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how does the new testament understand 'waiting' in light of jesus's life and teaching?

Adds the setting and its conversation across both testaments.

Luke 12:35-40

“Let your waist be dressed and your lamps burning. Be like men watching for their lord, when he returns from the wedding feast; that when he comes and knocks, they may immediately open to him. Blessed are those servants whom the lord will find watching when he comes. Most certainly I tell you, that he will dress himself, and make them sit down to eat, and will come and serve them. If he comes in the second watch, or in the third, and finds them so, blessed are those servants. But know this, that if the master of the house had known in what hour the thief was coming, he would have watched, and not allowed his house to be broken into. Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming in an hour that you don’t expect him.””

This passage is part of Jesus's teaching to his disciples, recorded by Luke. He has been speaking about anxiety and reliance on God, and now shifts to the theme of readiness and watchfulness for his return, using parables to illustrate his point.

What does being 'ready' for the unexpected require of us in the daily routines of our lives?

Then — the setting

This passage comes from the Gospel of Luke, likely written in the late first century CE. It's part of Jesus's extensive teaching on discipleship and the kingdom of God, delivered to his followers in Galilee or Judea before his final journey to Jerusalem. The audience would have been familiar with hierarchical household structures and the expectation of servants to be attentive to their master's needs, especially upon return from a significant event like a wedding feast, which could extend late into the night. The concept of 'watching' was deeply rooted in Jewish eschatological hope, anticipating God's decisive intervention in history.

Across the Testaments

In the Old Testament, 'waiting' often involved a deep longing for God's intervention, for justice, for deliverance from oppression, or for the coming of the Messiah (e.g., Psalm 130:5-6, Isaiah 40:31). This waiting was often paired with perseverance and trust in God's timing, even through periods of suffering or apparent divine silence. In the New Testament, particularly in Jesus's teachings, this longing is reframed around his own promised return. The 'waiting' is still active and hopeful, but it also carries an imperative for moral readiness and faithful stewardship in the interim, emphasizing that the 'time' is unknown but the 'event' is certain.

Keep thinking

Read alongside it

Matthew 25:1-13
The parable of the ten virgins similarly speaks of preparedness and waiting for the bridegroom.
1 Thessalonians 5:1-11
Paul encourages believers to be awake and sober, not asleep, regarding the Lord's coming.
Revelation 22:20
A concluding prayer expresses longing for Jesus's return, 'Amen. Come, Lord Jesus!'

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