Are we there yet?
land marks, milestones along the way
long middle section of the book
we’ve turned toward Jerusalem
Jesus is ultimately preparing his disciples for his departure and preparing them and us to continue ministry in His absence.
Even in the midst of the part of Luke in which we find ourselves, Luke is relaying to us conversations that Jesus is having - some with the disciples, some with the crowds, some with the pharisees.
Following the charge to not worry about others or about earthly possessions - Jesus seems to make another hint toward toward the cross and toward his time away from his people. In doing this, he calls his people to be ready and waiting while he is gone. While it’s an abrupt shift, this call to readiness is not abstract, as our view of our possessions, the persecution we may face, and our anticipation of His return do go hand in hand.
If you have your copy of God’s Word, open to Luke 12: 35. We’ll be reading up to verse 53.
Luke 12:35–53 ESV
“Stay dressed for action and keep your lamps burning, 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. 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. If he comes in the second watch, or in the third, and finds them awake, blessed are those servants! 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. You also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.”
Peter said, “Lord, are you telling this parable for us or for all?” 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? Blessed is that servant whom his master will find so doing when he comes. Truly, I say to you, he will set him over all his possessions. 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, 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. 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. 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.
“I came to cast fire on the earth, and would that it were already kindled! I have a baptism to be baptized with, and how great is my distress until it is accomplished! Do you think that I have come to give peace on earth? No, I tell you, but rather division. For from now on in one house there will be five divided, three against two and two against three. They will be divided, father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law.”
The main point of the passage will mark the structure of our outline Jesus’s followers should…
Remain watchful and faithful in Jesus’ departure; it wasn’t easy for Him and it won’t be easy for us, but it will be worth it.
So, as we dive into this passage, Jesus calls His followers to…
Remain watchful and faithful in Jesus’ departure…(35-48)
Jesus uses two similar but different parables, or similitudes to instruct his followers. While there are similar stories, the applications are slightly different. One leans toward watchfulness, the other toward faithfulness.
Let’s begin by considering…
Watchfulness
This watchfulness is not sitting around watching TV or relaxing in idleness. The opening phrase suggests a working watchfulness. Dressed and ready for action in Greek literally means “gird your loins.” In their culture, they might do this by putting on their belt and hoisting up their robes so that they are ready to spring into action when needed. Laborers would do this before going to work. They needed their legs to be free to move.
I imagine this working watchfulness is not unlike what we might observe in a show like Dowton Abbey or some of the British dramas the show some of the life of the royals along side those who serve in their homes. A whole group of servants working to support the needs of their master.
Now, as Jesus shares this parable, He indicates that this master is away at a wedding feast (36). In their culture, that sort of celebration might last for 3-7 days. So these servants would have a general understanding of when to expect the master, but yet they won’t have an exact time of arrival. The master couldn’t share his eta through his navigation app. The servant’s can’t spy on the master using the Life360 or FindMy apps. They just had to watch and wait, being ready any time of day.
It seems like this urge for working watchfulness is because we don’t know when Jesus will return - Luke 12:40 “You also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.”
Paul, in some of his closing remarks 2 Timothy gives some insight into what this working watchfulness might look like from the other side of life.
2 Timothy 4:6–8 ESV
For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure has come. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing.
While he is looking back over his years of faithful, sacrificial service, he is also looking forward to the day when Jesus will return, indicating that all of those who have served faithfully and have loved or longed (watched) for His appearing will will be rewarded.
So, in response to this first parable, Peter asks if this teaching is for them or for everyone. So Jesus answers that by telling another parable or similitude that doesn’t differentiate between the disciples and everyone else, but between the faithful and the unfaithful. Essentially, this parable is urging…
Faithfulness
Jesus paints the picture here not of a servant, but of a manager or a steward - someone who is taking care of another’s responsibilities. In that, Jesus notes a bit of a distinction between faithful and unfaithful managers. I think this is an important thing for us to consider for a moment. Does this apply to us?
If you are a follower of Christ -
you are a disciple - you are a learner. You and I get the joy of growing in our understanding of God and His Word and then learning how to live that out appropriately in the world.
Secondly, if you are a follower of Christ…
you are a servant - the ways you and I serve are not for our glory or ego, but for Christ’s. As 1 Corinthians 6:19–20 says: “Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.” The Greek word that is often used for servant in this case (as in verse 43), is doulos or bondservant - in other words, slave. Jesus exchanged His holy, perfect, sinless life for our corrupted, imperfect, sinful lives. When we come to the realization of our fallenness, and respond by repenting of our sin, trusting in Jesus as our savior, an eternal transaction takes place. We’ve been purchased from slaves to sin and have been welcomed as slaves to Christ. Slavery to Christ brings us freedom from eternal punishment. It brings us into a family where we are eternally secure. It’s service but also kinship, family.
In addition to being a disciple and a servant…
you are a steward - you are a manager of God’s things; I am a manger of God’s things. He has entrusted you and me with spiritual gifts, talents, abilities, resources, relationships, time, and so much more. During our lives here, we get to make the most of that which God has entrusted to us.
In this second parable, Jesus notes that there are both faithful and unfaithful managers or stewards or servants.
Now, it’s difficult to understand exactly how far to take this. Are the unfaithful servants truly servants (Christians)? If so, then what is their eternal state? Is Jesus now shifting to some of the religious leaders of his day, categorizing them into different groups? Frankly, I’m not sure. In the context that we’ll begin to look at next week, it’s quite possible that Jesus is addressing the religious leaders, because of their lack of ability to understand and read the time.
That being said, Jesus seems to be speaking to His disciples, and then by extension us. Therefore we would be wise to consider what He is communicating here and apply it to our lives personally.
Darrell Bock notes that the unfaithful seem to fall into three categories - the blatantly unfaithful, the lazy, and the ignorant. Jesus begins with…
the blatantly unfaithful - (45-46) - those who willfully rebel against the wishes of the master. This is the servant who sees His delayed return and begins to take advantage of the freedom by treating others poorly (even beating them) and misusing the master’s things. Jesus notes that the master will “cut him in pieces” when he returns. Whether this dismemberment is a literal cutting or removal from fellowship, the whole point that Jesus is getting at is that the punishment will be severe.
The second group of unfaithful servants are…
the lazy unfaithful - (47) - Jesus states that these are those who “knew his master’s will but did not get ready or act according to his will.” The discipline will be less severe, but will be decisive nonetheless.
The final group of unfaithful servants are…
the ignorant unfaithful - (48a) - these are the ones who simply did not know what to do and so their action or inaction was done out of ignorance.
This is why Jesus summarizes all of these categories with his comment in verse 48 - Luke 12:48b “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.”
Frankly, there could be many different ways that we can apply this, but what does working watchfulness and faithfulness look like?
good stewards of what he’s entrusted to us
spiritual gifts - has he gifted you to teach or administer or show hospitality or mercy…?
talents - What talents or abilities has God given you? These don’t have to be the things that everyone sees. We may be inclined to think that a musician is the only talented one. Not so. The one who can process words or numbers carefully, the one who can cook tasty meals, the one who can sew or repair or build. There are those who have mechanical talents - with an ability to understand how things operate and then know how to put things back together and others who have interpersonal talents - with an ability to read people and offer wise counsel.
resources - maybe these are monetary, relational, temporal (time),
responsibilities
at home
at church
in the marketplace
representing him well here (Poolesville Day, Neighbors, CrossCon, KSA trip)
I think that Jesus whole point here is that we not get into a game of comparison - “I can’t do this like that person because he or she is better,” but rather making the most of what God has given us.
If you feel a bit lost in where you think you might fit in or how God has entrusted you with His things, then let me encourage you to talk to your community group or one of the elders. I’m sure they would be overjoyed to be able to help you think/pray/process through that. I know I would. We may not have the answers right away, but we can pray with you through that process. In some ways, I think leveraging the counsel of brothers and sisters in Christ is good stewardship!
So, Jesus urges his followers to be watchful and faithful in his absence. Of course, up to this point in Luke’s gospel, Jesus has told them explicitly twice that he will be turned over to be killed and then would be resurrected (9:21-22; 44-45), in these next couple of verses, He seems to hint at his departure - noting that…
…it wasn’t easy for Him (distress) (49-50)
Luke 12:49–50 “I came to cast fire on the earth, and would that it were already kindled! I have a baptism to be baptized with, and how great is my distress until it is accomplished!”
It’s difficult to tell exactly how much time there is between Jesus’ comments here and his death, burial, resurrection and ascension. The parallel passages in Matthew’s gospel place this in the final week. Here, we are barely halfway through Luke’s gospel.
No matter when the exact timing of Jesus comments takes place, we do know that there is something happening in the future - a fiery judgment (which may point to something that we might read about in Revelation) and a distress-filled baptism. Knowing what we know because we have Scripture, it seems like Jesus is referring, in the very least, to His crucifixion. He had already been baptized by water. While the temptation that led up to the may have been filled with some distress, the event itself was not. The cross, however, is a dreaded endeavor. On the cross, Jesus took on the punishment for our sin. He experienced the shunning of the Father. Luke notes in 22:44 that Jesus’ distress was so great that he began to sweat drops of blood!
There is a sense in the grand scheme of things, in the scope of all eternity, that we might think that Jesus’ trial, physical beating, and time on the cross and in the grave is just a small blip in time. Some physical trainers might say that “pain is weakness leaving the body.” But in Jesus’ case, I don’t think we can fully grasp the pain of His torture. Jesus’ pain is the curse of sin leaving the universe for all time - for those who would belive! Movies like the Passion of Christ might provide a glimpse of that, but I do wonder if the greater pain was in the holiness of the Eternal God bearing the sinfulness of all of us. I don’t think we can fully understand that.
When Jesus cried out on the cross, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” He wasn’t just quoting a Psalm - He was bearing our sin, soul deep.
Every cross word, secret sin, white-lie, five-finger discount, fudging the truth, rationalization, illicit thought, immoral action - for every person who ever lived - He bore in His body in those days on the cross and in the grave.
Oh that we would truly be able to understand it. I don’t feel like I do.
We may feel stressed out over exams or bills or coworkers or family problems. Jesus felt eternal distress - for you and me!
“Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!” (2 Cor. 9:15)
What Jesus would face wasn’t easy for Him! In the reality of devotion to Him, He notes that…
…it won’t be easy for us (division) (51-53)
Luke 12:51–53 “Do you think that I have come to give peace on earth? No, I tell you, but rather division. For from now on in one house there will be five divided, three against two and two against three. They will be divided, father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law.”
At Christmas, we read verses that call Jesus “the prince of peace.” (Isaiah 9:6). But here, He says that he did not come to bring peace, but division! So, what is it?
Jesus came to bring us the peace that truly matter - peace between God and us.
The division that He speaks of is a division between the believing and the unbelieving. Those who don’t see Jesus as their savior don’t truly understand. Jesus even said Luke 11:23 “Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters.”
There is no middle ground with Jesus. As a result, we will feel that in our homes and in our families. If you’re a parent, you may do all that you can to instruct your children in the ways of God. Maybe every night you have family devotions or a time of worship. Maybe you study God’s word with them and bring your kids to church - kicking and screaming sometimes. For some of them, they may regret it for a time and then respond with faith that leads to salvation. For others, they may regret and reject God’s gracious love forever.
As parents, we can’t control that.
What we can control is whether or not we will be faithful.
For those who come to faith from other religious backgrounds, you may feel that even more fully - as acceptance with Christ means rejection from earthly family.
Jesus point in all of this is that…
…but it will be worth it (delight) (37-38; 43-44)
Over the course of these passages and parables, Jesus offers two beatitudes or blessings that suggest this delight that faithful followers will experience.
One referring to…
A meal served by the Master
Luke 12:37–38 “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. If he comes in the second watch, or in the third, and finds them awake, blessed are those servants!”
Now, there is a risk in looking at any parable too deeply or seeing it as an exact parallel to things that are happening in the Kingdom. The parables are used to reveal some things and conceal others.
Luke 8:9–10 ESV
And when his disciples asked him what this parable meant, he said, “To you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of God, but for others they are in parables, so that ‘seeing they may not see, and hearing they may not understand.’
So here, as we consider the blessings of faithfulness, we have to be mindful of the point the Jesus is making. What is He revealing? What is He concealing?
It seems at least in this first parable, Jesus is revealing that His faithful servants will be blessed with Divine fellowship. Now, whether Jesus will serve a meal for his people like He did when He washed His disciples’ feet in John 13, I don’t know. It seems like what we can conclude is that there will be this delight and fellowship that we have with God upon Jesus’ return.
I wonder if Jesus has in mind something like the Marriage Supper of the Lamb that we can read about in Revelation 19.
Revelation 19:6–8 ESV
Then I heard what seemed to be the voice of a great multitude, like the roar of many waters and like the sound of mighty peals of thunder, crying out,
“Hallelujah!
For the Lord our God
the Almighty reigns.
Let us rejoice and exult
and give him the glory,
for the marriage of the Lamb has come,
and his Bride has made herself ready;
it was granted her to clothe herself
with fine linen, bright and pure”—
for the fine linen is the righteous deeds of the saints.
There is something interesting to notice here as well. In verse 35, Jesus urges his people to be dressed and ready for action. In the parable of the master who has been away, he says that the master will dress himself and serve his people. In other words, this master will himself be dressed - not for a party, but for service! What a drastic difference. The wedding garments will be laid aside. The service garments will be taken on.
Service marks Jesus’ Kingdom. Jesus serving us, us serving Him and each other. When Jesus washed His disciples’ feet, they were uncomfortable, but he served them nonetheless.
If this parable is to be taken a bit literally, we may be uncomfortable with Jesus donning work clothes and serving us at this banquet in eternity. Frankly, He has already donned those clothes - and they cast lots for them and pulled them from His body.
So the first blessing seems to refer to a meal or fellowship.
The second blessing in theses parables refers to the…
Responsibilities given to the servants.
Luke 12:43–44 “Blessed is that servant whom his master will find so doing when he comes. Truly, I say to you, he will set him over all his possessions.”
Bock notes that when Jesus returns to reign, our time with him will not be idle. We won’t get wings and harps and sit on clouds singing for eternity. We will worship, but we will work, we will reign with Him. We will be with Him!
For those of us who are not retired, we may look forward to retirement as a time when we can do nothing. I’m far from retirement, but I know that on my days off, nothing gets old quickly.
For those who are retired, retirement may seem like a time when you have the freedom to do what you would like to do.
Our eternal life with Jesus is not like a retirement of nothing, but a retirement of stewardship, delight. Frankly, it’s not retirement at all, but it is rest! It is being in Jesus’ presence, working with Him, reigning with Him, serving Him and being served by Him. It’s marriage and friendship and Lordship and life.
Closing thoughts
So, as Jesus’ followers, He urges us to remain watchful and faithful in His departure; it wasn’t easy for Him and it won’t be easy for us, but it will be worth it.
When we have come to salvation in Him by faith and sought to be faithful to all the He has called us to, there will come a day when he will welcome us into His presence and will tell us:
Matthew 25:21 ESV
‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’
Let’s pray.
Benediction
Luke 12:37 ESV
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.
Questions for reflection and discussion
Read: Luke 12:35-53
What are the key themes expressed in Luke 12:35-53 as it talks about being prepared and vigilant?
What is it like to wait for someone without knowing when he or she is coming?
What did Jesus tell His disciples to do? (12:35)
According to Jesus, what are the two traits of the one who is ready? (12:35)
What practices can you implement in your life to remain spiritually alert and focused on God's mission?
What did Peter ask Jesus? (12:41)
What distinguished the faithful and wise manager? (12:42–44)
How are “watching” and “waiting” used throughout this passage?
What has God given or entrusted to you?
“Faithful servants can anticipate their master’s pleasure and gracious reward.” What does this motivate you to do in your Master’s service today?
What actions can we take this week to ensure we are living out the principles of readiness and faithfulness found in Luke 12:35-53?
Sources:
Anyabwile, Thabiti. Exalting Jesus in Luke. Christ-Centered Exposition Commentary. Nashville, TN: Holman Reference, 2018.
Bock, Darrell L. Luke 9:51-24:53. Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 1999.
Martin, John A. “Luke.” In The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures, edited by J. F. Walvoord and R. B. Zuck. Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1985.
Liefeld, Walter L. “Luke.” In The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Matthew, Mark, Luke, edited by Frank E. Gaebelein, Vol. 8. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1984.
McKinley, Mike. Luke 1–12 for You. Edited by Carl Laferton. God’s Word for You. The Good Book Company, 2016.
Stein, Robert H. Luke. Vol. 24. The New American Commentary. Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1992.
The NET Bible First Edition; Bible. English. NET Bible.; The NET Bible. Biblical Studies Press, 2005. Print.
Wilcock, Michael. The Savior of the World: The Message of Luke’s Gospel. The Bible Speaks Today. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1979.
