40. Рабы, ожидающие господина своего

It happens that a gentleman leaves his home for a business known to him. So Christ the Lord, having completed the great work of our salvation, departed from this world and, ascending into heaven, sat down at the right hand of God the Father. The master, starting from his house, says to his slaves: “Sit at home, and each do his own thing, I will return soon.” So Christ the Lord, departing from this world, commanded us, His servants, saying: “I will come again to you, and I will come soon. Behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to give to everyone according to his deeds” (Rev. 22:12). Be prepared, “let your loins be girded and your lamps burning. And you be like people who wait for their master to return from marriage, so that when he comes and knocks, they may open the door to him immediately” (Luke 12:35-36). Faithful and good slaves do what the master ordered them to do and wait for his arrival. So the faithful and good servants of Christ do according to the word of Christ their Lord, await His coming and prepare to meet Him. “But our citizenship is in heaven, from where we wait for the Savior, our Lord Jesus Christ” (Phil. 3:20). It happens that slaves, not expecting their master to come soon, say: “Our master will not come soon.” And they will start walking and rioting. But then suddenly a cry is heard - the gentleman is coming! So Christians, unkind and careless about their salvation, thinking in their hearts: “Our Lord tarries,” will begin to walk and be wicked. But then suddenly a cry and a trumpet voice will be heard: “Behold, the Lord comes! Come out to meet Him." Blessed are those servants whom their master, when he comes, finds awake and coming out to meet him. So blessed are those Christians whom Christ the Lord, when He comes, will find awake and ready to meet Him. Those slaves are cursed whom the master, when he comes, sees faulty. So are those Christians whom Christ the Lord, having come, will find unfaithful to Himself and walking according to their own whims, are also damned. Defective slaves are handed over by the master for punishment. Likewise, Christians who do not do the will of their Lord Jesus Christ will be given over to eternal punishment. “And cast the worthless slave into utter darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth... Stay awake, because you do not know at what hour your Lord will come" (Matthew 25:30, 13)! For just as Christ the Lord determined an unknown death for us so that we would always expect it, so He set the unknown day of His coming into the world so that we would wait for Him every day. And just as we do not know when the Lord will call us to Himself, may we always be ready, so we do not know the day and hour when He will come to us, may we be every day and hour ready for His meeting. Christian! You see that a person dies when he does not wait, and goes to that age. So think and reflect that the Lord will come to us unexpectedly. Then we will suddenly hear a cry: “Behold, the bridegroom is coming, go out to meet him!” (Matthew 25:6). The trumpet will be heard: Rise up the dead! Go to court! “Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven; and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn and see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. For just as lightning comes from the east and is visible even to the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man” (Matthew 24:30, 27). So, as you await your death and prepare for it in order to die blissfully, so expect the coming of your Lord and prepare to meet Him, so that at His coming at His right hand you will be able to stand and hear with those who hear His sweetest voice: “Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world” (Matthew 25:34). You might be interested in: