“Therefore stay awake—for you do not know when the master of the house will come, in the evening, or at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or in the morning— lest he come suddenly and find you asleep.” Mark 13:35-36 ESV
Reflection: are you awake?
If you travel from the United States to anywhere in Europe, you typically will take one overseas flight that will be overnight. You leave in the evening from United States, and arrive in the morning in Europe. Sounds good in theory. But, depending on your ability to sleep while sitting in a rather tight space, with lots of people and noise all around, you may not get much sleep. And, by the time you land in Europe a few hours later, it is already the next day, as you will be in a new time zone of 6-9 hours ahead. Your body tells you otherwise, as for you, it is still in the middle of the night. Your body says that it wants to sleep. And it is very tempting to lay down and sleep. However, regardless of what the body is telling you, it is best to stay awake so that your body can adjust to the new time zone. And, as you struggle through that first day just trying to stay awake, feeling like you’re in a mental “fog”, you realize how important sleep is. It is a strange experience, and it takes willpower to make it through the first couple of days. But, eventually your body adapts to the new time.
In our focus verses today, Jesus gives a parable about His return. Let’s read it for context. “Be on guard, keep awake. For you do not know when the time will come. It is like a man going on a journey, when he leaves home and puts his servants in charge, each with his work, and commands the doorkeeper to stay awake. Therefore stay awake—for you do not know when the master of the house will come, in the evening, or at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or in the morning— lest he come suddenly and find you asleep.” Mark 13:33-36 ESV. Jesus gives this rather strange analogy here, strange warning about falling asleep. Clearly He is not talking about sleep for the body, as we could not function without it. He is talking about spiritual sleep. But, what does that mean? Can you be a Christian, and be spiritually asleep? It is interesting to notice that Jesus is giving this parable at the conclusion of talking about the end times.
Let’s read what happened just a few days after He said this, where we can get a direct example of what Jesus meant here. “And they went to a place called Gethsemane. And he said to his disciples, “Sit here while I pray.” And he took with him Peter and James and John, and began to be greatly distressed and troubled. And he said to them, “My soul is very sorrowful, even to death. Remain here and watch.”” Mark 14:32-34 ESV. You might be very familiar with this story, and what happened. The disciples fell asleep, physically, because they were tired. They had eaten a big meal, the last supper, it was very late, and much had happened. They had a good reason to be tired, even exhausted. Obviously Jesus knew that, as He too undoubtedly was physically tired as well. He had experienced the same. But He still asked them to “Remain here and watch.” Let’s read what happened.
“And going a little farther, he fell on the ground and prayed that, if it were possible, the hour might pass from him. And he said, “Abba, Father, all things are possible for you. Remove this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will.” And he came and found them sleeping, and he said to Peter, “Simon, are you asleep? Could you not watch one hour?”Mark 14:35-37 ESV. And then, Jesus gives the entire lesson, the explanation for why He insisted them to stay awake, to be alert and on guard, a direct application to each of us. He says
“Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.”” Mark 14:38 ESV
And that is the point. We see here this “blurring” of the physical realm and the spiritual. The need for the disciples to stay physically awake, so that they can battle, for themselves, and for Jesus, in prayer. Jesus knew the spiritual attacks that were coming, on Him, but also on the disciples in those hours in the garden. And we know what happened. One disciple betrayed Him. Peter denied even knowing Jesus. And they all ran away. They left Him when it became difficult, when the tribulation came. Fear overtook them; they “forgot” who Jesus was, and all He had told them would happen. What a terrible result from not being awake and on guard!
And, this has a direct application to each of us, that temptations related to the pleasures or worries of this world will put us to sleep. That our spiritual senses have become dulled, so that we are not aware of the hour, not aware of the battle we are in. Jesus says to you and I today “Therefore stay awake—for you do not know when the master of the house will come, in the evening, or at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or in the morning— lest he come suddenly and find you asleep.” Mark 13:35-36 ESV
