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Gospel: Luke 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 menservants and the maidservants,
to eat and drink and get drunk,
then that servant’s master will come
on an unexpected day and at an unknown hour
and will punish the servant severely
and 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.”
The Gospel of the Lord.
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“Students, please take out two sheets of paper and a sharpened pencil. Begin answering the questions on the board. You’ll have thirty minutes to complete your work.”
“Yes, this is a pop quiz.”
In high school, those five alarming words – this is a pop quiz– made my stomach drop.
As an achiever who tried earning good grades, if I was caught off guard or unprepared, then I shrieked inside.
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In the Gospel, Jesus tells us to, “Be like servants who await their master’s return.”
Like a high school teacher announcing a pop quiz, we simply don’t know when he’s coming back. It’s best to be ready.
But is the Lord’s return something we should fear? Or is it something we should welcome?
I suppose a large part of our answer depends upon our image of God. So, who is God to me?
Is God like a distant father figure? A stickler for rules who holds me accountable for every little misstep?
Or is God my shepherd, my intimate friend, who loves me and illumines my path?
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God is a gentle shepherd, our companion through life. As Jesus says after washing his disciples feet, “I no longer call you servants, but friends.”
If God is our friend, then awaiting his return is not something to fear; rather, we should welcome him – and invite him into our hearts every day.
Because God comes not to harm, but to save us.
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Image credits: (1) Keep Calm-o-Matic (2) Geek Alerts (3) J. Kirk Richards