To fail to prepare is to prepare to fail!

Matthew 24:42-51

Jesus said to his disciples, So stay awake, alert. You have no idea what day your Master will show up. 43 But you do know this: You know that if the homeowner had known what time of night the burglar would arrive, he would have been there with his dogs to prevent the break-in. 44 Be vigilant just like that. You have no idea when the Son of Man is going to show up. 45 "Who here qualifies for the job of overseeing the kitchen? A person the Master can depend on to feed the workers on time each day. 46 Someone the Master can drop in on unannounced and always find him doing his job. A God-blessed man or woman, I tell you. 47 It won't be long before the Master will put this person in charge of the whole operation. 48" But if that person only looks out for himself, and the minute the Master is away does what he pleases-- 49 abusing the help and throwing drunken parties for his friends-- 50 the Master is going to show up when he least expects it 51 and make hash of him. He'll end up in the dump with the hypocrites, out in the cold shivering, teeth chattering.

Food for thought

Jesus is indeed our friend. He came to prepare us for the end; he doesn't want to surprise us. He came to prepare us for our departure from this life; our death. He told us all the answers to the questions he will make when he returns to call us out of this life. Today's gospel is all about this.

If the day and the hour of the coming of Christ are known to none save God, then all life must be a constant preparation for that coming. And, if that is so, there are certain basics we do well to remember:

(i) To fail to prepare is to prepare to fail. Living without watchfulness invites disaster. A thief does not send a letter saying when he is going to burgle a house; his principal weapon is surprise; therefore a householder who has valuables in his house must maintain a constant guard. But to get this picture right, we must remember that the watching of the Christian for the coming of Christ is not that of terror-stricken fear and shivering apprehension; it is the watching of eager expectation for the coming of glory and joy.

(ii) The spirit which leads to disaster is the spirit which says there is plenty of time. It is the comfortable delusion of the servant that he will have plenty of time to put things to rights before his master returns. There is a fable which tells of three apprentice devils who were coming to this earth to finish their internship. They were talking to Satan, the chief of the devils, about their plans to tempt and ruin men. The first said, "I will tell them there is no God." Satan said, "That will not delude many, for they know that there is a God." The second said, "I will tell men there is no hell." Satan answered, "You will deceive no one that way; men know even now that there is a hell for sin." The third said, "I will tell men there is no hurry." "Go," said Satan, "and you will ruin them by the thousands."

The most dangerous of all delusions is that there is plenty of time. The most dangerous day in our life is when we learn that there is such a word as tomorrow. There are things which must not be put off, for nobody knows if s/he will see tomorrow.

(iii) Rejection is based on failure in duty, and reward is based on fidelity in one's duties. The servant who fulfilled his duty faithfully was given a still greater place; and the servant who failed in his daily duties was dealt with in severity. The inevitable conclusion is that, when he comes, Jesus Christ should find us employed in no better and greater task than in doing our daily duties dutifully. If we do well our daily and usual duties, however simple these duties may be, on the day Christ comes there will be joy for us. For that reason, whatever you do, do it well, very well, and don't live for tomorrow what you can do today.