Ready and Waiting

PASSAGE FOR THE DAY:
35 “Be dressed for service and keep your lamps burning, 36 as though you were waiting for your master to return from the wedding feast. Then you will be ready to open the door and let him in the moment he arrives and knocks. 37 The servants who are ready and waiting for his return will be rewarded. I tell you the truth, he himself will seat them, put on an apron, and serve them as they sit and eat! 38 He may come in the middle of the night or just before dawn. But whenever he comes, he will reward the servants who are ready.

39 “Understand this: If a homeowner knew exactly when a burglar was coming, he would not permit his house to be broken into. 40 You also must be ready all the time, for the Son of Man will come when least expected.”

41 Peter asked, “Lord, is that illustration just for us or for everyone?”

42 And the Lord replied, “A faithful, sensible servant is one to whom the master can give the responsibility of managing his other household servants and feeding them. 43 If the master returns and finds that the servant has done a good job, there will be a reward. 44 I tell you the truth, the master will put that servant in charge of all he owns. 45 But what if the servant thinks, ‘My master won’t be back for a while,’ and he begins beating the other servants, partying, and getting drunk? 46 The master will return unannounced and unexpected, and he will cut the servant in pieces and banish him with the unfaithful.

47 “And a servant who knows what the master wants, but isn’t prepared and doesn’t carry out those instructions, will be severely punished. 48 But someone who does not know, and then does something wrong, will be punished only lightly. When someone has been given much, much will be required in return; and when someone has been entrusted with much, even more will be required. (Luke 12:35-48, NLT)


REFLECTIONS:
I love the first part of this passage (verses 35-40). I simply imagine it as a spouse/child waiting for their partner/parent to come home. It’s a bit like those horribly cheesy Kay Jewelers commercials: the husband is coming home and the wife sees him out the window. Then when the husband walks through the door, he greets her joyfully, prepares her an elegant meal, and then as she begins to eat, he pulls out the fancy necklace or whatever it might be. Then the climax: the smile, the foreheads touching, and finally, the kiss. As cheese-ball as this may be as a marketing ploy, this is possible. It’s the picture that Jesus paints.

But when I read this though, I have to think: Am I really waiting for Him to come home? Am I expectant at the door? Am I excited? Am I dressed up for Him when He returns?

And, of course, if the answers are No, do you think the Kay commercial would roll? Would there be romance?

Now, let’s shift away from Kay…

As we read on in the passage, there are more questions that arise. 

What, as a servant of Christ, has the Lord explicitly (both in the Bible and in your own personal life) told you to do? Are you feeding others (v. 42)?

What is your version of beating, gluttony, and drunkenness? In other words, what do you do in place of what the Lord has called you to?

Are there things you’re purposefully putting off?

Now, don’t take all this as projects added to your to-do list. Maybe there are some legitimate, tangible things that you have been putting off that the Lord has been asking of you, and in that case, you should certainly take care of them. But, as the not-so-renowned theologian Jay-Z puts it, “You can’t knock the hustle.” You can’t be going for the destination; you’ve got to learn to love the process. And if you’re in that constant process, you’ll always be ready—you’ll always be waiting at the door.

A parting thought: when the Lord does return, it’s just gonna be awesome. He really will joyfully greet you. He loves you. He has no bad thoughts about you. As my brother Alex says, “Jesus does backflips…” on account of thinking about you. And as my friend Kati Biggs says, “I do nothing without Him, and He considers me first in everything He does.”

I do nothing without Him, and He considers me first in everything He does.


POINT OF ACTION:
Take 5 minutes to mull over the above questions. Answer them truthfully and prayerfully. Ask the Lord to reveal some areas in your life that keep you from waiting expectantly for Him.


WHO AM I?
My name is Jordan Bland, I got caught in a snowstorm last weekend, and I’ve been testing out new styles lately. Here’s one: