Daily Bread 2011 - Luke 12
Daily Bread 2011 – Monday, March 21st, 2011 Luke 12
Watchfulness
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.”
What Does This Mean?
Interestingly this passage comes right after the passage on worry. Jesus makes the distinction between “worry” and “watchfulness”. We are taught by Jesus not to be worried about the small details of life trusting that our heavenly Father knows what we need and even knows the number of hairs on our head.
But contrasted with this is the idea of “watchfulness”, which Jesus clearly advocates as well. Jesus says we are good at watching for the patterns of weather and know when it going to rain or be hot, but we don’t put the same intensity in watching for the signs of His return which has more implications than the next rainy day.
Then, Jesus gives the disciples this parable about the servants who were dressed for service and kept their lamps burning. Obviously in those days they did not have electricity, so they used “oil lamps” to keep light burning for a continuous period of time. The metaphor is often inferred to mean that we might keep our “hearts burning for Christ, by the power of the oil of the Holy Spirit.”
What Does This Mean For Us?
If Jesus were to come back today would you be ready? Would you be dressed for service with your lamps burning? This is not in the sense of fretting over our salvation as we know our salvation has been secured by Jesus’ death on the cross and our faith in Him. But there is a sense in many of the parables, for us to be ready or watchful for Christ’s return at any time.
What does it mean to be ready? First to be ready means we have placed all of our hope and trust in Jesus Christ! It also means that we are conducting ourselves in a manner keeping with what Jesus told His disciples to be about. To be ready means we are actively in engaged in what God would have us to do in the world by sharing the Good News and living it out in all we do and say by the power of the Holy Spirit working through us.
Just like these ancient brothers and sisters needed to renew their source of oil so there would be enough to keep their lamps burning, we need to be continually filled with the Holy Spirit so that our hearts will burn for the things God is concerned about in our world. Things like justice for the poor, freedom for those who are addicted and in bondage to various types of sins. Care of the widows and orphans and loving our neighbor as we love ourselves. As we in faith work out our salvation in selfless love for the world we will be ready at any time Jesus chooses to return.
As the song goes, “People get ready Jesus is coming, soon we’ll be going home!”
Jesus, thank you for reminding us how important it is to be awake and ready and watchful for Your return. You have taught us how to be ready, as we rely on Your grace which is sufficient for us and as we die to ourselves and live for your purposes in our world. Help us to share what it takes to be ready with someone who might yet be ready for your return. In Your name we pray, Amen.
Watchfulness
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.”
What Does This Mean?
Interestingly this passage comes right after the passage on worry. Jesus makes the distinction between “worry” and “watchfulness”. We are taught by Jesus not to be worried about the small details of life trusting that our heavenly Father knows what we need and even knows the number of hairs on our head.
But contrasted with this is the idea of “watchfulness”, which Jesus clearly advocates as well. Jesus says we are good at watching for the patterns of weather and know when it going to rain or be hot, but we don’t put the same intensity in watching for the signs of His return which has more implications than the next rainy day.
Then, Jesus gives the disciples this parable about the servants who were dressed for service and kept their lamps burning. Obviously in those days they did not have electricity, so they used “oil lamps” to keep light burning for a continuous period of time. The metaphor is often inferred to mean that we might keep our “hearts burning for Christ, by the power of the oil of the Holy Spirit.”
What Does This Mean For Us?
If Jesus were to come back today would you be ready? Would you be dressed for service with your lamps burning? This is not in the sense of fretting over our salvation as we know our salvation has been secured by Jesus’ death on the cross and our faith in Him. But there is a sense in many of the parables, for us to be ready or watchful for Christ’s return at any time.
What does it mean to be ready? First to be ready means we have placed all of our hope and trust in Jesus Christ! It also means that we are conducting ourselves in a manner keeping with what Jesus told His disciples to be about. To be ready means we are actively in engaged in what God would have us to do in the world by sharing the Good News and living it out in all we do and say by the power of the Holy Spirit working through us.
Just like these ancient brothers and sisters needed to renew their source of oil so there would be enough to keep their lamps burning, we need to be continually filled with the Holy Spirit so that our hearts will burn for the things God is concerned about in our world. Things like justice for the poor, freedom for those who are addicted and in bondage to various types of sins. Care of the widows and orphans and loving our neighbor as we love ourselves. As we in faith work out our salvation in selfless love for the world we will be ready at any time Jesus chooses to return.
As the song goes, “People get ready Jesus is coming, soon we’ll be going home!”
Jesus, thank you for reminding us how important it is to be awake and ready and watchful for Your return. You have taught us how to be ready, as we rely on Your grace which is sufficient for us and as we die to ourselves and live for your purposes in our world. Help us to share what it takes to be ready with someone who might yet be ready for your return. In Your name we pray, Amen.
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