like a thief

Good morning sisters and brothers,
Jesus gives two examples of the suddenness with which he will return. One is a thief in the night, who surprises a homeowner. The other example is more extended. Jesus describes a master leaving on a journey and leaving one of his servants in charge while he's away. God is the master and we are the servants in charge. The question for Jesus' disciples (us) is how we will behave while he's away. Will we be faithful to our calling even as the wait for his return gets longer? Or will we take advantage of others, forgetting that we will have to give an account for how we've acted?

Blessings on your day,
Sam

Matthew 24:43-51

⁴³But understand this: if the owner of the house had known in what part of the night the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and would not have let his house be broken into. ⁴⁴Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an unexpected hour.

⁴⁵“Who then is the faithful and wise slave, whom his master has put in charge of his household, to give the other slaves their allowance of food at the proper time? ⁴⁶Blessed is that slave whom his master will find at work when he arrives. ⁴⁷Truly I tell you, he will put that one in charge of all his possessions. ⁴⁸But if that wicked slave says to himself, ‘My master is delayed,’ ⁴⁹and he begins to beat his fellow slaves, and eats and drinks with drunkards, ⁵⁰the master of that slave will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour that he does not know. ⁵¹He will cut him in pieces and put him with the hypocrites, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.