Luke 12:35 – 48 Preparedness

Luke 12:35 – 48 Preparedness

Gird your loins and light your lamps and be like servants who await their master's return from a wedding, ready to open immediately when he comes and knocks. Blessed are those servants whom the master finds vigilant on his arrival. Amen, I say to you, he will gird himself, have them recline at table, and proceed to wait on them. And should he come in the second or third watch and find them prepared in this way, blessed are those servants. Be sure of this: if the master of the house had known the hour when the thief was coming, he would not have let his house be broken into. You also must be prepared, for at an hour you do not expect, the Son of Man will come." Then Peter said, "Lord, is this parable meant for us or for everyone?" And the Lord replied, "Who, then, is the faithful and prudent steward whom the master will put in charge of his servants to distribute (the) food allowance at the proper time? Blessed is that servant whom his master on arrival finds doing so. Truly, I say to you, he will put him in charge of all his property. But if that servant says to himself, 'My master is delayed in coming,' and begins to beat the menservants and the maidservants, to eat and drink and get drunk, then that servant's master will come on an unexpected day and at an unknown hour and will punish him severely and assign him a place with the unfaithful. That servant who knew his master's will but did not make preparations nor act in accord with his will shall be beaten severely; and the servant who was ignorant of his master's will but acted in a way deserving of a severe beating shall be beaten only lightly. Much will be required of the person entrusted with much, and still more will be demanded of the person entrusted with more.

Jesus tells a parable about preparedness. We are to be like servant who are wide awake and on guard, ready for the master’s return. Peter questions Jesus about who this message is for? Is it for those who are his followers? Or for everyone? Jesus gives a bit of a roundabout answer but finally gets down to it. This parable is for those of us who follow Christ. We do not know when the Son of Man will return, but we must stay ready. We are fortunate to be God’s chosen ones, but that benefit comes with a responsibility. “To whom much has been given, much will be required, to whom much has been entrusted, more will be asked.” Jesus, like his Father is a respecter of persons. We have been given a great opportunity in our exposure to the word of God and Jesus's example to emulate. We have also been given freedom. God will not compel our obedience, our participation. It is a free gift, not a command - and yet it is not eternally open. The Son of Man will return. Will we be awake and ready or lost in our culture?