Luke 12:35-59
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: 35-
35 “Be dressed ready for service and keep your lamps burning, 36 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. 37 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. 38 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. 39 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. 40 You also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.”
Pray
Introduction
Introduction
Luke has written this account to an audience that is educated and familiar with other historical accounts of Jesus. He is emphasizing:
The reign of God (Kingdom of God)
The unfolding plan of God = Past, Present, Future all unified
To give believers in Jesus certainty regarding the historical narrative
Last week we looked at a section where Jesus was addressing the wealthy and the poor and he finished off by saying: “Do not fear, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.”
Jesus is calling his disciples to live differently (store up treasure in heaven) because they have been given the kingdom of God.
Now Jesus is going to go into a lengthy admonition to take up a particular posture.
While the section is lengthy the big idea remains intact: Be ready for the Master’s return.
We are given three parables that convey this fact:
vs. 35-38 “The Master Returning from a wedding banquet”
vs. 39 - 40 “The thief in the night”
vs. 41 - 48 “The faithful and wise manager vs. the foolish manager”
The Second Coming of Christ
The Second Coming of Christ
30 “Then will appear the sign of the Son of Man in heaven. And then all the peoples of the earth will mourn when they see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven, with power and great glory. 31 And he will send his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other.
11 “Men of Galilee,” they said, “why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven.”
20 He who testifies to these things says, “Yes, I am coming soon.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.
28 so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him.
Implications
The return of Christ gives particular meaning to the interim period… The time between his first coming and his second coming.
God has a plan that is unfolding and it is leading up to a return of Christ.
Followers of Jesus are to see themselves as born into a plan already unfolding and that will continue after their death. There is a tension that extends back before we were born and will continue after we die.
This reality… This tension between the first and second coming of Christ has real life implications for us.
Lessons from verses 35-40
Be dressed, ready for service
Keep your lamps burning
Watching
Illustrations:
Readiness for an earthquake, disaster preparedness
Telling Hayden to be baseball ready when he is playing out on the field.
Pregnant parents who pack a bag so that they are ready to go to the hospital as soon as the wife goes into labor.
Verses 41 - 48
Verses 41 - 48
41 Peter asked, “Lord, are you telling this parable to us, or to everyone?” 42 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? 43 It will be good for that servant whom the master finds doing so when he returns. 44 Truly I tell you, he will put him in charge of all his possessions. 45 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. 46 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. 47 “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. 48 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.
Luke
Peter’s question: Who is supposed to live out this readiness: just the Apostles or all disciples?
Jesus answer: yes!
The third parable: A contrast between a faithful servant and a foolish servant.
The Master entrusts the work to his servants with specific responsibilities.
There is the faithful and wise manager and there is the foolish servant.
The Master returns and the servants are evaluated on their work.
responsibility gives birth to more opportunity
Implication:
Jesus is teaching his followers that there are two ways to do life between his first and second coming: faithful and wise or lazy and distracted.
This doesn’t only speak of an excited response when he arrives. Additionally, he wants his servants engaged in the important work that was commended to them. The master wants to find his servants fully engaged in the work rather then taking their lees.
Illustration
Reminds me of student arrival day for the Bible College and how angry I got when my staff were messing around as students were being dropped off by their parents.
Verse 49-53
Verse 49-53
Luke
49 “I have come to bring fire on the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled! 50 But I have a baptism to undergo, and what constraint I am under until it is completed! 51 Do you think I came to bring peace on earth? No, I tell you, but division. 52 From now on there will be five in one family divided against each other, three against two and two against three. 53 They will be divided, father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law.”
Jesus is anticipating the future: fire on the earth and division. But the cross is the baptism of suffering that he must first face.
Verse 54-59
Verse 54-59
54 He said to the crowd: “When you see a cloud rising in the west, immediately you say, ‘It’s going to rain,’ and it does. 55 And when the south wind blows, you say, ‘It’s going to be hot,’ and it is. 56 Hypocrites! You know how to interpret the appearance of the earth and the sky. How is it that you don’t know how to interpret this present time? 57 “Why don’t you judge for yourselves what is right? 58 As you are going with your adversary to the magistrate, try hard to be reconciled on the way, or your adversary may drag you off to the judge, and the judge turn you over to the officer, and the officer throw you into prison. 59 I tell you, you will not get out until you have paid the last penny.”
Understand the moment just as you can forecast the weather. Don’t get caught up in legal issues along the way.
Conclusion
Conclusion
Did you notice how Jesus is not saying “maximize your time before you die.” Instead Jesus is saying “maximize your time before I return.”
Our death does not represent a significant end or disruption in God’s work. We are simply no longer engaged in the work here on earth and enter into our reward.
The whole idea of “personal legacy” or pride in your life’s work isn’t really a value in the kingdom economy.
Instead there is the reward of the Master’s return and his evaluation of your’s and mine faithfulness with the responsibilities that he has given us.
Nine Life Accounts:
Spiritual - My Relationship with Jesus
Health
Learning / Knowledge Base
Marriage
Parenting
Social (Friendship)
Vocation
Finance
Rest/Hobbies/Fun
In each of these areas our society is coaching you… pressuring you to leave a legacy. To be known for how much wealth you accumulated or how well you did your job.
So many people feel this pressure for their life to be meaningful… to make a mark… to leave a dent…
But as followers of Jesus we don’t wear that burden. Jesus has the legacy. His work is all that matters.
Our reward is waiting for us in heaven.
We do life, education, finances, relationships, work with an understanding of the bigger unfolding plan.
We want to be faithful.