Blessed are those servants
whom the master finds vigilant on his arrival.
Let's ask Jesus to help us to be attentive to all of the ways he comes to us in our lives. Let us ask him that we never miss an opportunity for grace. We need to keep the lamp of the Holy Spirit burning in our hearts. We need to gird our loins with the truth (see Ephesians 6:14). Darkness and error make sleeping easy. It becomes a question of 'Why not?' But if we remember the truth and if the Spirit is within us we might still not quite be "always on" but we are ready enough to not be taken completely by surprise.
It is sin and disobedience that we must avoid. When we sin our souls become less and less responsive to the light. We are less and less able to welcome Jesus. Yet we ourselves cannot solve this problem. We find the weight of sleep to great to resist. We need the light of the Holy Spirit to stay awake. And this light is freely given to us by Jesus Christ.
how much more will those who receive the abundance of grace
and the gift of justification
come to reign in life through the one Jesus Christ.
Through the obedience of Jesus we are made righteous. The disciples falling asleep in Gethesemani were still living from their old man, still recapitulating the disobedience of Adam. Through Jesus we have the power to stay awake.
For just as through the disobedience of one man
the many were made sinners,
so, through the obedience of the one
the many will be made righteous.
We not only struggle on but even come to reign with him. It doesn't matter how tired we feel in our flesh. Jesus has conquered and he shares his victory with us. This is the coming for which we wait. It is worth it, no matter during which watch of the night he comes.
Where sin increased, grace overflowed all the more,
so that, as sin reigned in death,
grace also might reign through justification
for eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
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