Mark 13:35Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Believers, our shortcomings serve as true repentance. Our failure lies in overlooking genuine repentance. To call upon the Lord signifies our conclusion. As we sense our end drawing near, we begin to recognize our calling. We possess knowledge of our end, yet we remain unaware of its timing. This is the nature of the Lord's calling; we cannot predict when He will reach out to us. Do you wish to be seen as righteous by the Lord when called? Remain continually in heartfelt repentance, always embodying the person you aspire to be at your life's end, the one you wish to be called. Do you desire a peaceful passing? Consider this moment and live in a godly manner. Wise and vigilant servants remain alert, ever anticipating their master’s call. Believer, emulate the wisdom of the children of this age in this regard: stay vigilant and await the call of your Lord. Exercise discernment and wisdom in this crucial matter, and you shall be blessed. The outcome of either eternal blessing or loss hinges on this moment. Here lies the threshold to eternity, either to be welcomed into blessedness or to face disadvantage. From this point, one will either enter into everlasting life and comfort, or into eternal death and anguish. Reflect on how fearsome this moment is. Fortunate is the one who is watchful and awaiting this hour! Keep watch, my soul, and be ready for this moment. Then, with joy, you will be able to declare: ‘Lord, now You are letting Your servant depart in peace, according to Your word’ (Luke 2:29-32). ‘Show me, O Lord, my end, and the measure of my days; let me know how fleeting my time is. Behold, You have made my days like a handbreadth, and my lifespan is as nothing before You. Truly, all mankind stands as merely a breath. Surely, each person walks about like a shadow; they busy themselves in vain, amassing wealth, not knowing who will gather it’ (Psalm 38:5-7). O Jesus, my Redeemer, cleanse me first, even if it seems I cannot recover from my state.

They remained oblivious to any impending danger until the flood arrived and swept them all away; similarly, the coming of the Son of Man will be marked by such indifference, indulgence, and unbelief. The Lord elaborated on the suddenness of that day, indicating that two individuals might be working in a field: one will be taken, and the other left behind; two women will be grinding grain together: one will be taken and the other left behind. In light of this uncertainty, each person must be vigilant, ensuring that their heart does not become burdened by excess or distracted by worldly concerns. For that day will come unexpectedly, like a trap that ensnares all who reside on the earth (Luke 21:35). Therefore, everyone should act as a homeowner would if he knew a thief were coming at an unknown hour. He would remain alert, unwilling to let his house be compromised. Much more so must we remain vigilant, for the Son of Man is coming on a day when we do not expect.

The Gospel of Mark conveys the parable of the servants and the gatekeeper awaiting their master, while the Gospel of Matthew contains four distinct parables: 1) the story of the householder facing a thief, 2) the account of the faithful and unfaithful householder (refer to Luke 12:39-48), 3) the parable of the wise and foolish virgins, 4) the parable of the talents, and concludes with a vivid depiction of the ultimate judgment.

In the parable from Mark, the Lord illustrates Himself as a householder who departs from his residence and assigns specific responsibilities to each servant during his absence, instructing the gatekeeper to remain vigilant. Each servant is required to fulfill their duties and the gatekeeper must stay alert for the return of their master. Given that the time of his return remains unknown, they are called to be watchful at all moments, ensuring they present themselves appropriately before him. Similarly, having established His church on earth, the Lord ascended into heaven, thereby leaving it visibly, while promising to return according to God's designated timeline. Every believer holds a distinct role within the body of Christ, endowed with specific responsibilities that they must carry out throughout their lives. With the timing of Christ’s second coming being uncertain, which will usher in the final judgment where every individual will account for their earthly deeds (as will the moment of each person’s death mark the end of their earthly tasks), believers are called to remain ever watchful and prepared to greet the returning Lord, who is the judge of both the living and the dead.

Yet, should that servant prove to be wicked and think to himself, ‘My master will not return soon,’ and in that mindset, begin to mistreat the servants, beat them, and indulge in excess, then sorrow will be his lot! The master will indeed return, unexpectedly, and will subject the wicked servant to a dire fate; he will wail and grind his teeth in despair, but it will be too late: the past cannot be undone, and one cannot alter their destiny.” The Second Coming of the Son of Man is likened to a man who, upon leaving his home, delegated authority to his servants, assigning each their task, and instructed the gatekeeper to remain vigilant; therefore, be alert, for you do not know when the master of the house will arrive, whether in the evening, at midnight, at the crowing of the roosters, or in the morning; lest he come suddenly and find you asleep (Mark 13:35-36). In addressing the servants entrusted with the care of his household, Jesus surely referred to Himself as the master, the earth as the house, and the people upon it as the servants. Thus, if those entrusted with managing their master’s estate are to always execute their duties responsibly, so too must we, as we partake in life’s blessings, remember that these provisions do not belong to us but to God, and that all we possess is granted to us for stewardship, along with specific responsibilities. We must not neglect that we will be held accountable for our stewardship, and thus must act in a manner that keeps us prepared to give this account at all times. This accountability will manifest at the Second Coming of Jesus Christ but will also conclude with the end of our earthly existence. If we live carelessly, disregarding our Lord, using earthly goods not as entrusted possessions but as if they were rightfully ours, wasting them to satisfy our own desires, then at our death we will recall with dread that everything entrusted to us has been squandered, that we have nothing to justify our expenditures, and no supporting documentation. We shall be akin to those servants discovered asleep by their returning master. In the aforementioned parables, it is stated that the master not only assigned his servants the management of his house but also designated each specific work (Mark 13:34). Therefore, we should not only manage the possessions of God, i.e., the worldly blessings bestowed upon us in accordance with His will, but also attend to our individual responsibilities so that we may always be poised to present an account to the returning Judge. Each person has their own tasks, ministries, work, trade, and craft; each is engaged in their divinely appointed endeavors and must account for whether they have acted in alignment with God’s will. When many people approached John in the wilderness to repent and receive baptism, they inquired, ‘What shall we do?’—and John advised each to earnestly fulfill their duties. This request may seem small and simple. Christ demands the same from us: each should perform their responsibilities as the Lord has commanded; if we do so, we will always be ready to encounter our Lord, and this meeting will bring us joy. However, should we forget our Lord's commands and do our work according to our own desires, then woe unto us! These parables also speak of the servant appointed to provide food to the others in due time and the gatekeeper. The provider of food symbolizes the priest, who is charged by Christ with offering spiritual nourishment to His flock—preaching the word of God and administering the sacraments that convey divine grace to the faithful; the gatekeeper represents all with authority, those called to safeguard the well-being of God’s household. The Lord reminds them, “Watch” (Mark 13:37). Remain vigilant in fulfilling the specific responsibilities entrusted to you by God, and never forget that you too will be accountable for whether you have completed your work faithfully. The greater your authority, the more the peace and welfare of Christ’s flock entrusted to you relies on your earnest exercise of that authority, and the more severe the judgment will be upon you, for “to whom much is given, much will be required.” If Christ came not to be served but to serve, giving His life as a ransom for many (Mark 10:45), and if He declared, “If any of you wishes to be first, he shall be a servant of all” (Mark 9:35), then likewise, you must recognize that your God-given authority necessitates that you serve those you are called to protect. Keep this in mind and remain awake!

This is the Lord’s imperative. Be cautious, for if your hearts become heavy with indulgence, excessive drinking, and the anxieties of life, that day may come upon you unexpectedly, like a snare upon all those living on the earth: therefore, remain watchful at all times, praying that you may be prepared to escape all these things and to stand before the Son of Man. The Lord provided them with essential knowledge to remain prudent and resist being swept away by the pervasive tide of careless indulgence. Just as it was in the days of Noah, so will be the coming of the Son of Man: as in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and being given in marriage, until the day Noah entered the ark, and they were unaware. When the floodwaters arrived and swept everything away, so too will be the coming of the Son of Man. In that time, two will be in a field: one will be taken, and the other will be left; two will be grinding at the mill: one will be taken, and one will be left. The Lord had previously warned His disciples about the suddenness of His return for the final judgment, highlighting to them not only the nighttime watch but also the day of reckoning (Luke 17:26-30, 35-36). On this occasion, reiterating His prediction, He urged His faithful followers to remain perpetually vigilant as they await the end of the world: ‘Watch, for you do not know at what hour your Lord will come.’ To clearly convey the importance of vigilance while awaiting His return and the grave consequences of negligence regarding the soul’s salvation, the Lord reminded them of the parable about the servants awaiting their master’s return, which He had previously shared (Luke 12:39-40, 42-46).