“Take ye heed, watch and pray; for ye know not when the time is.” Mark xiii. 33.
Our Saviour gave this warning when He was leaving this world,—leaving it, that is, as far as His visible presence is concerned. He looked forward to the many hundred years which were to pass before He came again. He knew His own purpose and His Father’s purpose gradually to leave the world to itself, gradually to withdraw from it the tokens of His gracious presence. He contemplated, as contemplating all things, the neglect of Him which would spread even among his professed followers; the daring disobedience, and the loud words, which would be ventured against Him and His Father by many whom He had regenerated: and the coldness, cowardice, and tolerance of error which would be displayed by others, who did not go so far as to speak or to act against Him. He foresaw the state of the world and the Church, as we see it this day, when His prolonged absence has made it practically thought, that He never will come back in visible presence: and in the text, He mercifully whispers into our ears, not to trust in what we see, not to share in that general unbelief, not to be carried away by the world, but to “take heed, watch 1, pray,” and look out for His coming.
Surely this gracious warning should be ever in our thoughts, being so precise, so solemn, so earnest. He foretold His first coming, yet He took His Church by surprise when He came; much more will He come suddenly the second time, and overtake men, now that He has not measured out the interval before it, as then He did, but left our watchfulness to the keeping of faith and love.
Let us then consider this most serious question, which concerns every one of us so nearly;—What it is to watch for Christ? He says, “Watch ye therefore, for ye know not when the Master of the house cometh; at even, or at midnight, or at the cock-crowing, or in the morning; lest coming suddenly He find you sleeping. And what I say unto you, I say unto all, Watch.” 2 And again, “If the goodman of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched, and not have suffered his house to be broken through.” [Luke xii. 39.] A like warning is given elsewhere both by our Lord and by His Apostles. For instance; we have the parable of the Ten Virgins, five of whom were wise and five foolish; on whom the bridegroom, after tarrying came suddenly, and five were found without oil. On which our Lord says, “Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh.” [Matt. xxv. 13.] Again He says, “Take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares; for as a snare shall it come on all them that dwell on the face of the whole earth. Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man.” [Luke xxi. 36.] In like manner He upbraided Peter thus: “Simon, sleepest thou? couldest not thou watch one hour?” [Mark xiv. 37.]
In like manner St. Paul in his Epistle to the Romans. “Now it is high time to awake out of sleep … The night is far spent, the day is at hand.” [Rom. xiii. 11, 12.] Again, “Watch ye, stand fast in the faith, quit you like men, be strong.” [1 Cor. xvi. 13.] “Be strong in the Lord, and in the power of His might; put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil; … that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all to stand.” [Eph. vi. 10-13.] “Let us not sleep as do others, but let us watch and be sober.” [1 Thess. v. 6.] In like manner St. Peter, “The end of all things is at hand; be ye therefore sober, and watch unto prayer.” “Be sober, be vigilant, because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about seeking whom he may devour.” 3 And St. John, “Behold I come as a thief; blessed is he that watcheth and keepeth his garments.” [Rev. xvi. 15.]
Now I consider this word watching, first used by our Lord, then by the favoured Disciple, then by the two great Apostles, Peter and Paul, is a remarkable word, remarkable because the idea is not so obvious as might appear at first sight, and next because they all inculcate it. We are not simply to believe, but to watch; not simply to love, but to watch; not simply to obey, but to watch; to watch for what? for that great event, Christ’s coming. Whether then we consider what is the obvious meaning of the word, or the Object towards which it directs us, we seem to see a special duty enjoined on us, such as does not naturally come into our minds. Most of us have a general idea what is meant by believing, fearing, loving, and obeying; but perhaps we do not contemplate or apprehend what is meant by watching.