Watch ye therefore, because ye know not what hour your Lord will come.

“Having declared that of that hour knoweth no man, but the Father only, He shews that it was not expedient for the Apostles to know, that being ignorant they might live in perpetual expectation of His coming, and thus concluding the whole, He says, Watch therefore, &c. And He does not say, ‘Because we know not,’ but Because ye know not, shewing that He Himself is not ignorant of the day of judgment.”

“(Ep. 199, 3.) He said this Watch, not to those only who heard Him speak at the time, but to those who came after them, and to us, and to all who shall be after us, until His second coming, for it touches all in a manner. That day comes to each one of us, when it comes to him to go out of the world, such as he shall be judged, and therefore ought every Christian to watch that the Lord’s coming may not find him unprepared; and he will be unprepared for the day of His coming, whom the last day of his life shall find unprepared.”

“After the Lord had established the uncertainty of the hour, he admonishes to watchfulness. And first he admonishes all; second, prelates specifically, there: "Who, do you think, is the faithful and prudent servant?" and so on. Concerning the first he does three things. First he sets forth the admonition; second, a comparison; third, he concludes the point proposed. The second is at "But know this," etc.; the third at "And you be ready," and so on. He says therefore: thus I say that the day is uncertain, and no one can be confident of his own state, because of any two, one will be taken and the other left; therefore you ought to be diligent and solicitous. Watch therefore. And, as Jerome says, the Lord for this reason wished to set an uncertain term, so that man might always be waiting. For man fails in three things: because his senses are idle, likewise because he is idle from motion, likewise because man lies down. Therefore watch, that your senses may be raised up through contemplation; Song of Songs 5:2: "I sleep, and my heart watches." Likewise watch, lest you grow torpid in death: for he watches who exercises himself in good works; 1 Peter, last chapter, 8: "Be sober and watch, because your adversary the devil goes about as a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour." Likewise watch, lest you lie down through negligence; Proverbs 6:9: "How long will you sleep, O sluggard?" But what does he say? "Because you know not what hour your Lord will come." He said this to the apostles, and it is not found elsewhere that he calls himself Lord so expressly as here, and in John 13:13: "You call me Master and Lord, and you say well, for so I am." But someone might say that the Lord was speaking to the apostles; but the apostles were not going to live until the end of the world, so how then does he say, "Watch, because you know not what hour your Lord will come"? Augustine says that this is necessary also for the apostles, and for those who were before us, and for us, because the Lord comes in two ways. At the end of the world he will come to all generally; likewise he comes to each one at his own end, namely in death; John 14:18: "I will not leave you orphans, I will come to you." Therefore the coming is twofold, at the end of the world and also in death: and he willed both to be uncertain. And these comings correspond to each other, because such as one is found in the second, such he was in the first. Augustine: "The world's last day finds him unprepared, whom his own last day found unprepared." Likewise it can be explained of another coming, namely the invisible one, when he comes into the mind; Job 9:11: "If he comes to me, I shall not perceive it." Hence he comes to many, and they do not perceive it. Hence you ought to watch a great deal, so that if he knocks, you may open to him; hence Revelation 3:20: "I stand at the door and knock; if anyone opens to me, I will come in to him and sup with him." "But know this, that if the householder knew at what hour the thief would come, he would watch at that hour, and would not allow his house to be broken into." But because he does not know at what hour, it is necessary that he watch the whole night. Who is this householder? The house is the soul. In this man ought to rest; Wisdom 8:16: "Entering into my house," that is into my conscience, "I will rest with her." The householder is reason: Proverbs 20:8: "The king who sits on the throne of judgment scatters away all evil with his look." Sometimes a thief breaks into his house. The thief is some persuasion of false doctrine, or some temptation. And it is called a thief, as is found in John 10:1: "He who does not enter by the door into the sheepfold of the sheep, he is a thief and a robber." The door is properly called natural knowledge, or natural law. Whoever therefore enters through reason, enters through the door; but whoever enters through the door of concupiscence, or of anger, or of something of this kind, is a thief. Thieves are accustomed to come at night. In Obadiah 5: "If thieves had come in to you, if robbers by night, how would you have kept silent?" Hence if they come by day, they are not feared. Thus when man is in the contemplation of divine things, then temptation does not come; but when he holds himself slackly, then it comes. Therefore the prophet says well, Psalm 70:9: "When my strength shall fail, do not forsake me." Hence we ought to watch, because we do not know when the Lord will come, namely to judgment. Or we can refer it to the day of death; 1 Thessalonians 5:3: "For when they shall say, peace and security, then sudden destruction shall come upon them." "And you be ready, because at the hour you do not expect, the Son of Man will come." Chrysostom says that men solicitous about temporal things watch at night. And if they watch for temporal things, much more ought one to watch for spiritual things; Revelation 3:3: "If you do not watch, I will come to you like a thief." "Who, do you think, is the faithful and prudent servant, whom his lord has set over his household?" Here he especially admonishes prelates to watchfulness. And first by alluring them with rewards; second by terrifying them with punishments. Concerning the first he does three things. First he sets down the fitness of a good prelate; second, the office; third, the reward. The fitness is that he be faithful and prudent. In any good work two things are necessary: that the intention be fixed on the due end, and likewise that one take the fitting ways to that end; therefore in the office of prelacy these two things are necessary. First, that he fix his intention on the due end, which some set in themselves, of whom it is said, Ezekiel 34:2: "Woe to the shepherds who feed themselves"; because those who set their intention on the right end do not intend what is useful to themselves, but what is useful to many, that they may be saved. And all this those who act rightly do for the glory of God. But he who seeks what is his own does not. Hence it is necessary that he be faithful; 1 Corinthians 4:2: "Now it is required among stewards, that a man be found faithful." Likewise he ought to be prudent, because it can happen that someone seeks the glory of God, but not according to knowledge. For it belongs to the prelate to correct vices. He could therefore rebuke in such a way that he might induce someone into sin. Therefore it is necessary that he be prudent. Above, chapter 10:16: "Be prudent as serpents." And note that he names him "servant," because there is a difference between a free man and a servant, since every action of a servant is referred back to his master, not so of a free man: thus every action of a prelate ought to be referred to God. Thus Paul called himself a servant, when he said, 2 Corinthians 4:5: "But ourselves your servants through Jesus." But why does he say "Who, do you think, is the faithful and prudent servant"? Because few are faithful; Philippians 2:21: "For all seek the things that are their own, not the things that are Jesus Christ's"; Proverbs 20:6: "But a faithful man, who shall find?" And if few are faithful, fewer still are prudent; therefore the Lord speaks thus, noting the scarcity. Then he touches on their office: "whom his lord has set over his household." And he does three things. First he treats of his institution over his office, when he says "whom his lord has set," not that he himself procured it, either by gifts or by prayers; Hebrews 5:4: "No man takes the honor to himself, but he who is called by God, as Aaron was." Then he touches on that over which he has been set, namely "over his household," that is, over his Church, not over temporal things, according to what the Apostle says, 2 Timothy 2:4: "No man serving as a soldier for God entangles himself with secular affairs." Likewise it is necessary that he be prudent, that he watch over the Church, not over other things that are outside the Church; 1 Corinthians 5:12: "For what have we to do with judging those who are outside?" Likewise he touches on the office of the prelate, that he "give them food in due season": food, namely, of doctrine, of good example, and of temporal assistance; therefore the Lord says to Peter three times: "Feed, feed, feed my sheep." Feed by word, feed by example, feed by temporal assistance is understood last, but yet "in due season"; Ecclesiastes 3:1: "All things have their season." Likewise John 16:12: "I have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now." For if he wishes to say words when it is not fitting, he loses his effort. There follows the matter of the reward; and first he says what this is; second, in what it consists. What is the reward? Beatitude; hence he says, "blessed," whether in death or at the end of the world, "whom, when his lord comes, he shall find so doing," namely administering, as has been said. Psalm 118:1: "Blessed are the undefiled in the way, who walk in the law of the Lord." And why are they blessed? "Amen I say to you, that he will set him over all his goods." This is explained in three ways. In one way, so that it may be shown in what all beatitude consists. For beatitude consists in some good; but all goods are God's. Is beatitude, then, in any of these? Beatitude is in that good which is above all goods: for no one is blessed except in that good which is God. Hence "he will set him over all his goods," that is, he will be beatified in that good, namely in God, who is above all things. In a second way it can be explained that he says this to show the pre-eminence which good prelates will have. Luke 12:37 has it that "he will make them sit down to eat"; but here it is said that "he will set him over all his goods"; because among all rewards the greatest is the reward of the good prelate; above, chapter 5:19: "He who shall do and teach, he shall be called great." Daniel 12:3: "They that are learned shall shine as the brightness of the firmament, and they that instruct many to justice, as stars for all eternity." And this is "over all his goods," that is, over all the rewards of the saints. In a third way it can be explained through union with Christ; because just as in this world no one arrives at the state of perfection except he who follows in the footsteps of Christ, so too then, no one does, except those who have been joined to Christ: and they will have dominion over all things, insofar as their will becomes conformed to the divine will; Luke 22:29: "And I dispose to you, as my Father has disposed to me, a kingdom." And Revelation 2:28: "He who shall overcome, I will give him the morning star." "But if that wicked servant shall say in his heart," and so on. After he has enticed them to be watchful by rewards, here he terrifies them by punishments. And first he sets down the fault; second, the punishment, at "the lord of that servant will come," and so on. In the fault there are two things, namely the cause of the fault, and the fault itself; and yet both are fault. The cause of the fault is despair concerning the coming, "if he shall say: My lord delays his coming." Augustine says that someone could say this out of excessive desire, and this was shown by him who said: "When shall I come and appear before the face of my God?" Sometimes it is said on account of despair of his coming soon; Ezekiel 12:22: "Son of man, what is this proverb in the land of Israel, saying: The days shall be prolonged, and every vision shall fail? For it shall not be long delayed." 2 Peter 3:9: "The Lord does not delay his promise." Hence this is the root of everything. But what are the things that follow from this? One of cruelty, the other of pleasure. As to the first he says "and shall begin to strike his fellow servants," because he regards those subject to him as mere slaves, against that saying of 1 Peter 5:3: "but willingly... neither lording it over your charges." And it is not enough for him, but he also strikes and afflicts; Micah 3:10: "You who build up Zion with blood." Or they strike their brothers, whom they regard as slaves, by bad example. Likewise this is not enough for them, but they turn themselves to pleasures. "And shall eat and drink with drunkards," that is, he will have fellowship with the licentious, if he himself is given to pleasure. And what will come of this? He sets down the judgment. For first he sets down the judgment as unexpected; second, the punishment. He says "the lord of that servant will come in a day that he does not expect"; because sometimes man believes himself secure of a long life, and yet suddenly he fails; 1 Thessalonians 5:2: "The day of the Lord will come like a thief"; Isaiah 30:13: "Suddenly, when it is not expected, its ruin shall come." And what will happen from this? A threefold punishment follows. "And shall separate him" — not, as Jerome says, that he divides him with a sword, but from the fellowship of the good; below, chapter 25:32: "And he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats." And this is the greatest punishment. Origen says thus: in man there are three things: there is the soul, the body, the spiritual gift. And these will not be divided in good prelates, but they will be in wicked prelates. The spiritual gift will be taken away, because he will take back the spiritual gift which he had given to them; but the body and the soul will be sent into the fire. Likewise another punishment is that he will be numbered among the wicked, hence he says "and shall appoint his portion with the hypocrites." Hypocrites are pretenders who profess one thing and do another: hence he will set his portion with such as these. And thus it is understood, Psalm 10:7: "Brimstone and storms of wind shall be the portion of their cup." Likewise still this is not enough, but there will be another punishment, because "there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth." Job 24:19: "For they shall pass from the cold of snows to excessive heat." Hence weeping is generated from smoke, the gnashing of teeth from cold. Origen says that from this we can consider that those speak wrongly who say that wicked prelates are not prelates. Likewise note a certain comparison that Augustine sets down. Let us remove from our eyes that servant of whom the discourse is made, and let us posit three servants, who love the coming of their lord. Let one say: My lord will come soon, and therefore I will watch. Let another say: My lord will delay, but I wish to watch. Let the other say: I do not know when he will come, and therefore I wish to watch. Which of these speaks better? Augustine answers that the first is badly deceived, because if he thinks that he will come soon, and afterward he delays, he is in danger of falling asleep out of weariness. The second can be deceived, but he is not in danger. But the third does well, who always waits in uncertainty; therefore it is bad to fix any particular time.”

“But know this,.... Or you do know this: this may be illustrated by supposing a case well known to men, and in which common prudence would direct a man how to behave: that if the good man of the house, or householder, or master of the family, had known in what watch the thief would come; whether at the first, second, third, or fourth watch; for the night was divided into four watches; had he any previous notice given by any of the associates of the thief, or by those that had overheard, or by any means had got intelligence of his design and measures, and the time of his pursuing them, he would have watched; in every watch either in person, or by employing others, or both: and would not have suffered his house to be broken up: or "dug through"; see Job 24:16 concerning which, there is a law in Exo 22:2 and is explained by the Jewish canonists thus: "He that comes in by digging, whether by day or by night, there is no blood for him (i.e. to be shed for him, if he is killed); but if the master of the house, or any other man kill him, they are free; and every man has power to kill him, whether on a weekday, or on a sabbath day; and with whatsoever death he can put him to, as it is said, there is no blood for him, Exo 22:2. And one that comes in, "by digging", or a thief that is found in the midst of a man's roof, or in his court, or within his hedge, whether in the day or in the night, (may be killed;) and wherefore is it called digging? because it is the way of most thieves to come in by digging in the night (x). Wherefore no doubt since the master of the house had such a law on his side, he would never suffer, if possible, his house to be entered by digging, when he had, especially, any previous notice of it. Now the application of this case, or parabolical way of speaking, is to the coming of Christ, and the watchfulness of every good man who has notice of it, that he may not be surprised with it, but be in a readiness to receive him. The coming of the son of man, is here represented by the coming of the thief in the night: but when he is compared to a thief, this is not to be understood in a bad sense, in which Satan is called one, who comes to kill and to destroy the souls of men; and likewise heretics and false teachers, and everyone that climbs up, and gets into the church of God in a wrong way; but this only respects the manner of Christ's coming, which is like that of a thief, secretly, suddenly, and at unawares. The "good man of the house", or householder, is every Christian, or believer in Christ, who has a house to look after, his own soul, the spiritual affairs and everlasting salvation of it, things of moment and concern unto him: and as the Christians, before the destruction of Jerusalem, had notices of Christ's coming in that way, by our Lord's predictions, by the hints the apostles gave, to refresh their memories with them, and by the signs of the times and voices that were heard; so the saints have of Christ's coming to judgment: wherefore as it became the one, so it does the other, to watch, to be upon their guard, to be in a readiness, to have their loins girt about, and their lights burning, and they like men that wait for their Lord; that so when he comes, their houses may not be broken up, may not be surprised, and the several powers and faculties of their souls may not be thrown into disorder and confusion; wherefore it follows, (x) Mairmon. Hilch. Genibah, c. 9. sect. 7, 8.”

“Watch ye, therefore. That men might not be attentive for a time only, but preserve a continual vigilance, the Almighty conceals from them the hour of their dissolution: they ought therefore to be ever expecting it, and ever watchful. But to the eternal infamy of Christians be it said, much more diligence is used by the worldly wise for the preservation of their wealth, than by the former for the salvation of their immortal souls. Though they are fully aware that the Lord will come, and like a thief in the night, when they least expect him, they do not persevere watching, nor guard against the irreparable misfortune of quitting the present life without previous preparation. Therefore will the day come to the destruction of such as are reposed in sleep. (St. Chrysostom, hom. lxxviii. on S. Matt.) — Of what importance is it then that we should be found watching, and properly attentive to the one thing necessary, the salvation of our immortal souls. For what will it avail us, if we have gained the whole world, which we must then leave, and lose our immortal souls, which, owing to our supine neglect to these admonitions of Jesus Christ, must suffer in hell-flames for all eternity? (Haydock)”