Jesus often taught by telling parables. He would take a common subject or event that the people would know about and weave in the lesson he wanted them to learn. Many times, he would give the story an unusual ending or include something dramatic that would turn the story down to get the attention of the listeners. He did this in the story of the servants waiting on their master to return from a wedding. In Jesus’ day, servants were slaves owned by their master and were expected to serve them.
In the parable of the vigilant servants, the twist Jesus threw in was that when the master returned from the wedding, those servants who were prepared for his return were in for a shocking surprise. Instead of ordering them to feed him, prepare his bath or whatever else he might want, the story says that he will seat them at table and begin to wait on them instead. This is a new and unexpected twist that his listeners would not expect to hear. Ordinarily no master of a household would ever wait for his servants. He would expect them to wait for him, no matter how tired they were or how hard they had worked. Then when the master is satisfied, they could sit down and eat for themselves.
This was a whole new concept for his listeners to understand, but it introduced the new Christian concepts of values. Christ is showing that he will come and be of service and wait on his followers. Remember, he told his disciples, “I have not come to be served, but to serve,” and at the Last Supper he washed the feet of the Apostles. He would make his life a life of service to them, preaching to them, curing them of sickness, and helping them in every way, even to the point of giving his life for them. This new and shocking concept turned their cultural value system upside down.
But by telling this story, Jesus was giving a vision of the wonders that await those who are prepared at his second coming.
Normally when we think of being ready, we usually think of being prepared for the worst that could happen such as locks on the door in case of thieves, or life jackets in the event of a boat accident. But, in the parable, it is a case of getting ready for the best. It was a wedding festival with friends, music, dancing, and tasty food. The Kingdom of God is like a wedding feast – only better. It is a joyous occasion filled with all good things wherein Jesus wants us to join him in the celebration.
This parable focuses on the unpredictable return of Jesus and our need to be prepared for his return. He is saying to us, “Ready or not, here I come.” Isn’t it interesting that most of us believe in preparation for many uncertainties, but not with the most important event of our lives? We carry a spare tire in our car as preparation for a flat. We have insurance in preparation for a theft, fire trucks in preparation for a fire. Airline stewards provide pre-flight instruction in preparation for turbulent weather, and we seek education in preparation for an excellent job. Preparation in our society is a sign of wisdom. But think about this. Of all the preparations that we make for the things I just mentioned, not even one is a certainty – yet we feel compelled to prepare ourselves for them.
The return of Jesus is a certainty. We can never know precisely when he will return or when we will die, but his return is certain. Therefore, we must constantly be vigilant, always being faithful and ready, so that we may be found worthy of sharing in the heavenly banquet he has prepared for us. So, the question of the parable is not whether Christ is coming again, or when he is coming, or even how he is coming. The point is about being prepared for his arrival and ready to receive him whenever he comes, now or later.
In the road of life we tread, there are many uncertainties and distractions. We do not know where the road will take us; we do not know when it will end. But one thing is certain. At the end of the journey; our Lord will be there to meet us, to welcome us into the heavenly kingdom…IF we have prepared ourselves. Preparation cannot be a “sometime” thing but living each moment of our life for Jesus. If we can do that, we will be prepared to greet our Master whenever he comes.