(Luke 12:35-40)
“Let your waist be girded and your lamps burning; “and you yourselves be like men who wait for their master, when he will return from the wedding, that when he comes and knocks they may open to him immediately. “Blessed are those servants whom the master, when he comes, will find watching. Assuredly, I say to you that he will gird himself and have them sit down to eat, and will come and serve them. “And if he should come in the second watch, or come in the third watch, and find them so, blessed are those servants. “But know this, that if the master of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched and not allowed his house to be broken into. “Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.”
In this Gospel we get a glimpse at some of the concerns of those in the communities that Luke served, we facing. Luke wanted his parishioners to remember that Jesus would return and for them to not become complacent. He wanted them to remember to continue to look to the Kingdom of heaven and live a humble life that was respectful of others and servant to the Lord. What does this mean for us today? We must live today in readiness! Jesus’ advice about priorities and preparation is still valid today. We must remain focused on stewardship of our time, talent and treasure. We must avoid the sins of pride, greed and selfishness. In Luke 9: 51-62, we are reminded that “we can’t take it with us”. Here we are reminded that we don’t know when our Master will return and we must always remain diligent and focused on our salvation. We learned in Matthew 13:47-53 that the fishing net captures all kinds of fish… some that are good and some that are bad. We are reminded that the bad are tossed away. How will you be judged by the Master of heaven? How do you judge yourself? Too often, we are our own worst critic. We are ‘hard’ on ourselves. Would it not serve us to use this same level of critique to evaluate and adjust course when we find ourselves straying away from the blessings of eternal life in heaven? It’s not too late right now, to make that course adjustment but remember, an hour from now it may be! Keep love in your heart. Keep a humble mind and remember that you can’t take it with you. Find the path that will lead to your salvation and “be prepared, for at an hour you do not expect, the Son of Man will come.”
Will you be ready?
