Faithfulness - Reliable Love - October 26, 2008

Sermon Notes for Luke 12:35-48

Key Verses: Luke 12:42-44 “And the Lord replied, “A faithful, sensible servant is one to whom the master can give the responsibility of managing his other household servants and feeding them. If the master returns and finds that the servant has done a good job, there will be a reward. I tell you the truth, the master will put that servant in charge of all he owns.”

This passage in Luke’s Gospel follows a string of parables that have to do with preparation and leadership in the Body of Christ. Jesus first focuses on the Pharisees, and encourages his disciples to be bold in their speech, refusing to fear those who would persecute their bodies but obeying God, who alone has the power to punish their souls. Then Jesus teaches 9the crowds) about a wealthy farmer who stockpiles an abundant harvest while ignoring preparations for his soul—on the very night that his “life will be demanded from [him].”

Back with the disciples, Jesus tells the parable of the ravens and the wildflowers (seek God’s kingdom first and all these things will be added to you as well). The theme here is a refusal to worry and a deep trust in God’s care—as well as an echo of Jesus’ earlier themes warning against greed. Except for the parable about the Rich Farmer, the material is paralleled in Matthew, but not in Mark, indicating that it has come from a proposed source scholars call “Q” that would have been unknown to Mark.

The teaching that follows—our focus for this Sunday—is paralleled in Mark and Matthew, and might at first seem to contradict his earlier teaching about freedom from worry. Here (in verses 35-48), Jesus teaches his disciples to be constantly on the alert—always obedient to God’s will—using the example of a household steward while the master of the house is away. The context (Luke’s present audience) would have been a generation or two after Jesus’ crucifixion. The hopes of the followers of Jesus that the Messiah would return in glory soon are fading—and in the face of persecution, many are flagging in their faithfulness.

Luke remembers this set of teachings on public acknowledgement of Jesus, true wealth, and God’s provision for and responsibility of his followers in the midst of this waiting period in order to encourage and to remind them of their high calling and purpose. This isn’t merely about finding freedom from fear—it’s about freedom to serve the God of the Universe. Peter goes out of his way in verse 41 to make sure this teaching is for the disciples, and Jesus’ answer affirms in strong language that he has the disciples foremost in his mind as he gives this warning to be faithful.

Luke’s passage draws on the parable of the bridesmaids in Matthew 25:1-13, half of whom kept a stock of oil on hand to keep their lamps burning until the master returned very late from the wedding banquet and half of whom had to purchase additional oil and were shut out after the master returned. Jesus also speaks of great rewards for the faithful servants—including a strange reversal when the master will serve the servants at table—as well as punishment for the unfaithful stewards in accordance with their knowledge of the master’s commands. Here, salvation is not depicted as a free ticket into heaven, but an enlistment into the kingdom of God in this waiting world.

Questions for Reflection

This passage alternate between a consoling and a demanding Jesus. Read over Luke 12 in its entirety and describe how you feel about these contrasting expressions of the character of Jesus. What are some of the ways you recognize Jesus’ authority (as well as his assurance) in your life?
Can you describe a time when you placed expectations on someone and then returned to discover how they had been carried out? How did the person fulfill your expectations and how did you feel about their performance? What lessons did you learn about living up to the expectations of others in your own life?
In what ways do you think of your relationship with God as placing an obligation on your life? How have you been unfaithful to God and what are you doing in response? In what ways does faithful service to God make waiting on God easier to endure? How do you think Jesus demonstrated faithful stewardship while waiting on God?
How did you experience the Holy Spirit’s presence in worship today?

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