Jesus told the disciples,

“But about the day or hour of my return, no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. The coming of the Son of Man will be like the day of Noah. In the days before the flood, people were laughing and drinking and having a merry time up until the day Noah entered the ark. They knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away. That is how it will be with the coming of the Son of Man.

Two men will be in the field, one will be taken and the other left. Two men will be in the field, one will be taken and the other left. Two women will be grinding with a hand mill; one will be taken and the other left. Therefore, keep watch because you do not know on what day your Lord will come.

But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what time of night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into. So you must be ready because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.

Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom the master has put in charge of the household servants to give them their food at the proper time? It will be good for that servant when the master returns and finds him doing what he was supposed to do. In fact, he will put him in charge of all his possessions.

But what if the servant were wicked and says to himself, ‘My master will be away for a long time,’ and he then begins to beat the other servants and eats and drinks with drunkards? The master will return on a day the servant does not expect him, and at an hour he is not aware of. He will cut him to pieces and assign him a place with the hypocrites where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

What the story means to us today

Be prepared – always

The message Jesus delivers is stern and strict. To some, the message is terrifying. To others, the message brings hope. The message is simple – we must always behave like proper Christians. We can’t tell ourselves, ‘I’ll be better tomorrow” because God expects us to behave like Christians every day. It’s a big ask – but it is expected of us.

Additional thoughts and considerations

If Jesus is God, how does he not know when he will return?

The Trinity is debated among various Christian factions. In this example, it is clear Jesus and God are separate entities. This does not make Jesus any less divine – he was clearly something we are incapable of understanding much less explaining, and his deity should never be in doubt. But understand, the concept of a “trinity” was created by man in an attempt to describe the relationship between God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit. It’s futile to attempt to detangle this bond using our limited knowledge and understanding.

A quick return or one that takes place much later

There are other New Testament verses that hint Jesus’ return could occur during the lifetime of the disciples. This section clearly indicates Jesus’ return will be much later and after quite some time has passed. How much time will pass before the Second Coming? Enough time that many will no longer be actively looking for Jesus’ return.

Is the day of Jesus’ return influenced by Man’s behavior?

Scholars debate whether God has fixed the day and time of Jesus’ return to Earth or if the timing of his return is somehow influenced by events as they take place on Earth. Mankind’s actions probably do impact the timing of Jesus’ return but God does not operate in our realm or according to our sense of time. Regardless of outside influencers such as Man, God already knows when the Son of Man will return.

Who will be left behind – the righteous or the sinners?

The verses are not entirely clear about who will be taken and who will be left behind. It’s common to envision Christians taken away and sinners left behind. However, this may not be the case. It could be that the wicked are taken away and judged while true believers are left behind to become subjects of God’s new kingdom. Regardless, the message in these verses is clear – we must always be prepared.

How ready must we be?

Some may worry that the readiness expected of us is impossible to maintain. This is akin to thinking that someone who sins just seconds before his death is doomed to hell. The master does not expect the servant to be standing in the driveway waiting for his return. Rather, the master expects the servant to be working on the tasks he was assigned. Likewise, Christian readiness implies living our lives according to the Christian creed.

Notes on Biblical translation

What hour or day will Jesus’ return?

The verses tell us “Keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come.” Some translate “day” as “hour” as in, “Keep watch because no one knows what hour the Lord will return”. Regardless of the translation, the meaning of the text remains clear – nobody knows when Jesus will return to earth to reclaim his kingdom.

Bible Text

NIV

“But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark; and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away. That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. Two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other left. Two women will be grinding with a hand mill; one will be taken and the other left. “Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come. But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what time of night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into. So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him. “Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom the master has put in charge of the servants in his household to give them their food at the proper time? It will be good for that servant whose master finds him doing so when he returns. Truly I tell you, he will put him in charge of all his possessions. But suppose that servant is wicked and says to himself, ‘My master is staying away a long time,’ and he then begins to beat his fellow servants and to eat and drink with drunkards. The master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he is not aware of. He will cut him to pieces and assign him a place with the hypocrites, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

The New International Version. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2011. Print.

The NET Bible

But as for that day and hour no one knows it—not even the angels in heaven—except the Father alone. 24:37 For just like the days of Noah were, so the coming of the Son of Man will be. 24:38 For in those days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day Noah entered the ark. 24:39 And they knew nothing until the flood came and took them all away. It will be the same at the coming of the Son of Man. 24:40 Then there will be two men in the field; one will be taken and one left. 24:41 There will be two women grinding grain with a mill; one will be taken and one left.

24:42 “Therefore stay alert, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come. 24:43 But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what time of night the thief was coming, he would have been alert and would not have let his house be broken into. 24:44 Therefore you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.

24:45 “Who then is the faithful and wise slave, whom the master has put in charge of his household, to give the other slaves their food at the proper time? 24:46 Blessed is that slave whom the master finds at work when he comes. 24:47 I tell you the truth, the master will put him in charge of all his possessions. 24:48 But if that evil slave should say to himself, ‘My master is staying away a long time,’ 24:49 and he begins to beat his fellow slaves and to eat and drink with drunkards, 24:50 then the master of that slave will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he does not foresee, 24:51 and will cut him in two, and assign him a place with the hypocrites, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

Biblical Studies Press. The NET Bible First Edition; Bible. English. NET Bible.; The NET Bible. Biblical Studies Press, 2006. Print.

New King James Version

But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only. 37 But as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. 38 For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, 39 and did not know until the flood came and took them all away, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. 40 Then two men will be in the field: one will be taken and the other left. 41 Two women will be grinding at the mill: one will be taken and the other left. 42 Watch therefore, for you do not know what hour your Lord is coming. 43 But know this, that if the master of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched and not allowed his house to be broken into. 44 Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.

45 “Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his master made ruler over his household, to give them food in due season? 46 Blessed is that servant whom his master, when he comes, will find so doing. 47 Assuredly, I say to you that he will make him ruler over all his goods. 48 But if that evil servant says in his heart, ‘My master is delaying his coming,’ 49 and begins to beat his fellow servants, and to eat and drink with the drunkards, 50 the master of that servant will come on a day when he is not looking for him and at an hour that he is not aware of, 51 and will cut him in two and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites. There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. The New King James Version. Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1982. Print.

The Message

But the exact day and hour? No one knows that, not even heaven’s angels, not even the Son. Only the Father knows.

37–39 “The Arrival of the Son of Man will take place in times like Noah’s. Before the great flood everyone was carrying on as usual, having a good time right up to the day Noah boarded the ark. They knew nothing—until the flood hit and swept everything away.

39–44 “The Son of Man’s Arrival will be like that: Two men will be working in the field—one will be taken, one left behind; two women will be grinding at the mill—one will be taken, one left behind. So stay awake, alert. You have no idea what day your Master will show up. But you do know this: You know that if the homeowner had known what time of night the burglar would arrive, he would have been there with his dogs to prevent the break-in. Be vigilant just like that. You have no idea when the Son of Man is going to show up.

45–47 “Who here qualifies for the job of overseeing the kitchen? A person the Master can depend on to feed the workers on time each day. Someone the Master can drop in on unannounced and always find him doing his job. A God-blessed man or woman, I tell you. It won’t be long before the Master will put this person in charge of the whole operation.

48–51 “But if that person only looks out for himself, and the minute the Master is away does what he pleases—abusing the help and throwing drunken parties for his friends—the Master is going to show up when he least expects it and make hash of him. He’ll end up in the dump with the hypocrites, out in the cold shivering, teeth chattering.”

Peterson, Eugene H. The Message: The Bible in Contemporary Language. Colorado Springs, CO: NavPress, 2005. Print.

King James Version

But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only. 37 But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. 38 For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, 39 And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. 40 Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left. 41 Two women shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken, and the other left. 42 Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.

43 But know this, that if the goodman of the house had known in what watch the thief would come, he would have watched, and would not have suffered his house to be broken up. 44 Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh. 45 Who then is a ffaithful and wise servant, whom his lord hath made ruler over his household, to give them meat in due season? 46 Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing. 47 Verily I say unto you, That he shall make him ruler over all his goods. 48 But and if that evil servant shall say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming; 49 And shall begin to smite his fellowservants, and to eat and drink with the drunken; 50 The lord of that servant shall come in a day when he looketh not for him, and in an hour that he is not aware of, 51 And shall icut him asunder, and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

The Holy Bible: King James Version. Electronic Edition of the 1900 Authorized Version. Bellingham, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc., 2009. Print.

Sources: NIV, The Message, The NET Bible, King James Version, NET Bible Notes, Faithlife Study Bible, The Apologetics Study Bible, The Bible Knowledge Commentary, Jamieson, Fausset, Brown Commentary, The Bible Reader’s Companion, Matthew Henry’s Commentary, Holman Concise Bible Commentary, The Bible Exposition Commentary, The Teacher’s Bible Commentary, The Teacher’s Commentary, The Bible Guide, Word Studies in the New Testament, Holman Bible Handbook, Calvin Commentaries, Wiersbe’s Expository Outlines, The New Manner and Customs of the Bible, Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary, The Lexham Bible Dictionary, Easton’s Bible Dictionary, Harper’s Bible Dictionary, Baker Encyclopedia of the Bible, The Archaeological Encyclopedia, Biblical Archaeology Review, The New Bible Dictionary, The Lexham Analytical Lexicon, Glossary of Morpho-Syntactic Database