First of all, putting this in a bigger context, Jesus JUST spoke to the disciples about the Tribulation and His second coming. Also, in the "days of Noah" before the flood - remember - the world had become so sinful, God was sending the flood to bring about a fresh start! So in this parable, the thief is removing the sinful people and throwing them to hell, while the faithful servants (the believers) remain and will help run the Millennial kingdom...
(Matthew 24:36-51) “But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone. 37 For the coming of the Son of Man will be just like the days of Noah. 38 For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, 39 and they did not understand until the flood came and took them all away; so will the coming of the Son of Man be. 40 Then there will be two men in the field; one will be taken and one will be left. 41 Two women will be grinding at the mill; one will be taken and one will be left.
42 “Therefore be on the alert, for you do not know which day your Lord is coming. 43 But be sure of this, that if the head of the house had known at what time of the night the thief was coming, he would have been on the alert and would not have allowed his house to be broken into. 44 For this reason you also must be ready; for the Son of Man is coming at an hour when you do not think He will.
45 “Who then is the faithful and sensible slave whom his master put in charge of his household to give them their food at the proper time? 46 Blessed is that slave whom his master finds so doing when he comes. 47 Truly I say to you that he will put him in charge of all his possessions. 48 But if that evil slave says in his heart, ‘My master is not coming for a long time,’ 49 and begins to beat his fellow slaves and eat and drink with drunkards; 50 the master of that slave will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour which he does not know, 51 and will cut him in pieces and assign him a place with the hypocrites; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
Today's takeaway: be ready! No matter in what age one is in - when "the time" is up - we need to be a believer to move on to the better place. The time might be when we die and go on to eternity. The time might be when the rapture occurs. And in the future, the time will be when Jesus comes again and takes all those who became believers in the Tribulation into the Millennium. And at the end of the Millennium, the time will be when the thousand years are up and all those who were born during this age and became believers will go on to eternity.
And we have no idea when any of these things will happen. God in His wisdom planned it this way. Otherwise, I think people would just wait for the last minute - to become believers - or to wait for the last moment to tell someone the gospel. I also think with a definitive deadline, the temptation of using fear as a motive to tell people about the gospel would be prevalent. Rather, our motive for doing all things should always be love.
So - to be ready - is not only for the afterlife - but for RIGHT NOW!!! While on earth, in our lifetime right here - to experience the peace, joy, love, strength, etc. - that only God can provide. Right now is the time to become a believer. Right now is the time to do God's will to experience the blessings that He wants to give us...
(John 16:33) "These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world.”
(Romans 15:13) Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you will abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
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