Reading 1
Rom 6:12-18
Brothers and sisters: Sin must not reign over your mortal bodies so that you obey their desires. And do not present the parts of your bodies to sin as weapons for wickedness, but present yourselves to God as raised from the dead to life and the parts of your bodies to God as weapons for righteousness. For sin is not to have any power over you, since you are not under the law but under grace.
What then? Shall we sin because we are not under the law but under grace? Of course not! Do you not know that if you present yourselves to someone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one you obey, either of sin, which leads to death, or of obedience, which leads to righteousness? But thanks be to God that, although you were once slaves of sin, you have become obedient from the heart to the pattern of teaching to which you were entrusted. Freed from sin, you have become slaves of righteousness.
Gospel
Lk 12:39-48
Jesus said to his disciples: “Be sure of this: if the master of the house had known the hour when the thief was coming, he would not have let his house be broken into.You also must be prepared, for at an hour you do not expect, the Son of Man will come.”
Then Peter said,“Lord, is this parable meant for us or for everyone?”And the Lord replied,“Who, then, is the faithful and prudent steward whom the master will put in charge of his servants to distribute the food allowance at the proper time? Blessed is that servant whom his master on arrival finds doing so. Truly, I say to you, he will put him in charge of all his property. But if that servant says to himself, ‘My master is delayed in coming,’and begins to beat the men servants and the maid servants,to eat and drink and get drunk, then that servant’s master will come on an unexpected day and at an unknown hourand will punish the servant severelyand assign him a place with the unfaithful. That servant who knew his master’s will but did not make preparations nor act in accord with his will shall be beaten severely; and the servant who was ignorant of his master’s will but acted in a way deserving of a severe beating shall be beaten only lightly. Much will be required of the person entrusted with much, and still more will be demanded of the person entrusted with more.”
Meditation: Luke 12:39-48
If the master of the house had known the hour when the thief was coming, he would not have let his house be broken into. (Luke 12:39)
Have you ever wondered why Jesus compared himself to a thief when preaching about his second coming? Why did he also use the example of a harsh master who punishes his servants for not being ready? For those who have neglected their relationship with God, this imagery can certainly be a wake-up call. But what about those of us who have been trying our best to follow him? Should we start shaking in our boots?
Certainly not. Jesus doesn’t want to frighten us into the kingdom. But there is surely an element of mystery regarding his second coming. No matter how spiritual we are, it’s going to surprise us. We know that he will come “upon the clouds of heaven with power and great glory” (Matthew 24:30). But we don’t know exactly what that will look like or when it’s going to happen. We can only expect that when the infinite enters the finite, the status quo of everyday life will be disrupted!
Since Jesus’ return will astonish everyone, we might suppose there’s no way to really prepare for it. But his own words tell us that our entire Christian life hinges on getting ready. We are to take up our cross daily and follow him. In order to find our life, we have to lose it (Luke 9:23-24; 14:33).
The best way to get ready for Jesus’ return is to let him make his home in your heart. In your prayer time, try to be open to the surprising ways he may want to speak to you—not just through his word but through the gentle voice of the Spirit or through the actions and words of the people around you. As you go through your day, be open to the interruptions that come to you. Those unexpected requests from relatives, friends, or co workers may be Jesus giving you an opportunity to serve him. You don’t have to wait for the end of the world to see him; he’s knocking at your door right now!
“Lord, may I welcome you in whatever form you come today—in the conviction of your holy word, in the presence of my neighbor, and in all the blessings you send to me.”
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