Watch!!
Mark 13:33-37
Jeffery L. Edmiston

33 Beware, keep alert; for you do not know when the time will come.34 It is like a man going on a journey, when he leaves home and puts his slaves in charge, each with his work, and commands the doorkeeper to be on the watch.35 Therefore, keep awake—for you do not know when the master of the house will come, in the evening, or at midnight, or at cockcrow, or at dawn, 36 or else he may find you asleep when he comes suddenly.37 And what I say to you I say to all: Keep awake."

Chapter 13 in Mark is often called the "Olivet Discourse." This designation comes from the location of the discussion mentioned in v. 3, "When he was sitting on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple, Peter, James, John, and Andrew asked him privately, …" (NRSV). The entire chapter is an eschatological address occasioned by the two questions Peter, James, John and Andrew asked in v. 4: "Tell us, when will this be, and what will be the sign that all these things are about to be accomplished?" (NRSV). The second question is answered in the first part of the chapter, in vv. 5-27. The first question is answered by the last part of the chapter, in vv. 28-37. So, the present parable is part of the answer to the eschatological question, "When?"

This parable has a parallel in Luke 12:34-38. Luke's setting is different. Jesus did not offer it in response to the question about the temple as in Mark. Instead, he has just left the place were he had eaten dinner with a Pharisee. V. 1 of ch. 12 reports that a crowd of "many thousand" (NIV) had begun to gather; yet we are also told that Jesus began to speak to his disciples. This is not the private discussion reported in Mark. Although Jesus is talking directly to his disciples nearest to him, he is also addressing the entire crowd.

John Crossan reconstructs this parable by combining the versions of the parable from Mark and from Luke. He states, "Indeed, it takes both to make one good story" (96). Crossan points out that the punishment given for failure in Mark is made to be a reward for success in Luke. The reward is the banquet (97). This reconstruction leads us to what Crossan claims is the original, which consists of "a master departing for a nighttime feast, the command to watch, and the master’s return later at night, probably at Luke’s third watch rather than Mark’s sunset" (Scott 212). Bernard Scott on the other hand says that, "Even though the reconstruction is plausible, it is perhaps unnecessary" (213).

"It is like a man going on a journey …" ( JW" a[nqrwpo" ajpovdhmo"). Mark and Luke differ; in Mark the man goes on a journey, whereas in Luke, the man goes to a wedding feast. The differeces don’t seem to make a great deal of difference. In both cases, the man leaves and puts his servents in charge until he returns.

Here in Mark the doorkeeper is given the command to "keep awake," grhgorh`/. Sanner notes that doorkeepers of the Temple were on guard all night. If they were found asleep at their posts, they were beaten or their garments were set on fire (386).

Mark offers four different times when the master of the house might return: "in the evening, or at midnight, or at cockcrow, or at dawn" (NRSV). This is typically thought of as the breakdown of the shifts, which the Romans followed. The Jews only had three shifts; thus, Luke mentions only three watches.

The message of this parable could be summed up using just the first and last verses. "Beware, keep alert; for you do not know when the time will come …. And what I say to you I say to all: Keep awake" (NRSV). "The Christian is to live in this world like a servant who, knowing the certainty of his master’s coming, but not the hour, watches for him" (Carlston 201). If this parable truly does answer the question in verse 4, then the answer is that no one knows when Christ will come, so his servants must always be ready for his coming.

This parable could be used to refute those who insist on setting dates for the return of Christ. Especially, right now, with the new millenium just around the corner, many people are asking the question: "Will this be the time?" This parable reminds us that no one knows. Yes, the year 2000 might be a good time for Christ’s return; but, on the same hand, tomorrow might be the time.

In all of this, there are two things we can be sure of. First, the master is coming. Jesus is coming. Second, we don’t want to be caught "sleeping" (unprepared) when he does return. We need to be alert; we need to be ready for his return. There will be consequences for unfaithfulness. If, when Jesus returns, he finds us sleeping instead of doing the tasks he has given us to do, we will be severely judged. There will also be rewards for those who have faithfully done their duties.