“Thief in the Night”
In prison, St. Paul was inspired by the Holy Spirit to write to the church in Thessalonica about the 2nd Coming of Christ. The coming that isn’t in the slightest similar to the 1st coming. St. Paul proceeds saying, “For you yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night.” Let us formulate each of the categories that he meant to cover through his epistolic verse.
Day of the Lord
What is St. Paul referring to when he says the day of the Lord? The day of the Lord is the second coming of our Lord God and Savior Jesus Christ. More intriguingly, why does the “day of the Lord so come as a thief in the night”? He compares it to a clever thief that comes at an unexpected time. In like manner, will be the second coming of the Lord. For “… of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only” (Matthew 24:36).
It is a dark day for those who are not ready as if one sleeps in peace, but then all of the sudden that Day comes as a thief or as labor pains which come unexpectedly. Amos the prophet said, “Woe to you who desire the day of the Lord! For what good is the day of the Lord to you? It will be darkness, and not light” (Amos 5:18) – Father Tadros Malaty
Those who are overtaken are those who are in a state of unreadiness. In Songs of Solomon, it says: “By night on my bed I sought the one I love; I sought him, but I did not find him” (Songs of Solomon 3:1). Why does he say, “I did not find him”? Is the Lord hiding from him? Surely not! King Solomon was seeking the Lord while in a state of laziness and sin. This is when the day of the Lord will take us as a thief in the night. The church, in its wisdom, set three essential things that each of the faithful must be aware of so they are not overtaken. These three aspects are preparedness, forgiveness, and watchfulness.
Since the Lord’s Day is darkness for those who are not ready, it is a lighted joyful day for the believers – Father Tadros Malaty.
Preparedness
In the gospel of the First Watch of the Midnight Hour, Our Lord Jesus Christ tells a parable from Matthew 25:1-13 about the five wise and five foolish virgins. From the outside, they all appear the same, but from within is where the difference is realized. The five foolish virgins brought their lamps with oil because they were satisfied with all they had. While the five wise virgins took “oil in their vessels,” who knew it wouldn’t be enough just to be confident with who they are on the outside but need to have a consistent relationship with God.
The word “delay” is an important key because if the bridegroom came right away, He would find the entire ten virgins prepared. But because He was late, the foolish virgins slumbered and slept (waiting on the Lord) from their laziness, ignorance and unwillingness to improve. But the wise virgins slumbered and slept (waiting on the Lord) like the beloved John by resting their head next to Jesus Christ’s heart so they will continue to have love and intimacy with Him and allow the Holy Spirit to fill them up.
Therefore let us always be prepared for the day of the Lord, and let us not be satisfied with our outward appearance but strive to increase our relationship with the Lord. So that we may not hear the voice of the Lord saying to us: ”Assuredly, I say to you, I do not know you.” (Matthew 25:12).
Forgiveness
During the second watch of the Midnight prayer, we read Luke 7, where Christ forgives the sinful women who came to wash his feet as he ate at the Pharisees’ house. This reminds us that forgiveness is unconditional. Our Lord showed us how He forgave on the cross, even those who did not accept Him.
The question, “does one forgive just like that”? is answered by our Lord’s extensively comprehensive teaching on forgiveness: “Then Peter came to Him and said, “Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Up to seven times?”Jesus said to him, ‘I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven.'” (Matthew 18:21-22). – Bishop Youssef
Watchfulness
Lastly, in the third Watch of the Midnight prayer, we read the parable of the faithful servant in Luke 12. In this chapter, the Lord has one critical message for us: to be watchful. So what does it mean to be watchful? It is very easy to fall into the trap of repeating a particular habit. A person might have gotten into the routine of praying every morning and might realize that his prayer is feeble. Even though he is getting up every day for prayer, he is genuinely not praying from the heart and with the spirit of prayer. That is why the Lord commands us, saying: “Let your loins be girded, and your lamps burning.”
When he comes and finds us girded, awake and our hearts enlightened, then he immediately will make us blessed. “He will gird his loins and serve them.” By this, we learn that he will reward us proportionately. Since we are weary with toil, he will comfort us, setting before us spiritual banquets and spreading the abundant table of his gifts. – St. Cyril of Alexandria
Let us then follow the footsteps that the Church has paved for us to be ready for the second coming of the Lord. Through: preparedness, forgiveness, and watchfulness so that when the Day comes, He welcomes us with a voice full of Joy, saying, “Come unto Me, O Blessed of my Father and inherit the life that endures forever” instead of being overtaken as by a thief in the night.
A Patristic Commentary: The Book of 1 Thessalonians – FR. TADROS YACOUB MALATY
1 Thessalonians 5:1-12 – English Bible Study – Father Mina Dimitri
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7yKJY9csRxQ
Gratitude: Theology and Doctrine – HG Bishop Youssef
http://www.suscopts.org/resources/literature/1519/gratitude-theology-and-doctrine/
Forgiveness: A Journey to Healing – HG Bishop Youssef https://www.suscopts.org/resources/literature/1006/forgiveness-a-journey-to-healing/
The Parable of the Ten Virgins – Nagwa Abdou
https://suscopts.org/resources/literature/902/the-parable-of-ten-virgins/