But of that day and hour no one knows, neither the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone. 37 For as it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. 38 In [those] days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day that Noah entered the ark. 39 They did not know until the flood came and carried them all away. So will it be [also] at the coming of the Son of Man. 40 Two men will be out in the field; one will be taken, and one will be left. 41 Two women will be grinding at the mill; one will be taken, and one will be left. 42 Therefore, stay awake! For you do not know on which day your Lord will come. 43 Be sure of this: if the master of the house had known the hour of night when the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and not let his house be broken into. 44 So too, you also must be prepared, for at an hour you do not expect, the Son of Man will come.
45 Who, then, is the faithful and prudent servant, whom the master has put in charge of his household to distribute to them their food at the proper time? 46 Blessed is that servant whom his master on his arrival finds doing so. 47 Amen, I say to you, he will put him in charge of all his property. 48 But if that wicked servant says to himself, ‘My master is long delayed,’ 49 and begins to beat his fellow servants, and eat and drink with drunkards, 50 the servant’s master will come on an unexpected day and at an unknown hour 51 and will punish him severely and assign him a place with the hypocrites, where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth.
Jesus emphasizes that not even the angels or the Son knew the exact timing of the end times; such knowledge is reserved for the Father alone. Jesus Christ is fully God and fully man, possessing two complete and distinct natures simultaneously—divine and human (hypostatic union). In the incarnation, the Son of God voluntarily relinquished the independent exercise of certain divine attributes, including omniscience, to fully embrace human nature. As stated in Philippians, “though he was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God something to be grasped. Rather, he emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, coming in human likeness; and found human in appearance” (Phil. 2: 6-7). This self-emptying (kenosis) did not mean that Jesus ceased to be divine or lost his divine attributes but that he chose not to exercise certain divine prerogatives independently of the Father while on earth. The doctrine of the hypostatic union is a foundational tenet accepted by the wide majority of mainstream Christian denominations.
Jesus compares the coming of the Son of Man with the days of Noah. Just as the people in Noah's time were unaware of the impending flood until it was too late, so too will people be carrying out their normal lives unaware of the timing of the second coming. Individuals involved in their daily tasks will be taken or left behind at the unpredictable coming of the Son of Man. Therefore, one should remain in a constant state of spiritual readiness because of the unpredictable nature of Christ’s return. Just as a homeowner would remain watchful if he knew the exact hour a thief would come, so must believers remain spiritually vigilant at all times.
The faithful and prudent servant carries out his responsibilities with integrity and faithfulness in the master's absence. His master will reward him with greater responsibility and trust. In contrast, the wicked servant who abuses his master's absence and acts irresponsibly with the Word of God entrusted to him, leading a worldly life, indulging in misconduct, and mistreating those entrusted to his care, will receive severe punishment when his master returns unexpectedly.
Believers should be vigilant, faithful, and prepared in anticipation of the unknown hour of the Lord's return. They should fulfill their duties with faithfulness and prudence, as they will be held accountable for their actions when the Son of Man returns.
Almighty God, help us to live righteous lives filled with Your Divine love, and to be faithful to Your word. May we always stay spiritually alert, embracing Your Word, and sharing Your grace with those around us, while we await the return of Your Son. This we pray through Christ our Lord. Amen!
Bibliography
- Chiu, José Enrique Aguilar, et al. The Paulist Biblical Commentary. Paulist Press, 2018.
- Faculty of the University of Navarre. The Navarre Bible: New Testament Expanded Edition. Four Courts / Scepter, 2008.
- Brown, Raymond Edward, et al. The New Jerome Biblical Commentary. Prentice Hall, 1990.Florida
- Orchard, Bernard, et al. A Catholic Commentary on Holy Scripture. Feb. 1953.
- Komonchak, Joseph, et al., editors. The New Dictionary of Theology.
- McKenzie, John. Dictionary of the Bible. Collier Books, 1965.
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