times, including us today. Jesus calls us to vigilantly live our faith in a manner that ensures we will be ready to meet the Lord. In Matthew 24, Jesus says, “Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom his master has set over his household, to give them their food at the proper time? Blessed is that servant whom his master will find so doing when he comes” (Matthew 24:45–46).

It’s easy to let our spiritual lives drift to the neglect of our faith and relationship with God. The cares of our everyday lives require us to focus on our daily duties, work, family, friends, and the never-ending affairs of everyday life. It takes intentionality, as well as time and effort to actively live our faith, to feed our souls, to keep our spiritual lives vibrant and relevant, to fulfill Jesus’ call to us: Stay awake!

The second parable, which has a similar message, is found in Luke 12:

Stay dressed for action and keep your lamps burning, and be like men who are waiting for their master to come home from the wedding feast, so that they may open the door to him at once when he comes and knocks. Blessed are those servants whom the master finds awake when he comes. Truly, I say to you, he will dress himself for service and have them recline at table, and he will come and serve them. If he comes in the second watch, or in the third, and finds them awake, blessed are those servants! (Luke 12:35–38).

Jesus opens this parable with a call to “be dressed for action.” This expresses the idea of being in a constant state of readiness to act, as 1 Peter 1:13 reiterates: “Therefore, preparing your minds for action, and being sober-minded, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.”

Jesus follows this call to be ready for action with another phrase which makes the same point: “Keep your lamps burning.” This reflects being prepared to take action at night. Both point to an attitude of preparedness that Jesus is calling His disciples to have as they wait for His return.

The third word picture completes the idea of being prepared: “Be like men who are waiting for their master to come home from the wedding feast, so that they may open the door to him at once when he comes and knocks.” Wedding feasts during that time period could last for days, and even up to a week, so the servants had no way of knowing when their master would come home. They had to be constantly ready and alert as they waited.

Jesus used three examples of readiness—being dressed for action, keeping the lamps burning, and being prepared at all times for the master’s return—to express the need for His followers to live in a manner which reflects His teachings. We are to live a life guided by His Word, with one eye heavenward looking expectantly for His return.

He then focuses on the reward of those who are ready. “Blessed are those servants whom the master finds awake when he comes.” Those who are awake at the master’s return will receive God’s favor. They have been spiritually vigilant, living their faith.

Jesus then spoke of the behavior of the master who has returned home and found his servants awaiting him. “Truly, I say to you, he will dress himself for service and have them recline at table, and he will come and serve them.” The master will reverse roles with the servants, which in essence means that the servants no longer have the same status as before. The actions of the master in this parable reflect the actions of Jesus at the Last Supper when He washed His disciples’ feet (John 13:4–5).

After doing so, He said to them: “If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have given you an example, that you also should do just as I have done to you” (John 13:14–15).

This concept of Jesus as the one who serves is found throughout the Gospels, such as when Jesus said that He “came not to be served but to serve and to give His life as a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45), and “I am among you as the one who serves” (Luke 22:27).

Jesus went on to say: “If he comes in the second watch, or in the third, and finds them awake, blessed are those servants!” Unlike the four Roman watches of the night used in Mark’s parable above, in this case Jesus refers to the three watches of the night used by the Jews. He tells those who follow Him that the time of His return is uncertain, and that those who are awake and ready no matter what time the master comes will be blessed.

Twice Jesus called those servants who are ready and awake when He comes blessed. Scripture teaches that Jesus will return, but that no one knows when His second coming will happen. Like the servants in the parable, none of us know the day or the hour of our Master’s return, but we are exhorted to always be vigilant in spirit in anticipation of that time. At some point the Lord will return, and we want to be ready when He does.

We can also take the same principles to heart regarding the time of our death. No Christian in history has experienced Christ’s return, but all Christians who have passed on from this life have come into His presence. None of us know exactly when we will die, we only know that we will. From what Jesus taught in these parables, we should recognize that we don’t know when the Master will call us home, and therefore we should strive to be spiritually awake and ready at all times.

Originally published July 2018. Adapted and republished May 2024. Read by John Laurence.

Posted in: audio, bible, discipleship, endtime, peter amsterdam