Mark 13:36

Key Reflection

In the first century, household servants were responsible for waking up their masters at various times during the night—whether it was the evening, midnight, rooster crowing, or morning. Jesus uses this familiar scenario to emphasize that the time of his return is unpredictable and could happen unexpectedly. His audience would have recognized the importance of being ready, as failure to do so would result in losing their place of service.