Lenten Reader | Day 32

As I read today’s passage, I can’t help but think of a mantra ingrained into me from a past life. As a young Marine, we were constantly told, “Complacency kills.” When you become complacent, you let your guard down. Vigilance fades. Discipline slips. Laziness creeps in, and laziness produces sloppy performance. In the military, sloppy performance doesn’t just affect you—it can cost lives. 
 
Jesus delivers a similar warning in this passage. He makes it clear that no one knows the day or the hour of His return—not the angels, not even the Son, but only the Father. That uncertainty is not meant to paralyze us with fear, but to sharpen our alertness. Jesus compares His return to a man going on a journey who leaves his house under the care of his servants, each assigned his work, and one stationed at the door to keep watch. 
 
The imagery in this parable matters. The servants are not spectators; they are entrusted with responsibility. The doorkeeper is not passive; he is alert, awake, and ready. Jesus ends the passage by telling everyone to “Watch!” This is not a suggestion. It is a command. 
 
Jesus came to make dead men live, and in doing so, He gave us the honor of joining Him in that mission. We have been entrusted with His house, His authority, and His work until He returns. Yet even with such a sacred calling, complacency remains a constant threat. We begin to assume there is time. We relax our posture. We fall asleep instead of standing watch. 
 
But the Master could return in the evening, at midnight, when the rooster crows, or in the morning. My prayer is that we reflect on this passage and the task Christ has given us. And when He does return, may He not find us disengaged, distracted, or drifting—but faithful, alert, and on watch. May we honor the Master with our watchfulness. 
 
Scott Thompson