Luke 12:35–40 (NKJV)
“Let your waist be girded and your lamps burning;
and you yourselves be like men who wait for their master, when he will return from the wedding, that when he comes and knocks they may open to him immediately.
Blessed are those servants whom the master, when he comes, will find watching. Assuredly, I say to you that he will gird himself and have them sit down to eat, and will come and serve them.
And if he should come in the second watch, or come in the third watch, and find them so, blessed are those servants.
But know this, that if the master of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched and not allowed his house to be broken into.
Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.”
Spiritual Drowsiness is Dangerous
In this parable, Jesus presents the image of a wealthy master who leaves his household, entrusting his servants with various responsibilities. He gives them no specific time of return, only the instruction to remain watchful and ready at all times.
Each servant in the house has a role:
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Some prepare food
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Some clean the house
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Others feed the animals
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Some guard the house
The expectation is that each servant remains faithful to their assignment, alert and working—not asleep, even in the deep hours of the night.
If the master were to return and find them asleep or idle, it would not only be a shame, but grounds for discipline or dismissal. That’s the weight of responsibility Jesus emphasizes.
This is a Picture of Christ’s Second Coming
Every true believer in Jesus is His servant. Upon salvation, we receive gifts (charismata) from the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 12:4–11), which are intended to build and advance God’s Kingdom until Christ returns.
Jesus is the Master. He has “gone to the wedding feast” (a metaphor for His presence in heaven preparing for the Marriage Supper of the Lamb – Revelation 19:7–9) but will return at an unknown hour.
The warning is clear:
If He returns and finds that your gift lies dormant, or worse, that you have fallen asleep spiritually, entangled in the ways of the world—there is danger of being cast out of His presence.
Mark 13:35–37 (NKJV)
“Watch therefore, for you do not know when the master of the house is coming—in the evening, at midnight, at the crowing of the rooster, or in the morning—
lest, coming suddenly, he find you sleeping.
And what I say to you, I say to all: Watch!”
The emphasis is not on predicting the time of Christ’s return, but on readiness and faithfulness in service.
We Must Stay Spiritually Awake
We live in a world that constantly tempts us to spiritual laziness, compromise, and distraction. But Jesus repeatedly warned us to “stay awake” — to live with urgency, holiness, and devotion, fully engaged in the mission of the Kingdom.
Hebrews 10:37 (NKJV)
“For yet a little while, and He who is coming will come and will not tarry.”
His return is nearer than ever. We cannot afford to let our lamps go out or to loosen our belts of readiness.
Matthew 25:13 (NKJV)
“Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming.”
Final Exhortation
Let us remain faithful. Let us watch and pray, and continue in the ministry, work, and calling that Christ has entrusted to each of us. The gift He has given you must not die; it must bear fruit until the day He returns.
2 Timothy 4:2 (NKJV)
“Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching.”
Do not fall asleep.
Stay awake.
Jesus is coming soon.
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