Luke 12:35-48 (ESV)

³⁵ “Stay dressed for action and keep your lamps burning, ³⁶ and be like men who are waiting for their master to come home from the wedding feast, so that they may open the door to him at once when he comes and knocks. ³⁷ Blessed are those servants whom the master finds awake when he comes. Truly, I say to you, he will dress himself for service and have them recline at table, and he will come and serve them. ³⁸ If he comes in the second watch, or in the third, and finds them awake, blessed are those servants! ³⁹ But know this, that if the master of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have left his house to be broken into. ⁴⁰ You also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.” ⁴¹ Peter said, “Lord, are you telling this parable for us or for all?” ⁴² And the Lord said, “Who then is the faithful and wise manager, whom his master will set over his household, to give them their portion of food at the proper time? ⁴³ Blessed is that servant whom his master will find so doing when he comes. ⁴⁴ Truly, I say to you, he will set him over all his possessions. ⁴⁵ But if that servant says to himself, ‘My master is delayed in coming,’ and begins to beat the male and female servants, and to eat and drink and get drunk, ⁴⁶ the master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he does not know, and will cut him in pieces and put him with the unfaithful. ⁴⁷ And that servant who knew his master’s will but did not get ready or act according to his will, will receive a severe beating. ⁴⁸ But the one who did not know, and did what deserved a beating, will receive a light beating. Everyone to whom much was given, of him much will be required, and from him to whom they entrusted much, they will demand the more.

Jesus went on to teach the disciples always to be prepared. Staying “dressed for action” meant tucking their long robes up so they would be ready to go at any time. Keeping the “lamps burning” meant they were set for whatever they were called to do, even at a moment’s notice. Jesus said they were to be like men who waited up all hours of the night for their master to return from a wedding party, which could have lasted for days. Those who follow Jesus are to live expecting his return. Peter asked, “Wait, are you saying this to us?”  Jesus answered him with another parable about a faithful and wise manager. A manager or a steward was a particular slave left in charge of his master’s house. He was responsible to take care of the other slaves, including the distribution of food. The manager who does his job well will be blessed and given even more opportunity for service. But the servant who takes advantage of the responsibility entrusted to him, living the “good life” by eating and drinking to excess, will be strictly judged. The servant rejected by Jesus could represent someone like Judas or the religious leaders of the day. The servant who knows what to do but is lazy will be severely disciplined, but apparently not rejected. And the servant who is truly ignorant of what he was supposed to do will be punished, but less harshly.

The bottom line is that all of Jesus’ followers are given a responsibility to serve him. Jesus’ second parable includes four types of servants. Three are disobedient and only one does well. Regarding the three who were unfaithful, their punishments mirrored their varying degrees of disobedience. The one who did well was entrusted with more authority. As we face choices every day, our desires can fluctuate between wanting to do things God’s way and wanting to yield to our own sinful desires. But disobedience comes at a high price. Are you serving Jesus by investing in your home church and putting the needs of others above your own? If not, today is the day to get this right. We all want Jesus to see us as the faithful stewards. The great news is that if he finds us doing as he asked, we will be rewarded in a way that is beyond our imagination.