Breaking the Word

  Be sure of this: if the master of the house had known the hour when the thief was coming, he would not have let his house be broken into. You also must be prepared, for at an hour you do not expect, the Son of Man will come."…

 But if that servant says to himself, 'My master is delayed in coming,' and begins to beat the menservants and the maidservants, to eat and drink and get drunk, then that servant's master will come on an unexpected day and at an unknown hour and will punish him severely and assign him a place with the unfaithful. …(Lk 12:39-48)

 

 

Being ready for the coming of the Son of Man is something very difficult for the disciples to understand and accept. Coming of the Son of Man seems to suggest the end of time. But the disciples are just getting ready to live and establish themselves. How could they think of the last days?

 

Faithful and duty conscious servant is rewarded. Delay in the return of the master is only to make the servant more duty minded. In stead if the servant begins to think of himself and enjoy the time of delay then it is going to be the time of ruin for him. The time of delay is not given for the individual to think of himself and enjoy. The time of delay is to make him more duty minded.

 

Higher the responsibility the greater the expectation. This expectation is with regard to fidelity and the doing of the duty and serving the others etc. Higher responsibility is not to boss over the others to get them do more work. As the responsibility increases the duty, the service, etc increases.

 

  

 "Gird your loins and light your lamps and be like servants who await their master's return from a wedding, ready to open immediately when he comes and knocks. Blessed are those servants whom the master finds vigilant on his arrival. Amen, I say to you, he will gird himself, have them recline at table, and proceed to wait on them. And should he come in the second or third watch and find them prepared in this way, blessed are those servants. (Lk 12:35-38)

 

 

Master has gone for a wedding party. When the party will end? No one knows. It could be at the end of the second watch (mid-night) or at the third watch (very early in the morning). Yes party can go on endlessly. Master’s concern is to be in the party and return when it ends only. He does not have to be concerned about the servants. Servants are no way in the reference for the coming back of the master.

 

Servants at home are awaiting the return of the master. Their main concern and only concern is to wait for the master. Servants should be only ready to receive him. (Not that they can wake up from their sleep and receive him when he returns). They should be dressed up as if he was coming soon and they should be with lamps as if his coming could be in the night (late). They should be ready as though it is ‘now’ and ‘not yet’.

 

The servants who are vigilant are blessed. Their reward is immediate. Strangely though, the roles are reversed. The mater waits on them and servants are made to sit and enjoy the meal (the master has had his party). Being vigilant is not only the duty done but also it brings with it the reward.