Luke 12:35-40 - Beware of Carelessness

In these verses, Jesus shifted the emphasis from beingworried about the present to being watchful about the future. It is interestinghow all the themes in Luke 12 go together, for one of the best ways to conquerhypocrisy, covetousness, worry and fear is to look for the return of our LordJesus Christ. When you are "living in the future tense," it isdifficult for the things of the world to ensnare you. In this section, Jesusexplained how we can be ready for His return by waiting and watching (vv.35-40).  In the days of Christ, Jewish weddings were generally heldat night and could go on late into the night and early morning hours. Rememberin John 2 at the wedding that Jesus attended with His mother and His disciplesthat they ran out of wine. It must have been a long wedding! After the weddingthe bridegroom's servants would have to wait for their master to come home withhis bride. The new husband would certainly not want to be kept waiting at thedoor with his bride! But the servants had to be sure they were ready to go towork, with their robes tucked under their girdles so they were free to move.  That is why Jesus said in verses 35-36, "Let yourwaist be girded and your lamps burning; and you yourselves be like men who waitfor their master, when he will return from the wedding, that when he comes andknocks they may open to him immediately.” Peter later would write to thesaints and say something very similar in 1 Peter 1:13-16, “Therefore gird upthe loins of your mind, be sober, and rest your hope fully upon the grace thatis to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ; as obedientchildren, not conforming yourselves to the former lusts, as in your ignorance; butas He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, because itis written, "Be holy, for I am holy." But the remarkable thing that we should also notice in thisstory is that the master serves the servants! In Jewish weddings, the bride wastreated like a queen and the groom like a king; so you would not expect the"king" to minister to his staff. Wow!!!!! Our King will minister toHis faithful servants when He greets us at His return, and He will reward usfor our faithfulness. Jesus said the servants who were watching and waiting fortheir Master’s returned would be blessed (v. 37). To "watch" means tobe alert, to be ready, not to be caught by surprise. That is the attitude wemust have toward the second coming of Jesus Christ. His coming will be likethat of a thief: unannounced and unexpected. Jesus Himself promised His disciples that He would returnin John 14:3, “And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come againand receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.” AsJesus ascended into heaven from the Mount of Olives 40 days after Hisresurrection, His disciples were told by two angels in Acts 1:11, "Menof Galilee, why do you stand gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, who wastaken up from you into heaven, will so come in like manner as you saw Him gointo heaven." If we really believed that Jesus would return today, howwould we be living? Prayerfully, if we are living with this “blessed hope”in our minds and hearts, we should purify ourselves and be ready! (1 John 3:2-3).Titus 2:11-14 also promises and encourages us with these words: “For thegrace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, teaching us that,denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, andgodly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearingof our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for us, that Hemight redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own specialpeople, zealous for good works.” Are you waiting and watching for Jesus return today? We can’tafford to be careless!!!!! God bless!