“Be ready for the Master’s return”, is the theme here. Jesus uses a brief parable to illustrate the imminent and eventual return of the Son of Man. Luke wrote his gospel at a time when his readers may have been wondering if the second coming was really going to happen. They may have been getting impatient, or even failing to teach this truth to the next generation. Luke’s message is that He is coming again, he said He would, and since we do not know when, stay “being ready”.
He uses the term “gird himself”. Picture the clothing of the day, tunics, robes, no doubt with some sort of belt tied around the waist. If you were getting ready to run, perhaps for a sporting event, or getting ready to work at something, you would tighten the belt, and secure your clothing in such as way that it would not interfere with what you were getting ready to do. This is “girding”. So, “ready yourself,” is the point, and stay that way.
Peter asks if this teaching is for everyone, or just for them. As he often does, Jesus answers with a question and a story. Jesus uses the example of a servant who is put in charge of others, and then tires of waiting for the master’s return, and who then begins to mistreat other slaves, ignoring the warning of the return. All are accountable to the task of following and obeying the master in His parable. So, too, are all people accountable to be ready for THE Master’s return. Jesus states that for one who knows the right thing to do (be ready) and defies the master, the punishment will be more severe then for the one doing wrong but who does not understand. Both are punished, however.
Likewise, the church has been given a task to carry out: all believers are to be in a ready state, and to tell others to do the same. Of course, the gospel message is the task we have been graciously handed.
Jesus then shifts back to His present ministry in His teaching. We may often hear that God is not loving, for “how could a loving God do ________?” You fill in the blank. Jesus made it clear that He did not come to grant peace on earth, but rather He would necessarily force people to take sides. With Christ, or against Christ. As many of us already know, this can and does divide families. Jesus said it would. Note that He did not say to be content with the divide, but rather that it would happen. The message of the cross is indeed something all WILL encounter. How they respond makes all the difference.
Just as the reader then, we, too should see the signs of the time. Jesus is coming back, at any time. We, too, are pretty good at checking radar, seeing storms coming and going, making plans accordingly. We should, even more diligently, see the forecast facing the world, the imminent judgment, and act accordingly.
Last in this chapter, Luke makes the strong point on Christian behavior. We ought to settle our differences between ourselves, instead of dragging each other before a judge in court. Christians should strive to never have to answer to and appear before legal authorities. Our conduct with and among our brothers and sisters should be an example to the world, not a mirror of the world.
SO WHAT...?
So, am I working as though the Master could return at any moment? He has told me to be ready, on His terms, not mine.
So, does my conduct, my action wrongly divide people, or do I trust the work of Christ to do that properly, in the manner He said it would happen.
So, may my conduct with and around Christians always be a positive example. May my actions with those outside the faith be such that they are drawn to His Word. And may I not reflect the world, but rather God and His glory.
No comments:
Post a Comment