WWUTT 2406 Be Ready for Action (Luke 12:35-38)

Jesus said, stay dressed for action, keep your lamps burning. Blessed are those servants whom the master finds awake when he comes. Truly I say to you, he will come and serve his servants when we understand the text.

This is when we understand the text, a daily Bible commentary that we may be equipped for every good work in Jesus Christ our Lord. Please tell others about our ministry at www .utt .com. Here once again is Pastor Gabe.

Thank you, Becky.

Luke 12:35-38 and the Call to Be Ready for Action

In our study of Luke's gospel, we've been reading of this teaching that Jesus is giving to his disciples and in the presence of the crowds as well. And today he gives this charged to be ready for action.

I'm reading in Luke chapter 12, verses 35 to 48. Hear the word of the Lord. Stay dressed for action and keep your lamps burning and be like men who are waiting for their master to come home from the wedding feast so that they may open the door to him at once when he comes and knocks.

Blessed are those servants whom the master finds awake when he comes. Truly I say to you, he will dress himself for service and have them recline at table and he will come and serve them. If he comes in the second watch or in the third and finds them awake, blessed are those servants.

But know this, that if the master of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have left his house to be broken into. You also must be ready for the son of man is coming at an hour you do not expect.

Peter said, Lord, are you telling this parable for us.

Or for all?

And the Lord said, who then is the faithful and wise manager whom his master will set over his household to give them their portion of food at the proper time. Blessed is that servant whom his master will find so doing when he comes.

Truly I say to you, he will set him over all his possessions. But if that servant says to himself, my master is delayed in coming and begins to beat the male and female servants and to eat and drink and get drunk, the master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him.

And at an hour he does not know and will cut him in pieces and put him with the unfaithful. And that servant who knew his master's will but did not get ready or act according to his will will receive a severe beating.

But the one who did not know and did what deserved a beating will receive a light beating. Everyone to whom much was given of him, much will be required. And from him to whom they entrusted much, they will demand the more.

Now this comes right after we had just read last week, Jesus' encouragement to his disciples not to be anxious. Don't be anxious about your life. Who of you by worrying has been able to add a single hour to his life?

You see the birds, how God provides for them? So he will provide for you, oh, you of little faith. And the lilies of the field, God has clothed with greater splendor than even Solomon had. And he will provide for you also.

We read in verse 32, fear not little flock, for it is your father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom. And so we know that God delights in giving us good things. We as his children, he is caring for and providing for.

So what do we have to be worried about? Life is gonna be hard, things are gonna be difficult. We live in a fallen world. So it's the nature of the place in which we live. Just because we became Christian does not mean that things got easier.

In a lot of senses, for a lot of people, it actually got more difficult. But we are not to be worried about these things, fretting over them, twisting our garments about them. But we would trust ourselves to Christ and he will provide for us.

He cares for us, he died for us so that our sins would be forgiven and we would have everlasting life with him for all who believe. And so knowing that our sins have been forgiven should give us great peace and even great joy.

And we could continue thinking about those things, just that section of this teaching that Jesus has given. But we go from that, with those things in mind, to this next part where Jesus says, stay dressed for action and keep your lamps burning.

So not just sitting around and not being worried. Like if you're still and not doing anything, you're probably gonna have a tendency to be more anxious, right? If you don't find something to busy yourself and you're just meditating on or thinking about or worrying about the future, that's when the anxiety starts to sink in.

So Jesus instead gives the charge to his disciples to be dressed for action, to be ready for something. Not to sit around and fret over circumstances that you cannot control, but instead be ready for a day that you do not know is coming.

At least you don't know when it's coming, but you do know that it will come because the master has told us that he will come. So he says, stay dressed for action and keep your lamps burning. You are dressed, ready to move at a moment's notice and you have your lamps burning.

You don't have to go searching for a light. You don't have to keep the, or you don't have to refill the lamp with oil. It's already got oil in it. It's ready to go. You are ready to move when the Lord says move.

Now, stay dressed for action. Literally, this is gird up your loins. So the picture is a man who is a fighter. He has his robe tucked up under his belt in such a way that his legs are not hindered by quick movement, that he's got to go.

He's not going to get tripped up in his robe. He is ready for action. He's dressed for action. And keep your lamps burning. Be like men, Jesus says in verse 36, who are waiting for their master to come home from the wedding feast.

Now, later on, he talks about the servants of the house being male and female servants. So this is not just an address for men, but men of action are the picture here. So that even women, even Christian women would have a heart that's ready for action as a man who is ready to fight and get up and move.

So a woman is preparing herself in that way too, spiritually. In her spirit, she is also dressed for action. The man is being presented here is like a parable because remember that in verse 41, Peter said, Lord, are you telling this parable for us or for all?

So he's telling a parable here. And the picture in this parable is a man who is dressed for action. And so all of us need to be ready for action. All of us need to have our loins girded up in a spiritual sense.

And we are ready to do the Lord's will. Remember the Lord's will is in view here. Down to verse 47, that servant who knew his master's will, but did not get ready or act according to his will. So we're dressed for what kind of action?

Well, it's gonna be doing God's will. This is not just about being dressed and ready for the day of the Lord's return. That's certainly in view, but that's not solely what this is addressing. It's knowing what God's will is and doing it.

Remember Ephesians 5 .17, therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. Let me look at that verse in context because there's a lot more going on there. Definitely pertains to what we're reading.

Ephesians 5 .15, look carefully then how you walk. Not as unwise, but as wise, making the best use of the time because the days are evil. So see that sinks right in with what we're reading here in that you're not sitting around and just kind of waiting for something to happen.

You need to be dressed for action and ready to go. You're making the best use of the time because the days are evil. Verse 17 again, therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.

And do not get drunk with wine for that is debauchery. That's coming up in this section, right? But be filled with the spirit, addressing one another in Psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart, giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ.

So if you ever have a question, what am I dressed for action for? What am I waiting for? What am I supposed to be doing? Am I just waiting around for the day of the Lord? Well, the picture here is servants in the master's house that are doing the master's will.

So what would the master's will be? Understand what the will of the Lord is, be holy. Do not be filled with wine, but be filled with the spirit. Love one another, addressing each other in Psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord in your heart.

We have a picture of the church here who is gathering together, encouraging one another, praising God, seeking holiness, even keeping one another on that path of holiness, not swerving to the left or to the right, not going into unholy passions and godlessness, not falling away from the way, but we are doing the Lord's will.

And we are continuing to pursue holiness and be sanctified until the day the Lord comes or the day that we die and go be with him, whichever day comes first, but we're always dressed for action. We are always ready to do God's will.

And even right now or in quiet moments to yourself, knowing to take every thought captive and make it obedient to Christ, not letting sinful or worldly thoughts govern your thinking, because then you're going to fall right back into the being anxious side of things.

And right here, we're reading the counterpoint to anxiety. It's to be dressed for action, ready to go, be like men who are waiting for their master to come home from the wedding feast so that they may open the door to him at once when he comes and knocks.

You know, Revelation chapter three, right? The verse I'm going to bring up here, one of the most misused verses in the Bible. It's one of the verses that I've included in my book, 40 of the most popular Bible verses and what they really mean, because a lot of people get this one wrong.

Revelation 3 .20, behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come into him and eat with him and he with me. We've got that same sort of picture right here.

Jesus, the master, is going to come and he's going to serve the servants. He's going to wait on them and recline with them at table, right, so he's going to serve them food. Isn't that what's being talked about here in Revelation 3 .20?

And how is it that most people take Revelation 3 .20? This is Jesus knocking on the door of your heart, waiting for you to let him in. He's not going to barge his way in. He is patient. He is passive.

He's polite. I hear that one a lot too. That was Ann Graham Lotz, who's Billy Graham's daughter. She uses that expression. God is never going to barge his way in. He's polite. Oh, he's the master of the house.

He is most definitely going to barge his way in. Revelation 3 .20 is not about inviting Jesus into your heart. This is about the master of the house returning and you need to be ready for the day of his return.

Let me go back a little bit, verse 19. So Revelation 3 .19, "'Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline, "'so be zealous and repent.'". He's rebuking a wayward church in this passage, who thinks they have everything they need, but Jesus says to them, "'No, you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked.

"'And so I tell you these things to reprove you "'and discipline you, so repent. "'Behold, I stand at the door and knock. "'If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, "'I will come into him and eat with him and he with me.

"'The one who conquers, "'I will grant him to sit with me on my throne, "'as I also conquered and sat down with my father "'on his throne. "'He who has an ear, let him hear. "'What the Spirit says to the churches.'".

This is the master of the house coming home. And if the servants don't open the door to him, he's gonna kick the door down. So don't for a moment think that that's a picture of Jesus knocking on the door of your heart.

You compare that, Revelation 3 .20, with what Jesus is saying here in Luke chapter 12. "'They may open the door to him at once, "'when he comes and knocks.'". They're ready. They're ready to go. And when the Lord comes calling, they are opening the door and bringing him in.

This is the master of the house returning home from the wedding feast. "'Blessed are those servants whom the master finds awake "'when he comes. "'Truly I say to you, "'he will dress himself for service "'and have them recline at table "'and he will come and serve them.'".

Do you not think about the fact that Jesus actually serves us? He is in heaven serving us. I mean, that's wild to consider. Yes, he reigns. Yes, he is our king, but he is also serving us. He is our advocate before the father.

He is the one who is speaking favorably of us before God. He is our access to God. So just as Jesus said to his own disciples, the son of man came not to be served, but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many.

That was not just during his earthly ministry. He is still that servant to us even now. 1 John 2 .1, "'My little children, "'I am writing these things to you "'so that you may not sin. "'But if anyone does sin, "'we have an advocate with the father, "'Jesus Christ, the righteous.'".

He is the propitiation for our sins and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world, for everybody in the world. He is the one savior for us all. And by this, we know that we have come to know him if we keep his commandments.

So he is serving us. He is advocating on our behalf, but he is also the king who commands whom we must obey. You think about an elected official, somebody that you probably even voted for in the election, and they are your state representative or they're in the US Senate or the president of the United States.

And maybe you live in another country, perhaps you have voting, where you have voted for a representative for you, someone who is gonna represent you and your cause and your needs before the entire government.

And that person has authority. You voted for them. They are there to serve you. They probably even ran on a platform of saying, I'm gonna serve you. I'm gonna represent you before Congress or whatever else.

And so they're serving you in that way, but they're also an authority figure. And so all the other instructions that we have in scripture about submitting to the governing authorities apply, like in Romans 13, one and other places.

So they're serving, but they're also an authority to whom you have to submit. And this is Christ for us, but in a much greater way. Okay, there's our real world sort of parable example, but Jesus himself is serving on a great level for he's taking our cares and concerns before the father, he is advocating for us before the father.

The father looks at us as his sons and daughters because Jesus has made us his sons and daughters. Through the blood of Christ, we've been adopted into the family of God and we are the sons and daughters of God.

And so Jesus serves us in this way, also serving us by sending the Holy Spirit to us. Our helper is the way that he describes the spirit in the upper room discourse in the gospel of John. And so the Holy Spirit is serving us.

We are being sanctified by the spirit. He's still God, he's still king of the universe. It is still to him that every knee will bow and tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, but he is also serving us in the love and the advocacy that he shows toward us.

And so here we have that picture of the master caring for his servants. Blessed are those servants whom the master finds awake when he comes, truly I say to you, he's gonna dress himself. You're supposed to be dressed for action.

He's gonna dress himself for service and have them recline at table and he will come and serve them. Our getting into the kingdom, our getting into eternal life and heavenly glory is by the service of Jesus Christ.

He will open the door, open the gate for us, welcome us in and say, well done, good and faithful servant. Now great is your reward. Literally slave, doulos is the Greek word, well done, good and faithful slave.

Now great is your reward and he will serve us there and we will eat at the wedding feast of the lamb with our savior serving us the great food of that eternal succulent feast. He will come and serve them.

This is verse 38. If he comes in the second watch or in the third and finds them awake, blessed are those servants. Now this is a watch of the night that most people are not going to be awake. So the second watch is from nine o 'clock to midnight and the third watch is from midnight to 3 a .m.

Yeah, you're probably going to bed during the second watch, right? And you're sound asleep in that watch from midnight to 3 a .m. So if you have stayed awake and have done your master's work then when the master comes, if it's in the second watch or the third and you're ready to open the door and bring the master in, then well done.

Blessed will be those servants. And by opening the door, this is the picture of we're ready for the master to come. We've been waiting. We've been anticipating his arrival. And when he comes, he's going to find us as faithful and working servants.

You know what?

Let me go back again to Ephesians chapter five and read that section right before it because again, it goes right in with what we're reading here in our text. What sort of work are we supposed to be doing?

What will the master find us doing when he arrives? Ephesians 5, one. Therefore be imitators of God as beloved children and walk in love as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.

But sexual immorality and all impurity or covetousness must not even be named among you as is proper among saints. Let there be no filthiness nor foolish talk nor crude joking, which are out of place, but instead let there be thanksgiving.

For you may be sure of this, that everyone who is sexually immoral or impure or who is covetous, that is an idolater, has no inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. Let no one deceive you with empty words for because of these things, the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience.

Therefore do not become partners with them for at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light for the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true and try to discern what is pleasing to the Lord.

Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them for it is shameful even to speak of the things that they do in secret. But when anything is exposed by the light, it becomes visible for anything that becomes visible is light.

Therefore it says, awake, O sleeper and arise from the dead and Christ will shine on you. And may the Lord find us as good and faithful servants at any hour of this life while we await his return. Heavenly father, we thank you for what we've read and I pray we take it to heart.

It is convicting to us and that we desire to be those faithful and good working servants. Lord, forgive us for our laziness when we start to kick back and do nothing or we get distracted by so many worldly things and our minds are not fixed on the things of Christ, but fixed on moments that really don't matter.

Teach us to make the best use of the time because the days are evil. Help us to seek Christ. Help us to be dressed for action and ready to go. Help us to be holy. And in your helping us in this, we are being served by Christ.

May we desire to serve the master with all our heart, soul, mind and strength. It's in Jesus name we pray, amen.

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