Luke 12:32-48New International Version (NIV)

“Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the
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kingdom.

Sell your possessions and give to the poor. Provide purses for yourselves that
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will not wear out, a treasure in heaven that will never fail, where no thief comes
near and no moth destroys.
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For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

Watchfulness
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“Be dressed ready for service and keep your lamps burning,

like servants waiting for their master to return from a wedding banquet, so that
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when he comes and knocks they can immediately open the door for him.

It will be good for those servants whose master finds them watching when he
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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.

It will be good for those servants whose master finds them ready, even if he
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comes in the middle of the night or toward daybreak.

But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what hour the
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thief was coming, he would not have let his house be broken into.

You also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when
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you do not expect him.”

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Peter asked, “Lord, are you telling this parable to us, or to everyone?”

The Lord answered, “Who then is the faithful and wise manager, whom the
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master puts in charge of his servants to give them their food allowance at the
proper time?

It will be good for that servant whom the master finds doing so when he
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returns.
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Truly I tell you, he will put him in charge of all his possessions.

But suppose the servant says to himself, ‘My master is taking a long time in
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coming,’ and he then begins to beat the other servants, both men and women,
and to eat and drink and get drunk.

The master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him
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and at an hour he is not aware of. He will cut him to pieces and assign him a
place with the unbelievers.

“The servant who knows the master’s will and does not get ready or does not
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do what the master wants will be beaten with many blows.

 But the one who does not know and does things deserving punishment will be
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beaten with few blows. From everyone who has been given much, much will be
demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more
will be asked.

The Background of that shocking and eye – opening story that the Lord Jesus
Christ speaks about the importance of faithful stewardship and watchful
servanthood. Jesus also urges His disciples to see themselves as “servants
waiting for their master to return” and who act correctly and strive to be
accountable to their Lord Jesus Christ who will return at an hour they least
expect.

Watchful servant is important for true disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ. It is
important for us to understand that by the time the Gospels were written, the
community of disciples was already physically separated from the Lord Jesus
Christ, who has gone back to God the Father. Left behind, the disciples led a life
of anxious waiting for the Lord Jesus Christ return in glory. They began to lose
focus on their work and mission due to earthly distractions and temptations.

The Gospel reading today tries to make them aware again of their being servant
of the Lord Jesus Christ. It reminds them that when the Lord Jesus Christ is no
longer with them, they have to continue to move on their life, for it is the period
when their mind of talented commitment and responsible stewardship is tested.
They are challenged to look after the needs of persons entrusted to their care for
honesty and kindness should be guiding principles of their stewardship in their
Master’s household.

Being servant for the Lord Jesus Christ faithfully carrying out his or her duties
and daily responsibilities, the reliable steward prepares well for his Master’s
return and assures himself of a positive action from him or her. But if he or she
abuses his or her power and authority as a steward, this will as you would
expect earn him or her punishment he or she rightly deserves.

A German academic Lecturer once said to me, it is true that human life can
become misleading when it turns into lack of memory of who and what we truly
are: limited and unsafe human beings. More importantly, we become misleading
if we forget our being God’s stewards. In the end, we shall all make an
accounting of what we have done on earth, how well we have used the gifts that
the Lord Jesus Christ has given us, and taken good care of them. Nothing should
be put to waste.
Base on the true story, a young man dreamt of becoming an architect. But he
did not stand a chance, for he was very poor and could not make it to college. A
generous family learned about his problem and decided to offer the young man a
scholarship. It was the best chance of his life. Once in college though, he met a
woman who became his girlfriend.

The young man’s priorities changed and he spent more time with his girlfriend
than in his classes. He soon lost interest in his studies and dropped out. The
woman left him for a job opportunity on the project. The young man, without
finishing his studies, landed a job as a popcorn factory worker, and later as a
clothes salesman in a mall. He has been in and out of a job ever since.

As a Pastor, I have heard so many such stories. I think you have heard some,
too. You know people who lost great opportunities given them by God and by
their neighbors. Through ignore, though irresponsibility, through lack of
discipline, many people have allowed their lives to be out of business or
bankrupt forever.

We have to grab the opportunities because they are not here forever. The
Master will come – there will be a time of calculation, of evaluation and
revelation of how we have used the opportunities God has given us. Our time on
earth is short and so, we must not waste every opportunity to learn and to grow.

The Lord Jesus Christ teaches us today so that in the end, we will not fall in
regrets, because we have lost precious time and opportunity. In the end, the
faithful servant suffers. It is a bitter suffering because it could have been
avoided. Let us remember that the plan of God the Father for us is always good.
It is up to us to grab the opportunities given us by the Lord Jesus Christ and to
nourish the blessings he sends our way. Therefore, let us be ready and alert for
the time when the Master returns at an hour they least expect.