Stay Awake and Watch

Na middle of night. Di house dark and e quiet. And near di front door, one servant sit down, e dey awake, e dey listen for footsteps for di road, because di master fit come back any moment.

Na di last week of Jesus life before di cross. E don dey teach for di temple for Jerusalem. As dem dey comot, one of im disciples point to di big, fine stones of di temple buildings. Jesus tell dem say one day, no one stone go remain on top another. Later, as e sit down for di Mount of Olives, dey look across di valley see di temple wey dey shine for evening light, four of im friends ask am for private: Peter, James, John and Andrew. When dis tins go happen? Wetin go be di sign? Jesus talk to dem about trouble wey go come, and about di day wey di Son of Man go come inside di clouds with big power and glory. Then e tell dem something wey surprise dem.

But about dat day and dat hour, nobody know, not even di angels wey dey heaven, not even di Son, only di Papa. Nobody fit fix date. Not di most sabi teacher. Not di angels. Jesus talk say even im, di Son, for di days wey e live as man for earth, no claim say e know am. Na only di Papa know. So to dey guess date no get any use. Wetin matter na another tin. Una take care, una watch and pray, because una no know when di time go reach. Pay attention. Stay awake. Keep on dey pray.

Then Jesus tell one short story. E be like man wey dey go long journey. E leave im house, e put im servants for charge, e give each one im own work. And e command di gateman make e keep watch. Di work of di gateman na to dey ready to open di door di moment wey di master come back. Then Jesus talk direct to im friends. So una watch, because una no know when di master of di house go come, whether for evening, or for midnight, or when cock dey crow, or for morning. Any time for di night. Make e no come suddenly come meet una dey sleep.

Jesus no dey try to frighten dem. E dey show dem how to live. Servant wey love im master no go spend di whole night dey check clock with fear. E go dey do di work wey dem give am, e go keep di lamp burning and di door ready. And then Jesus make di circle big. E don dey talk to four fishermen for one hillside. But im last sentence na for everybody wey go ever follow am. Wetin I talk to una, I dey talk am to everybody: Watch. Dat one include us.

Di four times of night wey Jesus mention match di way wey di Romans take divide di night into four watches, each one about three hours: evening, midnight, cock crow and early morning. Di gospel of Mark use dis Roman system. And few chapters after, di same times show again: Peter deny Jesus as di cock crow, and di chief priests hand Jesus over to Pilate for early morning.

Stay Awake and Watch. You go find am for Mark chapter thirteen, verse thirty-two to thirty-seven. Di word Advent come from di Latin word for coming. Di weeks before Christmas dey look back to di first coming of Jesus as baby for Bethlehem, and dey look forward to di day wey Christians believe say e go come again. We no know when. Dem just tell us: stay awake, keep dey work, keep di door ready. So see one question wey you go carry dey go. Jesus tell all im followers say: watch. How e go be for you to dey awake and ready for am?