Bible Study Materials

Luke 12:35-59 (2011)

by Paul Choi   07/24/2011  

Question


BE READY,THE SON OF MAN WILL COME

Luke 12:35-59

Key Verse:12:40

1. Read verses 35-37. For what must we be ready? How can we be ready? Why will it be good for those servants whose master finds them ready and watching? (See also Lk 22-27-30)

2. Read verses 38-40. With what attitude should we wait for the Son of Man to come? To what future event does this refer? (1Thes 4:16-18; Mk 8:38; Mt 25:31) What does it mean to all people that Jesus comes again? How might our attitude be different if we knew the exact time of his coming?

3. What is the hope without which we cannot be ready? (1Pe 1:3,4; Ro 8:17) What is the love that enables us to be ready? (Dt 6:5)

4. Read verses 41-46. What did Peter ask? Why? With what question did Jesus counter? What characterizes the faithful manager (servant)? The unfaithful one? What happens to each? What does it mean to be ready?

5. Read verses 47-48. What is the contrast between the two servants here? What is Jesus’ point?

6. Read verses 49-53. What does Jesus mean by “bring fire on the earth”and “baptism”? (Lk 3:16,17) What does it mean that he brings division, not peace?

7. Read verses 54-59. To whom does Jesus speak? Why does he call people hypocrites? What does it mean to “judge for yourselves what is right”? How are these ideas connected?


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Message


WATCH AND BE READY

Luke 12:35-59

Key Verse:12:42  “The Lord answered, “Who then is the faithful and wise manager, whom the master puts in charge of his servants to give them their food allowance at the proper time.”

  For the last couple of weeks, a record-breaking heat wave has roasted this half of the country.  Not only in St. Louis but also in New York, extreme heat with high humidity is smothering everyone. This heat is responsible for more than 35 deaths in the past week. We wonder what is causing this heat wave? Many are blaming it on global warming. Some dare to say that this is the end of the world. The movie “2012” warns people about immense apocalyptical catastrophes. In fact, many dreadful natural disasters have been occurring here and there around the world with more and more frequency and severity than in other decades.  Earthquakes, Tsunamis, and the explosion of nuclear plants in Japan this year confirm this. People in despair and in anxiety say that this world is becoming crazy and the history of the world is going nowhere. However, we Christians believe in God’s promise and interpret all these as the signs of the end of the age. According to Jesus’ words, this world is not going nowhere, but is heading toward Jesus’ second coming. Jesus will come again as he has promised. Jesus’ second coming is the focal point of human history and is the beginning of a new world for all of us. Again, Jesus will come again as he has promised. Jesus always told the truth and has always kept his promise. As he promised, he will come again in the clouds with great power and glory. When he comes again, he will judge the world, both the living and the dead. Those who belong to him will be lifted up to heaven for eternal life. But those who don’t believe in him will be condemned and sent to the fiery lake of burning sulfur. (Rev 21:8) Jesus’ second coming is the day of salvation for those who believe in him while it is the day of judgment for those who don’t believe in him.  The day of Jesus’ second coming is the day of glory and victory for us, but the day of misery and tragedy for those who reject God and follow evil.

However, no one knows when Jesus will come again. Jesus didn’t say when he would come back. He kept it a secret. He said only that the Father in heaven knows the date and the hour. Since the second coming of Jesus is true but nobody knows when it will happen, what should we do? How should we live on this earth? What kind of attitude should we have toward Jesus’ second coming? Today’s passage gives us a clear answer. Please listen carefully what Jesus says, and be ready for his second coming. Amen.

First, watch (35-37) Jesus compared himself to a master who goes out to a wedding banquet and returns.  In Israel, a wedding banquet often started at the first watch of the night. Night was divided into three watches by the Jews. The first watch of the night started from sunset to 10:00 pm, the second watch from 10:00 pm to 2:00 am, and the third watch from 2:00 am to sunrise.  The servants did not know how long the banquet would last and when their master would return. Maybe the master would come at midnight or maybe at 4:00 am. The servants had no idea. So, servants who wait for their master’s return must always watch and be dressed ready for service. Look at verse 35. “Be dressed ready for service and keep your lamps burning.”  In Jesus’ time, a person “dressed ready for service” tucked his flowing outer robe under his belt or sash. This was done to prepare for travel, fighting, or work. The servants should have been prepared for work when their master returned home. They should have kept their lamps burning so that the house would be full of light and so they could open the door right away when the master knocked.

  However, it was not easy for the servants to stay awake all night long. They had worked hard all day long. Night is the time for sleep. But they had to deny themselves and wait for their master. So how would the master treat the servants who were watching and who welcomed him? Look at verse 37. “It will be good for those servants whose master finds them watching when he comes. I tell you the truth, he will dress himself to serve, will have them recline at the table and will come and wait on them.” Wow! Jesus said that the master will serve the servants rather than be served. Generally servants dress their master and prepare the table for his meal. However, the master himself will dress and set up the table and invite his servants and wait on them. This verse reminds us of Jesus, who said in Mark 10:45, “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many.” Later Jesus said to his disciples, “For who is greater, the one who is at the table or the one who serves? Is it not the one who is at the table? But I am among you as one who serves.” (Lk 22:27)  This verse encourages those who wait for Jesus’ second coming. We are suffering from difficult lives on this earth. However, when we go to heaven, our master Jesus will welcome us and invite us to his table and serve us as he has promised. What a glorious and happy day it will be when we sit at the same table with our Lord Jesus in his kingdom. Amen.

  What does “watch” mean to us? It means to be spiritually awakened. How can we be spiritually awakened? Jesus said in Luke 21:36, “Be always on the watch and pray…”  When we pray we are spiritually awakened. Watch and pray go together. It is because prayer is having a constant fellowship with God the Father. Let us keep our lamps of prayer burning until Jesus comes again. Amen.

Second, be ready for service. (38-40). Look at verse 38. “It will be good for those servants whose master finds them ready even if he comes in the second or third watch of the night.” Here, be ready means be prepared. Usually servants finish their work late in the afternoon. They don’t do anything during the nighttime except rest and sleep. However, they should be prepared for welcoming their master. They must prepare water, food and clothes for their master. In the same way, we who wait for Jesus’ second coming should be ready to welcome him. We must prepare our hearts and minds to meet Jesus again. We must be ready to serve Jesus and his flock of sheep. We must be ready because we don’t know when Jesus will come again. It will be good when we are fully prepared when Jesus comes again.

Third, be a faithful and wise manger (41-44). When Peter heard Jesus’ teaching, he must have been greatly burdened because it seemed to be impossible for him to be spiritually awakened all the time. So he asked, “Lord, are you telling this parable to us, or to everyone?” (41) How did Jesus answer? Look at verse 42. “The Lord answered, “Who then is the faithful and wise manager, whom the master puts in charge of his servants to give them their food allowance at the proper time?” In Jesus’ time, a master appointed the most reliable and trustworthy servant as a manager and entrusted to him his estate and his slaves during his absence. We are God’s managers who are in charge of God’s creation. In the beginning, God created both man and the world, and appointed man to work it and take care of it. As a manager and steward of God’s world, a man should work hard and produce benefits for his master.

  Who is the faithful and wise manager? The faithful and wise manager is a responsible man who fulfills his duty no matter what may happen. The faithful and wise manager is the one who knows his master’s will and obeys his word. Even though his master is out of town, the manager works hard as if he was in his master’s presence. He is faithful to feed the servants three meals a day without any delay. He also takes care of them as his master would for them. He is like the good and faithful servant who gained ten talents from five in the Parable of the Talents (Mt 25:20). He is like Joseph in the Old Testament who was wise and faithful to his master King Pharaoh.

  How can we become faithful and wise managers? Those who teach the word of God faithfully and regularly are faithful and wise managers, like Bible teachers in our ministry. Those who use their time, money and relationships for God’s glory are faithful and wise managers. Those who eat daily bread faithfully and have personal time with God regularly are also faithful and wise managers. How blessed we are when Jesus finds us teaching the word of God! How wonderful it would be if we are praying and Jesus comes! How dreadful it would be if we are brazenly sinning when Jesus comes! But we don’t know when Jesus will come again. So we must be faithful to him all the time. Look at verse 43. “It will be good for that servant whom the master finds doing so when he returns.”  What is the reward for the faithful and wise manager? Look at verse 44. “I tell you the truth, he will put him in charge of all his possessions.” It means that the master will entrust more tasks and more possessions to the manager. In other words, the master’s recognition and trust are great rewards for the manager.

What will happen to those who are lazy and wicked when Jesus comes again? Look at verse 45. “But suppose the servant says to himself, ‘My master is taking a long time in coming,’ and he then begins to beat the menservants and maidservants and to eat and drink and get drunk.” This servant was wicked and lazy. He acted as if he was the master. He thought that his master would not come again. What will happen to him when his master comes back? Look at verse 46. “The master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he is not aware of. He will cut him to pieces and assign him a place with the unbelievers.” The master will judge the lazy and wicked servant and condemn him to death. Many people think that Jesus will not come again. They live and act like the lazy and wicked servant. But, they will not escape from God’s judgment when Jesus comes again.

Jesus also warns those who are negligent and disobedient servants in verses 47,48. “That servant who knows his master’s will and does not get ready or does not do what his master wants will be beaten with many blows. But the one who does not know and does things deserving punishment will be beaten with few blows.” All will be judged at that time whether they have heard of Jesus’ second coming or not. However, those who were entrusted with more have more responsibilities and will have more demanded from them. Jesus continued, “From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted much, much more will be asked.” God bought each of us with the precious blood of Christ. God also called us to be his servants who take care of his sheep. Since we have received much grace from our Lord Jesus, much will be demanded when Jesus comes again. Because we do know what Jesus wants us to do, we must be faithful and wise managers in this generation. 

Fourth, be ready for persecution from family members.(49-53) Often, when we become Christians we are persecuted by our own family members. There is often division between believers and unbelievers in the same family. A family will be divided, father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law.(53) Jesus said that he did not come to bring peace on earth, but division. (51) Of course we know that Jesus is the Prince of Peace. Jesus gives us true peace through reconciliation and forgiveness of sins. However, when we believe in Jesus, Satan and the unbelieving family members become jealous and persecute the believers. The apostle Paul said in 2 Timothy 3:12. “In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.” Therefore, do not be surprised by persecution and division in your family and think this strange when you believe in Jesus. We must be ready to endure persecution and overcome all kinds of hardships in order to enter the kingdom of God. Amen.

Fifth, interpret the times (54-59).  In Jesus’ time, when people saw a cloud rising from the Mediterranean Sea in the west, they said, “It is going to rain.” And when the south wind blew from the hot desert area, they said, “It is going to be hot.” (54,55) But they did not know how to interpret their spiritual crisis. So Jesus rebuked them, “Hypocrites! You know how to interpret the appearance of the earth and the sky. How is it that you don’t know how to interpret this present time?” (56) We are even better at forecasting the weather than people in Jesus’ day. This morning it was hot and humid when I came out of my house. And I said, “The heat wave will continue.” Just as I forecast the weather for today and tomorrow, I can interpret the spiritual crisis of the present time. Recently New York approved same sex marriages. Many “couples” are waiting for the day of their “weddings”.  The moral and family values seem to be disappearing in this country. People’s greed devastated this nations’ economy and left the great America almost bankrupt.  Wickedness of people is increasing and the love of most is growing cold. (Mt 24:12).  As I mentioned in the beginning of this sermon, we are seeing many signs of the end of the age. We immediately sense the spiritual crisis and urgency of salvation.

  What should we do in this generation? We must repent and receive forgiveness of sin. We must reconcile with God the Father and restore our relationship with others through our repentance. Jesus said in verse 57. “Why don’t you judge for yourselves what is right?”  Those who think that they are sinless before God must repent of their self-righteousness. Those who are angry against their brothers and co-workers must ask forgiveness for their sins and love them as the Lord loves us. Those who are wasting time and life for themselves must turn to God and seek God’s kingdom first. God wants us to be ready for Jesus’ second coming. We don’t know when Jesus is coming again. So we must keep watch. We must teach the word and raise disciples of Jesus as faithful and wise managers. Lord Jesus, come again when we are ready!  Lord Jesus, come again when we pray. Lord Jesus, come again to bring us into your kingdom! Amen.


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