Father Maas’ Commentary on Matt 24:37-44 for the 1st Sunday of Advent

Warnings to be ready. Concerning his statement in verse 36-But of that day and hour no one knoweth, no not the angels of heaven, but the Father alone-Jesus warns us to be ready, first, by a comparison with the days of Noe, 24:36-42; secondly, by a comparison with the goodman of the house, 24:43, 44; thirdly, by the parable of the wise and the foolish servant, 24:45-51; then by the parable of the ten virgins, 25:1-13; fifthly, by the parable of the talents, 25:14-30.

37. And as in the days of Noe, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.

The days of Noe. The first motive to keep ready for the second advent is the uncertainty of its time in spite of its infallible certainty of occurrence.
“The Father alone” is said to know the time of the second coming, and this statement is further emphasized by the words of Mark [13:32] and the reading of several codices of Matthew.

Nor the Son. It is certain that the Son both as God and man knows the time of the last judgment [cf. Mt 11:27; Col 2:3; etc.]. Why, then, does Jesus seemingly disclaim this knowledge? First, it cannot be said that Jesus did not
know the time of the second coming as long as he dwelt in his mortal body, or that he spoke of experimental knowledge [cf. Orig.Pasch.]; for theologians do not commonly admit such an ignorance on the part of Christ, and the mere lack of experimental knowledge would not justify our Lord’s profession of ignorance. Secondly, some writers think that Jesus disclaimed his knowledge of the time of the last judgment, because he did not know this from himself, by virtue of his human nature, in a natural manner, by right of his humanity,
or because the work of creation and of providence, and therefore also the determination of the last day, belongs by appropriation at least to the Father [cf. Maldonatus]; thirdly, the more common opinion maintains that Jesus did not know the time of the second coming in his capacity as messenger to and teacher of man [cf. Tost. Lap.], so that his statement was calculated to prevent further inquiry concerning this point on the part of the disciples [cf. Acts 1:7].

38. For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, even till that day, in which Noe entered into the ark;
39. And they knew not till the flood came, and took them all
away; so also shall the coming of the Son of man be.

Since the time of the second advent is so thoroughly unknown, it shall come wholly unexpected; as before the flood men were wholly absorbed in the life of this world, its pleasures and duties, without heeding the building of the ark and the preaching of Noe, so shall the last day find men wholly taken up with earthly thoughts and aspirations. Whether we may infer from this passage that there shall be a period of peace between the tribulations of Antichrist and the last day in which the wicked will forget the lesson of the previous suffering [cf. Origen, Bede, Pasch, Lapide], or may suppose that the continued bad life of the wicked is owing to the fact that only the good will suffer during the tribulations of antichrist [cf. 1 Thess. v. 3], can hardly be determined.

40. Then two shall be in the field : one shall be taken, and one shall be left.
41. Two women shall be grinding at the mill : one shall be taken, and one shall be left.
42. Watch ye therefore, because you know not what hour your lord will come.

The suddenness of the coming is further illustrated by the separation between men engaged in the same kind of labor: of two working in the field, of two turning the same millstone, one shall be gathered by the angels for the kingdom [cf. 1 Thess 4:16], and the other shall be left for eternal punishment. According to travellers, the Oriental women even now turn the upper millstone with their right hand, passing its handle from one to the other, just as the female slaves did of old [cf. Ex 11:5; Isa 47:2; Job 31:10; Eccles 12:3]. The inference Jesus draws from all this is the need of extreme watchfulness; the suddenness of Christ’s coming is also urged in 1 Thess 5:2.

43. But this know ye, that if the goodman of the house knew at what hour the thief would come, he would certainly watch, and would not suffer his house to be broken open.
44. Wherefore be you also ready, because at what hour you know not, the Son of man will come.

But this know ye, that if the goodman of the house knew &c.. Jesus again urges the necessity of watchfulness by an argument  “a minori ad maius,” calling attention to what a householder would do if he knew of the approach of thieves; the Greek text has here pluperfects, stating: “He would certainly have watched, and would not have suffered his house to be broken open” [cf. Cajetan. Lapide.]. In a matter of infinitely more importance,
the disciples must therefore be “ready,” i. e. in such a state of mind and heart that the angels may be able to gather them at any time into Christ’s kingdom.

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