The Returning Lord: Luke 12:35-36

Luke 12:35‑36
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THE Saviour frequently spoke to His disciples of His going away and coming again, and indicated to them two things that should characterize them during His absence―watching and working. The watching attitude is described in Luke 12:35-3635Let your loins be girded about, and your lights burning; 36And ye yourselves like unto men that wait for their lord, when he will return from the wedding; that when he cometh and knocketh, they may open unto him immediately. (Luke 12:35‑36) thus: “Let your loins be girded about, and your lights burning; and ye yourselves like unto men that wait for their lord, when he will return from the wedding; that when he cometh and knocketh, they may open unto him immediately.” This attitude was early abandoned by the Church. When the Church became worldly she lost touch of the truth of her Lord’s return and settled down to the enjoyment of ease and honor here. Having thus forgotten her heavenly calling, she fell into the blunder that her mission was to improve the world; and in the pursuit of this object she became too blind to perceive that her fancy was not being realized, and that instead the world was corrupting and ruining her.
The Lord in His grace has revived the lost hope in these last days, with the happy result that many to-day are looking with fervor for His coming again. Watching is necessarily the fruit of affection, and this the absent Lord values more than the costliest sacrifices or the most toilsome labors. The highest possible character of reward is set before His watching ones: “He shall gird Himself, and make them to sit down to meat, and will come forth and serve them” (Luke 12:3737Blessed are those servants, whom the lord when he cometh shall find watching: verily I say unto you, that he shall gird himself, and make them to sit down to meat, and will come forth and serve them. (Luke 12:37)). Every believing heart cherishes the prospect of serving Christ eternally with a perfection of service that is impossible at present; here we have quite another thought―more delightful far―that He will condescend to render service to us. It will be His joy forever to minister to the happiness of those whom He has redeemed by His blood.
Working has its place no less than watching. Salvation is by grace alone, works having nothing whatever to do with it. Its basis is the atoning sacrifice of the Lord Jesus. But the realization of this incites the soul to hearty labor for His name’s sake. Concerning the diligent worker, the Lord has said: “He will make him ruler over all that He hath” (Luke 12:4444Of a truth I say unto you, that he will make him ruler over all that he hath. (Luke 12:44)). This honor is great―too great, indeed, for the most spiritual mind to grasp at present, but it is altogether a lower character of reward than that which is in store for watchers. To work for Christ is good; to watch for Christ is better.
The Lord proceeded to speak of the evil servant who says in his heart, “My Lord delayeth His coming,” and who, in consequence, beats his fellow-servants and carouses with the drunken (Luke 12:4545But and if that servant say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming; and shall begin to beat the menservants and maidens, and to eat and drink, and to be drunken; (Luke 12:45)). It is the false religious professor who says “Lord, Lord,” but has no mind to do what He says. Such the Lord will not only disown but destroy at His coming. In His work of judgment He will discriminate between those who knew His will, and those who knew it not. This is just the difference between the professing Christian and the heathen. Evil is evil, wherever it is found, and must needs be judged; but responsibility is measured according to what men know of God and His Word (Luke 12:47-4847And that servant, which knew his lord's will, and prepared not himself, neither did according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes. 48But he that knew not, and did commit things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with few stripes. For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required: and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more. (Luke 12:47‑48)). Upon this equitable principle need we marvel if the heaviest strokes of the divine hand fall upon Great Britain when the hour comes for judgment to begin?