Luke 12:35-59

Luke 12

Be Ready!

³⁵ “Be dressed, ready for service, and keep your lamps burning. ³⁶ Be like people 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. ³⁷ Blessed are those servants, whom the master will find watching when he comes. Amen I tell you: He will dress himself and have them recline at the table, and he will come and serve them. ³⁸ Even if he comes in the second or third watch, ^[1] they will be blessed if he finds them alert. ³⁹ But know this: If the master of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would have watched and not allowed his house to be broken into. ⁴⁰ You also be ready, because the Son of Man is coming at an hour when you are not expecting him.”

⁴¹ Peter said, “Lord, are you telling this parable to us or to everybody?”

⁴² The Lord said, “Who then is the faithful and wise manager, ^[2] whom the master will put in charge of his servants to give them their food allowance at the proper time? ⁴³ Blessed is that servant whom his master will find doing so when he comes. ⁴⁴ Truly I tell you: He will put him in charge of all his possessions. ⁴⁵ But if that servant says in his heart, ‘My master is staying away for a long time.’ And he begins to beat the male and female servants, to eat and drink and become drunk, ⁴⁶ then the master of that servant will arrive on a day when he was not expected and at an hour that his servant does not know. The master will cut him in two and assign him a place with the unbelievers. ⁴⁷ That servant who knew his master’s will and did not prepare or act according to what his master wanted, will be punished severely. ⁴⁸ But the one who did not know, and did something worthy of punishment, will be punished lightly. From everyone to whom much was given, much will be expected. From the one who was entrusted with much, much more will be asked.

Division

⁴⁹ “I came to throw fire on the earth, and how I wish it were already ignited. ⁵⁰ But I have a baptism to undergo, and how distressed I am until it is finished! ⁵¹ Do you think that I came to bring peace on the earth? No, I tell you, but rather division. ⁵² Yes, from now on there will be five divided in one household: three against two, and two against three. ⁵³ They will be divided: father against son, and son against father; mother against daughter, and daughter against mother; mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law, and daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law.” ^[3]

Interpret the Time

⁵⁴ He also said to the crowds, “Whenever you see a cloud rising in the west, you immediately say that a rainstorm is coming, and so it happens. ⁵⁵ And whenever a south wind blows, you say that it is going to be hot, and it happens. ⁵⁶ Hypocrites! You know how to interpret the appearance of the earth and the sky, but how is it that you do not know how to interpret this present time? ⁵⁷ Why don’t you judge for yourselves what is right? ⁵⁸ Indeed, as you are going with your adversary to the magistrate, make an effort on the way to reach a settlement with him. Otherwise, he may drag you off to the judge, and the judge may hand you over to the officer, and the officer may throw you into prison. ⁵⁹ I tell you, you will never get out of there until you have paid the last cent.” ^[4]