“Stay Awake”

“Russian roulette is a dangerous game that involves a loaded firearm, typically a revolver with one chamber loaded with a live round, and the other chambers empty. Players take turns pulling the trigger while pointing the gun at their own head or another player’s head, with the hope of avoiding the live round.” In truth, it’s a stupid and demonic risking of precious life. Today’s gospel reading has some actions that remind me a bit of playing Russian roulette.

In the gospel Jesus said to his disciples: “Stay awake! For you do not know on which day your Lord will come. 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. So too, you also must be prepared, for at an hour you do not expect, the Son of Man will come.…. Blessed is that servant whom his master on his arrival finds doing so …..  but if that wicked servant says to himself, ‘My master is long delayed,’ and begins to beat his fellow servants, and eat and drink with drunkards, the servant’s master will come on an unexpected day and at an unknown hour and will punish him severely……” (Mt. 24:42-51)

In the passage Jesus alludes to the wicked servant who plays  a version of “Russian Roulette” ….. betting that he can fool around and do his own thing because “the master is long delayed”. Hmmmmm, that’s putting a lot on the line; it’s risking a lot for the fleeting pleasures of sin. Yet haven’t we at times done  similar things when we decide to choose sin over God’s will? “Gee I can sneak in a little sin, I’m not dying, God won’t notice, I’ll repent tomorrow…I’ve got plenty of time.” When we risk our lives in this way, we’re playing a version of “Russian Roulette”.

Jesus tells us to “Stay Awake” ! He tells us that this is very serious, and the stakes are the highest. God is not trying to trick us or catch us in our weakest moment, but we need to use our “spiritual head”. We need to realize that enjoying some fleeting pleasures of sin is not worth jeopardizing our relationship with God. May we be ready at all times to welcome the Lord. Since we don’t know the specific time, we need to be prepared at all times.  And all of this is good news… being prepared for the Lord’s return will allow us to enjoy his grace every day.