“And ye yourselves like unto men that wait for their lord, when he will return from the wedding; that when he cometh and knocketh, they may open unto him immediately. Blessed are those servants, whom the lord when he cometh shall find watching: verily I say unto you, that he shall gird himself, and make them to sit down to meat, and will come forth and serve them. And if he shall come in the second watch, or come in the third watch, and find them so, blessed are those servants. And this know, that if the goodman of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched, and not have suffered his house to be broken through. Be ye therefore ready also: for the Son of man cometh at an hour when ye think not.” Luke 12:36-40
My Summary & Reflection
In this parable, Jesus describes men who wait for the lord of the house and are ready to open the door to him immediately upon his return from a wedding. Those servants will be blessed and be served by the lord himself. Whether the lord returns during the first, second, or third watch, the servants who are ready to receive him will be blessed. Jesus explains that If a person knows when danger will occur, he will remain watchful to avoid the threat. Remain vigilant in the same way, to receive the lord because he will arrive when least expected.
This parable, like the Ten Virgins parable (https://leaveninthemeal.com/2018/09/26/week-10-ten-virgins/), is about being prepared to receive the Lord. In that parable, Jesus compared the women who sat ready with reserve oil in their lamps, to greet their Lord to those who had not prepared themselves for the wait. Those who had prepared themselves were blessed and those who had not, were shut off from the lord’s blessings. In this parable, Jesus presents the same message to men. He advises them too, to be ready for the Lord’s arrival or be shut off from him and his blessings.
The reference to the thief that could be thwarted by remaining watchful, may be comparing the thief to sin or to any distractions that tempt our focus away from what we are waiting for. We are being directed to stay focused and to keep our attention aimed to the path that Jesus has laid down for us and on which he will return. Else, we will suffer distraction and lose our way. In the end, we are not made to know the day when our judgment will arrive, so it is our assignment to get ready and to remain ready to receive our blessings or else they will be lost to us.
Your Reflection
- Are you prepared to receive the Lord?
- What distractions try to steal your attention from the path the Lord has provided?
- How can you clear those distractions?