Luke 12:41-48 Readiness and Responsibility
Good morning! We are returning to the Gospel of Luke this morning and continuing through Jesus’ teaching on readiness and responsibility for His disciples. We are going to look at verses 41-48 of chapter 12 and that’s on page 872 in the pew Bibles.
Our text for this morning begins with a question from the Apostle Peter in response to the text that we looked at last week so we’re going to read that portion again so it makes sense in context.
The fact that Peter asks this question of Jesus is completely consistent with what we know of his character: kind of impulsive, quick to speak, and generally selfish. He had a tendency to think of himself first and seemed to have an inflated view of the importance of the disciples as a group.
Now, keep in mind, this was before the Disciples received the Holy Spirit. Though they had been walking with Jesus and listening to His teaching, without the Holy Spirit their capacity for understanding and rightly applying that teaching was severely limited.
So let’s look at our text together.
35 “Stay dressed for action and keep your lamps burning, 36 and be like men who are waiting for their master to come home from the wedding feast, so that they may open the door to him at once when he comes and knocks. 37 Blessed are those servants whom the master finds awake when he comes. Truly, I say to you, he will dress himself for service and have them recline at table, and he will come and serve them. 38 If he comes in the second watch, or in the third, and finds them awake, blessed are those servants! 39 But know this, that if the master of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have left his house to be broken into. 40 You also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.”
41 Peter said, “Lord, are you telling this parable for us or for all?” 42 And the Lord said, “Who then is the faithful and wise manager, whom his master will set over his household, to give them their portion of food at the proper time? 43 Blessed is that servant whom his master will find so doing when he comes. 44 Truly, I say to you, he will set him over all his possessions. 45 But if that servant says to himself, ‘My master is delayed in coming,’ and begins to beat the male and female servants, and to eat and drink and get drunk, 46 the master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he does not know, and will cut him in pieces and put him with the unfaithful. 47 And that servant who knew his master’s will but did not get ready or act according to his will, will receive a severe beating. 48 But the one who did not know, and did what deserved a beating, will receive a light beating. Everyone to whom much was given, of him much will be required, and from him to whom they entrusted much, they will demand the more.
Let’s pray.
So what part of the first parable do you think Peter was asking about? It appears that Peter was asking about the reward for the servants who were found faithful in verses 37-38 in hopes that Jesus meant that it was the Twelve Disciples that had a reward in store not just everybody.
And as it typical, Jesus answered Peter’s question with another question.
And in this question Jesus expands the parable to focus specifically on those who bear the responsibilities of shepherding the flock from the Disciples to all who would follow after them.
42 And the Lord said, “Who then is the faithful and wise manager, whom his master will set over his household, to give them their portion of food at the proper time? 43 Blessed is that servant whom his master will find so doing when he comes. 44 Truly, I say to you, he will set him over all his possessions.
The word, “manager,” can also be translated, “steward.” It is a person who is entrusted with the care of running the household. It’s clear from Jesus’ parable that the household manager was responsible for making sure that everybody in the household was fed the proper amount and at the proper time. These were amounts and times that would have been set by the master of the house.
These types of household stewards needed to be faithful and trustworthy so that the master of the household could entrust them with the watch care of the household while he was away or attending to other business.
This is precisely the task that Jesus would entrust to the Apostles, not just the original Twelve but all those who would come after them, Barnabas, Paul, Timothy, Titus, Luther, Calvin, Spurgeon, Steadman, Begg, VanOosterzee, Brown, Aron, Keniston…
Those whom the Lord has placed in the role of shepherding are responsible for the watch care and feeding of the Lord’s household until He comes back.
That’s what the word, “pastor,” means. It doesn’t appear in the New Testament in the ESV, though some translations use it in Ephesians 4:11, those that do only half translate it.
“Pastor,” comes from a Latin word that means, “Shepherd.” The Greek word is actually, “poimen.”
Either way, it’s not the word that matters, it’s the role.
And as John Calvin wrote, “If each of the common people ought to watch, much less ought it to be endured that the apostles should be asleep.”
As evidenced by Peter’s question, I think the disciples at this point weren’t that concerned with the crowds of people and the potential of their responsibility to watch over them. I don’t think they understood the depth of the role that Jesus had called them to.
After Jesus’ ascension as recorded in the book of Acts and the coming of the Holy Spirit the Disciples had a much better understanding of what their role was and what they were to do with what Jesus had just told them here in Luke 12.
The truth of the matter is that the role of stewarding and shepherding the flock comes with great temptation and a higher standard for behavior. James 3:1 says, Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness.
Those who teach, and shepherd, and manage the household will be held accountable for what they teach, how they shepherd, and whether or not they were faithful to the Master’s will for His household.
Jesus describes how the manager put in place by the master of the house was tempted, when the master’s return was delayed and just what that manager should expect for his unfaithfulness.
45 But if that servant says to himself, ‘My master is delayed in coming,’ and begins to beat the male and female servants, and to eat and drink and get drunk, 46 the master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he does not know, and will cut him in pieces and put him with the unfaithful.
Our favorite theologian, JJ van Oosterzee wrote, “Excessive severity towards others and excessive laxness towards one’s self are not seldom united in hirelings without the shepherd’s heart.”
Van Oosterzee is referencing John 10:12-13 where Jesus said:
12 He who is a hired hand and not a shepherd, who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees, and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. 13 He flees because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep.
Unfortunately, far too many of us have had bad experiences with people who have been put into the role of shepherd that do not have a shepherd’s heart. Like I said before, the role comes with great temptation. The desire for power and control have overcome many would be shepherds, they end up severe towards others through their expectations for performance, through attendance, and giving, and legalism, but are lax towards themselves in their lives of relative ease and influence.
Jesus reminds the disciples that those who are unfaithful in the role of steward will pay a great price.
Leaders who fail do not fall from grace but they certainly can end up cut down and often ostracized and disillusioned.
Jesus said, 47 And that servant who knew his master’s will but did not get ready or act according to his will, will receive a severe beating. 48 But the one who did not know, and did what deserved a beating, will receive a light beating.
You’ve heard the expression that Ignorance is not an excuse? Well, ignorance is certainly not an adequate shield to ward off the judgment of God.
The steward who knew the master’s will but didn’t act accordingly will be punished but the worst part about it is that they will cause those who did not know the master’s will to be punished as well. Their punishment will not be as severe but they will be punished nonetheless.
Jesus sums up this teaching with a familiar phrase in verse 48:
Everyone to whom much was given, of him much will be required, and from him to whom they entrusted much, they will demand the more.
You’ve heard it said that with great power comes great responsibility, where do you think that came from?
The Apostles were entrusted with much, they were entrusted with the spread of the gospel and the watch care of the church, they were entrusted with the Holy Spirit and they will be held to account for it at Judgment as will all those who followed them.
We will all one day have to account for what we did with what we were given and what we were given to do while we waited for the Lord’s return.
Unfortunately, we think we have time so we delay doing what we know we ought to do and busy ourselves indulging in what we ought not do.
Listen to the words of the Holy Spirit through the Apostle Paul in 1 Corinthians 3:10-14.
10 According to the grace of God given to me, like a skilled master builder I laid a foundation, and someone else is building upon it. Let each one take care how he builds upon it. 11 For no one can lay a foundation other than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. 12 Now if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw— 13 each one’s work will become manifest, for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each one has done. 14 If the work that anyone has built on the foundation survives, he will receive a reward. 15 If anyone’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire.
One day we will all be held to account for how we lived, how we taught, how we lead, and how we served. May the Master find His servants faithfully serving on that Day. Amen.
