LUKE 12:35-4835Let 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. 37Blessed 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. 38And if he shall come in the second watch, or come in the third watch, and find them so, blessed are those servants. 39And this know, that if the goodman of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched, and not have suffered his house to be broken through. 40Be ye therefore ready also: for the Son of man cometh at an hour when ye think not. 41Then Peter said unto him, Lord, speakest thou this parable unto us, or even to all? 42And the Lord said, Who then is that faithful and wise steward, whom his lord shall make ruler over his household, to give them their portion of meat in due season? 43Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing. 44Of a truth I say unto you, that he will make him ruler over all that he hath. 45But 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; 46The lord of that servant will come in a day when he looketh not for him, and at an hour when he is not aware, and will cut him in sunder, and will appoint him his portion with the unbelievers. 47And 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 12:35‑48).
Verses 35-37. "Let your loins be girded about, and your lights [lamps] burning, and ye, yourselves, like unto men that wait for their lord, when he will return from [depart out of] the wedding [wedding feasts]; that when he cometh and knocketh they may open unto him immediately. Blessed 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 [recline at table], and will come forth and serve them [minister to them].”
THE proper attitude of the faithful servant of the Lord Jesus is that of watchfulness. The return here spoken of is not from the marriage supper of the Lamb; this must be kept distinct. It is rather the Lord's return at the close of the present dispensation of Gospel grace, which is set forth under the emblem of a series of wedding feasts, given in honor of the approaching marriage (see Matt. 22:1-141And Jesus answered and spake unto them again by parables, and said, 2The kingdom of heaven is like unto a certain king, which made a marriage for his son, 3And sent forth his servants to call them that were bidden to the wedding: and they would not come. 4Again, he sent forth other servants, saying, Tell them which are bidden, Behold, I have prepared my dinner: my oxen and my fatlings are killed, and all things are ready: come unto the marriage. 5But they made light of it, and went their ways, one to his farm, another to his merchandise: 6And the remnant took his servants, and entreated them spitefully, and slew them. 7But when the king heard thereof, he was wroth: and he sent forth his armies, and destroyed those murderers, and burned up their city. 8Then saith he to his servants, The wedding is ready, but they which were bidden were not worthy. 9Go ye therefore into the highways, and as many as ye shall find, bid to the marriage. 10So those servants went out into the highways, and gathered together all as many as they found, both bad and good: and the wedding was furnished with guests. 11And when the king came in to see the guests, he saw there a man which had not on a wedding garment: 12And he saith unto him, Friend, how camest thou in hither not having a wedding garment? And he was speechless. 13Then said the king to the servants, Bind him hand and foot, and take him away, and cast him into outer darkness; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 14For many are called, but few are chosen. (Matthew 22:1‑14); Luke 14:16-2416Then said he unto him, A certain man made a great supper, and bade many: 17And sent his servant at supper time to say to them that were bidden, Come; for all things are now ready. 18And they all with one consent began to make excuse. The first said unto him, I have bought a piece of ground, and I must needs go and see it: I pray thee have me excused. 19And another said, I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I go to prove them: I pray thee have me excused. 20And another said, I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come. 21So that servant came, and showed his lord these things. Then the master of the house being angry said to his servant, Go out quickly into the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in hither the poor, and the maimed, and the halt, and the blind. 22And the servant said, Lord, it is done as thou hast commanded, and yet there is room. 23And the lord said unto the servant, Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled. 24For I say unto you, That none of those men which were bidden shall taste of my supper. (Luke 14:16‑24)).
There is a special blessing pronounced on those servants whom the Lord, when He comes, shall find watching, waiting, and prepared to welcome His return.
When here on earth, the Lord Jesus was the faithful Servant of His Father, ever ready to do His will; now He is the girded Servant, sanctifying and cleansing by the washing of water (typical of the Holy Spirit), through the Word, those whom He hath redeemed unto God by His blood (John 13:4, 54He riseth from supper, and laid aside his garments; and took a towel, and girded himself. 5After that he poureth water into a bason, and began to wash the disciples' feet, and to wipe them with the towel wherewith he was girded. (John 13:4‑5); Eph. v. 25, 26). After the pattern of the Hebrew servant, whose ear had been bored, love will keep Him, even in the glory, a servant, still ministering to their everlasting blessedness (Ex. 21:5-75And if the servant shall plainly say, I love my master, my wife, and my children; I will not go out free: 6Then his master shall bring him unto the judges; he shall also bring him to the door, or unto the door post; and his master shall bore his ear through with an aul; and he shall serve him for ever. 7And if a man sell his daughter to be a maidservant, she shall not go out as the menservants do. (Exodus 21:5‑7); Rev. 7:1717For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters: and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes. (Revelation 7:17)).
Verses 38-40. "And if he shall come in the second watch, or [and] come in the third watch, and find them so, blessed are those servants [bond-servants]. And this know, that if the goodman of the house [master of the house] had known what hour the thief would come he would have watched, and not have suffered his house to be broken through. Be YE, therefore, ready also, for the Son of Man cometh at an hour when ye think not.”
According to the reckoning of the Jews, their night was divided into four watches—the first from sundown to nine o'clock, the second from nine till twelve, the third from twelve till three, and the fourth from three till six in the morning, or sunrise.
The Lord Jesus will come at the close of the present dispensation to receive the Church to Himself. This is described as "The coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and our gathering together unto Him" (2 Thess. 2:11Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him, (2 Thessalonians 2:1)).
At the end of the second watch of the night, or at midnight, the cry went forth, "Behold, the Bridegroom cometh." The Lord does not say He will come in the second watch, but IF He come, inciting to watchfulness. After the marriage supper of the Lamb, He will come with clouds, and every eye will see Him, and His risen saints will appear with Him in glory; this always is distinguished as "the coming of the Son of Man." These two aspects of His coming must never be confounded together, and, in either case, watchfulness is enjoined, and an especial blessing pronounced.
His coming as a "thief in the night" is expressly said, in 1 Thessalonians 5:1-61But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you. 2For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. 3For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape. 4But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief. 5Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness. 6Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober. (1 Thessalonians 5:1‑6), not to apply to the Church.
The day spoken of there is the day of Jehovah; the title employed is "Lord" (without the article). It is "The day of vengeance of our God," which will take the world by surprise, but still a welcome surprise to those faithful ones who, in the time of the great tribulation, will be found waiting for Him (Rev. 16:1515Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame. (Revelation 16:15)).
To those saints of the present dispensation who refuse to watch He will come unexpectedly, as a thief (Rev. 3:33Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard, and hold fast, and repent. If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come on thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee. (Revelation 3:3)), but this word is here addressed to them, not so much as a promise, but as a warning. Our true happiness is to be found watching.
Verses 41-44. "Then Peter said unto Him, 'Lord, speakest Thou this parable unto us, or even to all?' And the Lord said: 'Who then is that faithful and wise [prudent] steward whom his lord shall make ruler over [set over] his household, to give them their portion of meat in due season? Blessed is that servant whom his lord, when he cometh, shall find so doing. Of a truth I say unto you that he will make him ruler over [set him over] all that he hath.'”
The apostles stood in a twofold representative place. They were at that time the faithful remnant of Israel, who had received their Messiah, while the rest of the nation were rejecting Him, and as such they received instruction suitable to those who, in the time of the great tribulation, will confess Christ. But, at the day of Pentecost, these apostles were among the first living stones of which the Church of God was built, and were instructed accordingly. In His reply to the inquiry of Peter, the Lord Jesus applies His teaching to the present dispensation, and shows the connection between the fidelity in stewardship now and the awards of the kingdom in eternity. In 1 Corinthians 4:1, 21Let a man so account of us, as of the ministers of Christ, and stewards of the mysteries of God. 2Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful. (1 Corinthians 4:1‑2) the Apostle Paul thus writes: "Let a man so account of us, as of the ministers [official ministers] of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God. Moreover, it is required in stewards that a man be found faithful." Even so, there are those who, not content with testifying the ordinary and fundamental truths of the Gospel, seek, under the teaching and revealing of the Holy Spirit, to search into the deep things of God, and to bring forth, for the edification of the spiritually-minded and instructed believer, those higher and fuller truths which tend for the establishment and progress of the soul. Such service will receive a suitable recompense of reward.
Verses 45, 46. " But, and if that servant [bondservant] say in his heart: My lord delayeth his coming; ' and shall begin to beat the men-servants and maidens, and to eat and drink, and to be drunken; the lord of that servant [bond-servant] will come in a day when he looketh not for him, and at an hour when he is not aware [knoweth not], and will cut him in sunder [cut him off], and will appoint him his portion with the unbelievers.”
As in the field there are tares as well as wheat, and both grow together until the harvest, so also in the "great house" there are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but also of wood and of earth, and some to honor and some to dishonor (2 Tim. 2:2020But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but also of wood and of earth; and some to honor, and some to dishonor. (2 Timothy 2:20)). Where there has been no regeneration, and where there is no indwelling of the Holy Ghost, official position in the outward Church is no guarantee for ultimate security. When the Lord Jesus comes those who are not truly His will be cut off, and have their portion with the unbelievers.
Where the heart of the professed servant is not set on the Person of the Lord Jesus, and with the hope and expectation of His return, but on present things, and pre-eminence in the professing Church, the coming of the Lord will be an unwelcome and disastrous surprise.
Verses 47, 48. “And that servant [bond-servant] which knew his lord's will, and prepared not himself, neither did according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes. But he that knew not, and did commit things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with few stripes. For unto whomsoever much is given, of [from] him shall be much required: and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more.”
Whether for good or for evil, the measure of privilege is the measure of responsibility.
Those who in the fullness of Gospel light have walked unworthily will be cast out into outer darkness; the faithful servant found with girded loins will be ministered to by the Lord of glory; and the steward found faithful over a few things will be made ruler over all, and will enter into, and have fellowship with, the joy of his Lord, and share with Him His kingdom and His glory.