Luke 12:35-48

Luke 12:35-48

Jesus describes every one of us in this passage. In this collection of short parables Jesus describes two categories that covers every disciple or supposed disciple. There are those who are faithful, loyal and good servants. These experience significant rewards at the Master's hand. Then there are those who fail their Master. They have begun to use the assets and resources of the master for their own agenda. They become petty tyrants and begin to act as if that which is the master’s is theirs. And in the last two verses of this passage we find a chilling warning for those of us who are servants or disciples of Christ.

We have often come to view being a follower of Jesus as a sort of perpetual, upward mobility, with our lives constantly moving toward better and better, richer and richer, more and more, greater and greater life. But Jesus’ picture is that the more you have been given, the greater your responsibility to give. The more you have learned, the greater your responsibility to instruct. The higher you are lifted, the more humbly you are to serve. Ignorance is no excuse if we fail and do not know better; there are consequences to be suffered. But when we have much to offer and we choose not to give we have more severe penalties.

We might be tempted to say, “That being the case it is best to never move in too deep and too serious a service.” But that fails on two points; first, our Master calls us to serve and to reject that call is to invite the most terrible treatment. That is the essence of refusing the Master’s will. Second, the servant who served well is rewarded in unbelievable ways. The description in verse 37 of a master serving his slave was almost unimaginable in the ancient world. That reward itself is too great to risk missing!

“Lord set me free from the gripping power of selfishness. AMEN”