Be Ready!

The focus of what we've been talking about in our sermon series through Luke for the past number of weeks.

Of course there are many things we could say to answer that question.

We've heard from Luke that Jesus doesn't want us to live as hypocrites like the Pharisees.

He doesn't want us to live for greed, seeking after the stuff of this earth and how to please ourselves to the max.

We've heard that he doesn't want us to be anxious about what we need.

And these are all the ways that he doesn't want us to live.

But how does Jesus want us to live?

Well we've heard from Luke that he wants us to be honest and sincere.

That we are to fear God and live for his approval instead of the approval of people.

To be rich toward God.

And to trust God to provide for our needs.

And then last Sunday we heard that Jesus wants us to seek God's kingdom.

And to store up treasure in heaven.

Well Jesus continues on with this theme of how we are to live as his followers in Luke chapter 12.

Luke 12 · chapter mention

So we're going to pick up his words in verse 35.

And Jesus gives us three analogies in the passage we're looking at today.

That just sort of are illustrations of how he wants us to live.

Let me start by reading the first one.

Be dressed, ready for service, and keep your lamps burning.

Like servants waiting for their master to return from a wedding banquet.

So that when he comes and knocks they can immediately open the door for him.

It will be good for those servants whose master finds them watching when he comes.

Truly I tell you.

He will dress himself to serve.

Will have them recline at the table.

And will come and wait on them.

It will be good for those servants whose master finds them ready.

Even if he comes in the middle of the night.

Or toward daybreak.

So this first analogy that we get is of a servant that's ready and waiting.

Jesus tells his disciples to be dressed.

Ready for service and keep your lamps burning.

Like servants waiting for their master to return.

From a wedding banquet.

He gives them this illustration.

And probably at first if we're honest this illustration might not feel as illuminating to us.

As maybe it did to them back then.

Because of all the cultural differences.

Back then many households had slaves.

It was embedded in the culture of Jesus' day.

And there was different reasons a person might find themselves in that position.

Some sold themselves into slavery.

To pay off debts.

Others surrendered themselves to it after being conquered during war.

Some were born into it.

And it was even regulated by the governments.

And by the laws of the day.

Many households had slaves.

And of course the obligation of a slave was just to do the work that the master assigned to them.

And a good master would look after them.

And provide for their needs.

And in a sense they'd be considered members of the household.

But basically their role.

Their job was just to serve their master.

Now of course we all know Jesus isn't endorsing slavery here with this teaching.

He's not saying that it's good for society to have it.

But he's using something that everybody in his day would understand as an illustration.

He gives them this scenario.

Think about a slave or a servant who has been given the job of watching and waiting for his master to return.

The master is going out to a wedding banquet.

Which just like today can go well into the evening.

And of course back then they didn't have cars or electricity.

They didn't have street lights or light bulbs.

And so the servant's job in this situation was to keep the lights on at the house.

Until the master returned from the banquet.

Just imagine yourself coming home in the night.

It's late. It's dark.

There's no street lights.

There's no headlights.

There's no flashlights.

And so it's difficult to find your way.

But if the lamps are lit and burning.

You can see them.

And where the house is in the distance.

And you can find your way.

It was also customary back then to bolt and bar the doors.

Of course thieves and thugs came out at night.

And many of us lock our doors at night too.

And so the servant in this story is assigned that job of opening, unlocking the door for the master when he returns.

If the banquet goes late, everybody else in the house may be asleep.

And so there's need of at least one person to wait up, keep the lamps lit, unbar the door when the master returns.

And who knows, maybe when the master returns he wants to wash his hands or feet or something in some hot water before bed.

So the servant's job was also to wait on the master until he went to sleep.

Now this is all analogy.

Jesus tells his disciples,

Be dressed, ready for service,

And keep your lamps burning like servants waiting for their master to return.

He goes on in verse 37.

He says,

It will be good for those servants whose master finds them watching when he comes.

Why would it be good?

Because that's what the master asked them to do before he left.

It's not quite the same, but I think of this in context of family life.

Mom or dad sends a child to a room to clean up a mess that they've made.

And maybe ten minutes later we wander by that room to check on the progress.

It will be good for that kid whose parents find that the cleaning is either in progress or done.

It will not be good for that kid if there's even more mess and nothing's been done.

You could also think of this in the context of an employer and employee relationship.

You're paying that employee to do a job for you.

And so it will be good for that employee if when you swing by to check on them,

they've done it or they're at least in the process of doing it.

And of course we can flip that around too.

If you work for someone else, then they're paying you.

And it will be good for you if when they come, they find that you've made progress

since their last time checking in with you.

Whatever the case, whether slave or free, child, parent, adult,

it is commendable to do your work.

It's commendable to look after your responsibilities.

Even in the shows that we watch and in the books that we read,

we think well of that character who is faithful to do the thing that they were assigned to do or given to do.

I haven't watched any kind of Batman show in a long time,

but my favorite character in the show isn't Batman.

It's the butler, Alfred.

Alfred's always thinking ahead to what Bruce Wayne might need.

He keeps the house running like a Swiss timepiece.

He's always ready to stitch Batman up when he comes home bleeding.

He faithfully guards Batman's secret identity.

He's a true hero in the story.

And just think of where Batman would be if it were not for Alfred, his faithful butler.

Whether servant or the head of the household,

it's commendable to do your work and to do it well.

It will be good for that servant whose master finds him watching when he comes.

But then Jesus says something unexpected here.

He says,

Truly, I tell you, the master will dress himself to serve,

will have the servants recline at the table,

and will come and wait on them.

Now I think at this point, all who are listening probably went,

Wait.

What?

Because this is not how things usually go between master and servant.

Between master and slave.

I mean, imagine this.

The master comes home.

He says,

Oh, I've had plenty to eat and drink already.

I just came from a wedding banquet.

But since you guys are such good servants,

always looking after me.

Here, give me that apron.

You go sit down at the table.

I'll get you something to eat and to drink.

I'm sure the people listening were perplexed when Jesus said this.

Because this just never happens.

And so this analogy starts with something really familiar.

But then it ends with this surprise.

And we're going to unpack that surprise and the meaning of the twist in just a minute.

Verse 38.

So back to the servant for a second.

Can you imagine him just sitting at the door, waiting for hours?

It's getting darker.

It's getting later into the night.

In this part of the world, midnight happens about six hours after sunset.

And so if the master returns at midnight,

we're talking six hours of refilling lamps

and just sitting there by the door, waiting and watching.

How easy would it be to just sort of lay down on this couch

and maybe just take this little cushion

and nestle it under my head a little bit

and take a little nap?

But then what if I fall fast asleep

and the lamps go out

and I wake up to the pounding of my master's fist at the door?

Or worse, what if it takes me a few minutes

even just to hear that he's knocking?

Jesus says it will be good for those servants

whose master finds them ready

even if he comes toward daybreak.

Yikes.

What if the master stays out nearly all night

at this banquet?

Does he still expect the servant to have the lights on

and to unbar the door in the wee hours of the morning?

Yeah.

Yeah.

Because that's his job.

And it really doesn't matter when the master comes back,

how long he's out,

what time he arrives.

The point is

that his job,

his assignment as a servant

is to be ready

and watching

for the master's return.

And it's at this moment

Jesus shifts very quickly

to his second analogy.

Verse 39.

He says,

But understand this,

if the owner of the house

had known

at what hour the thief was coming,

he would not have let his house

be broken into.

What's the point?

The point is

that people

usually don't know

when

thieves are going to strike.

If they knew the thief was coming

at 3 a.m.

on Friday night,

they would do whatever was needed

to prevent the robbery.

They would be ready.

But since people

usually don't know

when thieves are going to strike,

they must in a sense

be ready always.

It's why we lock things up

as habit

when leaving valuables unattended

or when going away on vacation.

It's just part of being ready

because we don't know

when the thief will strike.

Maybe it won't be

tonight,

but maybe it will be tonight.

Well, finally,

Jesus gets to the point,

verse 40.

He says,

You also

must be ready

because the Son of Man

will come

at an hour

when you do not expect Him.

This is the statement.

This is the big point

that ties everything together.

It helps us see

what these illustrations

apply to.

Just like the servant

didn't know

when his master

would return

from the wedding banquet,

just like the homeowner

doesn't know

when the thief

is going to come,

there's coming a day,

says Jesus,

when the Son of Man

will return.

He will come

and we,

his followers,

don't know

when

that will be.

Jesus is saying,

I'm going to come

at an hour

when you do not expect me.

And so,

what does Jesus

want his followers

to do?

Be ready.

Be ready.

And,

more specifically,

be ready

always.

at all times.

That theme

of always

runs through

both of these

analogies.

In that first analogy,

the servants

didn't know

when the master

would return

from the wedding banquet.

Would it be in two hours?

Would it be in four?

Would it be at midnight?

Would it be

almost in the morning

towards daybreak?

They didn't know

when,

and so they had

to stay awake.

They had to stay alert.

They had to keep

the lamps burning

at all times

until it happened.

The homeowner

didn't know

what day

or hour

the thief is coming

and so he has

to be prepared

in one way

or another

for that visit

every night.

But what does it

mean to be ready

for Jesus'

return?

he's the son

of man.

How do these

illustrations relate

to that?

Well, one thing

that we can pick

up on here

is that servant

idea.

Jesus uses

the analogy

of a servant

and a master.

And there's

a sort of

relation,

there's a reason

I think it relates

to our relationship

with him.

All of us

who believe

in Jesus

are servants

of Jesus.

He is the Messiah,

he's our king

and so yes,

we are servants.

He is the master

and when Jesus

says,

be dressed

and ready

for service,

he really does

mean that we,

his followers,

should be

ready to serve

him

with our lives,

to do things

for him

because he

is our master.

father.

I think too

that we can

also remember

that that word

as I mentioned

earlier is more

accurately translated

not servant

but slave.

Yes,

the Bible

does describe

our relationship

with God

and Jesus

as that of a

slave.

We're not

merely employed

by God

but we belong

to God.

Now,

we shouldn't

just take

everything bad

that we know

about slavery

from human history

and read it

into this

because remember

the twist

in the analogy

at the end.

What does

the master

do for his

slave

if the slave

is found

watching

when he returns?

Jesus says,

truly I tell you

he will dress

himself,

the master

will dress

himself to serve

will have

them recline

at the table

and will come

and wait

on them.

And so

Jesus is not

like the slave

owners in human

history.

He loves

those who

belong to

him.

Even though

we're lower

than Jesus

in status

and under

his authority

he has promised

to serve

us,

to wait

on us

when he

returns

provided

that we've

kept

watch

as he

asked us

to.

And I'm

going to be

honest

here,

I'm not

even really

sure

what this

part of the

analogy is

pointing to

specifically.

We do see a

little picture of

this later on

in the story

when Jesus

takes up the

servant's towel

and gets down

and washes

the feet of

his disciples

the night

before he

dies.

He really

is a good

master.

The kind

of master

who would

humbly

and lovingly

scrub the

dirt off

our feet.

Not because

we deserve

it,

but just

because that's

the kind

of person

that he

is.

But this

is talking

about the

future when

he returns.

There's coming

a day when

he will come

back to this

earth.

And if we

have been

ready to

serve and

done what

he assigned

to us in

some way,

figuratively

speaking,

he will

seat us

around his

own table

and do

for us

what we

have done

for him.

He will

serve us.

What a

thought.

And it

won't mean

that he's

any less

the king

or that

we're any

more than

subjects.

not

but he

has promised

to serve

his

servants

as a

reward for

their

faithfulness

to him.

This is a

promise that

we can

cling to,

especially

when life

is hard

or when

we're

tempted to

sort of

take it

easy

in how

we serve

the Lord.

We can

remember

he is

coming back

and he

will reward

us specially

for being

vigilant

and faithful.

Let's move

on now to

the third

and final

illustration.

This one's a

little bit

longer and

has a little

more detail

in it.

And then

we'll talk

more about

what it

really means

to be

ready for

Jesus'

return.

verse 41.

Peter asked,

Lord,

are you

telling this

parable to

us or

to everyone?

The Lord

answered,

Who then

is the

faithful and

wise manager

whom the

master puts

in charge

of his

servants

to give

them their

food allowance

at the

proper time?

It will

be good

for that

servant

whom the

master

finds doing

so when

he returns?

Truly,

I tell

you,

he will

put him

in charge

of all

his

possessions.

But

suppose the

servant says

to himself,

my master

is taking a

long time

in coming.

And he

then begins

to beat

the other

servants,

both men

and women,

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 is

not

aware

of,

he will

cut him

to pieces

and assign

him a

place

with the

unbelievers.

So this

third

illustration

is similar

to the

first.

We got a

master and

a slave

again,

but instead

of being

tasked with

keeping watch

for the

master to

return and

opening the

door,

we have a

different

situation

here.

In this

one,

the master

will be

gone for

a while.

And while

he's gone,

he's put

one of his

servants,

again literally

slaves,

in charge

of the

household.

And this

one slave's

job is to

be the

steward or

manager of

the household

while the

master is

gone.

To ensure

that the

other slaves

receive their

food at the

proper time.

And so we

might envision

it as he

gets the

key to

the storeroom

of the

house where

all the

food and

all the

wine and

perhaps even

the money

probably are

kept.

And Jesus

frames this

in the

form of a

question.

Who then

is the

faithful and

wise manager

manager in

a situation

such as

this?

And the

answer is

the faithful

and wise

manager is

the servant

who does

what his

master asked

him to do

while the

master is

gone.

And Jesus

again uses

that same

language we

heard before

in verse

43.

It will

be good

for that

servant

whom the

master finds

doing so

when he

returns.

And then

listen to the

outcome for

this guy if

he's faithful

and does it.

Truly I

tell you

says Jesus

the master

will put him

in charge of

all his

possessions.

So he's

proved himself

trustworthy

wise

faithful

and he

gets entrusted

with more.

I'll never

forget what

it said on

the back of

my old

boss's

business cards.

He had a

quote there

and it

was the

reward for

work well

done is

the opportunity

to do

more.

And it

took me a

while to

understand that

because of

course in my

late teenage

years I

couldn't figure

out how the

opportunity to

do more

work could

be a

reward.

Like who

wants to

do more

work?

That's like a

punishment isn't

it?

But of

course there's

some truth to

it.

Those who

can be trusted

to do the

job well

are often

sought after

by others.

People are

even willing to

pay a little

more for their

services.

And then

with that

comes more

freedom,

more profit,

more privilege,

more honor.

Think of

the slave

for a moment

in this

situation

who's been

manager.

His master

comes back,

he's done a

good job of

everything,

no longer is

this guy

just carrying

water and

cleaning the

chamber pots

for the

master.

He's now

second in

command over

the whole

house.

Truly I

tell you,

he will put

him in

charge of

all his

possessions.

And so

Jesus wants

his followers,

he wants us

to know

that he

will reward

us for

our faithful

service of

him.

All we

do for

Jesus in

this life

will not

go unrecognized

or unnoticed.

It will be

rewarded.

The things

that we do

here and now

will matter

big time

on the day

that Jesus

returns.

if we

have proven

faithful and

wise with

the life

that he's

given us,

he will

give us

even greater

things to

do for

him in

his kingdom

when he

comes back.

Now,

down here

on earth,

the way

things are,

that may

not always

sound like

a blessing

to be

responsible

for more.

but when

Christ comes

back,

that's not

going to

be the

case.

Everything's

going to

be made

new.

There'll

be no

more sin.

There'll

be no

more

frustration.

Serving

the Lord

with greater

responsibilities

will be

glorious

and deeply

satisfying.

let's

come back

to that

question

of what

it means

to be

ready

for

Jesus'

return.

What it

means to

keep the

lamps

burning

for his

arrival.

I think

as Christians

sometimes

we get

some wrong

ideas about

this.

Maybe we

think that

being ready

simply means

feeling ready

for Jesus

to return.

having a

peace in

our hearts

about it.

But I

don't think

that's what

Jesus means

here.

I don't

think he

wants us

just to be

cheerful and

accepting of

that truth

that he's

coming back.

We should

be,

but there's

more to

being ready

than just

feelings about

it.

Another way

we sometimes

get this

wrong is

that we

think being

ready for

Jesus and

keeping

watch for

him means

staying on

top of

the news

and watching

for signs

of the

end.

And Jesus

did tell us

that there

will be

signs and

that if we're

wise we will

discern the

nearness of

his coming

by them.

But knowing

that his

coming is

near is

not the

same thing

as being

ready for

it.

look at

the first

analogy

again of

the master

who went

to the

wedding.

The point

is not

that we

should be

literally

dressed all

the time,

have the

lights on

always,

and be

watching out

our window

always as

followers of

Jesus.

Being ready

is related

to what was

asked of

the servant.

all the

master was

away.

Did the

master find

the servant

doing what

was asked

of him

when he

returned?

That's what

it means to

be ready.

To be

found doing,

to be doing

what was

asked when

he returns.

We see it

again in the

third example.

The master

who left

the servant

in charge

of the

household,

they gave

him those

specific

duties to

ensure the

other servants

in the

house got

their portions

of food

from the

storeroom

at the

proper times.

And we

hear that

same thing

again.

It will be

good for

that servant

whom the

master finds

doing so

when he

returns.

And so

this is what

it means to

be ready.

This is what

it means to

be faithful

and wise.

it means

that while

Jesus,

the Son of

Man,

is away,

we are

busy doing

what he

has asked

of us.

And since

like the

thief,

we don't

know when

he's coming

back,

we are

to always

be ready.

We're to

always be

busy doing

what he

has asked

of us

at all

times.

because

Jesus

really

will

return.

And when

he does,

it will

be obvious

what we

have done

or what

we have

failed to

do.

This is

where even

Jesus'

illustration

has a

limitation.

It's not

as though

he doesn't

know what

we're up

to right

now and

he'll see

it when

he comes

back,

like in

the examples

here.

He sees

everything that

we do

constantly

right now

from his

throne in

heaven.

But he

will come

back and

we will

give an

account face

to face

for what

we have

done,

for whether

we have

done what

he has

asked us

to do.

Unless,

of course,

we die

before he

returns,

in which

case we'll

have to

give that

account even

sooner.

are you

ready for

Jesus'

return?

For that

face-to-face

meeting?

Are you

right now

every day

busying

yourself

with doing

what Jesus

has asked

you to

do?

Are you

pouring your

effort and

your time

and your

attention

into

obeying

the

commands

that

Jesus

has

given?

Into

obeying

the

master's

instructions?

Now,

that's kind

of general.

That's not

very specific.

You might

wonder,

well,

what is it

that Jesus

wants me

to do?

What are

we talking

about here?

And I'm

not going

to spend

too much

time on

this,

but the

short answer

is that

this book

contains

it all.

It explains

the

master's

will.

It has

his

instructions

for us.

It tells

us what

our

priorities

should be

in life.

And just

as a quick

summary,

our lives

are to be

spent for

God's

glory,

worshiping

him,

praying to

him,

gathering

together

regularly,

loving

each

other,

spreading

his

good

news,

making

disciples

for

Jesus,

doing

our

work,

whatever

it is,

with all

our

heart,

is working

for the

Lord,

showing

hospitality

to others,

living

holy,

pure,

and righteous

lives,

raising our

children in

the fear

and instruction

of the

Lord,

being good

husbands and

wives,

as Christ

has commanded

us.

And the

list goes

on.

It covers

every aspect

of our

lives.

We learn

all of

this in

the Bible.

God has

made his

will clear

and he

shows us

plainly what

he's commanded

us to do.

Well,

what happens

if we

ignore all

this?

And just

sort of do

whatever we

feel like

doing?

Jesus

tells us

what the

outcome will

be for

us.

But suppose

the servant

says to

himself,

my

master's

taking

a long

time in

coming.

And he

then begins

to beat

the other

servants,

both men

and women,

and to

eat and

drink and

get drunk.

So the

picture here

is of this

wicked,

selfish,

indulgent

man who

just kind

of takes

over as

the new

master of

the house.

After all,

he's got the

key to the

storeroom,

right?

So he

decides to

have a little

fun with

it and to

enjoy his

authority and

his position

and to

lord it

over the

fellow

slaves.

He decides

to indulge

himself with

the master's

food and

drink and

acts as a

glutton and

a drunkard.

And Jesus

says,

the master of

that servant

will come on

a day when

he does not

expect him

and at an

hour he is

not aware

of, he

will cut

him to

pieces and

assign him a

place with

the

unbelievers.

That word

unbelievers can

also be

translated as

the unfaithful.

Faithful

manager,

unfaithful,

same word

just negated

in this

part.

Cut him

to pieces

is probably

a figure of

speech.

If it's

literal, it's

kind of an

interesting

sequence.

First you

get cut to

pieces,

then you

get assigned

a place with

the unfaithful,

and then you

get beaten

with many

blows.

So I'm

not sure

how that

works, but

we do this

all the time.

You know,

when Bob

backed into

Steve's car,

Steve came

out and

ripped him

to shreds,

we'll say.

Well, of

course it's

not literal,

but it

means he

was furious

and he

gave him

a severe

tongue

lashing.

Jesus will

not be

happy.

In fact,

Jesus goes

on to

describe

what would

normally be

done to

slaves who

did such

things as

this back

in those

days in

verse 47

and 48.

The servant

who knows

the master's

will and

does not

get ready

or does

not do

what the

master wants

will be

beaten with

many blows.

But the

one who does

not know

and does

things deserving

punishment

will be

beaten with

few blows.

From

everyone who

has been

given much,

much will

be demanded.

And from

the one who

has been

entrusted

with much,

much more

will be

asked.

So the

master would

see to it

that the

punishment

fit the

offense.

And of

course he

would take

into

consideration

whether the

offense was

deliberate and

defiant or

whether it

was due to

ignorance.

In the same

way Jesus

will judge

our actions

when he

returns.

sins.

But if we

have been

faithful,

then we

have nothing

to worry

about.

We'll be

rewarded by

him.

But if we've

been unfaithful

and if we

have persistently

acted

selfishly,

sinfully,

wickedly,

then Jesus

will give us

what we

deserve.

He will

pour out on

us the

punishment that

fits and

will assign

us a place

with the

unfaithful.

And I

think yes,

Jesus is

talking here

about heaven

and hell.

The mark

of every

true believer

in Jesus,

every genuine

follower of

Jesus is

persistent

faithfulness.

Not that we

live perfectly,

it's not

perfect faithfulness

of course,

but that we

press on

continually in

obedience to

Jesus,

doing what

our master

has asked of

us.

We

regularly

confess and

repent of

our failings

and we

strive to

obey Jesus

as much as

possible in

every area of

our lives,

to do our

master's will.

That's what

true faith in

Jesus leads us

to do.

Because at the

end of this

world story,

Jesus really

is coming

back.

And there

are only two

outcomes here.

The outcome

of the faithful

and the wise,

being entrusted

with all his

possessions,

or the outcome

of the unfaithful

and the foolish.

Are you ready

for Jesus'

return?

Are you busy

doing what he

has asked?

let's pray.

Let's pray.

Father in heaven,

thank you for

these words,

and I pray that

our hearts would be

open and receptive

to them.

Convict us of the

sins that we have

committed recently

in our lives,

where we have

been like that

wicked,

unfaithful servant,

and bring us

back to walking

in the light

with you.

Even the things

we've done right,

Lord, we give you

the credit and the

glory for that.

It's your spirit

in us.

And we thank you

that there is

coming that day

when you return

and when you

reward us

for everything

that we have

done,

even though we

don't deserve

it.

We long for

that day,

Lord.

Come quickly.

In Jesus' name,

Amen.