Luke 12:35 Let your loins be girded about, and your lights burning;
36 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.
37 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, and will come forth and serve them.
38 And if he shall come in the second watch, or come in the third watch, and find them so, blessed are those servants.
This is a fascinating account, it clearly is linked to the account in Matthew where you have ten virgins, five are wise and five are foolish. But in that case the bridegroom is coming to get the bride and bring her to the wedding feast. One story talks about the wedding before the Lord comes and the other talks about the Lord's returning from the wedding. In Matthew we have virgins waiting to hear the call that the Bridegroom is coming, in Luke we have the Lord's servants who are getting everything ready. We are coworkers with the Lord. We may not know exactly when He'll return but we do know where He has gone, why, and have a general idea of when He will return. You should also know from what direction He will be coming so your watching is quite specific.
Many people use the verse that "no one knows the day nor the hour" as an excuse for not watching, but the point here is that is why you must be watching.
The other thing that is fascinating about this account is how strange it is. If the Lord is returning from the wedding is He really focused on finding His servants watching? This is an angle to this story that I would never, ever think of. But, if I was a butler, this would be the story from my perspective. The TV series Downton Abbey is about a British Lord and His house which is filled with servants. Interestingly the servants are at least half of the story. The first shall be last and the last first. We would generally think of a wedding being focused on the bride and the servants are of secondary importance. Yet Luke is talking about those that are raptured first, these were the ones no one regarded, the cast offs, the despised, the servants. Yet this story talks about the Lord girding Himself to serve them. This is what the Lord told us in the book of John when He washed the disciples feet. The Lord came to serve and not to be served. Since He did that we also should do the same. Everyone wants to be the center of attention, the belle of the ball, but if when the Lord comes He finds you serving the saints, watching, then you will be blessed.
Luke 1:46 And Mary said, My soul doth magnify the Lord,
47 And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour.
48 For he hath regarded the low estate of his handmaiden: for, behold, from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed.
49 For he that is mighty hath done to me great things; and holy is his name.
50 And his mercy is on them that fear him from generation to generation.
51 He hath shewed strength with his arm; he hath scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts.
52 He hath put down the mighty from their seats, and exalted them of low degree.
53 He hath filled the hungry with good things; and the rich he hath sent empty away.
36 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.
37 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, and will come forth and serve them.
38 And if he shall come in the second watch, or come in the third watch, and find them so, blessed are those servants.
This is a fascinating account, it clearly is linked to the account in Matthew where you have ten virgins, five are wise and five are foolish. But in that case the bridegroom is coming to get the bride and bring her to the wedding feast. One story talks about the wedding before the Lord comes and the other talks about the Lord's returning from the wedding. In Matthew we have virgins waiting to hear the call that the Bridegroom is coming, in Luke we have the Lord's servants who are getting everything ready. We are coworkers with the Lord. We may not know exactly when He'll return but we do know where He has gone, why, and have a general idea of when He will return. You should also know from what direction He will be coming so your watching is quite specific.
Many people use the verse that "no one knows the day nor the hour" as an excuse for not watching, but the point here is that is why you must be watching.
The other thing that is fascinating about this account is how strange it is. If the Lord is returning from the wedding is He really focused on finding His servants watching? This is an angle to this story that I would never, ever think of. But, if I was a butler, this would be the story from my perspective. The TV series Downton Abbey is about a British Lord and His house which is filled with servants. Interestingly the servants are at least half of the story. The first shall be last and the last first. We would generally think of a wedding being focused on the bride and the servants are of secondary importance. Yet Luke is talking about those that are raptured first, these were the ones no one regarded, the cast offs, the despised, the servants. Yet this story talks about the Lord girding Himself to serve them. This is what the Lord told us in the book of John when He washed the disciples feet. The Lord came to serve and not to be served. Since He did that we also should do the same. Everyone wants to be the center of attention, the belle of the ball, but if when the Lord comes He finds you serving the saints, watching, then you will be blessed.
Luke 1:46 And Mary said, My soul doth magnify the Lord,
47 And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour.
48 For he hath regarded the low estate of his handmaiden: for, behold, from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed.
49 For he that is mighty hath done to me great things; and holy is his name.
50 And his mercy is on them that fear him from generation to generation.
51 He hath shewed strength with his arm; he hath scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts.
52 He hath put down the mighty from their seats, and exalted them of low degree.
53 He hath filled the hungry with good things; and the rich he hath sent empty away.