Luke 12:35-40: a reflection

35“Let your waist be dressed and your lamps burning. 36Be like men watching for their lord when he returns from the wedding feast, that when he comes and knocks, they may immediately open to him. 37Blessed are those servants whom the lord will find watching when he comes. Most certainly I tell you that he will dress himself, make them recline, and will come and serve them. 38They will be blessed if he comes in the second or third watch and finds them so. 39But know this, that if the master of the house had known in what hour the thief was coming, he would have watched and not allowed his house to be broken into. 40Therefore be ready also, for the Son of Man is coming in an hour that you don’t expect him.”

Jesus calls his disciples to live in a posture of watchful readiness for his return, like servants waiting for their master to come home, dressed and with their lamps burning, ready to open to him at once. Let your waist be dressed and your lamps burning, Jesus says; be like men watching for their lord when he returns, that when he comes and knocks, they may immediately open to him. And he adds, be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect. The call is to live ready, watchful, prepared for Christ's return, which will come at an unexpected hour; not caught off guard, but dressed and waiting, ready to receive him whenever he comes. This shows the call to watchful readiness for Christ's return. Live ready and watchful for Christ's return. Christ comes at an unexpected hour; be ready. Be like servants watching for their master's return. Live prepared, not caught off guard, for Christ's coming.

Notice the posture Jesus calls for: watchful readiness. He pictures servants waiting for their master to return from a wedding feast, not knowing exactly when he will come; and they are to be dressed, with their lamps burning, watchful, ready to open to him the moment he knocks. They do not know the hour, so they must be ready at every hour. And Jesus applies it directly: be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect. This calls us to a certain way of living. We do not know when Christ will return, or when he will call us to himself; the hour is unknown, and will come unexpectedly. So we are called to live in a posture of readiness, not caught off guard, not living as though he will never come or as though we have unlimited time, but watchful, prepared, living each day as those ready to receive him. And Jesus adds a beautiful promise: the master will honor the servants he finds watching, even serving them himself. To live ready for Christ's return is not anxious dread but watchful readiness, and it is blessed. We do well to live each day ready for Christ, watchful and prepared, rather than caught off guard. Live ready for Christ's return, watchful and prepared. Christ comes at an unexpected hour; live prepared for it. Do not live as though Christ will never come or you have endless time. Blessed are the servants the master finds watching.

That is worth taking to heart, for we are called to live in watchful readiness for Christ's return, which will come at an unexpected hour, rather than being caught off guard. We can live as though Christ will never come, or as though we have unlimited time, unprepared for his return; but Jesus calls us to be dressed and watchful, with our lamps burning, ready to receive him whenever he comes, for he will come at an hour we do not expect. Live ready. Do not live unprepared for Christ's coming; live each day watchful and ready, as servants waiting for their master. Live each day in watchful readiness for Christ's return, dressed and with your lamps burning, ready to receive him whenever he comes, rather than being caught off guard, as Jesus called his disciples to be like servants watching for their lord's return from a wedding feast, ready to open to him the moment he knocks, and added, be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect; for we do not know when Christ will return or when he will call us to himself, the hour being unknown and coming unexpectedly, so we are called to live in a posture of readiness, not caught off guard, not living as though he will never come or as though we have unlimited time, but watchful, prepared, living each day as those ready to receive him, and Jesus adds a beautiful promise, that the master will honor the servants he finds watching, even serving them himself, so that to live ready for Christ's return is not anxious dread but blessed watchful readiness, and we do well to live each day ready for Christ, watchful and prepared, rather than caught off guard.

Lord Jesus, you call your disciples to live in a posture of watchful readiness for your return, like servants waiting for their master to come home, dressed and with their lamps burning, ready to open to him at once. Let your waist be dressed and your lamps burning, you say; be like men watching for their lord when he returns, that when he comes and knocks, they may immediately open to him. And you add, be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect. The call is to live ready, watchful, prepared for your return, which will come at an unexpected hour; not caught off guard, but dressed and waiting, ready to receive you whenever you come. Show me the posture you call for: watchful readiness. You picture servants waiting for their master to return, not knowing exactly when he will come; and they are to be dressed, with their lamps burning, watchful, ready to open to him the moment he knocks. They do not know the hour, so they must be ready at every hour. And you apply it directly: be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect. This calls me to a certain way of living. I do not know when you will return, or when you will call me to yourself; the hour is unknown, and will come unexpectedly. So I am called to live in a posture of readiness, not caught off guard, not living as though you will never come or as though I have unlimited time, but watchful, prepared, living each day as one ready to receive you. And you add a beautiful promise: the master will honor the servants he finds watching. Take that to my heart, for I am called to live in watchful readiness for your return. Keep me from living as though you will never come or I have endless time; help me live each day watchful and prepared, Lord, dressed and with my lamp burning, ready to receive you whenever you come, blessed among the servants you find watching.