[mfblume]

Here's my take.

It's a watch for sudden destruction. The house was broken up in the parable at a time when the owner did not think. It's like the same stress put on unexpected and sudden destruction in Noah's story, where the people married and carried on in life and did not know until the flood took them away. It's like Lot's day when it rained fire and brimstone upon the people when they never expected it.

It's not the second coming, since the resurrection has no sudden destruction associated with it, and it was spoken to those standing and listening to Jesus in that day 2000 years ago and was talking about the destruction of Jerusalem.

The christians heeded that warning and history shows not one christian perished in the siege and destruction, since they fled to Pella in safety after Jesus warned them to flee when they see Jerusalem surrounded by armies and the abomination of desolation take place.