Be Ready

“Be dressed ready for service and keep your lamps burning, like servants waiting for their master to return from a wedding banquet, so that when he comes and knocks they can immediately open the door for him. It will be good for those servants whose master finds them watching when he comes. Truly I tell you, he will dress himself to serve, will have them recline at the table and will come and wait on them. It will be good for those servants whose master finds them ready, even if he comes in the middle of the night or toward daybreak. But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have let his house be broken into. You also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.”
Peter asked, “Lord, are you telling this parable to us, or to everyone?”
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? It will be good for that servant whom the master finds doing so when he returns. Truly I tell you, he will put him in charge of all his possessions. But suppose the servant says to himself, ‘My master is taking a long time in coming,’ and he then begins to beat the other servants, both men and women, and to eat and drink and get drunk. 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 servant who knows the master’s will and does not get ready or does not do what the 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. From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked. Luke 12:35-48

Well, we have been warned. By the Lord Jesus Christ Himself. There is no excuse for laziness or negligence in the absence of our Master. He will return, at His own good time. Those who are watching and ready to greet Him will be rewarded by His service to them. That is the order. Be dressed appropriately for action (filled with the Holy Spirit). Be watching for His return (occupied with Christ). Don't fall into apathy. Don't take advantage of your position by being abusive to the other servants. The one who does so is certain to reap stern discipline from the Lord. We've been called to a life of humility and service, in the manner of our Lord. People tend to quickly become disillusioned by delay of expected events. It is a weakness of humanity that we want it now. We will stay alert as long as we are seeing action. Sometimes God's order is to wait.

The nation Israel had become weary of waiting for their Messiah and irresponsible in their assignment as the priest nation to God. They failed to be ready when He presented Himself to them. In His incarnation, He was establishing a foundation for His Church. The Church would be built on the foundation of faith in His finished work, with trained leadership in the persons of His Apostles. The Church, too, would be required to work and serve until His return in the future. We have the completed canon of scripture and the indwelling Holy Spirit to enable us in our service. Those who are mature in the faith know our Master's will and cannot claim ignorance of our duty. Those who are young in the faith are still learning what the duties of the Church are, and perhaps can plead lack of knowledge in some things. We all have a responsibility, however, to the work we were called to do. Some have been given much: spiritual gifts, Bible Doctrine, access to resources, time and opportunity to pray and evangelize. Much will be expected of those who realize and use all the divine operating assets available to us today. If we fail in that mission, we have no one to blame but ourselves.