“Take heed, keep on the alert; for you do not know when the appointed time will come. 34 It is like a man away on a journey, who upon leaving his house and putting his slaves in charge, assigning to each one his task, also commanded the doorkeeper to stay on the alert. 35 Therefore, be on the alert—for you do not know when the master of the house is coming, whether in the evening, at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or in the morning— 36 in case he should come suddenly and find you asleep. 37 What I say to you I say to all, ‘Be on the alert!’” — Mark 13:33-37, NASB

Appearing only in Mark's gospel, Jesus’s parable of the watchful porter stresses the importance of staying on the alert and prepared for His return, because no one knows the appointed time. It is included in the Lord’s Olivet Discourse through which He explains the final days, and follows the parable of the budding fig tree, which deals with the same general theme of readiness. While the budding fig tree analogy affirms the certainty of the signs of His return, the example of the porter or doorkeeper explains the need for believers to maintain a constant state of spiritual vigilance.

The master who is away from his house on a journey echoes the examples of the departed master and nobleman from the parables of the talents and minas, both of which signify Christ’s absence from this world before He returns to consummate His kingdom. Like these, the master here has trusted his slaves with various responsibilities to handle while he is away. The porter’s responsibility is to keep careful watch so the entire house will be aware and prepared when the master returns.

Jesus is currently at the right hand of the Father in heaven. He has gone away to make a place for His elect and will return for them. No one knows the day or the hour of that return and subsequent judgment of the world. When He does come back, He will expect His house to be in order and believers to have fulfilled their spiritual responsibilities. Part of that responsibility is to keep watch. In addition to being constantly aware and mindful of the Lord’s return which could happen at any time, watchful Christians should actively encourage other believers to remain spiritually awake and be ready to account for their actions at the judgment seat of Christ, as well as sharing the gospel message to a world that so desperately needs to hear and receive it.

Unfortunately, not all servants are true servants who will fulfill their responsibilities; some are faithful to the master and some are not. This reality and its consequences are not addressed here, but dealt with in the subsequent parable of the faithful and wicked servants.

God’s judgment is a sure thing. It could occur at any time and will involve us all. No one wants to be caught sleeping on the job. As believers we must maximize the opportunities we have to serve the Lord while there is still time to do so, and remain ever watchful for His imminent return.