For those not familiar with and Anglican Service; There are four Scripture readings directly before the Message: Today's assigned readings are: Isaiah 1:10-20; Psalm 50:1-8,23-24; Hebrews 11:1-3,8-16 and Luke 12:32-40
Bethlehem and Jerusalem are only 7 miles apart.
Bethlehem ... the place of the incarnation ... the birth of God's Son ...is just over the hill from Jerusalem.
Jerusalem ...the place ... of Christ's atonement.
In the apostles Creed we recite: ... born of the Virgin Mary, The Incarnation. ... suffered under Pontius Pilate...The Atonement.
For Paul, the incarnation ... The Birth of Jesus ...flowed naturally .... and with no interruption ... into the glory of atonement.
Beloved ... indeed it does, ... and the light of that glory ... appears in many places.
One such place is in the parable of the Serving Master ... which we heard from Luke's Gospel.
Yet ... the length of the parable ... does not determine its power.
This deceptively simple parable .... is filled with rich theological content. (Pause)
Now ...The parable as a whole ... focuses on the servant disciples .... and on ...... the servant Master.
The model for true servant-hood ... is demonstrated by the master, ... and the model makes it absolutely clear ... that serving ... brings forth freedom.
One of the prayers in the Church of England Anglican liturgy states, "to serve you ... is perfect freedom."
The parable begins BIBLE ... "Be dressed for action and have your lamps lit." END (Luke 12:35 NRSV
A more accurate translation for that time is: "Let your loins be girded about, ... and your lights burning." (Luke 12:35 KJV)
These are both calls for ... The follower of Christ ... the servant ... to be prepared.
Two word pictures .... immediately appear.
The servants are told to gird ... (1 Finger) to bind their robes ... (2 Fingers) and ... to keep their lamps burning.
The long robes of the Middle East ... were worn by both men and women ... and they nearly touch the ground.
They were ... and are worn ... without belts.
The hot climate ... makes loose-fitting clothing ... the nearly universal preference ... of the people.
Any strenuous activity ... or work ... requires the wearer to tie a belt... or a rope ...around their waist .... to keep the bottom edge of the robe ... off the ground ... and out of the way.
The Hebrews were instructed in Exodus ... to tie up their robes on the eve of Passover ... in order to be ... ready to travel. (Exodus 12:11).
Elijah belted himself ... in preparation for running before Ahab's chariot. (1 Kings 18:46).
And the prophet Jeremiah was told to gird himself... as he took up his ministry ... to the nations. (Jeremiah 1:17).
In the Middle East then and today ... A person who wears a long robe, ... without a belt, ... is not equipped to travel ... or prepared ... to work.
A similar phrase in contemporary English might be ... to ... "have one's boots on." ... "Having one's Boots on the ground."
This parable ... is speaking of servants ... servants who are fully prepared to carry out any order given by the master ... regardless of how demanding ... it might be.
The servant disciple ... is also told to have the lamps lit ... and to keep them lit ... regardless of how long the night.
The parable continues: we are to be alert ... to be a servant who is waiting for ... their master. (Luke 12:36)
So when are we to expect him?
We can expect him .... When he withdrawals from the wedding banquet ... and returns ... and knocks.
There are Two keywords ... that profoundly influence ... how the parable is understood.
The translation we heard states that the servants are waiting for the master ... a better translation describes servants ... who are expecting ... the master.
Waiting is passive, ... much like waiting for a bus or for a cab.
But expecting ... projects a different mood.
Expecting denotes excitement, ... energy ... enthusiasm.
Much like the expectation... of the birth of a child or grandchild.
Also ... When the master quote ... "returns", ... the reader or listener ... might assume that the wedding banquet is over.
And when it is over ... naturally ... all the guests ... including the master ... would return to their residences.
Most likely ... instead of leaving after the banquet ends ... the master ... "withdrawals" ... from the banquet ... while it still in progress.
He withdrawals to his private quarters ... which is most likely .... in a wing of this spacious mansion... where the wedding Banquet is taking place.
Remember our Lords words... BIBLE "In My Father's house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you." END (John 14:2)
The Mansion is enormous ... containing many dwelling areas.
Furthermore, ... we are informed in the parable ... that on arrival the master knocks.
This would be shocking to the hearers of this parable!
In the Middle East ... in those times ... and to a large extent today ... Only strangers knock on doors ... at night.
Remember In Luke's Gospel... The host ... in the parable ... the friend at midnight ... goes to his neighbors and calls, ... he does not knock. (Luke 11:5-6).
Why? .... Because it is not the custom... in the Middle East.
A knock would possibly frighten his sleeping friend, ... while a recognizable voice calling, "hey Bill it's me open the door" ... will assure those in the house .... that no foul play is afoot.
In Revelation Jesus states: BIBLE "Behold I stand at the door and knock; if anyone ... what? ... hears my voice and opens the door, ... I will come into them." END (Revelation 3:20)
Jesus ... both Calls... and Knocks.
In our text today ... the hearer of this parable is stimulated to ask, ... why ... why is the master knocking ... and not calling?
The most likely answer ... is that he does not want his voice echoing through the residence.
Whispering cannot be heard through the door, ... but even a gentle knock at his door will be heard at once by his servants, ... if ... if they are awake ... and alert.
And by knocking ... rather than calling, .... his voice will not echo through the mansion, ... announcing his absence ... from the wedding banquet.
As he knocks ... he fully expects his servants to open immediately, ... even at night!
Clearly they are all in a secure environment ...and the door that he is knocking on ... is not ... an outside door.
The door is at his dwelling place ... inside the Mansion where the wedding is taking place.
Yet ... Why did he leave the party early?
The final scene gives the following astounding answer.
BIBLE "Blessed are those slaves ... who, the master finds alert when he comes; ... he will fasten his belt and have them sit down to eat ... and he will come and serve them. If he comes during the middle of the night ... or near dawn ... and finds them so, ... blessed are those slaves." END (Luke 12:37-38)
Here the servants are now identified .... as slaves.
And slaves are at the lowest rung ... in the hierarchy ... of a household.
Yet Beloved... Paul defined himself as quote ... "a slave of Jesus Christ." (Romans 1:1; Philippians 1:1).
The Master is seen here ... dealing with the lowest of the low, ... which makes his actions to the hearers ... all the more amazing and counter-cultural.
The way these servant slaves act ... is an expression of who they are, ... not an attempt ... to earn some reward ... from the master.
They have a Servant's heart ... and they seek to serve.
The Masters final action is the climax of the entire parable.
The servants have been waiting loyally ... to serve him.
But on arrival ... The master ... immediately picks up a robe or belt, ... and to their utter amazement ... ties up his festive wedding garment. ... Why?
What work is he going to perform?
For the master to bind his robe in preparation... for some lowly task ... is unthinkable.
No, ... the master is not going to scrub the floor, .... Or clean the residence ... he is going to become a servant ... and serve them!
They cannot obey his command without protest, ... ... much like Peter did ... when Jesus washed his feet in the upper room. (John 13:6-8).
Good Middle Eastern servants ... "know their place" ... and would naturally put up considerable resistance.
The Master's acts ... represent a stunning reversal of roles.
And when the servant slaves ... are ordered to recline ... it is obvious ... that the master intends to also ... serve them a meal.
The purpose of reclining ... was always ... to eat something.
But what are they going to eat?
What will the master .... serve his servant slaves?
There are two thoughts.
First that is that the master brought the food ... with him... from the banquet.
The master fills a tray ... with the best of the lavish feast before him.
He moves quickly to his private quarters ... in order that his servants might participate with him ... in the wedding banquet ... and then he proceeds to serve them ... himself!
The other is that this is a foretaste of the upper room when Jesus shares his Body and Blood.
A foretaste of the Communion that we share at this table every Sunday.
On arrival ... the incarnation of the master ... comes to a climax ... as he dresses like a slave ... and serves his servant slaves ... with food ... from the great wedding feast.
Well done good and faithful servant. (Matthew 25:21,23)
Beloved ... discipleship ... as with Paul ... is defined as serving ... serving a self-sacrificing master.
Jesus shared with the disciples and us today: ... to be a servant ... to all.
The master's actions ...elevate servant hood ... to a self-emptying gift .... of costly love.
Servant hood in this parable ... has to do with being ... more than ... with doing.
Do you have a servant's heart?
The servants are not commended for what they do.... but for being faithful, ... regardless of how long .... or dark ... the night.
The servant does not become blessed ... by serving ... or being served.
He or she is already blessed ... and the master confirms ... and rewards that blessed state ... by his actions.
Beloved ...This parable focuses on Jesus return ... on Jesus second coming.
Christ is returning ... Christ is coming again.
To quote Starbucks: ... "Life is short ... stay awake"
Or To quote our Lord BIBLE "Let your loins be girded and your lamps burning, ... and be like men who are (expecting) their master to come home from the marriage feast, so that they may open to him at once when he comes and knocks. END (Luke 12:35-38)
(Slow Down) We must be daily prepared ... for our departure ... and watch with unwinking eyes.
Yet as we know ... He also comes to each of us ... at the time ... of our death.
And when we pass over to the other side of Eternity.
May we hear our Master's voice: "Well done good and faithful servant. You have fought the good fight you have finished the race."
Amen and Amen!
Help: I retired in November 2017 and am attempting to supplement my income by sharing on Sermoncentral. If this Message has been helpful to you, please consider a nominal donation: Send to The Rev. Jeff Smead 11725 Regent Park Drive Chardon Ohio 44024. Blessed To Be A Blessing.
This Message is based on a book by Kenneth E. Bailey Titled "Jesus Through Middle Eastern Eyes" and I commend it to you.
Dear Reader: So I can better help you, if this Message was not helpful and you rated it low, Please let me know what it lacked or why it was not helpful. You can search by contributor Smead" (Constructive Criticism is very helpful) and contact me there. Blessings Jeff.
