Scripture:

Matthew 24:

42”Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come. 43But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what time of night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into. 44So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.

Observation:

So Matthew 24 is pretty wild.  These signs of the end of the age are the stuff of movies.  Really good movies that I would go see.  I can see it now…M. Night Shyamalan directing…people disappearing…mass hysteria!

Sorry I digress…ok…so back to my original point.  When vs. 42 says “keep watch” it harkens back to those who would keep vigil over the walls of a city.  Defending it against bandits and marauders (i love those words).  It’s an Old Testament idea that also meant to “keep (spiritual) watch” over those who might be wandering away from God.
In this context (the end of the age…remember great movie)…it’s not a passive idea.  Simply watching out for what might be coming or keeping vigil over someone who is being led astray.  It’s an active term.

Application:

You probably already know that my bent is toward action.  What are you DOING for Christ?  Yes…knowledge is important.  Study is important.  Scholarship is important.  But what if you know everything you need to know to follow Christ and yet you aren’t doing anything.  James calls that faith worthless.  I call it crazy. 

We don’t know when Jesus will return.  But to simply sit around and wait….or even just sit around in Bible study…or even just sit and soak in church…is simply being passive. 

A vigil.  A watchman.

Be ready for Jesus return.  But be ready by DOING.  Get discipled.  Get trained.  Get to serving.  Get to doing something for Christ.

Prayer:

Pray that you won’t sit and wait…but rather…be what God has called you to be!