In a long passage of prophecy found in Matthew 24, Jesus gave an overview of the events that would unfold before He would return in glory. He gave this as an answer to the disciples’ questions regarding when He would return and what the signs would be leading up to His return. He told them of some significant signs, but in verse 36 He tells the disciples that no one knows the time of His return.

So, the question remained: would it be a short time, or would it be a long time?

After this session of prophetic teaching, Jesus continued with a series of parables through which ran a common theme: each of us is expected to be alert, watchful and not slacking off (Matthew 24:42-44). His parables give us warnings about dangerous attitudes that can develop when the time of waiting is very long or delayed.

The first parable

Matthew 24:45-51—in this scenario a master comes back sooner than expected and finds his servants behaving badly. The wicked servant is like a person who thinks they have a long time to wait before Christ comes back and therefore plenty of time left in which to repent and change. Such a person believes they can put off till tomorrow the difficult endeavor of overcoming sin. That person will be surprised when the master comes back before expected and they are found unprepared.

The second parable

Matthew 25:1-13—in this scenario the bridegroom comes back later than expected and the virgins are sleeping. The virgins with untrimmed lamps are like a person who observes that Christ is taking a much longer time to return than expected. They are getting tired of constant vigilance, overcoming and preparedness and would like to rest. But they have not stirred up the Spirit or fanned it into flame; they have lost their enthusiasm for spiritual change and growth.

Then the bridegroom arrives and these guests are unprepared.

Time wears them down, their eyes grow heavy, they decide to take rest for a while, and they fall asleep. Then the bridegroom arrives and these guests are unprepared.

The third parable

Matthew 25:14-30—in this scenario the master comes back after a long time to find that some of his servants have done nothing because they thought the assignment was too hard. The master gave three different servants deposits of money. Two of the servants use what they are given to create profit and increase. The third servant does nothing and when the master returns, he is unprepared.

In verses 20-23 the servants who created growth with the investment entrusted to them were rewarded accordingly. Then, the servant who did nothing was asked to give an account for his actions.

The “do nothing” servant explains that he was paralyzed with fear of the master. He was fearful of failure and loss, so he did not use the sum of money given him. He knew the expectations and standards of the master.

The servant who did nothing is like a person who concludes, “It’s too difficult, I’ll never be good enough, so why even try.”

The master’s reply to that servant is, “Why didn’t you at least try? At the minimum you could have put the money in the bank and gotten a little interest. It wouldn’t have been much and your reward would have been small, but that would be better than nothing.”

These three parables provide different scenarios for how we might react when we see the time of waiting is long. We might drift into evil, thinking we have time to change later. We might decide to take a break, thinking we have time to get busy later. Or we might give up because we think the task is too difficult.

A lesson about effort

There is an additional lesson about our personal effort found by comparing parables two and three.

• Don’t overestimate the effort required

• Don’t underestimate the effort required

The foolish virgins thought the task of preparation was so easy that they didn’t need to put much effort into preparation. So, they took a break and napped. The original Greek word that is translated “foolish” here is moros. It’s a harsh criticism meaning stupid, or dimwit. This is a warning delivered to believers who do not soberly consider what is required and the amount of effort needed.

The servant who did nothing is a believer who has been given gifts and blessings from God. And God expects them to be used to produce spiritual growth and character development. The “do nothing” servant took a look at what was required, and the amount of effort needed and was overwhelmed. This servant considered the task at hand to be so hard that there was no point in trying.

The “do nothing” servant did not understand that while God wants good outcomes, He also appreciates effort and attitude. Errors and sins we commit while we are still maturing and growing can be dealt with through the sacrifice of Christ for sin—but it’s difficult trying to work with someone who makes zero effort.

Some questions to ask yourself

For the slacker scenario found in the first parable: Are you putting off making the necessary changes in your life thinking you’ve got time to get around to it later? If so, then commit yourself to acting quickly.

Make haste and be urgent to get started now.

For the slacker scenario found in the second parable: Are you growing weary of doing good and thinking about taking a break? Are you underestimating the importance of showing forth the fruit of the Spirit in your life? Are you underestimating the effort required to be adequately prepared? If so, then shake yourself awake. Wake up and do what is needed to fan into flame the burning embers of the Holy Spirit that has been put within you.

For the slacker scenario found in the third parable: Are you letting recurring sins and lapses cause you to think all effort is hopeless? If so, commit yourself to showing a good effort in spite of failures along the way. God will appreciate your sincere effort—probably a lot more than you might think. When you fail, come under Christ’s blood so your faults and sins may be forgiven and passed over. Then persevere, make the effort, repent and change!

Use the warning and instruction embedded in these three parables to give you a sense of urgency and a readiness to follow the lead of the Holy Spirit—even when the time you spend in preparation seems long!