Page 167 - Demo

LUKE 
the hour when the thief was coming, he would not have let his house be broken into. 40You also must be prepared, for at an hour you do not expect, the Son of Man will come.”
41Then Peter said, “Lord, is this parable meant for us or for everyone?” 42And 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? 43Blessed is that servant whom his master on arrival finds doing so. 44Truly, I say to you, he will put him in charge of all his property. 45But 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, 46then that servant’s master will come on an unexpected day and at an unknown hour and will punish him severely and assign him a place with the unfaithful. 47That servant who knew his master’s will but did not make preparations nor act in accord with his will shall be beaten severely;t 48and 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.
Jesus: A Cause of Division.* 49“I have come to set the earth on fire, and how I wish it were already blazing! 50* There is a baptism with which I must be baptized, and how great is my anguish until it is accomplished!u 51Do you think that I have come to establish peace on the earth?v No, I tell you, but rather division.w 52From now on a household of five will be divided, three against two and two against three; 53a father will be divided against his son and a son against his father, a mother against her daughter and a daughter against her mother, a mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law and a daughter- in-law against her mother-in-law.”x
Signs of the Times.y 54He also said to the crowds, “When you see [a] cloud rising in the west you say immediately that it is going to rain— and so it does; 55and when you notice that the wind is blowing from the south you say that it is going to be hot—and so it is. 56You hypocrites! You know how to interpret the appearance of the earth and the sky; why do you not know how to interpret the present time?
Settlement with an Opponent.z 57“Why do you not judge for yourselves what is right? 58If you are to go with your opponent before a magistrate, make an effort to settle the matter on the way; otherwise your opponent will turn you over to the judge, and the judge hand you over to the constable, and the constable throw you into prison. 59I say to you, you will not be released until you have paid the last penny.”*
12:40
Jesus urges his disciples to vigilance and readiness.
The parables speak about the return of the Lord at
the end of time. But we
need this readiness in all
the encounters of our lives. “Christ, who came once in the esh, is prepared to come again. When we remove all obstacles to his presence he will come, at any hour and moment, to dwell spiritually in our hearts, bringing with him the riches of his grace.” (St. Charles Borromeo)1
12:49
Jesus is not just another teacher with another message. Jesus demands a clear response. Ultimately every person must give an answer to Jesus: yes, or no. This is the division Jesus brings, the division that Simeon prophesied when he held the infant Jesus in his arms and told Mary that the child would be “a sign that will be contradicted. so that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed” (2:35).
1 O ce of Readings, Vol. I, 153.
155
* [12:35–48] This collection of sayings relates to Luke’s understanding of the end time and the return of Jesus. Luke emphasizes for his readers the importance of being faithful to the instructions of Jesus in the period before the parousia.
* [12:45] My master is delayed in coming: this statement indicates that early Christian expectations for the imminent return of Jesus had undergone some modi cation. Luke cautions his readers against counting on such a delay and acting irresponsibly. Cf. the similar warning in Mt 24:48.
* [12:49–53] Jesus’ proclamation of the kingdom is a re ning and purifying re. His message that meets with acceptance or rejection will be a source of con ict and dissension even within families.
* [12:50] Baptism: i.e., his death.
* [12:59] The last penny: Greek, lepton, a very small amount. Mt 5:26 has for “the last penny”
the Greek word kodrantēs (Latin quadrans, “farthing”).
t. [12:47] Jas 4:17.
u. [12:50] Mk 10:38–39.
v. [12:51–53] Mt 10:34–35. w. [12:51] 2:14.
x. [12:53] Mi 7:6.
y. [12:54–56] Mt 16:2–3. z. [12:57–59] Mt 5:25–26.