Jesus has just told His disciples that He is like a man who leaves his house to go away and puts his servants in charge. He gives each of his servants specific tasks and puts one at the door to keep watch. Now, Jesus draws out the lesson.
“Watch ye therefore: for ye know not when the master of the house cometh, at even, or at midnight, or at the cockcrowing, or in the morning: Lest coming suddenly he find you sleeping. And what I say unto you I say unto all, Watch.” – Mark 13:35-37
Jesus emphasises that we cannot know precisely when the second coming will be. And Jesus repeats the word, “watch.” The most important task He has for us is to watch over his house and keep it safe from robbers and those who would harm it.
This means continuing His work on earth. This means holding on to the message of Jesus. It means preserving and nurturing His people. The worst thing that a guard could do was fall asleep.
The disciples would forget these instructions of Jesus all too soon. In the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus would tell them to watch, but they would all fall asleep, and in the end, they would all run away and desert him.
The question is: Are you watching? You watch when you devote priority time to your relationship with Jesus. You do this by making time for reading God’s word, The Bible, and by taking solid time out to pray. It’s not about what you are watching out for but who you watch. We have to watch Jesus.
