The season in which we presently live is a “God-season” and whether we realize it or not we live at the crossroad of grace every day. We must decide to follow God’s path for us, because it is easy to become distracted by the world. Time moves forward each day and we must move in synchronicity with the eternal Spirit to manifest Christ’s anointed love in real time.
As the redeemed of the Lord, we must be about our Father’s business to love the world and reveal salvation in Christ. We cannot afford to find ourselves going backward or off to the sidelines. We are Christ’s witnesses. Living in his salvation is the agenda every day.
How we live and treat people each day is not only important it is a place of judgment for our very own souls. The Church needs to take this God-season very seriously. To do or not to do…that is the question. What is the right thing to do in order to reveal Christ’s way of living? Do it!
In our passage today from Dr. Luke, Jesus is teaching his disciples about the urgency to be ready for his return. Think about that for a minute…just under two thousand years ago Jesus is teaching his servants about the urgency of their work and the potential for reward. Jesus presses the point that no one knows when the Son of Man will return by sharing an illustration with his disciples and instructing them to be ready.
Peter asks a question that I find fascinating, because I believe some folks today think like him. Is the illustration Jesus shared just for his small group of disciples? We are either faithful disciples living the Word of God and proclaiming Christ for salvation with our very lives pointing the way to Truth, or we are religious people who think simply caring for our own salvation is sufficient—a false gospel.
Believers are recognized in the world by the righteous Light and passion he or she brings to all of life. We are constantly allowing the Word to feed us, so we can turn to feed others the true love of God. Worldly love never satisfies. Jesus has high expectations for his followers, because we have been provided grace to fulfill our commission. We can share Christ in power and passion each day, we simply must choose to do so.
A faithful servant of Christ not only gives his or her heart to the work of the Lord, a believer’s entire life revolves around the understanding that we are blessed to be a blessing. The blessing of the Lord is not simply to enrich our lives—although it certainly does so. The blessing of the Lord is the power to be Christ’s ambassadors in the world, as well as welcoming humanity to his holy table to eat the Truth. What will we do today to reveal our love and faithfulness to Christ with all that we have been given?
Luke 12:41-48 NLT 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.
Prayer: Lord, thank you for our passage today that reminds us about the empowerment of our salvation. Please forgive us when we make salvation about anything we may bring to life. We are simply recipients who should do the right thing each day to reveal the love of Christ in a dark and wicked world. If we are honest, as believers, we know what is righteous and what is not. So forgive us when we have not chosen wisely and help us to stay moving faithfully forward to your call and commission. You truly have entrusted your disciples with life itself. May that understanding humble us today and help us to look at each day with the same urgency you did years ago. In Jesus’ name. Amen.