GUARD DUTY


“Beware, keep alert; for you do not know when the time will come. It is like a man going on a journey, when he leaves home and puts his slaves in charge, each with his work, and commands the doorkeeper to be on the watch. Therefore, keep awake—for you do not know when the master of the house will come, in the evening, or at midnight, or at cockcrow, or at dawn, or else he may find you asleep when he comes suddenly. And what I say to you I say to all: Keep awake.”

William Scott was a Union Army soldier during the American Civil War. While on guard duty one night, Scott was found asleep at his post. He was subsequently court-martialed and sentenced to be executed. In Scott's defense, he had volunteered to take the place of a comrade the night before and was consequently exhausted. On the day he was to be executed, Abraham Lincoln issued a presidential pardon, sparing his life. Scott went on to serve faithfully until he was mortally wounded in battle a few years later.

 

A soldier who falls asleep on guard duty can suffer severe consequences in every country, because there are lives that depend on his being awake and alert. We may not be soldiers in a nation’s military, but we are all soldiers for the Lord, in his service, and it is important that we be awake and alert too. Even if the lives of other people are not severely impacted by our state of wakefulness, our own lives most certainly are. Or, more accurately, our souls are! 

 

Whether we like it or not, we are in a war with the devil. “Our struggle,” as Paul writes to the Ephesians, “is against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms” (see Ephesians 6:12). This war is being waged constantly, and any laxity or complacency on our part, leaves us vulnerable to his attacks. And, as I am sure we can all attest, these attacks can be severe, and if the enemy breaks through the defenses, it can be brutal. Hence the need for wakefulness!

 

There is a tendency for us to become complacent, to take things easy, especially when we don’t see visible danger. But danger is always lurking. This is why Peter warns: “Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour” (1 Peter 5:8). And Jesus advises us of the same thing in today’s reading. “Beware!”, he says. “Keep alert! Stay awake!” But Jesus is not just warning us to beware of the enemy. He is telling us to be prepared for his return. 

 

Because he is coming back. And how do we know it isn’t going to be today?

 

Watch a video of this reflection by Aneel Aranha here: https://youtu.be/aIJBnCWrm6g

 

 

 


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