Our text today with combination of two parables told by Christ Jesus points to the topic of Faithfulness vs Unfaithfulness. They are related to the Second Coming of Christ. What lessons can we learn from these parables as we await our Lord Jesus?

The Master mentioned in the parables (except in Luke 12:39) can be likened to Christ and the servants/steward can be taken to believers who have accepted His lordship and are appointed to certain tasks while they are on the earth.  In putting the parables together, we can gather a few principles. 

Your Wait for the Master:

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• Let your waist be girded: This shows readiness always to do the Master’s bidding. When he knocks, the response is immediate! A believer too is to be ever ready to do what Christ expects him/her to do. In having the Great Commission (Matt.28:19-20), a believer is to ask the Lord from time to time: Where would you have me go? What would you have me do?
   

• Your lamps burning: In those times, the lamps kept burning in the night, showed that the people in the house were awake. Being kept lit, if the Master was late, it wasn’t difficult to find the way.  Prov.20:27 says: “The spirit of a man is the lamp of the Lord, Searching all the inner depths of his heart.” An attentive spirit is always ready to obey and please the Master. Jesus once spoke thus: “…watch out that the light in you is not darkness.” (Luke 11:35). We need to be receptive to the Spirit of God to see that the light in us is not dimmed or dark.
   

• Be alert: The Master who sees his servant ever watching for his coming is very happy. The servant is so alert that he is up at different watches of the night eagerly awaiting his Master. This is the kind of vigilance we are expected to have while we await Christ’s return. We can be caught up by what is happening around us that we lose our focus of His coming. When Jesus speaks of the signs of His return, He exhorts: “But when these things begin to take place, straighten up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.” (Luke 21:28)

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While we eagerly wait for Christ, we yet have certain responsibilities to fulfill. 
Your Work for the Master:

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• Faithful and wise steward: A faithful and wise steward knows his Master’s will and he does it! Luke 12:42 tells us he discharges his duty faithfully. He can be trusted to be wise/thoughtful when responsibilities are given. 
   

• Unfaithful and wicked steward: An unfaithful and wicked steward may know his Master’s will or there are those who do not know what is required of them. Hence, they are careless and mishandles/misuses the Master’s resources. The unfaithful steward perceiving that his master is taking long to come, thinks and acts according to his whims and fancies! - but he can’t get away with his act- he is taken to task when the Master arrives when he least expects him!

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How can we rate the work we are entrusted to do for the Lord? Have we been faithful with what has been assigned to us? Or has the delay of the Lord’s coming caused a slackening and neglect for the things of the Lord?

May we examine ourselves today and ask the Holy Spirit to help us rectify those areas in us that need correction.  Lets be expectant, watchful, faithful and diligent as we await to enter into the joy of the Lord at His coming!

 

Thought for the day:

His lord said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant;

you have been faithful over a few things,

I will make you ruler over many things.

Enter into the joy of your lord.’

-Matthew 25:23

 

Listen- ‘My Reward’