Abstract
Jesus’ discourse in Matthew 24–25 combines eschatological expectation with exhortations addressed to his disciples. This article synthesizes a bibliographic and exegetical study of Christian readiness for the coming of the Son of Man. The analysis identifies watchfulness in the face of an unknown time, faithfulness during the master’s absence, sustained preparation in the face of delay, and responsibility for what has been entrusted. These dimensions constitute an interpretive synthesis of the passages examined, not a formal sequence established by the evangelist. The final judgment scene broadens the horizon to include evaluation and its consequences, while preserving interpretive disagreements concerning the “least of these brothers” and the relationship between actions and salvation.
Keywords: Matthew 24–25; eschatology; Christian readiness; watchfulness; discipleship.
1. Why Is the Question of Christ’s Return Also a Question About Life in the Present?
In Matthew 24, the disciples ask Jesus about future events, his coming, and the end of the age. The ensuing discourse does not set these questions aside: it includes warnings, images of an unexpected arrival, parables of absence and return, and a scene of judgment. Yet within this eschatological horizon another question emerges: how should those who wait live?
The monograph *Keep Watch, Therefore: Christian Readiness for Christ’s Return in Matthew 24–25* investigates this dimension without turning the discourse into a prophetic timetable or reducing it to a manual of ethics. Readiness is examined within eschatology, not as a replacement for it. The research follows specific textual units and tests whether they support a coherent synthesis of the disciples’ response.
2. Keeping Watch When the Time Is Unknown
In Matthew 24:36–44, Jesus declares that the time in question remains unknown. The comparison with the days of Noah depicts people engaged in ordinary activities until a decisive event arrives. Eating, drinking, and marrying are not, in themselves, what the analogy condemns; the contrast lies between the continuity of daily life and the surprise of the arrival.
It is in this context that the command appears: “Therefore keep watch” (Matt. 24:42), followed by the exhortation to be ready (Matt. 24:44). Uncertainty is not a gap to be filled by calculations but the textual reason for watchfulness. The two imperatives are functionally related, without treating “keeping watch” and “being ready” as lexically identical expressions. The debate over who is “taken” or “left” in Matthew 24:40–41 need not be resolved to recognize the decisive character of the arrival.
3. Faithfulness While the Master Is Away
The parable of the faithful and wise servant (Matt. 24:45–51) shifts attention from the unknown time to conduct during the master’s absence. The servant receives a specific assignment: to care for the other servants and provide their food at the proper time. His faithfulness becomes evident when the master returns and finds him carrying out that task.
The contrast with the wicked servant calls for a distinction: “My master is delayed” occurs in that servant’s own thoughts, but the narrative’s condemnation is not reducible to his recognition of a delay. It concerns his violence and abandonment of the responsibility entrusted to him. Waiting, therefore, does not license indifference; faithfulness is tested in how one lives before the master returns.
4. Prepared Even When the Wait Is Prolonged
In the parable of the ten virgins (Matt. 25:1–13), the bridegroom is delayed and all of them fall asleep. Sleep by itself, therefore, does not distinguish the wise from the foolish. The contrast emerges in their preparation for the arrival and in the narrative’s outcome. The final command to keep watch must be read in light of this story, rather than reduced to the physical impossibility of sleeping.
The research uses “perseverance” as a category of synthesis: readiness sustained through a wait that may be prolonged. This does not mean claiming that Matthew formally established a stage called perseverance, but recognizing that preparation must endure the delay without being lost.
5. What Should Be Done with What Has Been Entrusted?
In Matthew 25:14–30, a master entrusts his property to servants before leaving. On his return, he calls them to account for what they received. The parable thus relates entrusted resources, conduct during the absence, and evaluation upon the return. This responsibility cannot be reduced to maximizing outcomes or to competition among the servants.
It is also necessary to avoid automatically equating the *talanton*—a unit of value in the ancient world—with “talents” understood today as individual gifts or abilities. Practical applications may be discussed, but they should not replace the meaning of the narrative. The secure point for this analysis is that the servants must answer to their master for what was entrusted to them.
6. Meeting the King: Evaluation and Consequences
The discourse culminates in Matthew 25:31–46 with the Son of Man coming in glory, the separation of the groups, and the King’s pronouncements. Concrete actions and omissions feature in the evaluation, and treatment of the people mentioned is related to the King himself. The text therefore rules out treating conduct during the waiting period as irrelevant.
Two controversies, however, require caution. The identity of the “least of these brothers” has been interpreted both broadly, as referring to those in need, and more specifically, as referring to Jesus’ disciples or their representatives. Moreover, although actions are explicitly relevant to the judgment depicted, this passage alone does not offer a complete account of the relationship between grace, faith, works, merit, and salvation. Acknowledging these limits is essential to an exegetically responsible synthesis.
7. What, Then, Does It Mean to Be Ready?
Considered together, the units examined allow Christian readiness to be understood through four complementary dimensions: watchfulness amid uncertainty, faithfulness during absence, perseverance in the face of delay, and responsibility for what has been entrusted. The return, evaluation, and their consequences form the horizon of this response. This synthesis does not correspond to four formal stages established by Matthew; it arises from comparing the selected passages.
On this reading, Jesus’ teaching neither replaces expectation of his coming with an autonomous moral program nor makes readiness conditional on discovering the day and hour. The expected coming shapes the disciples’ present lives: to keep watch, remain faithful, sustain their preparation through the wait, and answer responsibly before the Lord.
Conclusion
The decisive question in Matthew 24–25 is not only when the Son of Man will come, but also how the disciples should live while they wait. With qualifications, the monograph argues that Christian readiness is expressed in watchfulness, faithfulness, perseverance, and responsibility: the first two have direct textual support, while the others are analytical categories of synthesis, without reducing the entire discourse to those categories. The unknown time does not prevent the disciples from responding; it is during the waiting period that such a response becomes necessary.
Selected References
EKEOCHA, Kennedy K. Matthew 24–25 as Prophetic-Apocalyptic: Structure, Function, and Eschatology. Eugene, OR: Pickwick Publications, 2024.
FRANCE, R. T. The Gospel of Matthew. Grand Rapids, MI: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 2007.
GRAY, Sherman W. The Least of My Brothers: Matthew 25:31–46: A History of Interpretation. Atlanta, GA: Scholars Press, 1989.
LUZ, Ulrich. Matthew 21–28: A Commentary. Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 2005.
TURNER, David L. The Structure and Sequence of Matthew 24:1–41: Interaction with Evangelical Treatments. Grace Theological Journal, vol. 10, no. 1, pp. 3–27, 1989.
https://zenodo.org/records/23352075
Explore the Research in Greater Depth
This article synthesizes the main arguments and findings of a broader academic investigation into Christian readiness for Christ’s return in Matthew 24–25.
For a fuller examination of the exegetical foundations, interpretive disagreements, methodological criteria, and complete bibliography, consult the monograph *Vigiai, Pois: A Prontidão Cristã Diante da Volta de Cristo em Mateus 24–25* (*Keep Watch, Therefore: Christian Readiness for Christ’s Return in Matthew 24–25*; English rendering of the original Portuguese title, not a published English edition).
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