The Parable of the Watchful Servants
Luke 12:35-48
Message:
God’s plan to redeem the world to Himself involved the birth, life, death and resurrection of His son Jesus Christ.
Jesus remains the key figure in God’s plan but many have dismissed Jesus imminent return and have allowed their hearts and faith to grow cold.
Nearly 2,000 years ago Jesus knew this would be the case so He warned His disciples to watch for the signs of His second coming.
Once again Jesus makes reference to a wedding in this parable from Matthew 12:35-48
These repeated themes of Jesus matter as they point to prophetic events related to “the wedding supper of the Lamb”
Rev. 19:9
While living out His life in Israel Jesus spent a great deal of time trying to point people to the reality that Emmanuel God with Us was in fact with them, living, breathing, teaching, healing and the proof was held out to them by miracles, signs and wonders.
Trying to convince the religious class that the Messiah had arrived was plenty difficult in itself. They just couldn’t get their heads around it. That God Himself would take on the body of a human being and be born of a virgin in Bethlehem. Even though their own sacred scriptures predicted it.
Isaiah 7:14
In the paragraphs preceding this section Jesus had been teaching about the hypocrisy of the Pharisees and how they had oppressed the people with the heavy load of religion instead of faith.
Jesus wanted to make sure that the people knew that they were highly valued in God’s eyes even if the Pharisees treated them as worthless.
So Jesus uses another wedding illustration. In this example we see that the wedding has already taken place as the Master of the house is returning from the wedding.
The servants prove their faithfulness as they have been watching and waiting for their Master to return. Their lamps are lit.
Jesus mentions that the Master knocks on the door at his arrival. That seems a strange thing to do when it’s your own house. Immediately, they open the door for their Master.
There was no hesitation, no delay, and no question at the door as to who might be on the other side.
The Master finds his servants dressed and ready to greet him. Pleased with their watchfulness the Master of the house insist they be seated at the table while He serves them. (Last supper foot washing)
Jesus stresses the importance of keeping watch even into the second or third watch of the night.
Friends I suggest to you the first watch was the age of Judaism, God’s law keepers entrusted loved and called out to be a Holy nation separated for God.
But they were not watching for the Master to arrive. Instead they were preoccupied with keeping their station in life as a religious class because a foreign government – the Romans had occupied their land and oppressed the people with fear and anxiety and financial burden. So these servants were only interested in keeping an eye on themselves instead of caring for those who were in the Masters house.
The Master had knocked on the door of visitation through the prophets including John the Baptist but these servants ignored the sound of the masters’ arrival. They rejected John the Baptist message and they rejected the one John pointed to as “the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world” John 1:29
They were not faithful in looking to their Masters arrival.
We see this and wonder how could they miss it? How could they be so blind, so obstinate, and so ignorant when they had all the clues at their fingertips?
Well Saints let us not be too hard on our Jewish cousins. We live now in the second watch we are the Church the called out ones different from the chosen ones we are called out from among the nations of the world.
We too are to be a Holy nation separated for God, covered by a blood covenant through Jesus the Lamb of God.
I ask Saints are we any better than our Jewish cousins? No, no we are not.
Jesus told us the signs of the times to be looking for at His second coming. If the owner of the house knew what time the thief was coming the owner of the house would have watched and waited and been ready.
“You must be ready… Jesus says because the Son of Man comes at a time you do not expect Him. Luke 12:40
Are you ready friend?
Is your lamp lit?
Are you dressed to greet your Master?
In the parable Peter poses a question of concern to Jesus “is this just for us or for everyone”? Jesus now switches from the servants and is now speaking to the manager of the house.
Peter would become one of those managers along with the other Apostles.
But who are the managers of the Masters house today? Is it a bureaucrat far away in an office detached from the events of the Masters house?
Is it a professor at the seminary? Is it the area moderator of a presbytery?
The managers are the ministers of our churches today. The clergy of every stripe and denomination serving the Church of Jesus Christ.
The house they manage is the Church of God. They are to give out the food allowance to the servants. They are to be found feeding the house hold servants of God their necessary food.
That food dear one’s is the word of God not my opinion or best guess or my speculation. You need the real meat that is the Holy word of God so you can discern the times and see how near the Masters coming is.
You are not to fall into idleness or be defeated by being beaten down by this world of distraction. If you give in to folly and ignore the signs of the times you will be as guilty as those who failed to watch in the first watch of the night.
Let that not happen to us. It will be worse dear ones for me than for you if I do not keep watch and warn you. I will suffer many blows but you will not suffer for the things you are not aware of.
Know this we are in the last days or the second watch and we see already the signs of the times all around us. We must keep our lamps lit and our clothes girded around us for the Master is arriving very soon.
The light of your candle is the light of God – Jesus in you.
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John 18:12
12 When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”
Matthew 5:15-16
15 Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house.
16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.
Matthew 25:5-7
The bridegroom was a long time in coming, and they all became drowsy and fell asleep.
6 “At midnight the cry rang out: ‘Here’s the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!’
7 “Then all the virgins woke up and trimmed their lamps.
8 The foolish ones said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil; our lamps are going out.’
Revelation 16:15
“Look, I come like a thief! Blessed is the one who stays awake and remains clothed, so as not to go naked and be shamefully exposed.”
Revelation 3:3-6
Remember, therefore, what you have received and heard; hold it fast, and repent. But if you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what time I will come to you.
Mark 13:34
It’s like a man going away: He leaves his house and puts his servants in charge, each with their assigned task, and tells the one at the door to keep watch.
Jude 1:24-26
24 To him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy—
25 to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore!
Amen
