PARABLE 44 - Servants Must Remain Watchful

PARABLE 44 — MARK 13:32-37 — SERVANTS MUST REMAIN WATCHFUL

In verses 28 – 31 The Lord had just told the parable of the fig tree.

32 But of that day and that hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels which are in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father. 33 Take ye heed, watch and pray: for ye know not when the time is. 34 For the Son of Man is as a man taking a far journey, who left his house, and gave authority to his servants, and to every man his work, and commanded the porter to watch.

35 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: 36 Lest coming suddenly he find you sleeping.

37 And what I say unto you I say unto all, Watch.

Discussion Questions – Parable 44

PARABLE 44 — MARK 13:32-37 — SERVANTS MUST REMAIN WATCHFUL

1. What is the message in this parable?

The message of this parable of the watchful servants is very clear: be ready for Jesus' return because he will come when it is least expected. We are urged to be ready by repenting of sin, and obeying God.

Jesus says that we are to keep awake and be ready for his return, because he will return at an unexpected time. We do not know if he will come back in the evening, at midnight, at cockcrow, or morning. He repeatedly tells us to stay awake and WATCH!

"Remember then what you received and heard; obey it, and repent. If you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what hour I will come to you." (Revelation 3:3)

2. What does it mean to watch and pray?

Jesus used the phrase “watch and pray” on a couple of different occasions. Once was the night before the crucifixion. Jesus took Peter, James, and John with Him to the Garden of Gethsemane, where He prayed that “this cup be taken from me” (Matthew 26:39). After the prayer, He found His disciples sleeping. He was grieved that they could not even pray with Him for an hour and warned them to “watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak” (Matthew 26:41).

Another occurrence of the phrase “watch and pray” is found earlier in Jesus’ ministry when He prophesied about the end times. Luke chapter 21 details many of those events, and Jesus warns that they would happen suddenly: “Be careful, or your hearts will be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness and the anxieties of life, and that day will close on you suddenly like a trap” (Luke 21:34). He then says, “Be always on the watch, and pray that you may be able to escape all that is about to happen, and that you may be able to stand before the Son of Man” (verse 36).

“Watch and pray.” The word translated “watch” means “to have the alertness of a guard at night.” A night watchman must be even more vigilant than a daytime guard. In the daytime, danger can often be spotted from a distance. But in the night everything is different. A night watchman must use senses other than sight to detect danger. He is often alone in the darkness and without the defenses he would otherwise employ. There may be no indications of enemy attack until it happens, so he must be hyper-vigilant, suspecting it at any moment. That is the type of watching Jesus spoke about.

The Lord said in verse 33 “take heed, watch and pray”. In other words he was saying, “Pay attention! Watch and Pray!”

3. Is it possible to predict Jesus’ second coming?

Jesus said, But of that day and that hour no one knows, no, not the angels which are in heaven, neither the Son, but only the Father (vs.32).

After Jesus’ resurrection, He again said, “It is not for you to know times or seasons which the Father has put in His own authority” (Acts 1:7). However, in spite of Jesus’ statements, countless people have foolishly tried to predict the time of His second coming. It is because we don’t know the timing that we must keep watching.

When a person thinks he has more than enough time to get ready, he is seriously tempted to let down spiritually. When we live with the eager expectation of the Lord’s return we are more likely to keep our lives pure and our hearts ready to meet him.

Continuing in Matthew 24, Jesus said, “Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect” (Matthew 24:44) Watching reminds us and motivates us to remain ready. That’s the main idea!

4. What other instructions did the Son of man give his servants in the parable besides watch and pray?

He gave authority to his servants to keep working – in other words keep doing God’s work. He also commanded the porter (watchman or doorkeeper) to keep watch.

God called the prophet Ezekiel to be a “watchman” to the nation of Israel to warn them to repent of their wicked ways or else suffer dire consequences (Ezekiel 3:17; Ezekiel 33:7). God told Ezekiel that He would hold him accountable—that if he didn’t warn the people he would share the guilt for their suffering (Ezekiel 33:1-6).

So this is another application of Christ’s command to “watch.” He means for us to act as watchmen! How can we best do that?

First, we must strive to be “the light of the world” by being a godly example for others to follow (Matthew 5:14).

Second, we must study the Bible so that when people ask us important questions, we’ll be prepared to give them biblical answers (1 Peter 3:15).

Third, we must learn how God is using His Church to “go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature” (Mark 16:15). We should learn how we can support and be a part of that great collective commission of “preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God” (Mark 1:14).

The role of the Church has some similarity to the role of the Old Testament prophets. They taught the godly standards of good versus evil, the promise of God’s blessings on those who do right, and the warning of God’s punishments on those who do wrong.

The word gospel means good news, and the true gospel includes the wonderful news that Jesus Christ will soon return to give us true peace on earth! And before that, God will give forgiveness and protection to those who repent of their sins and make the commitment to obey and serve Him.

Keep watching! Perhaps the best summary of this subject is this sobering warning from Jesus Christ in verse 37, “And what I say to you, I say to all! WATCH!

5. What specific task(s) do you think God has given you to do as you wait for Jesus’ return?