“Watch therefore.”
Matt. 24:42-5142Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come. 43But know this, that if the goodman of the house had known in what watch the thief would come, he would have watched, and would not have suffered his house to be broken up. 44Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh. 45Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his lord hath made ruler over his household, to give them meat in due season? 46Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing. 47Verily I say unto you, That he shall make him ruler over all his goods. 48But and if that evil servant shall say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming; 49And shall begin to smite his fellowservants, and to eat and drink with the drunken; 50The lord of that servant shall come in a day when he looketh not for him, and in an hour that he is not aware of, 51And shall cut him asunder, and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. (Matthew 24:42‑51).
WATCH therefore.” This is the great lesson that the blessed Lord would impress upon the souls of the disciples in view of all that He had been telling them. They will not know what hour He will come and so He would have them constantly watching, so that whatever moment He may come they may be ready. And He uses an illustration to enforce this truth.
If a man knows that a thief is going to break into his house during a certain watch of the night; he will watch, and not suffer his house to be broken up. And just so the Lord would have the disciples watch. They will know that the time is at hand, and that Jesus is coming, but they will not know the hour, and He would have them watching every moment. “Be ye also ready,” He says, “for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh.”
And then there is a word for us who know the Lord now, and who occupy the place of servants in His house. “Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his lord hath made ruler over his household, to give them meat in due season? Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing. Verily I say unto you, that he shall make him ruler over all his goods.” So, too, will be the reward of the faithful and. wise servant of the Lord Jesus, when He comes. The Lord will give him, a place of honor and trust in the kingdom, when He reigns.
Very different will it be with the evil servant who loves not the appearing of Jesus his Lord. “But and if that evil servant shall say. in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming; and shall begin to smite his fellow servants, and to eat and drink with the drunken; the lord of that servant shall come in a day that he looketh not for him, and in an hour that he is not aware of, and shall cut him asunder, and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites: there shall be weeping and, gnashing of teeth.”
How very solemn then it must be for anyone to “say in his heart, My Lord delayeth His coming.” And if you say it “in your heart,” you not only do not believe that He is coming soon but you do not wish. Him to come. You have no love to the Lord, and you would rather He would stay away, so that you can do as you please, and have what the world would call “a good time” eating and drinking with the drunken. And if this is your state, you are not a true Christian at all, though you may pretend to be one, and may even be called a preacher. This is hypocrisy, and your portion will be with the hypocrites. Oh! what a doom, — “weeping and gnashing of teeth” in a scene of outer darkness, where light never enters, and from which hope is shut out forever.
Oh then, may you heed the words of solemn warning which Jesus, gives, and be ready when Jesus comes.
ML 09/11/1904