Sunday – 8 November 2026

Context: Faithfulness in uncertain times.

One of the most important promises in the Christian faith is the promise that Jesus Christ will come again. When Jesus came into the world the first time, He came in humility, born in Bethlehem, lived among ordinary people, proclaimed the kingdom of God, died on the cross for our sins and rose triumphantly from the dead. Before His ascension, He promised His disciples that He would return. The second coming of Jesus Christ is therefore not merely a subject of theological discussion; it is a central hope of the Christian faith. However, the question is not simply whether Christ will come again, but whether we are ready to meet Him.

Many people prepare carefully for examinations, careers, weddings, journeys and retirement. Yet we sometimes neglect the most important preparation of all: preparing our lives for the Lord who will come again. In Matthew 24:36–51, Jesus speaks about His second coming and warns His disciples to remain watchful. He explains that no one knows the day or hour of His return. Therefore, our responsibility is not to calculate dates or speculate about events, but to live every day in readiness for Him. The readings today challenge us to examine our spiritual lives. The prophet Amos calls us to seek good and reject evil. Psalm 130 teaches us to wait for the Lord with hope. Paul reminds the Thessalonian Christians to remain awake and sober as children of light. Jesus Himself commands us to watch and be ready. Let us reflect on three important lessons from these passages.

1. Watch and Be Ready by Living in Righteousness

In Matthew 24, Jesus reminds His disciples that His coming will be unexpected. He refers to the days of Noah, when people continued their ordinary activities until the flood came. They were eating, drinking and marrying, unaware of the judgment that was approaching. Jesus is not teaching that eating, drinking, marrying or carrying on our daily responsibilities is wrong. Rather, He warns against living as though God has no place in our lives and eternity has no significance. The people in Noah’s time were absorbed in ordinary life without recognising their spiritual responsibility. This warning is relevant to us today. We can become so occupied with our work, family responsibilities, financial concerns, entertainment and personal ambitions that we forget the eternal purpose of our lives. We may attend church regularly and participate in Christian activities, yet fail to examine our hearts and the way we treat others. The reading from Amos 5:10–15 makes this point very clearly. The prophet confronts people who hate those who speak truth, exploit the poor and pursue injustice. They may have maintained religious practices, but their lives contradicted the righteousness God desired. Amos calls them to seek good rather than evil so that they may live. This is a powerful reminder that readiness for Christ's return is not simply about attending worship services, knowing biblical predictions or speaking about the end times. It is about living according to the will of God. Are we honest in our dealings with others? Do we treat workers fairly? Do we use our influence to help the vulnerable or to serve our own interests? Do we speak the truth even when it is uncomfortable? Do we forgive those who hurt us and seek reconciliation where relationships have been broken? The second coming of Christ challenges us to take these questions seriously. We cannot claim to be waiting for the righteous King while deliberately practising injustice and ignoring the suffering of others. Being ready does not mean that we must become perfect through our own efforts. It means that we live in repentance, depend on God's grace and allow the Holy Spirit to transform our character. When we fail, we confess our sins and return to the Lord. When we see injustice, we seek to do what is right. When others are in need, we respond with compassion. To watch for Christ is to live today in a way that honours the Christ who is coming tomorrow.

2. Watch and Be Ready by Remaining Spiritually Awake and Hopeful

In 1 Thessalonians 5:1–11, Paul speaks about the day of the Lord, which will come unexpectedly, like a thief in the night. He encourages believers not to live in spiritual darkness but to remain alert and self-controlled because they belong to the light. Paul writes in verse 6, “So then, let us not be like others, who are asleep, but let us be awake and sober.” His message is not that Christians should live in constant fear of the future. Instead, they should live with spiritual awareness, knowing who they are in Christ and what God has called them to do. Paul also describes the Christian's spiritual armour: faith and love as a breastplate, and the hope of salvation as a helmet. These images remind us that faith, love and hope help us remain steadfast amid uncertainty and temptation. What does it mean to be spiritually awake? It means maintaining a living relationship with God through prayer, Scripture, worship and obedience. It means recognising when our faith is becoming weak, when our priorities are moving away from Christ, or when worldly values are influencing our decisions more than God's Word. Spiritual sleep can take many forms. We may become indifferent to prayer, careless about sin, unconcerned about the needs of others or satisfied with a merely outward expression of religion. We may assume that there will always be more time to repent, serve, forgive or reconcile with someone. But Jesus warns us against postponing our spiritual responsibilities. Psalm 130 offers a beautiful picture of waiting for the Lord. The psalmist cries to God from the depths of distress and declares, “I wait for the Lord, my whole being waits, and in his word I put my hope.” The image is that of watchmen waiting for the morning. Their waiting is not meaningless; they are confident that the morning will come. In the same way, Christians wait for the return of Christ with hope. We do not know when He will come, but we trust His promise. We may experience suffering, injustice, disappointment and uncertainty, yet we are not without hope. Christ has conquered sin and death, and His return will bring God's purposes to their fulfilment. This hope should shape our daily lives. We must not be discouraged by the condition of the world, nor should we become obsessed with frightening predictions. Throughout history, people have tried to identify the exact date of Christ's return, but Jesus clearly says that no one knows the day or hour. Our calling is to remain faithful, not to predict what God has not revealed. The expectation of Christ's return should make us more prayerful, more compassionate, more courageous in witnessing and more committed to the work God has entrusted to us. Those who wait for Christ must not fall asleep in their faith; they must remain awake in hope and active in love.

3. Watch and Be Ready by Being Faithful in Our Responsibilities

In Matthew 24:45–51, Jesus tells the parable of a faithful and wise servant whom the master places in charge of his household. The servant is commended if the master returns and finds him doing his assigned work. But the servant who assumes that the master will be delayed begins to behave irresponsibly and mistreat others. The contrast is clear. The faithful servant does not know exactly when the master will return, but he continues to fulfil his responsibilities. The unfaithful servant assumes that there is plenty of time and begins to live according to his own desires. Jesus is teaching us that readiness is demonstrated through faithfulness. We do not prepare for His coming by abandoning our responsibilities or withdrawing from the world. We prepare by serving God faithfully wherever He has placed us. Parents are called to nurture their children in love and faith. Church leaders are called to shepherd God's people with integrity. Teachers are called to educate with dedication. Workers are called to be honest. Young people are called to use their gifts responsibly. Every Christian is called to love their neighbour and bear witness to Christ. The question is not how much time we have left before Jesus returns, but how faithfully we are using the time He has given us. Sometimes we imagine that serving God requires extraordinary achievements. Yet faithfulness is often expressed through ordinary acts of love: visiting someone who is lonely, caring for a sick person, helping a family in difficulty, teaching children the Word of God, praying for those who suffer, speaking truth with courage and remaining faithful in our daily work. The parable also warns us against abusing power. The unfaithful servant begins to mistreat those under his care because he believes the master will not return soon. In the same way, people who forget their accountability before God may exploit others, misuse authority or neglect those entrusted to them. The expectation of Christ's return reminds every leader and believer that our lives are accountable to God. Authority is a responsibility, not a privilege to be used for selfish purposes.

Our gifts, possessions, positions and opportunities are entrusted to us for service. We must therefore ask ourselves: If Christ were to return today, what would He find us doing? Would He find us serving with love, speaking with integrity and caring for others? Or would He find us neglecting our responsibilities, holding on to bitterness and living only for ourselves? This question is not intended to fill us with despair. It is an invitation to renew our commitment to Christ. Because we belong to Him, we can begin again today. We can put right what needs to be corrected, seek forgiveness where necessary and become more faithful in the work entrusted to us. The best preparation for Christ's return is faithful service in the present.

Conclusion

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, the message of today's Scriptures is clear: Watch and be ready! Jesus Christ has promised to come again, but no one knows the day or hour. Therefore, we must not live carelessly, postpone our spiritual responsibilities or allow the concerns of this world to distract us from our calling. Through the prophet Amos, God calls us to seek good and practise righteousness. Through Psalm 130, we learn to wait for the Lord with hope. Through Paul's letter to the Thessalonians, we are encouraged to remain awake and sober as children of light. And through the teaching of Jesus in Matthew 24, we are reminded to be faithful servants who are ready for the master's return. Let us, therefore, watch by keeping our hearts close to God. Let us be ready by living in righteousness, remaining spiritually alert and faithfully serving others. Let us not be driven by fear or speculation about the future, but strengthened by the hope that our Lord Jesus Christ will fulfil His promise. One day, the Christ who came in humility will return in glory. For those who belong to Him, His coming is not merely a day of accountability; it is also the fulfilment of our Christian hope. We look forward to being with our Lord and seeing God's purposes brought to completion. Until that day, let us continue to pray, worship, love, serve and proclaim the Gospel. Let us live each day with the awareness that our time is a gift from God and our lives are entrusted to His care. May we be found faithful when our Lord comes, ready to welcome Him with hearts filled with faith, lives marked by love and hands engaged in His service. “Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an unexpected hour” (Matthew 24:44). May the Lord help us to watch, remain faithful and be ready for the glorious return of Jesus Christ. Amen.