Watching and Waiting

SCRIPTURE: Mark 13:32-37; Mark 14:37,38 (italics added)
³² “No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. ³³ Be on guard! Be alert! You do not know when that time will come. ³⁴ It’s like a man going away: He leaves his house and puts his servants in charge, each with his assigned task, and tells the one at the door to keep watch.

³⁵ “Therefore keep watch because you do not know when the owner of the house will come back—whether in the evening, or at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or at dawn. ³⁶ If he comes suddenly, do not let him find you sleeping. ³⁷ What I say to you, I say to everyone: ‘Watch!’”

³⁷ Then he returned to his disciples and found them sleeping. “Simon,” he said to Peter, “are you asleep? Could you not keep watch for one hour? ³⁸ Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the body is weak.”

OBSERVATION: It struck me as I was reading that Jesus, in consecutive chapters, tells his disciples to keep "watch". The situations are different, but they are both related to something that is ending. In Chapter 13, Jesus is telling his disciples about what the signs of the end of the age are. He then says it will be like when a master leaves his property and puts his servants in charge of it and gives each one of them a job and one to stand watch at the door (to guard the property but also to watch for the master's return). Then he says all the servants should watch for the master's return and warns them not to let him find them sleeping. Now we switch to Chapter 14. Jesus is in an agony of travail before God knowing his life is about to end, and asks his closest disciples to watch and pray with him. Guess what they do? They fall asleep. Their master finds them sleeping. Though obviously disappointed, he isn't too tough with them. He understands that they are tired, that their "flesh" is weak even though he also knows they do love him (because their spirit is willing). However, he does warn them that they need to be able to watch and pray or they will fall into temptation.

APPLICATION: Jesus makes it clear that we all have work to do for him until he returns. Some people have a special task to watch at the door. I believe these are pastors, teachers, prophets and apostles. But all of us have a duty to watch and pray so that we keep on doing our job and don't fall into temptation. One of those temptations is to slack off and take it easy when we are tired or discouraged at the long wait for our Master. Both of these passages have a warning attached to them. That is because watching and praying are not easy things to do. They are simple, but not easy. We need to encourage each other to be those who watch and those who pray. We need to remind each other to be about the tasks the Father has given us to do. If we do not, we run the risk of being found to be asleep when our Master comes for us.

PRAYER: Father, I am weak. I admit it. I give in to the demands of my body too often. I also am unwise in caring for my body and so I get weary more than I should. Forgive me, Lord. I need to discipline myself to engage in better sleep, exercise and eating habits so that I am at my very best to be able to serve you. My spirit is willing to do this, but my body is weak, just like Peter was. I am glad for your grace, but I want to be an overcomer by listening to your Spirit! Please help me to do better and to also encourage my fellow believers to do the same. I don't want you to come and find any of us asleep! I ask this in the powerful Name of Jesus. Amen.