Be Vigilant
In the middle of His Olivet Discourse Jesus said: “But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone.” (Matthew 24:36).
There are several things that are apparent from the context: First, Jesus was speaking of the beginning of the Day of the Lord, a subject which had never been spoken of before in the Prophets. And second, He is very concerned that believers remain watchful for His second coming.
Also, the context shows that believers who are not watching for His return will not be rewarded at that time. Take for example, (Matthew 24:45-51). 45 “Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his master made ruler over his household, to give them food in due season? 46 Blessed is that servant whom his master, when he comes, will find so doing. 47 Assuredly, I say to you that he will make him ruler over all his goods. 48 But if that evil servant says in his heart, ‘My master is delaying his coming,’ 49 and begins to beat his fellow servants, and to eat and drink with the drunkards, 50 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, 51 and will cut him in two and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites. There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”
The parable given in Matthew 25:14-30 also concerns the Judgment Seat of Christ and rewards (or lack of rewards) for the believer when Christ returns. 14 “For the kingdom of heaven is like a man traveling to a far country, who called his own servants and delivered his goods to them. 15 And to one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one, to each according to his own ability; and immediately he went on a journey. 16 Then he who had received the five talents went and traded with them, and made another five talents. 17 And likewise he who had received two gained two more also. 18 But he who had received one went and dug in the ground, and hid his lord’s money. 19 After a long time the lord of those servants came (Second Coming of Jesus) and settled accounts with them. 20 So he who had received five talents came and brought five other talents, saying, ‘Lord, you delivered to me five talents; look, I have gained five more talents besides them.’ 21 His lord said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.’ 22 He also who had received two talents came and said, ‘Lord, you delivered to me two talents; look, I have gained two more talents besides them.’ 23 His lord said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.’ 24 Then he who had received the one talent came and said, ‘Lord, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you have not sown, and gathering where you have not scattered seed. 25 And I was afraid, and went and hid your talent in the ground. (the earth God had cursed) Look, there you have what is yours.’ 26 But his lord answered and said to him, ‘You wicked and lazy servant, you knew that I reap where I have not sown, and gather where I have not scattered seed. 27 So you ought to have deposited my money with the bankers, and at my coming I would have received back my own with interest. 28 Therefore take the talent from him, and give it to him who has ten talents. 29 For to everyone who has, more will be given, and he will have abundance; but from him who does not have, even what he has will be taken away. 30 And cast the unprofitable servant into the outer darkness. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’ (an oriental term meaning he would suffer some remorse).
It is significant that in this context Jesus spoke of the possibility of not reigning with Him as a consequence of not being prepared for His Second Coming (Matthew 24:48-51; 25:14-30).
In Matthew 25:14-30 two of the servants, upon the Master’s return had used the talents given them and both were told the same thing by the Lord: ‘Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.’ The one with two talents was told the same as the one with five talents. We do not have to be a great evangelist, we just have to be faithful serving and looking for His return. However, the one who was given one talent stated that he was afraid and hid it in the ground. He is representative of the believer who, after salvation, gets so wrapped up in the glitz, glamor, and riches of this world that he is not looking for the Lord’s Second Coming. He will suffer some remorse. It reminds me of the verse, Matthew 19:24 that states: “And again I say to you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.” It doesn’t say a rich man can’t be saved but often the saved rich man is focused on the here and now and not serving and looking for the Lord’s return. So he will suffer loss by not entering the Kingdom reign and the closeness of ruling with the Lord during the 1000 year reign. He may not receive crowns of rewards but nevertheless he is saved, and sealed, and will spend eternity with the Lord.
It is obvious that God is not revealing to mankind (or to the forces of evil) the hour of Jesus’ return (which we commonly refer to as the “Rapture,” based on 1 Thessalonians 4:15-18). The hour of Jesus’ Second Coming is imminent. Personally, I believe that many who are walking this earth today will still be alive when He comes. We are commanded to watch. Not to watch is to be disobedient to our Lord’s command and also to not be rewarded at His coming.
This doesn’t mean that the unprepared believer will not be raptured (cf. 1 Thessalonians 5:10) for even believers who are not watchful will forever be with the Lord, but rather it means that the unprepared believer who has not been watchful will not rule with Jesus in the life to come during the 1000 year Kingdom Reign.
It is very easy in 2018, almost 2000 years after Jesus’ statements here, to get complacent about His command to be watchful because we tend to believe His coming is not really imminent. It is very easy to put other things above the priority He gives us of looking for His return. But that produces a slackening in holiness, as was the case of the unfaithful servant, and loss of rewards at Jesus’ return.
Our goal as believers should be to want to rule and reign with Christ in His Kingdom Reign upon this earth and not lose rewards at the Judgment Seat of Christ. Oh Church, be watchful!
