Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his master made ruler over his household, to give them food in due season?

 "Now learn this parable from the fig tree:  When its branch has already become tender and puts forth leaves, you know that summer is near.  So you also, when you see all these things, know that it is near -- at the doors!  Assuredly, I say to you, this generation will by no means pass away till all these things take place.  Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away.

"But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only.  But as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.  For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and did not know until the flood came and took them all away, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.  Then two men will be in the field:  one will be taken and the other left.  Two women will be grinding at the mill:  one will be taken and the other left.  Watch therefore, for you do not know what hour your Lord is coming.  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.

"Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his master made ruler over his household, to give them food in due season?  Blessed is that servant whom his master, when he comes, will find so doing.  Assuredly, I say to you that he will make him ruler over all his goods.  But if that evil servant says in his heart, 'My master is delaying his coming,' and begins to beat his fellow servants, and to eat and drink with the drunkards, the master of that servant will come on a day when he is not looking him and at an hour that he is not aware of, and will cut him in two and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites.  There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth."

- Matthew 24:32-51

We have been reading Jesus' prophecy of end times, and what is to come in Jerusalem regarding the destruction of the temple and the Siege of Jerusalem (beginning with Thursday's reading).  Yesterday we read that Jesus told the disciples:  "Therefore when you see the 'abomination of desolation,' spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place" (whoever reads, let him understand), "then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains.  Let him who is on the housetop not go down to take anything out of his house.  And let him who is in the field not go back to get his clothes.  But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days!  And pray that your flight may not be in winter or on the Sabbath.  For then there will will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be.  And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect's sake those days will be shortened.  Then if anyone says to you, 'Look, here is the Christ!' or 'There!' do not believe it.  For false christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect.  See, I have told you beforehand.  Therefore if they say to you, 'Look, He is in the desert!' do not go out; or 'Look, He is in the inner rooms!' do not believe it.  For as the lightning comes from the east and flashes to the west, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.  For wherever the carcass is, there the eagles will be gathered together.  Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken.  Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.  And He will send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other."

 "Now learn this parable from the fig tree:  When its branch has already become tender and puts forth leaves, you know that summer is near.  So you also, when you see all these things, know that it is near -- at the doors!  Assuredly, I say to you, this generation will by no means pass away till all these things take place.  Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away."  My study bible tells us that this generation refers to all believers at all times; that is, the generation of the Church, and not simply to those alive at the time of Christ.  Although we should keep in mind that the Siege of Jerusalem would come in their lifetimes, within roughly a generation from the time He speaks (forty years).  But His general warnings and discussion apply to the entire Christian era, for the whole of it is the time of the "end."

 "But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only."  My study bible cites the commentary of St. John Chrysostom, who says that Christ tells of the angels being unaware of the exact day of His return "so that men should not seek to learn what angels do not know," and to forbid them not only from learning the day, but from even inquiring about it.  According to Mark 13:32, and the Matthew text of St. Chrysostom, Jesus declares also that the Son does not know the day of His own return (as implied here when Christ says "My Father only" knows).  St. Chrysostom says that this is not to be understood literally.  It is rather a figure of speech which means that Christ, although revealing all the signs that will accompany His return, will not reveal the precise day to anyone, and that believers should not be so brazen as to inquire of Him.

"But as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.  For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and did not know until the flood came and took them all away, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.  Then two men will be in the field:  one will be taken and the other left.  Two women will be grinding at the mill:  one will be taken and the other left."  This second coming of Christ, my study bible comments, will entail a sudden revelation of judgment.  One will be taken to heaven and the other left.  The separation of the saints from the wicked, it says, will occur at the coming of the Son of Man, as Christ's words indicate here, and not at a certain time before His second coming.

"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."  Jesus uses intentional language to emphasize that our job is to be ready for this time, and that His return will happen "at an hour you do not expect."  We must watch and be ready -- in other words, continuing in virtue and obeying His commandments. 

"Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his master made ruler over his household, to give them food in due season?  Blessed is that servant whom his master, when he comes, will find so doing.  Assuredly, I say to you that he will make him ruler over all his goods.  But if that evil servant says in his heart, 'My master is delaying his coming,' and begins to beat his fellow servants, and to eat and drink with the drunkards, the master of that servant will come on a day when he is not looking him and at an hour that he is not aware of, and will cut him in two and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites.  There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth."  This parable is meant to illustrate His warnings, that to be ready for His return is to be a faithful and wise servant, who keeps a household with good rule, and feeds the members of the master's house in due season.   But to abuse one's position, to abuse our fellow servants, and forget our duties to Christ and His commandments is to risk forfeiture of everything, even life itself.  If we do so, we join with the hypocrites. 

Jesus gives us a way to prepare for His return:  we are to keep busy as good servants, following His commands, keeping His house in order, and that includes caring for the members of the house -- and as Jesus puts it, that means "to give them food in due season."  A house, in the image which Christ gives us, was more than just a dwelling structure or a home.  A house was a lineage, a group identity, a dynasty for a royal family, or more commonly, it was an entire estate which included properties, crops, animals, foodstuffs.  In Greek, the root of this word for "household" is οικος, meaning "house" and pronounced "ecos."   It's the root for words like economy and ecology. In fact, the word economy comes from the Greek for "steward" (οικονομος/economos), as in the teaching that we are to be good stewards (1 Peter 4:10), or managers of an estate.  And so, if we are all servants in this household, Jesus is speaking of the household of His Church.  That is, the "home" which bears His name, and houses so many other servants.  As we are all members of that household, we bear His name and identity, and the Master of the house has ordered that we follow particular commandments and treat one another in a particular way -- and this is how we are to busy ourselves as we await His return.  It is only in this way that we will, in fact, be really prepared for His return.  It is when we forget the things that we are to be about that we are unprepared, and might be caught as in a snare (Luke 21:35).  So let us consider how we treat one another, how we feed one another "in due season."  How do we practice Christ's commandment that we love one another, as He has loved us?  Let us also keep in mind that Jesus is preparing the stewards and shepherds of His house, His disciples who will become the bishops of His Church, and so this language is particularly directed to those in position of leadership.  But in Christ's church, His house, each one of us bears a unique responsibility for our talents, and therefore a capacity for leadership.  Each one may edify with a word (and hence "feed"), each is responsible for a way to maintain right relations and good order, each follows the commands of the Master in his or her own life, and bears His image.  Hence, in this identity of our household, we all have loyalties and duties, and it is when we forget that this is what we are to be about that we lose even what we have.  How do we serve Christ?  Do we serve with love and truth?  Do we serve prayerfully?  Are we listening and in dialogue with our Master through prayer?  Many causes seem to abound in the world, all of them proclaiming themselves to be good:  but do they ask us to hate or to love?  Do they deride whole groups of people with hate, or do they serve Christ's household with love?  Do we take stock of our true place in Christ's plan for salvation -- or do we plan other things for ourselves with higher priority?  Can we serve in His household "by any means necessary" -- or does Christ in fact teach us that it is precisely the "means" He emphasizes rather than the end?  Let us keep in mind that the "end" is firmly up to Him, but He gives us the proper means whereby we do as He asks.  It's up to us to follow, or to be unprepared for His return.  Christ asks us to be "faithful and wise" -- meaning loyal and trusting in His commandments and prudent in our conduct, self-aware.  Let us not "eat and drink with the drunkards" who chase whatever looks good to the crowds today, forgetting who we are.  Life is too precious and rich in His household, in the place where He shares with us His joy.

Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect

Panagia Gorgoepikoos ("Quick to Hear").  Fresco, 1563.  Docheiariou Monastery, Mt. Athos, Greece

 

 "Now learn this parable from the fig tree:  When its branch has already become tender and puts forth leaves, you know that summer is near.  So you also, when you see all these things, know that it is near -- at the doors!  Assuredly, I say to you, this generation will by no means pass away till all these things take place.  Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away.

"But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only.  But as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.  For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and did not know until the flood came and took them all away, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.  Then two men will be in the field:  one will be taken and the other left.  Two women will be grinding at the mill:  one will be taken and the other left.  Watch therefore, for you do not know what hour your Lord is coming.  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."

- Matthew 24:32-44

In yesterday's reading, Jesus continued His warnings to the disciples of things that will come to be in Jerusalem:  "Therefore when you see the 'abomination of desolation,' spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place" (whoever reads, let him understand), "then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains.  Let him who is on the housetop not go down to take anything out of his house. And let him who is in the field not go back to get his clothes.  But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days!  And pray that your flight may not be in winter or on the Sabbath.  For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be.  And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect's sake those days will be shortened.  Then if anyone says to you, 'Look, here is the Christ!' or 'There!' do not believe it.  For false Christ's and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect.  See, I have told you beforehand.  Therefore if they say to you, 'Look, He is in the desert!' do not go out; or 'Look, He is in the inner rooms!' do not believe it.  For as the lightning comes from the east and flashes to the west, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.  For wherever the carcass is, there the eagles will be gathered together.  Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken.  Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.  And He will send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other."

 "Now learn this parable from the fig tree:  When its branch has already become tender and puts forth leaves, you know that summer is near.  So you also, when you see all these things, know that it is near -- at the doors!  Assuredly, I say to you, this generation will by no means pass away till all these things take place.  Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away."  My study bible suggests that this generation refers to all believers at all times, the generation of the Church, and not merely to those alive at the time of Christ.

"But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only."  My study bible cites St. John Chrysostom, who says that Christ tells of the angels being unaware of the exact day of His return "so that men should not seek to learn what angels do not know," and to forbid them not only from learning the day, but from even inquiring about it.  In both Mark 13:32, and in the Matthew text of Chrysostom, Jesus says that the Son also does not know the day of His own return.  What Chrysostom says about this is that it is not to be understood literally.  Rather it is a figure of speech which tells us that Christ, although revealing all the signs that will accompany His return, will not reveal the exact day to anyone.  Moreover, no believer should be brazen enough as to inquire it of Him.

"But as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.  For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and did not know until the flood came and took them all away, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.  Then two men will be in the field:  one will be taken and the other left.  Two women will be grinding at the mill:  one will be taken and the other left."   My study bible comments that the second coming of Christ will entail a sudden revelation of judgment.  One will be taken to heaven and the other left.  This separation will occur at the coming of the Son of Man, according to what Christ says, and not -- as some teach today -- at a certain time before His second coming.  But note the tone of Christ's vivid images:  life continues on as usual, without people thinking or concerned about what is imminent.  The change of time will be sudden and not expected.

"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."  My study bible says that Christ's purpose in making this discourse to the disciples is not to make people experts on end-time prophecy.  It is instead so that they might watch and be ready,  continuing in virtue and obeying Christ's commandments.

There are times when, no matter what other distractions or current events or terrific involvement in the affairs of life are going on, one must get down to what really matters.  This is the emphasis that Jesus puts on remembering that He "comes as a thief in the night," as Saints Peter and Paul put it (2 Peter 3:10, 1 Thessalonians 5:2).   If we keep this in mind, then it gets us down to brass tacks, so to speak.  It will keep us in the awareness of what we are to be about, and what really matters deeply.  His return is a solemn promise, for which He counsels us to watch and be ready.  Essentially remember Him and His words is a way to keep ourselves aware of the importance of His commandments, of practicing our faith, and remembering even that He is there present, with us, through all things.  From the earliest tradition of the Church, prayers of the Hours have been part of its fabric.  They come to us, of course, from Jewish tradition.  But what is the purpose of punctuating our day with prayers, except to "remember God," to remember what we are to be about, to keep our minds focused on our real priorities, and not to lose ourselves in the activities and concerns of the present time?  Prayer can keep us focused not only on our priorities, but on what is essential within ourselves that we need to place greater weight on, to follow in good discipline, and to keep in mind as we make decisions and look at events and circumstances in which we find ourselves.  It seems that with the passage of time, our societies get busier and busier.  Indeed, I was once told by an economic historian who studied such things that with each new invention that was meant to save time, people just got busier.  Our hours fill up with tasks to be done, places to go, things we need to do.  Distractions abound for all of us, unless we intentionally make time -- make room, so to speak -- to remember Christ.  This is often best done by deliberately taking time for prayer.  Prayer need not take an enormous amount of time to be effective, neither does it need to be original.  The prayers of the Church, and the Psalms of the Old Testament, provide plenty for us to select and make time for.  A friend who is a deacon in charge of religious education has lately reminded me that the Our Father is a prayer suggested even for the times when we are alone, and closing the door on our "inner chamber," teaching us that we are never alone in prayer, as "Our Father" is a communal address (see Matthew 6:5-13).  Jesus teaches us to watch and to be ready, in keeping with His earlier admonitions not to be deceived by false christs, and to endure.  On the whole, He teaches us that our priority is to be mindful, and regular prayer helps sharpen our awareness and insight, keeping our focus where it needs to be.   As Jesus says, we are always to be ready.  The icon above is called in Greek Panagia Gorgoepikoos.  Panagia means "All Holy" and is a title for Mary, the Mother of God.  Gorgoepikoos means "Quick to Hear."  She is the one who comes speedily to listen to prayer, and is always ready to do so.   She reminds us that we don't pray alone, and that there are intercessors who both pray with us and hear our prayers. Let us follow her example and be always ready.

Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his master made ruler over his household, to give them food in due season?

 "Now learn this parable from the fig tree:  When its branch has already become tender and puts forth leaves, you know that summer is near.  So you also, when you see all these things, know that it is near -- at the doors!  Assuredly, I say to you, this generation will by no means pass away till all these things take place.  Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away.

"But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only.  But as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.  For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and did not know until the flood came and took them all away, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.  Then two men will be in the field:  one will be taken and the other left.  Two women will be grinding at the mill:  one will be taken and the other left.  Watch therefore, for you do not know what hour your Lord is coming.  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.

"Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his master made ruler over his household, to give them food in due season?  Blessed is that servant whom his master, when he comes, will find so doing.  Assuredly, I say to you that he will make him ruler over all his goods.  But if that evil servant says in his heart, 'My master is delaying his coming,' and begins to beat his fellow servants, and to eat and drink with drunkards, the master of that servant will come on a day when he is not looking for him and at an hour that he is not aware of, and will cut him in two and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites.  There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth."

- Matthew 24:32-51

In the past two readings, Jesus has begun teaching about end times, and the destruction of the temple with war to come in Jerusalem.  In yesterday's reading, He told His disciples, "Therefore when you see the 'abomination of desolation,' spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place" (whoever reads, let him understand), "then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains.  Let him who is on the housetop not go down to take anything out of his house.  And let him who is in the field not go back to get his clothes.  But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days!  And pray that your flight may not be in winter or on the Sabbath.  For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be.  And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect's sake those days will be shortened.  Then if anyone says to you, 'Look, here is the Christ!' or 'There!' do not believe it.  For false christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect.  See, I have told you beforehand.  Therefore if they say to you, 'Look, He is in the desert!' do not go out; or 'Look, He is in the inner rooms!' do not believe it.  For as the lightning comes from the east and flashes to the west, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.  For wherever the carcass is, there the eagles will be gathered together.  Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken.  Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.  And He will send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other."

 "Now learn this parable from the fig tree:  When its branch has already become tender and puts forth leaves, you know that summer is near.  So you also, when you see all these things, know that it is near -- at the doors!  Assuredly, I say to you, this generation will by no means pass away till all these things take place.  Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away."  My study bible says that this generation refers to all believers at all times, the generation of the Church, and not merely those alive at the time of Christ.

"But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only."   St. John Chrysostom suggests that Jesus says the angels are unaware of the precise day of His return "so that men should not seek to learn what angels do not know," and to forbid them not only from learning the day, but from even inquiring about it.  In accordance with Mark 13:32, and Chrysostom's Matthew text, Jesus declares that the Son also does not know the day of His own return.   Chrysostom teaches that this isn't to be taken literally but is rather a figure of speech.  Rather it means that Christ, although He revealed all the signs that will accompany His return, will not reveal the exact day to anyone, and that believers should not be so brazen as to inquire of Him.  

"For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and did not know until the flood came and took them all away, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.  Then two men will be in the field:  one will be taken and the other left.  Two women will be grinding at the mill:  one will be taken and the other left."  My study bible points out that the second coming of Christ will entail a sudden revelation of judgment.  One will be taken to heaven and the other left.  This separation of the saints from the wicked, it says, will occur at the coming of the Son of Man according to the text, and not as some teach today, at a certain time before His second coming.

"Watch therefore, for you do not know what hour your Lord is coming.  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."  What's the purpose in Christ's discourse on this subject?  It is not to make people experts on end-time prophecy, but to tell us that we must watch and be ready -- continuing in virtue, my study bible says, and obeying Christ's commandments.

"Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his master made ruler over his household, to give them food in due season?  Blessed is that servant whom his master, when he comes, will find so doing.  Assuredly, I say to you that he will make him ruler over all his goods.  But if that evil servant says in his heart, 'My master is delaying his coming,' and begins to beat his fellow servants, and to eat and drink with drunkards, the master of that servant will come on a day when he is not looking for him and at an hour that he is not aware of, and will cut him in two and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites.  There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth."  Here's Christ's illustration of our lives in this time, as we await His return.  We're to remember the that we're servants of the Master, and treat our fellow servants and conduct our own lives according to His instructions.  The repeated stress is on the fact that we don't know when He'll return.  Moreover, He repeatedly emphasizes that it will be at a time we're not aware of.

The unexpected quality of Christ's return is something Jesus vividly and repeatedly teaches us.  He urges us to really understand that not only is the hour unknown, but explicitly says that He's coming at a time we're not going to be aware nor looking for it.  The tone of these warnings is to give us pause, to pull us up short, and to consider right here and right now where our focus is.  To teach us about the end time is not to prepare us in the sense that we can anticipate a time or an event and plan for it.  Rather, the intention here is to tell us to focus on what is at hand and how we're living our lives, because no one knows that day and hour -- least of all us!    On the contrary, Jesus' teaching has the effect of teaching us that every moment counts:  there is no spare time to waste in our lives, and each moment is significant.  As servants, we're given the image that we always have a job to do, duties and responsibilities, commands to follow.  He specifically mentions the duty "to give them food in due season."  Let us consider that He's speaking to His disciples, including the apostles who will go out to all the world preaching the Gospel of the kingdom of God.  So, as servants of the Master, how do we give our fellow servants food in due season?   Moreover, He proclaims another kind of beginning of creation as with Adam in Eden:  He's put us in charge of His household (whom his master made ruler over his household).   How do we feed others, and with what?  We're reminded here of the Lord's Prayer request:  "Give us this day our daily bread."  The word translated as "daily" really means something much more, and was apparently coined just for the prayer as it doesn't appear in any other literature or anywhere else.  It means "supersubstantial" or "above the substance" or perhaps even more literally, "supernatural" -- it's the bread that is the food of eternal and true life, that extra substance that we need because we do not live by bread alone (4:4).  Connecting the passages, we can't help but understand that Christ is asking us -- not only as fellow servants, but as those whom He's put in charge of His household -- to feed all those for whom we bear some responsibility in community with this bread that gives life, His word.  Moreover, we are to do this by living the lives He asks of us, following His commands ourselves.  His household is to be ruled with compassion and wisdom, humility and grace.  He asks of us alertness and care.  The opposite is selfishness, abuse, exploitation.   How do we stand as those whom He's put in charge of His household?  What's on the list to do today?