In these Scriptures, Mark 13:34-37, Jesus is explaining what His leaving for heaven, and His plan to return are like. But, the main emphasis here, is on what He has left us with...There are four things ...
He is like a man who went to a far country....but, when He left, He gave us four things.
1. He has given us authority, or power....that's what the word means. So, right off the bat, we know that while we wait for Him to return, we have power from Him, that is the power of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is within each of us as believers in Jesus Christ, and He also wants to overflow our lives with Himself, that is, empowering us, bearing the fruit of the Holy Spirit in our lives. ( There are many other things that the Holy Spirit does ) But, here, in this passage, we see that He has left us power......
2. He regards us as His servants. A servant in the New Testament, is someone who lives to do the will of their master. They exist to carry out His will, His plans, and His desires. That's what the Bible calls doing the will of God. So, we are servants who have power.
3. He has given us a specific work to do as His servants. In fact, He has outfitted each of us with the needed gifts to do His will. For example, if He has called you to work in His kingdom as a teacher, then He has given you the gift of teaching, etc, etc. You have a gift(s) to serve Him with.
4. He has called us to watch and wait for His coming. Watch, means to be awake, and to be alert, and to not be sleeping. As you can see from verse 36-37, He says, "lest, coming suddenly, he find you sleeping" We can get so tired, and find ourselves spiritually sleeping. Especially if we have been awake a long time, and working a long time. But, He wants us to be awake and alert.
Mark 13:34-37
34 “It is like a man going to a far country, who left his house and gave authority to his servants, and to each his work, and commanded the doorkeeper to watch.
35 “Watch therefore, for you do not know when the master of the house is coming--in the evening, at midnight, at the crowing of the rooster, or in the morning--
36 “lest, coming suddenly, he find you sleeping.
37 “And what I say to you, I say to all: Watch!”
Lord, thank You for Your Word. It's so clear, and it's layed out for us in an easy to understand way. We want to walk in Your ways, and we pray today for a fresh filling of the Holy Spirit, a renewed attitude of service for You by the use of our spiritual gifts. Help us to wake up if we are sleeping, and keep us alert and waiting for your return.....
In Jesus name.
Pastor Bob Grenier
