Prepared Servants
Preaching
Preaching the Parables
Series II, Cycle C
Watching. Waiting. Preparedness. Servanthood. These are
key words that appear in Jesus' teachings and parables in the
Gospel accounts. We are told by advertising experts that a
product name must be repeated several times before people
remember and can identify it. Either Jesus repeated the message
frequently so people would remember it, or it was a constant
theme which he used in many different ways and on different
occasions. In any event it is a theme that occurs so often in
the Gospels that it must be an authentic memory of his teachings.
The parable which is central to the pericope for today sounds again the theme of watchful waiting for the Lord to come. The parable is connected to a note of the coming's occurring in an unexpected way. Unless people are constantly prepared for the interruption of normal routines, they may be caught unaware of the opportunity to respond to God's actions.
Context
Context of Luke 12
Luke 12 portrays both a time of great popularity and a time of rising conflict, identified early in this chapter as from the Pharisees. Jesus first addresses the crowd and then turns to his disciples. The message from today's reading and the section following it is intended to prepare the disciples so they will not be misled by the popularity of the crowds. Jesus knew that he faced increasing opposition. It was no time to relax their vigilance and miss God's opportunities.
Context of the Lectionary
The First Lesson. (Isaiah 1:1, 10-20) The first verse identifies who Isaiah is. The longer section is Isaiah's warning as God's representative against the reliance on cultic worship as the assurance of salvation. God does not find such worship acceptable if it is not accompanied by right living on behalf of the community. It ends with a dire warning of the consequences if the community is not obedient to the Lord's commands. The people need to cease doing evil, minister to the most vulnerable in the community, and assure that justice is done.
The Second Lesson. (Hebrews 11:1-3, 8-16) The first section gives the familiar definition of faith. The latter section begins with a description of that faith as exemplified in the life of Abraham. It ends with the observation that all of the heroes of the faith were seeking another state of being called a heavenly country.
Gospel. (Luke 12:32-40) The Gospel reading is introduced with an admonition to Jesus' followers not to be fearful. God intends to give his faithful servants riches of life. Then comes the parable of the prepared servants. The section ends with a parable of a strong man who would take measures to prevent a thief from robbing the house if he knew when the thief was coming. Since the element of uncertainty exists, a person needs to be always prepared.
Psalm. (Psalm 50:1-8, 22-23) The message of the psalm is similar to the first lesson. It first points out that God is active and makes his will known. Again, the futility of cultic worship without obedience in actions is emphasized. While sacrifice is intended to honor God, it is those who are going the right way who receive the salvation of God.
Context of Related Scripture
Other Parables with a Similar Theme:
Matthew 24:41-48; Mark 13:33-37; Luke 21:34-36 -- Parable of the Doorkeeper
Matthew 25:1-13 -- The Wise and Foolish Maidens
Matthew 25:14-30 -- Parable of the Talents
Luke 19:12-27 -- Parable of the Pounds
Imagery of a Little Flock:
Isaiah 40:11 -- He will feed his flock like a shepherd.
Ezekiel 34:11-12 -- As shepherds seek out their flocks.
Imagery of the New Age as a Feast:
Luke 13:29 -- People coming from all directions to eat in the kingdom of God.
Luke 22:30 -- Eating and drinking in Christ's kingdom.
Revelation 19:9 -- Invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.
A Thief in the Night:
Matthew 24:36-44 -- If knowing when the thief was coming.
1 Thessalonians 5:2 -- The day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night.
2 Peter 3:10 -- The day of the Lord will come like a thief.
Revelation 3:2-3 -- Wake up ... I will come like a thief.
Revelation 16:15 -- See, I am coming like a thief.
Riches and Treasures in Heaven:
Matthew 6:19-21; Mark 10:21; Luke 18:22 -- Store up treasure in heaven.
Matthew 19:21 -- You will have treasure in heaven.
Exodus 12:11 -- Eat with your loins girded.
Revelation 3:20 -- I am standing at the door, knocking.
Content
Precis of the Parable
Jesus urged the disciples to be ready for action and to have their lamps burning. They are to be like persons waiting for their master to return from a wedding feast. If they are on the alert when the master comes he will get ready and serve them a feast, even if it is the middle of the night or approaching dawn.
Jesus adds a second image to the parable. It is the image of an owner of a house who suspects that a thief is planning to break into it. If the owner knows when it will happen, he will prepare and prevent it. The followers of Jesus are to be as prepared as the owner of a house prepares against a thief. Otherwise, the special agent of God may arrive at an unexpected hour and they will not be ready to take advantage of his presence.
Thesis: Blessing comes to followers of Jesus who are ever vigilant.
Theme: Constant faithfulness in following Jesus is necessary.
Key Words in the Passage
1. "Do Not be Afraid." (v. 32) Jesus addressed the admonition to the disciples. The early church lived in a hostile environment and also needed this message. By the time Luke wrote this Gospel, persecution came not just from the Jewish leaders but also periodically from the Roman government.
2. "Little Flock." (v. 32) The image of the flock of sheep as God's people appears in the Old Testament for the people of God. Jesus also used it elsewhere. The early church transferred that image to itself.
3. "Be Dressed for Action." (v. 35) The usual garb for Palestinians was a long, flowing robe that reached to the ankles. When persons prepared for swift travel, strenuous work, or warfare, they tucked up the bottom of the robe into their belt so that they were not encumbered by it.
4. "Return from the Wedding Banquet." (v. 36) A wedding is a festive occasion. Though the actual ceremony of marriage may be brief, the feasting associated with it may run for a very long time. It may go late into the night. Slaves had to be ready to receive the master whenever he chose to return home. A wedding feast was often used as a symbolic representation of the kind of joy experienced in the kingdom of God.
5. "He Comes and Knocks." (v. 36) Jesus does not force entry into a life as a thief might do. He presents himself and invites people to open their lives to him. Jesus' entry into a life is more the character of an invitation or request, not a demand or a forced intervention.
6. "Fasten His Belt." (v. 37) It is now the master who gets himself ready for action. He tucks his robe into his belt, tightens it to hold the robe in place, and is ready to move about quickly. He now looks like the slaves.
7. "He Will Come and Serve Them." (v. 37) This is a role reversal. Usually it was the slaves' task to serve the master. Here the master assumes the role of the servant. One of the major themes of Jesus' ministry was that his lordship was characterized by servanthood. This image is of a different kind of master than the normal one.
8. "At What Hour the Thief was Coming." (v. 39) One perhaps needs to be careful with this image. The in-breaking of the kingdom into the present age is not hostile, as a thief would be. It is only the unexpected moment that the new age of the kingdom enters into the present age that is intended. God's activity in special ways has usually come in unexpected times and at unexpected places in the past. Christians should be ready for God's intervention into history at any time.
9. "An Unexpected Hour." (v. 40) People usually are surprised at the special activities of God. Constant alertness is needed to be ready to respond whenever it happens.
Contemplation
Issues and Insights
1. The Kingdom as Community. Jesus did not think of Christians as isolated individuals. He addressed them as a little flock. They are in the kingdom together. Jesus did not call people into a relationship with God that did not include others. The mystics who separate themselves from other persons in order to enjoy a union with God never seem to be present in the teachings and examples of Jesus.
2. Dressed for Action. How are Christians dressed for action? What are the encumbrances that keep them from action?
Paul uses the imagery of putting on the whole armor of God (Ephesians 6:11-17). Paul takes his analogy from the soldier in military combat. Jesus uses the figure of the slave or servant. It probably fits better with the total teaching of Jesus to think of the Christian as a servant or slave rather than as a soldier. Jesus rejected the role of the insurrectionists or guerillas of his day. He would not take the carnal sword in his defense but submitted himself as a suffering servant, even unto death on the cross.
The teachings of Jesus suggest that excess wealth or the excessive pursuit of material goods are encumbrances which keep the person from discovering the riches and treasures of life in the kingdom. It may, however, be any sin which breaks our relationship with God or the neighbors. That is why Jesus calls people to repentance, to a reversal of their direction that is self-oriented to one that is God- and neighbor-oriented.
3. Role Reversal. Jesus turns the normal understandings of roles on their head. Normally the striving of people is to be master over others and to eschew the role of the servant or the slave. People want to be in control.
The usual politics of the world is to coerce people to do what the rulers want them to do. The world uses violence to force people to submit to the will of the master or to destroy them. If they can use threats to master others, they are ready to find the most effective threats.
Jesus' method is to invite persons to voluntary responses. He does not seek to impose his will but to invite persons to discover and respond voluntarily to God's will. He sought to minister to the real welfare of his neighbors and to invite them to do likewise for others.
When the disciples wanted to coerce others, such as bringing down fire on an unresponsive Samaritan village (Luke 9:51-56) or when Peter wanted to defend Jesus with the sword in Gethsamene (Matthew 26:51-52), Jesus rebuked them. They are called to servanthood, not to a coercive ministry.
4. The Thief in the Night. Does the image of the coming of the Son of Man as a thief in the night only have eschatalogical meaning? Did Jesus expect that the end times and the ushering in of the kingdom in its fullness would come soon, already in the lifetime of his disciples?
Or did Jesus see the kingdom's coming as something that happens repeatedly? Is the kingdom of God breaking into history in apocalyptic fashion repeatedly, and are we called to be prepared for it and to take advantage of the opportunities whenever they happen?
Does the kingdom of God enter history apocalyptically and in part whenever true community comes into existence, whenever injustice is overcome with justice, whenever peace replaces conflict and warfare, and whenever righteousness and welfare for the oppressed, the poor, the sick is accomplished?
Are people in danger of neglecting the present in-breaking of God's actions today because they are only prepared for it in some cataclysmic future event?
5. Surprise! We live in a universe that has certain regularities to it. That is what makes science possible. A basic assumption of science is that a condition must be publicly verifiable to be accepted as part of this regularity of nature. If what a person claims to be a cause and effect relationship cannot be reproduced by someone else in the same circumstances, it is suspected and is not accepted as a true finding.
Christians believe, however, that a realm of being exists where personal freedom allows for the unexpected. God chooses to act in ways that are not according to the normal regularities of the universe. Persons also have some capacity to make choices among the causal forces to which they will respond. In that situation, persons also have a limited degree of freedom. They can transcend the natural regularities. That is why social sciences are not exact sciences.
The Christian is called to be prepared for the surprises of history when God acts in unexpected ways. They can allow their freedom of choice to select the causal forces of the Holy Spirit to work with the acts of God. That should give direction to their lives and affect the direction of history toward God's ends and purposes.
Homily Hints
1. Do Not Be Afraid. (v. 32) The church often lives in a hostile environment. It may tend to act defensively against various threats. The church should speak out boldly since the threats can never destroy the reality of the kingdom of God on which the church is based.
A. Not Afraid of Rival Religions
B. Not Afraid of Government Interference
C. Not Afraid of Secularization
D. Assured of the Kingdom's Reality
2. Dressed for Action. (v. 35) How is the church dressed for action? How is the Christian dressed for action?
A. Prepared through Prayer
B. Secure in the Scriptures
C. Equipped for Service
-- to God
-- to Neighbors
3. He Comes and Knocks. (v. 36) The appeal to respond to Jesus comes and knocks in different ways to people. Here is an invitation to respond and allow him to enter the lives of the church and of Christians.
A. Comes in Times of Despair
B. Comes to Those Who Search
C. Comes Through Witness of Christians
D. Comes Through the Church
-- in teaching
-- in preaching
-- in serving
4. He Will Come and Serve. (v. 37) Christ comes and serves us in many ways.
A. In Times of Grief and Suffering
B. Through the Sacraments
C. Through the Fellowship of the Church
D. Through the Service and Witness of Christians
5. If the Owner Had Known. (v. 39) A double thrust would be first through the theme of adequate preparation and second through the readiness to respond as opportunities present themselves.
A. Christians Should not be Ignorant
B. Christians Live by Faithfulness
C. Christians Have a Hope in Christ
Contact
Points of Contact
1. No Fear. The news creates fears. It reports the bad things that happen or can happen in the world. Jesus calls his followers not to be anxious about threats to material wealth. The news reports tell about inflation that can erode the value of money. Bank and stock market failures can erase savings and investments. Confidence men and women convince people to put their money into get-rich-quick schemes that prove to be false.
People who find their meaning and security in wealth can easily live with anxieties and fears when they realize how events beyond their control can wipe out life savings and investments.
Jesus calls us to put our confidence in the love and sustaining power of a gracious God. It does not mean that we should not exercise prudence as much as humanly possible. It does mean that we should not be so attached to material goods that the loss of them would be devastating.
More important in Christian values is to build a community of relationships where mutual concern characterizes the way persons support each other. Then our riches are found in the the spirit of life which endures despite the disasters which can wipe out material goods.
2. The Absent Lord. This parable and others speak of an absent master or lord. At times in history, both personal and social, it seems that God is absent. It is difficult to understand how events can happen that are so bad if God is loving, powerful, and active in the world.
Christians live with a point of view that sees history at long range. They know that the purposes of God cannot be frustrated indefinitely. They wait in patience, ready to act when God's presence again becomes evident. They may see it in their own lives when new events give hope and confirm their faith that changes will come. They wait in hope that the forces of history will shift, sometimes dramatically and unexpectedly, toward justice and righteousness.
Christians should be ready when they hear the knock and see the evidence of God's renewed arrival in their lives and in the world.
3. The Slavery Paradox. To have the lord or master as servant seems to be a contradiction in terms. We are called at the same time to be slaves and to be free in Christ. It is an upside-down way of seeing our status in life.
Still, it is strange that being a slave to Christ's teachings and example is true freedom. It is true freedom exactly because it is not forced upon us but freely chosen by the help of the Holy Spirit. It is true freedom because by being a slave to Christ we find his God giving back to us real life. We find a richness in God's grace that frees us from all that enslaves and robs us of true living otherwise. We find in being enslaved to Christ we receive more than we are ever able to give to him and to our neighbors.
It takes a considerable boldness to give up our fears and live the life of the slave who finds freedom in servanthood.
4. Couch Potato Christians. We hear a lot about couch potatoes. They are the people who sit passively before the television hour after hour. They are spectators, sometimes of real events in the world but too often watching an unreal world. They often drift off into sleep as they are lulled away by the television.
Is not Jesus warning against becoming couch potato Christians? They are people who are really not awake and prepared to act as servants of Christ. They are people who only come to church to observe the drama of the high holy days, such as Christmas and Easter. They are the Christians who sit passively in the pew but take no responsibilities for the activities of the church. They do not translate the message into their daily lives.
Is it not also a temptation to wait for some future apocalyptic act of God to bring justice and righteousness into the world? Is it the hope and expectation of some divine consummation that allows them to ignore the demands for action in setting right injustices and evils that are around them?
Jesus would probably say to couch potato Christians, "Wake up! Go forth from that comfortable pew and serve the needs of those around you. Get dressed for action. Be prepared for the unexpected coming of Christ into your life, giving you new energy and power to act as servants in the world."
Illustrative Materials
1. Stay Awake. A young son wanted to stay up for the new year to come in. Just before midnight he conked out. He could not wait for the glorious event. He slept through the firecrackers and gunfire and shouting of "Happy New Year."
Is it childish behavior when people are not able to wait in happy expectation for God's actions? Is it a sign of adulthood that we can overcome frustration and wait and watch in anticipation?
2. Asleep at the Wheel. A survey of Russian pilots indicated that three out of five admitted falling asleep sometime while flying a plane. One-car accidents frequently occur because people fall asleep at the wheel and lose control.
3. Prepared for the Unexpected. On the morning of the performance of Messiah with a large chorus and an orchestra, the director became ill. Another member of the music faculty of the college where it was given had to step in for him. She did a masterful job. She was prepared for the unexpected.
4. Historical Surprises. Who would have thought that relatively powerless persons could bring shifts in history? Gandhi, an unsuccessful lawyer, adapted the teachings of the Sermon on the Mount and the writings of Tolstoy and became the key to bringing independence to India.
Rosa Parks, in refusing to move to the back of the bus in Montgomery, sparked the beginning of the civil rights movement of the '50s and '60s. She was a rather inauspicious person to take such a critical action.
Nelson Mandela was sentenced to life in prison. He was released to bring a shift in the politics of South Africa at a critical juncture when many thought either that change would never come or if it did, it would be accompanied by a vast bloodbath. The transition to a more just society came relatively peacefully under his leadership after he was unexpectedly released from prison.
Lech Walesa led a movement which transformed Poland from a Communist-dominated society to a more democratic country. He persisted even in the face of a threat of a massive military invasion by the Soviet Union.
Mother Teresa, a rather unpretentious nun, has gained an international reputation by the simple act of trying to rescue people from the streets who might otherwise die.
Was not God active to intervene in each of these situations to give people hope for justice and righteousness?
5. Receiving in Giving. Again and again as one reads or hears the reports of people who have volunteered to help in domestic disasters, such as floods, hurricanes, tornadoes, and earthquakes, or overseas to heal the wounds of war or meet other needs of people in distress, one is impressed at their statements that they have received more than they have given. It was not a sacrifice to engage in such activities; it was an enrichment of their lives. They find treasures and riches given by God.
The parable which is central to the pericope for today sounds again the theme of watchful waiting for the Lord to come. The parable is connected to a note of the coming's occurring in an unexpected way. Unless people are constantly prepared for the interruption of normal routines, they may be caught unaware of the opportunity to respond to God's actions.
Context
Context of Luke 12
Luke 12 portrays both a time of great popularity and a time of rising conflict, identified early in this chapter as from the Pharisees. Jesus first addresses the crowd and then turns to his disciples. The message from today's reading and the section following it is intended to prepare the disciples so they will not be misled by the popularity of the crowds. Jesus knew that he faced increasing opposition. It was no time to relax their vigilance and miss God's opportunities.
Context of the Lectionary
The First Lesson. (Isaiah 1:1, 10-20) The first verse identifies who Isaiah is. The longer section is Isaiah's warning as God's representative against the reliance on cultic worship as the assurance of salvation. God does not find such worship acceptable if it is not accompanied by right living on behalf of the community. It ends with a dire warning of the consequences if the community is not obedient to the Lord's commands. The people need to cease doing evil, minister to the most vulnerable in the community, and assure that justice is done.
The Second Lesson. (Hebrews 11:1-3, 8-16) The first section gives the familiar definition of faith. The latter section begins with a description of that faith as exemplified in the life of Abraham. It ends with the observation that all of the heroes of the faith were seeking another state of being called a heavenly country.
Gospel. (Luke 12:32-40) The Gospel reading is introduced with an admonition to Jesus' followers not to be fearful. God intends to give his faithful servants riches of life. Then comes the parable of the prepared servants. The section ends with a parable of a strong man who would take measures to prevent a thief from robbing the house if he knew when the thief was coming. Since the element of uncertainty exists, a person needs to be always prepared.
Psalm. (Psalm 50:1-8, 22-23) The message of the psalm is similar to the first lesson. It first points out that God is active and makes his will known. Again, the futility of cultic worship without obedience in actions is emphasized. While sacrifice is intended to honor God, it is those who are going the right way who receive the salvation of God.
Context of Related Scripture
Other Parables with a Similar Theme:
Matthew 24:41-48; Mark 13:33-37; Luke 21:34-36 -- Parable of the Doorkeeper
Matthew 25:1-13 -- The Wise and Foolish Maidens
Matthew 25:14-30 -- Parable of the Talents
Luke 19:12-27 -- Parable of the Pounds
Imagery of a Little Flock:
Isaiah 40:11 -- He will feed his flock like a shepherd.
Ezekiel 34:11-12 -- As shepherds seek out their flocks.
Imagery of the New Age as a Feast:
Luke 13:29 -- People coming from all directions to eat in the kingdom of God.
Luke 22:30 -- Eating and drinking in Christ's kingdom.
Revelation 19:9 -- Invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.
A Thief in the Night:
Matthew 24:36-44 -- If knowing when the thief was coming.
1 Thessalonians 5:2 -- The day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night.
2 Peter 3:10 -- The day of the Lord will come like a thief.
Revelation 3:2-3 -- Wake up ... I will come like a thief.
Revelation 16:15 -- See, I am coming like a thief.
Riches and Treasures in Heaven:
Matthew 6:19-21; Mark 10:21; Luke 18:22 -- Store up treasure in heaven.
Matthew 19:21 -- You will have treasure in heaven.
Exodus 12:11 -- Eat with your loins girded.
Revelation 3:20 -- I am standing at the door, knocking.
Content
Precis of the Parable
Jesus urged the disciples to be ready for action and to have their lamps burning. They are to be like persons waiting for their master to return from a wedding feast. If they are on the alert when the master comes he will get ready and serve them a feast, even if it is the middle of the night or approaching dawn.
Jesus adds a second image to the parable. It is the image of an owner of a house who suspects that a thief is planning to break into it. If the owner knows when it will happen, he will prepare and prevent it. The followers of Jesus are to be as prepared as the owner of a house prepares against a thief. Otherwise, the special agent of God may arrive at an unexpected hour and they will not be ready to take advantage of his presence.
Thesis: Blessing comes to followers of Jesus who are ever vigilant.
Theme: Constant faithfulness in following Jesus is necessary.
Key Words in the Passage
1. "Do Not be Afraid." (v. 32) Jesus addressed the admonition to the disciples. The early church lived in a hostile environment and also needed this message. By the time Luke wrote this Gospel, persecution came not just from the Jewish leaders but also periodically from the Roman government.
2. "Little Flock." (v. 32) The image of the flock of sheep as God's people appears in the Old Testament for the people of God. Jesus also used it elsewhere. The early church transferred that image to itself.
3. "Be Dressed for Action." (v. 35) The usual garb for Palestinians was a long, flowing robe that reached to the ankles. When persons prepared for swift travel, strenuous work, or warfare, they tucked up the bottom of the robe into their belt so that they were not encumbered by it.
4. "Return from the Wedding Banquet." (v. 36) A wedding is a festive occasion. Though the actual ceremony of marriage may be brief, the feasting associated with it may run for a very long time. It may go late into the night. Slaves had to be ready to receive the master whenever he chose to return home. A wedding feast was often used as a symbolic representation of the kind of joy experienced in the kingdom of God.
5. "He Comes and Knocks." (v. 36) Jesus does not force entry into a life as a thief might do. He presents himself and invites people to open their lives to him. Jesus' entry into a life is more the character of an invitation or request, not a demand or a forced intervention.
6. "Fasten His Belt." (v. 37) It is now the master who gets himself ready for action. He tucks his robe into his belt, tightens it to hold the robe in place, and is ready to move about quickly. He now looks like the slaves.
7. "He Will Come and Serve Them." (v. 37) This is a role reversal. Usually it was the slaves' task to serve the master. Here the master assumes the role of the servant. One of the major themes of Jesus' ministry was that his lordship was characterized by servanthood. This image is of a different kind of master than the normal one.
8. "At What Hour the Thief was Coming." (v. 39) One perhaps needs to be careful with this image. The in-breaking of the kingdom into the present age is not hostile, as a thief would be. It is only the unexpected moment that the new age of the kingdom enters into the present age that is intended. God's activity in special ways has usually come in unexpected times and at unexpected places in the past. Christians should be ready for God's intervention into history at any time.
9. "An Unexpected Hour." (v. 40) People usually are surprised at the special activities of God. Constant alertness is needed to be ready to respond whenever it happens.
Contemplation
Issues and Insights
1. The Kingdom as Community. Jesus did not think of Christians as isolated individuals. He addressed them as a little flock. They are in the kingdom together. Jesus did not call people into a relationship with God that did not include others. The mystics who separate themselves from other persons in order to enjoy a union with God never seem to be present in the teachings and examples of Jesus.
2. Dressed for Action. How are Christians dressed for action? What are the encumbrances that keep them from action?
Paul uses the imagery of putting on the whole armor of God (Ephesians 6:11-17). Paul takes his analogy from the soldier in military combat. Jesus uses the figure of the slave or servant. It probably fits better with the total teaching of Jesus to think of the Christian as a servant or slave rather than as a soldier. Jesus rejected the role of the insurrectionists or guerillas of his day. He would not take the carnal sword in his defense but submitted himself as a suffering servant, even unto death on the cross.
The teachings of Jesus suggest that excess wealth or the excessive pursuit of material goods are encumbrances which keep the person from discovering the riches and treasures of life in the kingdom. It may, however, be any sin which breaks our relationship with God or the neighbors. That is why Jesus calls people to repentance, to a reversal of their direction that is self-oriented to one that is God- and neighbor-oriented.
3. Role Reversal. Jesus turns the normal understandings of roles on their head. Normally the striving of people is to be master over others and to eschew the role of the servant or the slave. People want to be in control.
The usual politics of the world is to coerce people to do what the rulers want them to do. The world uses violence to force people to submit to the will of the master or to destroy them. If they can use threats to master others, they are ready to find the most effective threats.
Jesus' method is to invite persons to voluntary responses. He does not seek to impose his will but to invite persons to discover and respond voluntarily to God's will. He sought to minister to the real welfare of his neighbors and to invite them to do likewise for others.
When the disciples wanted to coerce others, such as bringing down fire on an unresponsive Samaritan village (Luke 9:51-56) or when Peter wanted to defend Jesus with the sword in Gethsamene (Matthew 26:51-52), Jesus rebuked them. They are called to servanthood, not to a coercive ministry.
4. The Thief in the Night. Does the image of the coming of the Son of Man as a thief in the night only have eschatalogical meaning? Did Jesus expect that the end times and the ushering in of the kingdom in its fullness would come soon, already in the lifetime of his disciples?
Or did Jesus see the kingdom's coming as something that happens repeatedly? Is the kingdom of God breaking into history in apocalyptic fashion repeatedly, and are we called to be prepared for it and to take advantage of the opportunities whenever they happen?
Does the kingdom of God enter history apocalyptically and in part whenever true community comes into existence, whenever injustice is overcome with justice, whenever peace replaces conflict and warfare, and whenever righteousness and welfare for the oppressed, the poor, the sick is accomplished?
Are people in danger of neglecting the present in-breaking of God's actions today because they are only prepared for it in some cataclysmic future event?
5. Surprise! We live in a universe that has certain regularities to it. That is what makes science possible. A basic assumption of science is that a condition must be publicly verifiable to be accepted as part of this regularity of nature. If what a person claims to be a cause and effect relationship cannot be reproduced by someone else in the same circumstances, it is suspected and is not accepted as a true finding.
Christians believe, however, that a realm of being exists where personal freedom allows for the unexpected. God chooses to act in ways that are not according to the normal regularities of the universe. Persons also have some capacity to make choices among the causal forces to which they will respond. In that situation, persons also have a limited degree of freedom. They can transcend the natural regularities. That is why social sciences are not exact sciences.
The Christian is called to be prepared for the surprises of history when God acts in unexpected ways. They can allow their freedom of choice to select the causal forces of the Holy Spirit to work with the acts of God. That should give direction to their lives and affect the direction of history toward God's ends and purposes.
Homily Hints
1. Do Not Be Afraid. (v. 32) The church often lives in a hostile environment. It may tend to act defensively against various threats. The church should speak out boldly since the threats can never destroy the reality of the kingdom of God on which the church is based.
A. Not Afraid of Rival Religions
B. Not Afraid of Government Interference
C. Not Afraid of Secularization
D. Assured of the Kingdom's Reality
2. Dressed for Action. (v. 35) How is the church dressed for action? How is the Christian dressed for action?
A. Prepared through Prayer
B. Secure in the Scriptures
C. Equipped for Service
-- to God
-- to Neighbors
3. He Comes and Knocks. (v. 36) The appeal to respond to Jesus comes and knocks in different ways to people. Here is an invitation to respond and allow him to enter the lives of the church and of Christians.
A. Comes in Times of Despair
B. Comes to Those Who Search
C. Comes Through Witness of Christians
D. Comes Through the Church
-- in teaching
-- in preaching
-- in serving
4. He Will Come and Serve. (v. 37) Christ comes and serves us in many ways.
A. In Times of Grief and Suffering
B. Through the Sacraments
C. Through the Fellowship of the Church
D. Through the Service and Witness of Christians
5. If the Owner Had Known. (v. 39) A double thrust would be first through the theme of adequate preparation and second through the readiness to respond as opportunities present themselves.
A. Christians Should not be Ignorant
B. Christians Live by Faithfulness
C. Christians Have a Hope in Christ
Contact
Points of Contact
1. No Fear. The news creates fears. It reports the bad things that happen or can happen in the world. Jesus calls his followers not to be anxious about threats to material wealth. The news reports tell about inflation that can erode the value of money. Bank and stock market failures can erase savings and investments. Confidence men and women convince people to put their money into get-rich-quick schemes that prove to be false.
People who find their meaning and security in wealth can easily live with anxieties and fears when they realize how events beyond their control can wipe out life savings and investments.
Jesus calls us to put our confidence in the love and sustaining power of a gracious God. It does not mean that we should not exercise prudence as much as humanly possible. It does mean that we should not be so attached to material goods that the loss of them would be devastating.
More important in Christian values is to build a community of relationships where mutual concern characterizes the way persons support each other. Then our riches are found in the the spirit of life which endures despite the disasters which can wipe out material goods.
2. The Absent Lord. This parable and others speak of an absent master or lord. At times in history, both personal and social, it seems that God is absent. It is difficult to understand how events can happen that are so bad if God is loving, powerful, and active in the world.
Christians live with a point of view that sees history at long range. They know that the purposes of God cannot be frustrated indefinitely. They wait in patience, ready to act when God's presence again becomes evident. They may see it in their own lives when new events give hope and confirm their faith that changes will come. They wait in hope that the forces of history will shift, sometimes dramatically and unexpectedly, toward justice and righteousness.
Christians should be ready when they hear the knock and see the evidence of God's renewed arrival in their lives and in the world.
3. The Slavery Paradox. To have the lord or master as servant seems to be a contradiction in terms. We are called at the same time to be slaves and to be free in Christ. It is an upside-down way of seeing our status in life.
Still, it is strange that being a slave to Christ's teachings and example is true freedom. It is true freedom exactly because it is not forced upon us but freely chosen by the help of the Holy Spirit. It is true freedom because by being a slave to Christ we find his God giving back to us real life. We find a richness in God's grace that frees us from all that enslaves and robs us of true living otherwise. We find in being enslaved to Christ we receive more than we are ever able to give to him and to our neighbors.
It takes a considerable boldness to give up our fears and live the life of the slave who finds freedom in servanthood.
4. Couch Potato Christians. We hear a lot about couch potatoes. They are the people who sit passively before the television hour after hour. They are spectators, sometimes of real events in the world but too often watching an unreal world. They often drift off into sleep as they are lulled away by the television.
Is not Jesus warning against becoming couch potato Christians? They are people who are really not awake and prepared to act as servants of Christ. They are people who only come to church to observe the drama of the high holy days, such as Christmas and Easter. They are the Christians who sit passively in the pew but take no responsibilities for the activities of the church. They do not translate the message into their daily lives.
Is it not also a temptation to wait for some future apocalyptic act of God to bring justice and righteousness into the world? Is it the hope and expectation of some divine consummation that allows them to ignore the demands for action in setting right injustices and evils that are around them?
Jesus would probably say to couch potato Christians, "Wake up! Go forth from that comfortable pew and serve the needs of those around you. Get dressed for action. Be prepared for the unexpected coming of Christ into your life, giving you new energy and power to act as servants in the world."
Illustrative Materials
1. Stay Awake. A young son wanted to stay up for the new year to come in. Just before midnight he conked out. He could not wait for the glorious event. He slept through the firecrackers and gunfire and shouting of "Happy New Year."
Is it childish behavior when people are not able to wait in happy expectation for God's actions? Is it a sign of adulthood that we can overcome frustration and wait and watch in anticipation?
2. Asleep at the Wheel. A survey of Russian pilots indicated that three out of five admitted falling asleep sometime while flying a plane. One-car accidents frequently occur because people fall asleep at the wheel and lose control.
3. Prepared for the Unexpected. On the morning of the performance of Messiah with a large chorus and an orchestra, the director became ill. Another member of the music faculty of the college where it was given had to step in for him. She did a masterful job. She was prepared for the unexpected.
4. Historical Surprises. Who would have thought that relatively powerless persons could bring shifts in history? Gandhi, an unsuccessful lawyer, adapted the teachings of the Sermon on the Mount and the writings of Tolstoy and became the key to bringing independence to India.
Rosa Parks, in refusing to move to the back of the bus in Montgomery, sparked the beginning of the civil rights movement of the '50s and '60s. She was a rather inauspicious person to take such a critical action.
Nelson Mandela was sentenced to life in prison. He was released to bring a shift in the politics of South Africa at a critical juncture when many thought either that change would never come or if it did, it would be accompanied by a vast bloodbath. The transition to a more just society came relatively peacefully under his leadership after he was unexpectedly released from prison.
Lech Walesa led a movement which transformed Poland from a Communist-dominated society to a more democratic country. He persisted even in the face of a threat of a massive military invasion by the Soviet Union.
Mother Teresa, a rather unpretentious nun, has gained an international reputation by the simple act of trying to rescue people from the streets who might otherwise die.
Was not God active to intervene in each of these situations to give people hope for justice and righteousness?
5. Receiving in Giving. Again and again as one reads or hears the reports of people who have volunteered to help in domestic disasters, such as floods, hurricanes, tornadoes, and earthquakes, or overseas to heal the wounds of war or meet other needs of people in distress, one is impressed at their statements that they have received more than they have given. It was not a sacrifice to engage in such activities; it was an enrichment of their lives. They find treasures and riches given by God.
